Celebrating 2020 (Yes, Really)
We are in an era of transition, opportunity and hope. A new federal administration is beginning to address the atrocities and negligence of the previous one. Two new senators...
Stories
Rural
Charging into 2020 with Momentum
Everyone who seeks to advance social and economic justice in the South is gearing up for a monumental year. Major elections and the census will determine government policies and resource allocations for years to come. Advocates will spend much of the year educating their communities about the...
A Stronger North State: Pursuing a Vision of an Equitable North Carolina
North Carolina has a surging statewide policy and civic engagement infrastructure fighting for fair legislative maps, voting rights, policies that advance economic opportunity, and public investment in programs that benefit families of all wealth levels. Blueprint NC is the “state table” that...
CEO Justin Maxson leaving MRBF
With deep gratitude for his six years of dedication and service, the board and staff of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation announce the departure of CEO Justin Maxson, who has accepted the position of USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development in the Biden-Harris Administration....
Building a Bigger Table: COVID Response Funds Across the South
“If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table, not a taller fence.” - Unknown
While it has been said COVID19 doesn’t discriminate – anyone from any background can be affected by the virus – this sentiment doesn’t tell the whole story. The virus has and will continue to disproportionately affect our most marginalized communities. The South is home to uniquely...
Protect the Community Reinvestment Act
UPDATE: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have extended the deadline for public comment to April 8.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are proposing drastic changes to Community Reinvestment Act regulations that would weaken CRA’s ability to target...
Community Economic Development in South Carolina: Our History, Our Progress, Our Future
In 1994, the South Carolina Association of Community Development Corporations was established by four local community development corporations to advance the interests of their industry. But the state’s community economic development industry truly got its start when residents rallied to help each other rebuild after devastation. The organization has since renamed itself South Carolina...
Community Economic Development is Social Justice at Work
All too often, economic development excludes community members from the decisions affecting where they live, strains local resources and siphons financial returns to outside developers with no accountability to the community. There is a better way, one that provides communities with the infrastructure and support they need to access capital, address their needs, grow thriving businesses, build...
