This event has passed.

2025 Justice Taking Root

Name: 2025 Justice Taking Root
Start: 2025-05-06T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-05-06T21:00:00-04:00
Location: The Foundry at Puritan Mill

May 6 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Tuesday, May 6, 2025
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Join the Southern Center for Human Rights for the 2025 Justice Taking Root Benefit Reception taking place on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at The Foundry at Puritan Mill.

Justice Taking Root is SCHR’s annual Atlanta benefit reception providing unrestricted support for our work, an opportunity to thank friends and allies, and to introduce new friends to our work.

Registration & Sponsorship Options

Honoring

Justice Ally of the Year

Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative team

Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD)

Since its founding, PAD has been a trailblazer—offering pre-arrest diversion, community-based response teams, and holistic care navigation to those impacted by poverty, unmet mental health needs, and substance use.

From organizing against harmful city ordinances in 2013 to operating a 24/7 diversion and sobering center in Atlanta, PAD continues to lead with equality, dignity, and justice at the heart of its work. In 2024 alone, PAD diverted nearly 300 people from arrest or jail, provided emergency housing and mental or behavioral health care to 168 people, and served nearly 4,000 individuals through its food pantry.

As one PAD participant shared: “PAD’s support was more than just meeting basic needs. It restored my dignity and empowered me to thrive… I am living proof of the difference they make.”

Celebrating the

10th Anniversary of Project Freedom

Project Freedom the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) resentencing project. Grounded in the values of equality, dignity, and justice, Project Freedom challenges extreme and inhumane prison sentences. Project Freedom has helped secure the release of nearly 100 people from prisons across the South. Wilmart Martin and Charles Scandrett, our first resentencing clients, will join us for an intimate discussion with their attorneys.

Wilmart Martin and Charles Scandrett, our first resentencing clients who both faced the devastating consequences of extreme sentencing laws, will join us to share their stories.

Wilmart Martin

Charles Scandrett

Program

6:00 pm | Cocktail Reception
7:00 pm | Program
9:00 pm | Dessert Reception

Cocktail Attire

THANK YOU TO OUR LEADING SPONSORS

Luminary

Mary Broderick

Benefactor

Caplan Cobb LLC

Defendor

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
King & Spalding LLP
Lunoor Consulting
James Kwak and Sylvia Brandt
Joe Loveland and Pam Driesell
Lenel Srochi-Meyerhoff and John Meyerhoff, MD

Guardian

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP
Anne and Martin Emanuel
Mazie Lynn Guertin
Brian and Ellen Spears
Craig and Melinda Sweat
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. and Gail Laster

Event Logistics

Below, you will find important event details for the evening. Please make sure to share the following information with all planned attendees, particularly if you are a sponsor that is bringing guests (and you did not already provide us with your guests’ email addresses) or if guests will be attending on your behalf.

Date and Location
Tuesday, May 6th, 6 p.m.
The Foundry at Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Attire
The attire is business.

Parking
The Foundry at Puritan Mill has ample free parking.

Registration
Tickets to the event are paperless. Please check in at the registration table when you arrive and pick up your name badge.

Cocktail Reception
The cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to greet old friends, meet new ones, and mingle with SCHR staff and board. Complimentary beer and wine will be served. Live music will be provided by the Tom Olsen Trio.

Formal Program
The formal program will begin promptly at 7 p.m.

Fund Our Mission
We will have a “Fund Our Mission” portion of our evening. Cash, check, and credit card are all acceptable forms of payment. There will be staff on-site with tablets to help process payments.

Social Media
We hope you’ll join us on social media; we’ll be live tweeting Justice Taking Root at @southerncenter. Join us by using the hashtag #justicetakingroot.

The Foundry at Puritan Mill

916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318 United States + Google Map