| Dear Friend It’s not surprising the South is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S., given its food, storytellers, musicians, sense of community, and business hubs. Yet, the South also faces many challenges – rural Southerners live farther away on average from grocery stores and hospitals, Southern states spend less per pupil on education than other states, and Southern workers have fewer protections as states prioritize corporate interests over workers’ rights. MDC strengthens capacity, fosters collaboration, and builds influence for an equitable and inclusive South. The federal government’s recent budget, H.R. 1, or the grossly misnamed “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, poses a severe threat to our vision for a thriving South. While we won’t know the full extent of the bill’s impacts for years, the changes H.R. 1 makes to the social safety net will exacerbate existing inequalities and make Southerners, particularly Southerners of color, sicker, poorer, and less educated. Read more about how H.R. 1 slashes the South’s safety net and threatens regional prosperity at the button below. |
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| Dear Friend It’s not surprising the South is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S., given its food, storytellers, musicians, sense of community, and business hubs. Yet, the South also faces many challenges – rural Southerners live farther away on average from grocery stores and hospitals, Southern states spend less per pupil on education than other states, and Southern workers have fewer protections as states prioritize corporate interests over workers’ rights. MDC strengthens capacity, fosters collaboration, and builds influence for an equitable and inclusive South. The federal government’s recent budget, H.R. 1, or the grossly misnamed “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, poses a severe threat to our vision for a thriving South. While we won’t know the full extent of the bill’s impacts for years, the changes H.R. 1 makes to the social safety net will exacerbate existing inequalities and make Southerners, particularly Southerners of color, sicker, poorer, and less educated. Read more about how H.R. 1 slashes the South’s safety net and threatens regional prosperity at the button. |
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| | Partner & Project Highlights |
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| Partner & Project Highlights |
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|  | Communications A leadership transition is more than a handoff - it's a moment of reflection, vision, and a recommitment to mission. In episode 1 of our new podcast, meet Lakeisha Hood Moïse, MDC's new President and CEO, and hear her first conversation with MDC's outgoing CEO, John Simpkins. Listen Here → |
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| |  | Staff Highlights Congratulations to MDC Partnership Manager Sabrina McGee and Program Director Hetal Patel for being selected to join the prestigious 2025-2027 William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations! This highly competitive, statewide program brings together cross-sector leaders to build relationships across differences and spark collaborative solutions for North Carolina's most pressing challenges. Learn More → |
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| Communications A leadership transition is more than a handoff - it's a moment of reflection, vision, and a recommitment to mission. In episode 1 of our new podcast, meet Lakeisha Hood Moïse, MDC's new President and CEO, and hear her first conversation with MDC's outgoing CEO, John Simpkins. Listen Here → |
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| | Staff Highlights Congratulations to MDC Partnership Manager Sabrina McGee and Program Director Hetal Patel for being selected to join the prestigious 2025-2027 William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations! This highly competitive, statewide program brings together cross-sector leaders to build relationships across differences and spark collaborative solutions for North Carolina's most pressing challenges. Learn More → |
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| | | Closing the healthcare gap in the South “All bodies are worthy of dignity. All bodies require care.” Those words are from Alabama visual artist, Jenny Fine. Her family's story about the grim realities faced by those struggling to access healthcare is a cautionary tale. She describes the wait for Medicaid expansion as being adrift, waiting on a life raft you can see but that never comes. Jenny and MDC Program Director Cate Elander wrote about the importance of protecting and expanding Medicaid in the South. Read their op-ed at the link. Read More → |
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 | NCIDR at the NC Legislature In June, the North Carolina Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) held a powerful press event outside the NC Legislative Building, spotlighting the ongoing and unmet recovery needs in both Eastern and Western NC. As the 2025 hurricane season continues, NCIDR is urging lawmakers to invest in stronger, more equitable disaster recovery systems. 🎧 Check out the latest episode of CAROLINA Focus to hear more about NCIDR's advocacy and the continued recovery efforts across the state. Listen Here → |
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| | | | |  | State of the South Report Webinar Recaps and Resources In MDC’s May webinar series, the State of the South team was joined by our partners, report authors, and colleagues to explore the themes of Meaning, Dignity, and Community featured in the 2025 State of the South Report. To learn more about what we discussed, check out the resource guide of information shared during the webinars and read our blog post recaps. Learn More → |
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 | State of the South Webinar Video Highlights! In February 2025, MDC released the 2025 State of the South Report, a reflection of the ideas, communities, and art we experienced during the 2022-2024 State of the South series. On Thursdays in May, we talked with our partners and colleagues across MDC to explore the topics covered in the Meaning, Dignity, and Community sections of the report. Check out video highlights from the series at the link below. Learn More → |
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| | Your investment drives MDC’s work. By investing in MDC, you make it possible for us to advance knowledge about what works to create and scale transformative solutions in education, employment, access to healthcare, and sustainable community development. |
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| |  | MDC Inc
307 W Main St | Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-381-5802 | info@mdcinc.org |
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