Deondreze Young hadn’t planned on a career in politics. But, when seats opened up on her hometown city council, her father encouraged her to run, and she did, in hopes of making change in Wadley, Georgia. Young’s roles and position in the community — as a cosmetology instructor, nail technician, substitute teacher, and mother — […]
Rural Issues
Posted inBlack Farmers, Food Access, Politics & Policy
Black-Owned Farms Fill Gaps Left by SNAP Funding Delays
Cherie Jzar, a North Carolina farmer, has become a lifeline for area residents as the Trump administration has delayed funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many of her customers are seniors — who often live on fixed incomes and rely on SNAP. With the rising costs of food, she said, it has been difficult for […]
Posted inAgriculture, Black Farmers, Rural Issues
As Tariffs Rise, One Family’s Fields Tell the Real Cost of the Trade War
Willis Nelson, a third-generation farmer in eastern Louisiana, was hoping to avoid the worst. The 38-year-old farms 4,000 acres in Sondheimer with his brothers and father. They grow row crops such as corn, cotton, and soybean, which are the leading U.S. agricultural exports that are sold to a global market. This year, they opted out […]
Posted inRural Issues
The Black Women Driving a Food Revolution in Rural Mississippi
Sowing Resilience: Rural communities across the country are grappling with food insecurity. Schoolchildren, seniors, grocers and even farmers face a food crisis compounded by government cuts and soaring costs. These nine stories reveal how communities are navigating — and reimagining — the systems that have left them hungry. OAKLAND, Miss. — Grocery store owner Marquitrice […]
Posted inClimate Change, History, Rural Issues
The Army Took Their Land. Decades Later, This Black Community Still Wants It Back.
HARRIS NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Ga. — Over the course of what was a scorching, yet typical May day across Coastal Georgia, Willie Moran made it a point to stop and take a deep breath at every sight of water. Looking out across the estuaries and salt marshes teeming with wildlife, he repeatedly reminded his […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
Medicaid Cuts Endanger Life-Saving Care for Black Families in Rural America
Over the past few months, Marcia Dinkins’ eldest child has been hospitalized frequently. A serious infection swept through her daughter’s body, affecting her pancreas, spleen, and gallbladder. Fortunately, Dinkins’ daughter, Marshale Malone, was able to afford and receive life-saving surgery, thanks to Medicaid. But without it, Dinkins said, the health emergency could have meant either […]
Posted inBlack Businesses, Black Farmers, Economy, Politics & Policy
Black-Owned Businesses Confront Rising Costs Amid Trump’s Tariffs
Sweeping tariffs took effect Thursday, and while President Donald Trump has said the tariffs would lead to factories and jobs moving back to the United States, for Black Americans and small-business owners, it is not that simple. Prices are expected to dramatically rise for clothing and shoes; electronics like cellphones and computers; cars and auto […]
Posted inAgriculture, Black Farmers, Economic Development, Food Access
USDA Cuts Food Business Centers Supporting Black Farmers
Over the past seven months, Kenneth Sparks lost at least five federal grants as a result of cancellations and funding freezes. The grants would have supported his four-year-old farm, where he grows vegetables, and sells seeds and eggs. Now, the Southern California farmer is about to lose out again. For the past two years, he […]
Posted inAgriculture, Black Farmers, Rural Issues
USDA Ends Key Support for Black Farmers Amid Trump Anti-DEI Orders
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Posted inAgriculture, Black Farmers, Rural Issues
In the Mississippi Delta, Black Farmers Are Rebuilding the Legacy of Land Ownership
JONESTOWN, Miss. — As Pastor Bennie Brown sat in the bright red pews of St. James Missionary Baptist, just a few feet away from the podium where he preaches every Sunday, the 71-year-old farmer recalled feeling the spiritual presence of the ancestors. The church is located in Jonestown, an all-Black rural town in the Mississippi […]