In 2005, a gathering of groups based in the Deep South met to talk about helping communities confront issues of racial violence and reconciliation. Representatives of The Birmingham Pledge, Southern Truth and Reconciliation, and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation were present. Out of this meeting grew the desire to form a regional alliance, creating a network of organizations dedicated to similar ideals, who could serve local community needs throughout the South. This led to the March 2006 Southern Exposure conference, hosted by the three original groups, at the University of Mississippi, where the Winter Institute resides.

The original ATRR website was archived in 2023 in the form of site content and documents. For a functional representation of the original website, please consult the Wayback Machine through archive.org.