In Commemoration, In Commitment: A Tribute
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The Charles Sherrod CDC joins our fellow Grounded Solutions Network members across the nation in marking the profound loss and pausing to reflect on the ongoing racial justice legacy of two Georgia Civil Rights Movement icons; Representative John Lewis and Reverend Cordy Tindal “C.T.” Vivian.
A Baptist minister and the leader of many civil rights-focused organizations, Pastor Vivian served for several years as the national director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), registering voters and leading non-violent protests and active resistance of segregationists across the South. C.T. spent a lifetime working for justice, never forgetting where he came from and who he was, even though he was well known. On the contrary, he would go out of his way to connect with our people, including when we honored 150 individuals who were the backbone of the southwest Georgia movement in 2000. C.T. did not hesitate to say he would be present, driving his personal car to Albany and not allowing us to make special arrangements for his travel.
And John Lewis, among his many notable accomplishments, also worked directly alongside my husband Charles Sherrod, Slater King, Father Albert McKnight and many others in 1968 to create the blueprint for a new model of land tenure, ultimately establishing the non-profit New Communities, Inc. in Albany, GA - widely recognized as the first Community Land Trust (CLT) in the nation.
The story of that work is told in the documentary Arc of Justice, where John talked about the plight of our people and the need for land to establish the Beloved Community Dr. King referenced so often when he spoke. John reiterated his commitment to assist New Communities in a meeting with us shortly before his health diagnosis, holding his fist high as he walked us to the elevator in his building to indicate he would follow through.
Our struggle – which began in 1961 during the first mass protest movement by Black leaders in Albany, GA combatting anti-Black racism – is linked in purpose and reflected in the values of today’s Black Lives Matter protests throughout the world. It now remains our collective responsibility to carry on the unfinished work of these twin social movements – not only in respectful commemoration of past courage but leading to a future where every family in our nation has unrestricted access to equal opportunity, no matter their racial identity.
This year continues to be a historic moment for advancing the progress of racial equity, inclusion, and justice in America —to attain the rights, freedoms and privileges that are far too often still denied to Black citizens.
Charles and Shirley Sherrod
Albany, GA
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VIDEO: How does housing equity impact social justice reform?
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Grounded Solutions Network CEO Tony Pickett discusses the impact of economic exclusion on housing equity.
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VIDEO: How has COVID-19 Impacted Albany, Georgia?
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Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education Program Director Amber Bell shares local COVID-19 impacts and how, while much of the mainstream attention has been focused on metro centers, areas like Albany are overlooked far too often.
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Where we live matters.
We bring together an extensive network of partners and member practitioners from local communities who have a deep understanding of best practices in community land trusts, shared equity housing, local housing policies such as inclusionary zoning, and more.
At Grounded Solutions Network, we know what policies and strategies work to build and preserve housing opportunities, and we help communities use them.
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