SRBWI traces its inception to a meeting of Black women from Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi convened in New York City by the Ford Foundation in late 2000. The women were brought together to discuss their experiences working in the rural South while exploring the most pressing question: What would improve the quality of life for rural Southern women?

When Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi each posted household incomes and poverty rates below the national average, the group convened. Mississippi had the lowest median household income of any state in the country and the most significant percentage of people living in poverty than any state, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In 2000, at least 20 percent of all children ages 5-12 in Alabama and Mississippi were living in poverty, according to NCES.

SRBWI was formally launched in January 2002 that aligned with the second convening of a larger group of women. They used a planning grant from the Ford Foundation to formulate strategies and outcomes for work in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had designated as Persistently Poor for two decades.

SRBWI serves 77 counties and over 2,500 women across the Mississippi Delta, Alabama’s Black Belt, and Southwest Georgia. Although these are among the poorest counties in the nation, the women within them are known for their tenacity. These women are deeply involved in SRBWI’s programs and planning. They tirelessly support Human Rights and advocacy for equitable health care, education, asset-building, and job training. SRBWI works to help these women empower themselves and ultimately lift themselves out of poverty through sustainable initiatives, leadership development, and public policy advocacy.