During Black History Month, I honor these four leaders who ordered my steps

Ambassador Andrew Young has inspired countless people over the decades with his steadiness, regardless of how complex or divisive the moment is.

Because of leaders like him, Georgia grew into the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. His bold, steady and wisdom-filled approach to solving problems has given us all ample room to stand on his shoulders.

Our family motto is: “Doing the right thing will never be the wrong thing.” Every time I have watched Young work, speak or lead, that phrase has been more deeply etched into my heart and mind.

Recently, I visited his newly constructed aquaponics farm in Jonesboro. This innovative project is aimed squarely at solving the generational crisis of food insecurity found all around the world.

This facility will produce 1,500 pounds of fresh greens daily and over a ton of fresh fish weekly, all while using 90% less water, making them viable in even the most challenging environments around the world.

Young’s approach to help feed the world is not only scalable and economically viable, but it once again allows us the chance to follow his leadership style that is more about service than speeches.

Calvin Smyre showed statesmanship

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Like so many Georgians, the murder of Ahmaud Arbery shook me deeply. I will never forget speaking to his mother, Wanda, and hearing the grief and pain in her voice. I was surprised to learn that Georgia was only one of five states that did not have a hate crimes statute on the books. I became determined to change that.

I approached Republicans in the state Senate about passing the hate crimes statute and was met with excuses. So, I turned to Democrats in both the House and the Senate to help me with the effort, including my good friend and “Dean of the House,” former state Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus.

Smyre didn’t just help us, he carried us. He worked the rooms, opened the doors and brought people together during a moment when Georgia desperately needed moral clarity.

Without his statesmanship, that bill would still be sitting in a committee room in the basement of the Capitol. Instead, it became law.

Smyre taught me a lot throughout that process, but most profoundly he taught me what political courage really looks like.

Stacey Abrams taught valuable lessons about listening

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

When I was sworn in as a state representative in 2013, former state Rep. Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, was the House Minority Leader. Almost immediately, I realized she was playing chess while most others were merely playing checkers.

In my third year, I set out to pass an aggressive rural health care initiative. I made up my mind early in the process that I wanted it to be a bipartisan effort regardless of the whip count.

Democrats were against the bill, so I decided to approach Stacey on the House floor and asked her, “I know you’re against my bill, but do you have any suggestions that might improve it?”

That one question led to a bipartisan conversation that has delivered over $500 million to 50-plus rural hospitals across Georgia in the last seven years.

Abrams taught me a valuable lesson that day: Leadership is more about listening than talking.

Dewey McClain is a good man with a huge heart

Every legislator will tell you that eventually you find someone that becomes more than a colleague, they become family. For me, that person is state Rep. Dewey McClain, D-Lawrenceville.

McClain was my seatmate, my sounding board and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.

We talked about everything: unions, health care, sports and even whether Jesus would be a Republican or a Democrat. (We both agreed he would be an Independent.)

But McClain’s biggest impact on me came from his favorite saying: “What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong.”

Credit: Christina Matacotta

Credit: Christina Matacotta

The brilliance of that phrase is it gives clarity to the simple truths that are sometimes the hardest to follow. Those words have echoed around in my heart and soul often as I’ve navigated through my own political and policy evolution.

McClain is a good man with a huge heart, and I’m grateful for his friendship.

To Young, Smyre, Abrams and McClain, thank you. You have shaped my path in ways I never saw coming. You taught me how to lead with compassion, how to listen, how to act and how to stand firm in moments that matter.

As Brooke and I continue raising our three sons and in my work in the public square, it is my responsibility to carry these lessons forward. Black History Month isn’t just about honoring the past. It’s about recognizing the people who are still lighting the way.

At a moment when President Donald Trump is offering a retrograde version of leadership that takes aim squarely at the progress Georgians have built, we have a responsibility to look to a better moral compass, and I’ve been lucky enough to have that throughout my career in these folks.

Their leadership ordered my steps. My job now is to keep walking.

Geoff Duncan served as Georgia lieutenant governor as a Republican from 2019 to 2023. He is now a Democratic candidate for governor in the 2026 statewide primary election. He is a former paid contributor to the AJC.