Black Lives Matter less in the rural South
For poor, disenfranchised, Black Americans, who are still living on the same lands
that once enslaved their families, there is much work to be done.
HEROES TO THE RESCUE
Our intervention repurposes rural land to create
generational change in the Black community
In the most unequal place in America…
We are purchasing five (5) acres of unused land in rural Louisiana to revive, rebuild and reimagine our community.
For HEROES, a robust, resilient community requires a new approach that re-invests directly in our community and provides new ways for us to operate and grow.
HERO: Monica Johnson
Named one of People Magazine’s Women Changing the World in 2022, Monica Johnson has been on the frontlines of poverty in rural Louisiana for almost 30 years.
Monica’s grassroots organization HEROES supports, educates and uplifts her community through adult wellness, youth education and community healing. She leads an all-female team, made up of women-of-color who live in the very community that they serve. Her work is a testament to her tenacity and the vision she has for her community.
Funding Shortages
Across the Global South, gender bias, institutional racism and rampant inequality hinder the grassroots work of Women-of-Color.
Women-of-Color receive 0.5% of the $66.9 billion given annually.
Nationally, $365M is allocated to Women and Girls of Color (WGOC).
The Rural American South is a Region in Crisis
“HEROES, and Monica in particular, have provided a second home to me. My mother passed away during my freshman year of high school, and HEROES gave me the stability and security I needed as a young adult. HEROES has meant everything to the Black community here in Brownville. Because of Monica’s work, there are fewer teen pregnancies, more high school graduates, more college students, and more young folks registered to vote.”
— Kandace Taylor, former HEROES member and current volunteer
By supporting Women and Girls of Color in the rural South, YOU are helping to heal a divided nation
A neighbor in Monica’s hometown of Columbia, Louisiana.