A Mississippi mother found a new opportunity through Women in Construction, a tuition-free program from Moore Community House that combines skilled trades training with child care, transportation and job placement to help women build stable careers and support their families.
Libraries, parks unite communities for the 10th National Day of Racial Healing, fostering connection.
Louisiana and Mississippi face some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation. Programs like Family Connects in New Orleans, Delta Health Center’s home visiting model, Medicaid and SNAP help families access care, afford groceries and prevent costly emergencies.
From dance and art to ceremony and service, communities nationwide marked 10 years of racial healing in vibrant ways.
When the people most impacted by systems come together to support one another and heal, they often go on to effect powerful change — from the ground up. This grassroots approach is at the heart of the work of Bold Futures, a Las Cruces, New Mexico, nonprofit. The organization’s “touchstone groups” showcase how communities can channel lived experience for good, with powerful impacts for the next generation.
This post was originally published on Common Ground. Recent federal and state policy changes tied to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act have created uncertainty for early childhood systems across the country. In Detroit, where many families already face high child care costs and economic strain, adjustments to programs such as SNAP and Medicaid are raising concerns among providers, advocates, and families about access, affordability and continuity of care. Leaders involved in Hope Starts Here, Detroit’s citywide early childhood framework, say the city’s response is being shaped by work that began years before the current policy. The initiative is organized
Music, spoken word and the sharp cadence of youth-led dance filled the DoubleTree by Hilton ballroom in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan, reverberating through a packed space and prompting multiple standing ovations from community members. Performances by local poet Deja Excel-Johnson, the Sojourner Truth Gospel Choir, and students from Lakeview High School’s Black Student Union and Burma Club Dance Group set the tone for Battle Creek’s 2026 observance of the National Day of Racial Healing on Jan. 20, an annual gathering centered on storytelling, cultural expression and belonging. “I am just so touched by the number that are here, from kids
Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning journalist Trymaine Lee returns to New Orleans and Mississippi with “Hope in High Water,” a documentary that highlights the leaders reimagining their communities.
New Way Mississippi provides housing, job training and support to help people rebuild their lives after incarceration — strengthening families, workplaces and communities.
Across the United States, bookstores, classrooms, performing arts studios and even kitchens have transformed into spaces of healing. For nearly two years, the digital media platform Word In Black has documented what that looks like on the ground.
In this video, you’ll hear how Escalones has helped home-based providers establish and grow thriving businesses in one of New Mexico’s “child care deserts” in rural southern New Mexico.
Tips and inspiration to help your organization or community host a National Day of Racial Healing gathering.