This year’s conference theme, “Lift Every Voice,” reflects a core belief at Purpose Built Communities®. We believe strong neighborhoods are shaped by place and by the voices of the people who call them home. When resident voices lead, neighborhoods become pathways to shared prosperity.
“Lift Every Voice” pays homage to the hymn Lift Every Voice and Sing that is often referred to as “The Black National Anthem.” This classic hymn originated in Jacksonville, FL, and was written by NAACP leader, James Weldon Johnson, in 1900.
As we gather in Jacksonville, we will recognize progress across neighborhoods nationwide and the residents, partners, and leaders ensuring voices are heard and valued. This conference creates space for listening, learning together, and leading with clarity and purpose.
We know neighborhoods thrive when decisions are guided by lived experience and grounded in equity. By centering resident voices, we strengthen families for long-term prosperity, block by block, and generation by generation.
Travis Williams