One of the highlights of Tuesday's rally was the appearance of Deborah Watts, a cousin of Emmett Till.

Till's brutal 1955 murder served as a catalyst to the start of the modern civil rights movement.

"Don't ever forget, it is better to build bridges from the past to the present to the future forever," Watts said. "Young people, keep the faith."

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Lead Nurse Practitioner Lori Reed examines a Covid patient at Piedmont Pulmonary Covid Recovery Clinic in Atlanta in 2022. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly attributed the nationwide rise in life expectancy to fewer deaths caused by the infectious disease. (Steve Schaefer/AJC file)

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Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
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