Sustaining Rural Development Without Fear

On October 30, 2001, Abdul Rasheed addressed a general session of the Mid-South Training Institute for Sustainable Rural Development held at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. This report is a summary of his remarks.

In the wake of the September 11 event, subsequent bio-chemical attacks and a troubled economy, Rasheed urged the assembled crowd to vigilantly resist fear. He noted that Americans are "bold and courageous people" who will respond to these challenges by any means necessary in as absolutely humane a manner as possible. He congratulated those in attendance for coming to the event, noting that we must continue to travel and conduct our business to keep the economy moving and our spirits strong.

Undoubtedly, community and economic development will be affected by the current economic slow-down which some believe is likely to continue into 2003. For example, Rasheed’s home state of North Carolina is facing a $1 billion shortfall and has lost 44,000 jobs in the last year. This affects both the people at the top and the people at the bottom of the economic spectrum. At best, it will take several quarters for economic stimuli to take full effect.

With good humor, Rasheed told the crowd that even in the best of times, sustainable rural development is a bold goal, since even "one-shot" development in rural areas is quite a challenge unto itself. North Carolina has a solid reputation for progressively addressing many of these challenges, but there remains much to do. The barriers that North Carolina has overcome can be overcome everywhere –- in the mid-South, deep-South, the "north-South" –- all across the nation. To do this, we need to build effective institutions, develop alliances, attract strong leaders, apply appropriate technology, tell our stories well, develop business and political skills – in short, mirror the successful strategies already in place elsewhere. Rasheed urged us to "Do your homework to create a win/win in the political and business environment. Leverage your vote and leverage your dollars."

To overcome these barriers and create tangible, quantifiable results that improve the quality of life and create greater opportunities, Rasheed called for the identification of the strengths and values in rural America that give it a comparative advantage, such as hard work and strong ethics. To capitalize on these attributes, it is paramount that we create a unified vision of what we want for our rural communities. Although the rural life has many enticing attributes and rural areas are rich in land and potential labor supply, they often lack the necessary financial capital. Those who seek to improve life in under-developed areas must also connect with its cities. By-and-large, urban areas are home to America’s economic engines and political decision-makers; in the cities, there is more ready access to capital and information. Rural areas are a welcome refuge from bustling urban areas, but if they are to fully prosper, they must not operate in isolation.

In North Carolina, a key first step was to recognize the shared obstacles that both rural and urban communities face and to identify the assets that could best leverage opportunities for improvement. To the delight of the crowd, Rasheed asserted that "North Carolina ain’t urban. The truth is we are a just a country-state. Charlotte is our biggest city – and it’s country with country people – good people". But it was essential that rural communities tap into the resources in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and along the 85/I-40 corridor without compromising the best of rural life.

In North Carolina, private-sector corporations were engaged to encourage them to give something back to the communities where they had a "footprint" and were earning money. The strong financial community in North Carolina, including Bank of America, First Union\Wachovia, and BB&T, joined the effort. This required more than good intentions. Strong organizations with effective business processes were essential to garner and sustain support. As Rasheed noted, before his organization makes an investment, though they are willing to take some greater risks, he "looks at the ratios, business plan, leadership and history of the organization, proven capacity to deliver and investment plans. The same due diligence as any bank would." He uses the best available professional talent to build these core competencies.

In North Carolina, political savvy and value-based efforts also resulted in a modest appropriation in the State’s "base budget". This community development appropriation, currently totalling $3.3 million a year, is funded by state tax dollars, rather than federal funds, to invest in community and minority economic development. This will leverage more jobs, goods, services and opportunities to create a higher quality of life for residents of the State and eventually create assets and wealth. This is not a short-term investment. As Rasheed noted, "Development is not about a project; it’s about long-term, strategic, sustained efforts over 10 to 15 years … and everyone is rightfully looking for a return on their investment."

Another important step for the people in North Carolina was to establish a frank dialogue. Americans have a common destiny and we must put aside our differences. Rasheed stated that, "We fight for justice, equality and fairness. We’re not afraid to deal with the race issue. You can’t be in America and expect to get anywhere if you are not willing at least to raise and attempt to deal with the race question – the Black/White question, the North/South question, the Have/Have-Not question straight-up. This issue gets in the way of sustainable development and in the way when we talk about public policy, resource allocation, infrastructure, education, heath care, social security and seniors. People are America’s number one asset, and in a global economy with stiff competition, we can’t afford to de-value any people."

Recalling the September 11 event, Rasheed said we saw the best of ourselves that day because race didn’t matter as we responded to the crisis and to the families in need – it shouldn’t get in the way any other day either. Opportunity and services such as education and health care must be more equitable. Who knows which household is home to the child who could cure diabetes, AIDS or cancer?

The community development field has matured and come of age. Many influential younger leaders want to be part of this effort to improve the quality of life and create opportunities for America’s rural areas. Sustainable development will grow from the energy of community development practitioners and their allies. Times are changing, but change takes persistence and time. Whatever the obstacles, Rasheed encourages us to believe in our power to shape the future without fear.

Abdul Rasheed is the founder, president and CEO of North Carolina Community Development Initiative. He also chairs the National Congress of Community Economic Development (NCCED) and the Center for Community for Self-Help. In addition, he serves in various capacities on the boards and councils of credit unions, colleges, the Richmond (Virginia) Federal Reserve and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Georgia. In his own words, he "loves rural life and lives 'in the woods' near Henderson, North Carolina with five dogs, two tractors and a pick-up truck."