In conversations about progress, there are moments when words transcend dialogue and become a call to action. For Dr. Lusharon Wiley, then Vice President of Corporate Culture for Innisfree Hotels, that moment came in the wake of Julian MacQueen’s public letter following the murder of George Floyd, a heartfelt appeal urging Pensacola to pause, reflect, and reimagine its response to inequity. From that invitation, a small gathering of 15 individuals took shape.
What began as a circle of concerned citizens soon evolved into the Equity Project Alliance (EPA), a collaborative force committed to unity, transformative thinking, and equity in action. In January 2024, Dr. Wiley, a founding member of the EPA, made a pivotal transition from her role at Innisfree Hotels to become the EPA’s first full-time Executive Director, signaling a new chapter in the organization’s mission to build a more just and equitable community.
Wiley explains that the distinction between equality and equity is central to EPA’s mission and offers a vivid metaphor: two children are handed golf clubs, one raised on country club greens, the other never having set foot on a course. Both are given the same tools, yet only one is equipped to succeed. True equity, she explains, acknowledges disparities of access and works to bridge them, thus ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
EPA is deliberate about balancing immediate needs with long-term change. “If we know that someone is already doing good work, let’s spotlight that,” Wiley notes. While partnerships and volunteer programs fill present gaps, initiatives like the development of an organizational playbook aim to provide long-range guidance. The approach is tandem: celebrating what’s working, addressing urgent needs, and steadily building systemic solutions.
Unlike organizations that aim to lead every initiative, the Equity Project Alliance sees its strength in collaboration. “We do not want to take over,” Dr. Wiley emphasizes. “We want to walk alongside.” Its annual “data walk” identifies pressing issues such as affordable housing, food insecurity, healthcare access, and education gaps and then asks: who is already addressing this, and how can we help?
The Alliance also looks to the next generation, planning youth-centered programs such as teen story slams and volunteer partnerships. “It’s incremental,” Wiley says. “But if we can connect teens with opportunities to lead, listen, and serve, we begin building equity into the very fabric of community life.
EPA’s work is rooted in values of community care, gentleness in dialogue, confidentiality, and innovative thinking. These create a safe space for candid conversations that continue to draw full audiences, evidence of the hunger for connection across divides. For those outside formal organizations, involvement is simple: reach out through the website, attend an event, or simply start a conversation. “Volunteers show up because the work matters,” Wiley affirms.
As with any nonprofit, constraints exist. The organization must navigate the boundaries of its 501(c)(3) status while remaining true to its mission. For Wiley, leadership means embracing commitment, allyship, humility, and collective wisdom. Her own resilience comes from faith, morning devotionals, puzzles to sharpen the mind, and the wisdom of mentors, especially her daughter. “People give me energy,” she says. “And gratitude keeps me grounded.”
Looking five to ten years forward, Wiley envisions EPA as a lasting presence: deepening educational impact, expanding youth engagement, and building a national network of equity advocates. Her optimism is grounded in lived history. “I grew up in a segregated community in South Georgia,” she reflects. “Now I look at my friends and colleagues and see just how far we’ve come. We are not finished, but as long as there is hope, determination, and a willingness to transform how we think and live with each other, equity is possible.”
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Dr. Wiley’s perspective is anchored in a personal history that informs her present mission. Raised in Valdosta, Georgia, during an era of segregation, she witnessed the unfolding of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of a child, too young to fully understand, yet indelibly marked by its impact. Later, her education at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) broadened her worldview, exposing her to both the power of knowledge and the necessity of diverse voices.