In the midst of a brutal and repressive environment, African American women of the rural south persevered; imagining a future that promised social, cultural, and economic justice. Their unrelenting acts of courage and conviction throughout the civil rights and post civil rights eras shaped the course of both local and national history and affirmed in their communities a deeply endemic capacity to  live in spite of deliberately inflicted hardship.  

SRBWI'S Cultural Heritage programs document the impact of Southern Rural Black Women on community and national life, particularly during the civil rights era and continuing to the present day. 

The Southern Rural Black Women’s Hall of Fame (details and application), bi-annually inducting 15 women (5 from each state) grew out of a Share Your Heritage Workshop sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2004.  Our first regional induction ceremony was held in December 2005 during the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Montgomery Bus Boycott at the Rosa Parks Museum.  

SRBWI is compiling a “cultural inventory” encompassing national register and other information on over 300 significant, “community” landmarks and events highlighting the contributions of southern, rural, black women to their communities and the nation.

“Just Stand, Anyhow!” is a traveling exhibit featuring 2005 Hall of Fame inductees consists of twelve, double-sided panels (approx. 4’ (wide) x 8’ (high)) from featuring the 2005 Southern Rural Black Women’s HOF inductees. The exhibit is available for lease.  Middle School Curriculums featuring Hall of Fame Inductees and emphasizing civic engagement are available upon request.  

Cultural Heritage exhibits and events have been supported through grants to the Children’s Defense Fund’s Southern Regional Office for SRBWI from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Samuel Rubin Foundation and the Georgia Humanities Council. SRBWI’s cultural heritage work is guided by an advisory committee comprised of Georgette Norman, Director, Troy University Rosa Parks Museum;  Alex Thomas,  Program Manager, Blues Trail Marker Program,  MS Development Authority; Jeanne Cyriaque African American Program Coordinator, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Downloads:

"Just Stand, Anyhow!"  brochure

"Just Stand, Anyhow!"  postcards

"Just Stand, Anyhow!"  Alabama panels

"Just Stand, Anyhow!"  Georgia panels

"Just Stand, Anyhow!"  Mississippi panels