We are Southern rural
Black women, and our
voices carry.
The Civil Rights struggle did not end in the sixties, and it did not begin there either. Across the rural South, SRBWI organizes Black women and young women to break down barriers of race, class, and gender and to build economic power that lasts.
25
YEARS OF ORGANIZING
3
DEEP SOUTH STATES
14–24
YOUNG LEADERS WE TRAIN
501(c)3
HUMAN RIGHTS NONPROFIT
WHO WE ARE
Rooted in the Black Belt. Reaching across gene rations
The Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice was formed in 2001 to address the historical race, class, cultural, religious, and gender barriers faced by Black women and young women in the rural U.S. South.
The Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice was formed in 2001 to address the historical race, class, cultural, religious, and gender barriers faced by Black women and young women in the rural U.S. South.
“We nourish the internal capacity of women to take responsibility for their own lives.”
Five commitments guide
everything we do
Nourish
The internal capacity of women to take responsibility for their own lives.
Engage
Women in advocacy and policy that redirect resources toward full participation and justice.
Develop
Asset-based economic strategies that invest in women and lift communities out of poverty.
Build
Organizational capacity across the region to sustain this work for the long term.
Connect
With women's groups committed to human rights and economic and social justice.
From leadership training to
women-led enterprise
Human Rights Commissions
Community-led commissions advancing public policy, healthcare and Medicaid expansion, quality education, rural broadband, and nonpartisan civic engagement across the Black Belt.
Unita Blackwell Young Women's Leadership Program
An intergenerational program that attracts and nurtures young women leaders ages 14 to 24, passing forward the organizing tradition of the rural South.
Asset and Finance Development
Women in Agriculture and the Southern Journeys Collective build women-led rural enterprise, from farming cooperatives to a sewing collective of skilled artisans.
Community Based Participatory Research
Research designed and led by the women it concerns, lifting up Black women's voices and turning lived experience into evidence for systems change.
Cervical cancer
outreach and
advocacy
Cervical cancer disproportionately kills Black women in the rural South. SRBWI researchers have published state reports for Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, and our Ambassador Program trains local women to bring screening and HPV vaccination information to their own communities.
This is participatory research at its best: evidence gathered by our communities, used to change outcomes in our communities.
OUR GOALS
What we are working toward
We constantly evaluate ourselves and work to improve how we serve rural women, so this movement remains strong and sustainable for the future.
Engage the voices of rural Black women and young women in advocacy, public policy, civic participation, and systems change at every level.
Strengthen intergenerational leadership and nurture new young women leaders ages 14 to 24.
Model and promote alternative, women-led rural economic development strategies for rural America.
Develop and share participatory research that lifts up Black women's voices and expands their collective power.
Build strategic partnerships with other women's organizations and allies.
The women tell it best
Before SRBWI, nobody asked what we thought about the policies shaping our county. Now we sit at the table, and we bring our daughters with us.
The leadership program taught me that my voice matters at fourteen, not someday. I have led voter education drives in my town ever since.
Through Southern Journeys, my sewing became a business. What we make with our hands now feeds our families and funds our futures.
Three states, one movement
BAMA Kids, Inc.
P.O. Box 212
Camden, Alabama 36726
334.682.5925
Southwest Georgia Project for
Community Education, Inc.
P.O. Box 1933
Albany, Georgia 31702
229.430.9870
Southern Regional Office
P.O. Box 11437
Jackson, Mississippi 39283
601.321.1966
Led by the women we serve
Oleta Garret Fitzgerald
Board Member
Sheryl Threadgill Matthews
Board Member
Bracy Harris
Board Member
Shirley Sherrod
Board Member
Frequently asked
questions
Who can participate in SRBWI programs?
Our programs serve Black women and young women across rural Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The Unita Blackwell Leadership Program welcomes young women ages 14 to 24.
How is SRBWI funded?
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit supported by foundations, partners, and individual donors. Every gift stays in service of rural Black women and their communities.
What is the Cervical Cancer Ambassador Program?
Ambassadors are local women trained to share screening and HPV vaccination information in their own communities, backed by SRBWI research reports from all three states.
How can I support the work if I live outside the South?
Sign up for our newsletter, share our research, purchase from Southern Journeys artisans, or make a donation. Allies everywhere strengthen this movement.
How do I get involved locally?
Contact the state lead organization nearest you. Each one connects women to commissions, trainings, and programs in their area.