Social Justice

As NRFC's work has evolved over the last three years, it has become clear that issues of race, class, and power must be explicity addressed in any strategy for Rural Community Transformation.  NRFC is working to not only integrate these issues at the fundamental engagment level of its grantmaking and capacity building work, but it is also working to building a body of knowledge around these issues. 

We have encountered innovative strategies that begin to deal with issues of social justice in projects such as the Black Family Land Trust.  This strategy specifically is focused on restoring historic Black family lands to original ownership and to allow for limited development thereof.  By utilizing public easement funds and funds from other sources it is developing wealth creation for Black families while preserving the integrity of natural assets.

Recommended Readings

Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground: New Dimensions on Race in America. The American Assembly, Columbia University. Angela Glover Blackwell, Stewart Kwoh, Manuel Pastor. 2002. W.W. Norton & Company.

“Structural Racism and Community Building”
The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change
June 2004

“Leadership Development for Policy Change: Strengthening Communities of Color Through Leadership Development“
PolicyLink, 2003
Dwayne S. Marsh, Milly Hawk Daniel, Kris Putnam

Please submit your own resources and articles that you have found valuable in bringing issues of Social Justice to the front of community development work.