Founded in 1998 by Reverend Joseph Lowery, The Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda is an umbrella organization of human rights, civil rights, labor, women’s, youth, and peace and justice groups which advocate for voting rights protection, elimination of barriers to the ballot box, criminal justice reform, quality education, affordable housing, economic development and equal participation in the political process for Georgians of color and underrepresented communities.

In the 1990s, Rev Lowery, representing members of the coalition, successfully challenged the constitutionality of the Georgia state flag leading to a major design change. In 2007, after the Atlanta mayor and city council were lobbied by the coalition, a Citizens Review Board was established to investigate allegations of misconduct by the Police Department and Department of Corrections. On behalf of 250,000 Clayton County residents lacking public transportation, a referendum was promoted, subsequently approved by voters, that earmarked a one cent sales tax for the expansion of bus and mobility services and future commuter line for the county. In the area of voter protection, lawsuits were won against the secretary of state for unilaterally eliminating voters from the rolls and discarding absentee ballots where signatures did not exactly match. Efforts to reduce early voting periods have been thwarted while the coalition has effectively petitioned election boards in order to prevent the closure of polling locations.

Our mission is to improve the quality of governance in Georgia, help create a more informed and active electorate, and have responsive and accountable elected officials.

Our mission is best served by an informed and concerned electorate. To this end, we have put into place a Citizenship Education program with students and adults alike. This program is designed to empower the overall electorate and is made available to anyone desirous of making a positive difference for our future.