William Watson first learned democracy watching his Mississippi parents risk their lives (and his) in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Defying odds set by poverty and alcoholism, Watson earned a social justice-focused doctorate from San Francisco State University and completed a Presidential Fellowship for College Excellence with The Aspen Institute's partnership with Stanford University. After prototyping equity innovations in higher education for over 20 years, he founded Waterbrook, LLC, a USA democracy project inspired by MLK's Beloved Community. For more information, visit williamwatson. org.