Charles Sherrod Community Development Corporation
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The Charles Sherrod CDC is a 501c3 organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, archive and foster Southeast American culture, art, history and farming lifestyle, to lessen community and neighborhood tensions, to eliminate racial prejudice and discrimination while defending human and civil rights secured by law. The plan is to engage the public in discussions about contemporary controversies, such as black land loss, food-related disparities, environmental and economic justice, racial healing and related topics. |
Strategy
The Charles Sherrod CDC organization will conduct the farm operations as a means of conducting scientific research, teaching current and emerging African American farmers and small farmers of all nationalities about modern agricultural practices, and demonstrating to local farmers and the general public the economic feasibility of small farmer owned and operated farms in order to improve racial reconciliation, advance economic development efforts, and reduce prejudice and discrimination in the South.
The farm (RESORA) is intended to produce revenue-generating crops, and the production of these crops will be the result of a larger charitable and educational effort. The Charles Sherrod CDC plans to partner with local universities to offer internships and develop joint research projects, creating agricultural jobs for low-income African Americans, developing a mentorship program so that younger farmers can learn from more experienced farmers by evaluating the economic feasibility of the farm and its agricultural practices.
The farm (RESORA) is intended to produce revenue-generating crops, and the production of these crops will be the result of a larger charitable and educational effort. The Charles Sherrod CDC plans to partner with local universities to offer internships and develop joint research projects, creating agricultural jobs for low-income African Americans, developing a mentorship program so that younger farmers can learn from more experienced farmers by evaluating the economic feasibility of the farm and its agricultural practices.
Background
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Resora is a 1,638-acre former plantation near Albany that was originally owned by one of the largest slaveholder estates in Georgia. When New Communities purchased this land in 2011 they set out to create a unique headquarters for the organization — both a retreat and conference center and a working farm. As Shirley Sherrod put it, Resora is envisioned as “a place where we could both farm the land and also nurture the minds of people.”
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RESORA Farm
As Shirley Sherrod put it, Resora is envisioned as:
"a place where we could both farm the land and also nurture the minds of people."
Charles Sherrod
Charles Sherrod, circa 1961
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The decade of the 1960s began with a fierce determination by Blacks and Whites in the struggle for freedom. The Albany Civil Rights Movement became part of this historic social transformation when Albany City Commissioners repeatedly denied the requests of Black citizens to create a biracial committee to study and find solutions to racial problems. Aware of the pent-up frustrations and unrest in southwest Georgia, Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Field Secretaries Charles Sherrod and Cordell Reagon arrived in Albany in October 1961 and laid the foundation for SNCC’s voter registration project. They focused on youth from the trade schools, high school, and college and led nightly workshops in churches on nonviolent tactics.
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The corporation is named after Rev. Charles Sherrod. His lifelong fight and ministry was and continues to be for the education and empowerment of people.
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