Photo credit: Riley Johnson, 5, front poses for a portrait with her mom Sasha Bonner in Charlotte, NC on Feb. 4, 2022. Riley had been dressing up as Black female figures for Black History Month. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Black folks have long memories. If ever there were a people who embodied “forgive but never forget,” it’sContinue reading This Black History Month let’s focus on Black futures
Families in the South aren’t waiting on the federal government. As President Biden’s $1.85 trillion social safety net and environmental bill hangs by a thread in Congress, Southern families are doing what they’ve always done — finding ways to get their kids childcare and securing healthcare for their loved ones. Even though they deserve betterContinue reading What American Rescue Plan means for the South
From MDC President, John Simpkins (featured in January issue of “Gravy” from the Southern Foodways Alliance). Illustration by Delphine Lee (“Gravy City”). A city boy found himself in the country. “We’d be walking on these dark country roads at night,” he said, “and all of a sudden this music would seem to come out ofContinue reading More Than Enough: The promise and challenge of today’s Southern cities
Earlier this year, MDC opened our staff retreat with “To Live in the Borderlands,” a poem by Gloria Anzaldua. The poet uses the border as a device to describe a world that exists at an intersection of race, gender, and culture. Her recipe for thriving in this intersectionality is to “live sin fronteras, be aContinue reading To be a crossroads…MDC in 2021
Chairman McGovern Announces Roundtable on Hunger in Rural America Twelfth in a series of events examining the steps Congress and the Biden administration can take to finally end food insecurity in this country WASHINGTON, DC — Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) today announced that the committee will be holding a roundtable examining hungerContinue reading MDC President John Simpkins participates in US House Committee Roundtable discussion on Rural Hunger
MDC is pleased to announce the opportunity for funding and participation in its learning and action network to advance work on educational equity for young people with learning differences who experience further marginalization due to racism and/or poverty. Learning for Equity: A Network for Solutions North Carolina (LENS-NC) – a network partnership between nine NC-basedContinue reading Request for Applications – Learning for Equity: A Network for Solutions (LENS-NC)
Dr. Jason Caldwell shared MDC’s Student Loan Debt Policy Agenda at The Collaborative NC annual conference as part of the Student Loan Roundtable panel. The burden of student loan debt looms large for policymakers and millions of Americans. Durham NC-based non-profit MDC has released a policy agenda for reducing student loan debt in North Carolina.Continue reading MDC releases Student Loan Policy Agenda
MDC is delighted to announce that Rural Forward NC has joined the MDC team, providing additional expertise and capacity to support rural leaders, organizations, and communities.Continue reading Rural Forward NC joins MDC to enhance capacity and support for rural leaders and communities across the South
From left, Gov. William Winter, former MDC Program Director Shun Robertson, retired MDC President David Dodson, and MDC Autry Fellow Anna Shelton-Ormond at a 2015 showing of the documentary “The Toughest Job” about Gov. Winter at UNC-CH MDC mourns the loss of Mississippi Gov. William F. Winter, who passed away Friday (12/18/20) in Jackson, Miss.,Continue reading Remembering Miss. Gov. William Winter, MDC chair emeritus and an inspiration
The Oak Foundation has committed over $1.4 million to an 18-month MDC initiative that provides a network of organizations grants and support to advance their work to improve the lives of the one-in-five children who struggle with learning and attention issues, and the less than favorable outcomes for the ones who are low-income students and students of color.Continue reading LENS NC offers space for new connections and shared dreaming to help students with learning differences