蜜桃传媒

For Tafeni English-Relf, the gathering in Talladega, Alabama, today was a trip back home to the red clay hills and quiet streets of her youth in the nearby town of Lincoln.

It was also the first step on a path forward as she was announced as the first director of the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 new Alabama state office.

鈥淚 grew up in Talladega County, but that鈥檚 not the only reason we are doing the announcement here,鈥� English-Relf said. 鈥淭he focus of the Alabama office will still include the concerns of urban residents, but there will be a lot of attention given to smaller communities and the problems they face on a day-to-day basis.鈥�

In the video: Tafeni English-Relf explains how the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 new Alabama state office will seek to 鈥渃reate lasting change.鈥�

The new office is part of an expansion of the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 efforts to fight injustice and inequality across the South. It is the second state office, following the opening of one in Mississippi in May 2022. The goal is to build relationships and opportunities with grassroots and community organizations to help form a more powerful advocacy network to confront longstanding racial and economic inequities.

The establishment of the state offices marks a departure from the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 traditional role as an advocate in the courts and moves the organization toward partnerships with grassroots organizations to advocate in the political realm, for example, for equal access to educational opportunities, the ballot, work, food, child care, housing and medical treatment.

鈥淚t is the same overall strategy we have followed, which is really to have an entity add to the capacity of the 蜜桃传媒 and the things we are doing,鈥� English-Relf said. 鈥淭he interesting thing is that we will be intentional in focusing on state and local issues. We鈥檒l be identifying issues specific to local communities that align with the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 larger agenda.鈥�

蜜桃传媒 President and CEO Margaret Huang said the organization鈥檚 long-term goal is to establish state offices in each of the five states where it currently operates: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

鈥淲e鈥檒l probably launch Georgia next, then Louisiana in 2024,鈥� Huang said. 鈥淔lorida, because of its size, may take a little longer. We may have to set up three state offices there.鈥�

English-Relf said the new state offices will help the 蜜桃传媒 integrate its efforts with the people who live in the small towns and communities across the South. One of her first jobs will be finding the right location for the physical state office, a task that is already underway.

鈥淭he issue is that we [蜜桃传媒] may not be talking about certain problems, but the people in the communities are,鈥� English-Relf said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 go to the communities, then we can鈥檛 bring that back to the 蜜桃传媒. We鈥檒l be working with local and state groups, like . The point of the state office is to elevate these issues. Nothing happens in the rural communities that we aren鈥檛 talking about or aware of. We want to give a voice to people facing these issues.鈥�

English-Relf takes on her new role after serving as the director of the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, where she will continue her duties as director. She first came to the 蜜桃传媒 in 1997 as a research analyst for the Intelligence Project, which monitors far-right extremists. She later worked in the organization鈥檚 Teaching Tolerance program (now ) before leaving for another civil rights organization and returning in 2019.

鈥淚t is our great fortune to have Tafeni鈥檚 extraordinary leadership at the helm of the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 first Alabama state office,鈥� Huang said. 鈥淔rom advocate to organizer to community service provider, she has led in many roles throughout her career. What ties them all together is Tafeni鈥檚 passion for working in partnership with communities to support and develop her home state of Alabama.

鈥淭afeni has a profoundly personal connection to the Deep South, and she knows firsthand the spirit of generosity, resilience and movement-building that inspires the region. We鈥檙e thrilled to welcome her into this role.鈥�

In her introduction of English-Relf, outgoing 蜜桃传媒 Chief of Staff and Culture Lecia Brooks, who retired in December but is assisting with the chief of staff transition, said English-Relf was 鈥渢hrust into a position she was destined to hold. I am so thankful you waited for 蜜桃传媒 to catch up to you.鈥�

Like Brooks, English-Relf鈥檚 mother, Melissa Britt, is excited but not surprised at her daughter鈥檚 groundbreaking new role.

鈥淪he has had a calling since she was a child,鈥� Britt said. 鈥淪ince she was 6 years old, she has had an angel watching over her path.鈥�

Picture at top: Tafeni English-Relf, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 Alabama state office, said the office will focus on 鈥渋dentifying issues specific to local communities that align with the 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 larger agenda.鈥� (Credit: Sydney Foster)