In response to the mayor’s State of the City Address, Fallon McClure, Deputy Southeast Regional Director for the Working Families Power, has penned a powerful love letter to Atlanta — one that speaks directly to the City’s working families, the struggles they face and the future they deserve: 

Forever I love Atlanta, a place we all cherish and call our home. Atlanta is known as the South’s shining star. Our beloved city embodies rich culture, vibrant arts, and a deep devotion to our communities. We hold a unique shimmer. Even in dark times, we shine in a way that other cities and nations model — but our light is authentically Atlanta. 

Forever I love Atlanta, but we must be honest about where we stand. Our working families are being squeezed from all sides. The gap between what Atlanta is and what Atlanta can be is not closing fast enough. Our city’s history of resistance and progress demands that we continue the work of doing right by ALL our people, not just the wealthy and politically connected. 

Forever I love Atlanta, a place where we are fighting for working families. Our fight is for a city where: 

• Families grow strong roots in nurturing neighborhoods, 
• communities stand safe and united, 
• workers earn wages that honor their dignity, 
• everyone finds shelter they can afford, and 
• and every voice shapes the city’s future equally. 

But, my beloved Atlanta, we have many opportunities to strengthen and refine our local government. You deserve much better than the current political maneuvers that undermine our democracy: 

• Systems that hold the powerful accountable are being dismantled.
  • The president fired multiple inspector generals who provided oversight.
  • Legislation was passed to weaken the power of Atlanta’s inspector general. 
• Your voice is being suppressed, and those in power are using political tactics to silence you. 
  • The governor deployed the National Guard when you exercised your freedom of speech. 
  • The secretary of state purged your voting rolls and implemented exact match, where even a missing hyphen on a driver’s license could make an otherwise eligible voter ineligible. 
  • Closed-door meetings were held to discuss the future of “Cop City.” 
  • City Hall published unredacted signatures of “Stop Cop City” protesters.
• Your democratic processes are being undermined. 
  • The mayor stymied diversion support services by quietly reopening bids on an awarded contract via an invitation-only bid process, ultimately re-awarding it to the original contractor after receiving no competing bids. 
  • Our elected officials pushed “Cop City” through despite voter opposition.
• The militarized policing approach is eroding your trust. 
  • Police tactics during “Stop Cop City” protests involved tear gas and mass arrests resembling Trump’s response to Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
  • The attorney general’s application of RICO against environmental activists resembles Trumpian tactics of weaponizing the justice system against political opposition. 

Forever I love Atlanta, which is why I am sounding the alarm to our working-class voters that our local elections are approaching, and we must press forward to dismantle looming federal and state political oppressions threatening the fabric of our democracy. We must guard against our local government adopting federal Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, strategies, which undermine our democracy regardless of which political party implements them. 

Forever I love Atlanta, which is why I remain hopeful despite the jarring national headlines. Decisions concerning everything important to the working class such as housing, schools, transportation, municipal spending, property taxes and public safety are determined by our city and county governments. We at Working Families Power are building a multiracial movement of diverse working-class voters across party lines that puts ALL people above politics. Our upcoming local elections will serve as a vital line of defense for protecting the integrity of our democracy. Please join us in the fight to ensure that our local government truly represents the needs of working families. 

My beloved Atlanta, when we win in our local elections, we can better determine the outcomes for our working families at the federal and state levels — inspiring a blueprint for broader change across the nation because “ATLANTA. INFLUENCES. EVERYTHING.” 

I love you fiercely, Atlanta. 

Forever, 

Fallon 

Fallon McClure is the Deputy Southeast Regional Director for Working Families Power. Her letter was published on 3.7.2025.