WELCOME TO THE SHERROD INSTITUTE

Ours is a storied history, one that begins with the civil rights activities of the 1960s, that eventually took the form of the Southwest Georgia Project- our social justice work, and New Communities - our empowering minorities to own land. We are now consolidating our work and focus under one brand we call "The Sherrod Institute", in honor of our founders, Rev. Charles and Shirley Miller Sherrod.

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Our mission remains serving people, especially Black farmers, providing resources, contacts and know-how to help their farms produce and thrive. It's our way to help preserve and conserve Black Farm ownership. 

Rev. Charles Sherrod

is the co-founder of the Sherrod Institute, an umbrella organization, whose overall mission is to engage and empower historically underserved communities in relationship to the land. He hailed from Virginia where he was educated and became an agent of social change. As the first field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he was dispatched to Southwest Georgia where his activism led to what became the Albany Movement. Following it, he founded the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education and later helped co-found New Communities, Inc. For more on his life, see his biography on Wikipedia, or view this video on his early career. 

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View Charles Sherrod's Story

(Watch Below)

Mrs. Shirley Sherrod

is the executive director and co-founder of the Sherrod Institute, an umbrella organization whose overall mission is to engage and empower historically underserved communities in relationship to the land. A native of Baker County, Georgia, Sherrod was scarred early in life by the murder of her father under Jim Crow. It led to her activism in civil rights and to her future husband, Rev. Charles Sherrod. She co-founded multiple institutions with him, including the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, and New Communities, Inc. In 1999, she joined a class action lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture charging discrimination in their withholding of loans and assistance to Black farmers. The settlement led to the acquisition of Cypress Pond and the creation of RESORA. For more on her life, see her biography on Wikipedia or click here to view this video on her story. 

View Mrs. Shirley Sherrod's Story

(Watch Below)

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