By Hilerie Lind There is a weight that comes with being the one who "makes it out." It is a peculiar, heavy crown, one that is often placed on your head by the very people you love most, and yet it feels less like an honor and more like a target. I’ve been thinking about my family. I’ve been thinking about my parents, who found their way to God after walking through the fire of familial addictions and wrongful imprisonment. I’ve been thinking about my mother, who became the first Black woman...

The work of our candidate forums is done, but our real work is just beginning. For weeks, we put candidates on the stage to answer the tough questions. After listening to dozens of them, one truth has become undeniable: leadership is not a title you are given. It is an action you take, especially when the stakes are high and no one is watching. And right now, we are in a profound leadership crisis at every level. The Rot in Our Own Backyard: A Failure of Leadership in DeKalb County I cannot,...

Friends, It’s the end of September, and I find myself in a season of profound contradictions. On a personal level, my life is...