One Day One Power is more than just an organization; it is a pledge that Montgomery made to itself.
If the name has come up in Montgomery, Alabama recently, it’s probably been associated with an initiative that seemed to go beyond being just a single occurrence—such as a group of people gathering in a room to mentor the next generation, a summit focused on leadership and brotherhood, or a night when the entire city put on a display to pay respect to its own history. That’s what One Day One Power is, and after you know the origin of the name, all the other aspects of it begin to make sense.
Where the Name Comes From.
The story begins on one particular date: December 1, 1955, the day when Rosa Parks took her stand and thus helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement. One Day One Power was established in order to keep that moment alive, not as a historical lesson locked away in the past, but as something that communities can actively carry forward. The organisation is there to educate, empower and unite people while respecting what that one day achieved. That is, in fact what makes this organisation a One Day One Power nonprofit instead of merely being another kind of local events group; all its meetings, summits and celebrations are based on one idea namely that history isn’t something you look back on but something you take action on.
What the Movement Actually Does
In practice the One Day One Power movement appears in Montgomery in many different forms. There is Journeys to Jubilee, which is the organization’s calendar of cultural, educational and empowerment events that take place throughout the year. There is the Man Up Summit, an event concentrating on leadership, mentorship and brotherhood for men and young leaders. There is also Youth Leadership programming that is based on mentorship and historical education for the next generation. And each fall the movement moves on to what it terms the Road to December One, a period that begins with a call on Black Friday for unity and continues through a series of community gatherings before ending with the December 1 Commemoration itself. This isn’t something that occurs on its own either. The organization has established a real presence throughout the city, having reached thousands of community members through its events, offered youth mentoring via its leadership programs, and had dozens of local partners and nonprofit organizations working with it to ensure the movement continues to grow.
The Four Pillars Behind Everything
It is this combination which sets One Day One Power apart from the kind of calendar used by most nonprofits that consists of a series of individual events. Rather than being simply a list of activities, it acts as a continuous thread linking Montgomery’s past with the things its residents are currently building.
If you get rid of the specific events and focus on what actually underlies One Day One Power, you will find that it is based on a number of steady commitments: providing education regarding the Civil Rights Movement and the lessons it has to offer, fostering unity by means of common cultural experiences, giving people a sense of empowerment through mentorship and opportunities for leadership, and promoting economic progress for entrepreneurs and small businesses who are aiming to create generational wealth. The celebration of culture is present in all these areas, with African American traditions, art, music, and storytelling being honoured as part of the way the community remains connected to its own history.
Why It’s Rooted in Montgomery, Specifically
That is why the movement hasn’t begun in any other place. It was in Montgomery that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, and the city has taken many years to work out how to treat that history with the importance it merits. One Day One Power provides that history with a vibrant presence, a setting in which commemoration and community action take place together rather than on separate occasions.
That is also the reason why a large part of the movement’s programming teams up with local venues that were designed for events of this type, the ALOE Event Center being one example, hosting a range of events such as the Man Up Summit and special fundraising evenings which give direct support to the organization’s activities.
Getting Involved
If you want to go to an event, mentor a young leader, or just wish to know what December 1 continues to mean for Montgomery today, then One Day One Power is designed so that you can take part in it rather than just reading about it. For more information about the full event calendar, membership details, and different ways to get involved, please visit