Submitted by The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund

The Federation is excited to announce the 59th Annual Meeting & 25th Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund taking place August 13–15, 2026. Centered around this year’s theme, Sustaining the Future: Innovation, Resilience, and Member Engagement, the event will begin in Birmingham on Thursday, August 13, and conclude in Epes, Alabama on August 14 and 15.

This special gathering celebrates decades of leadership, advocacy, resilience, and progress in strengthening Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and rural communities across the South. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect, reflect on the Federation’s enduring impact, and honor individuals whose contributions continue to shape the future of cooperative and community-based development, including legendary civil rights attorney Fred David Gray, whose lifelong fight for justice has helped shape the course of American civil rights history.

The meeting will include workshops on land retention, cooperative development and advocacy for Black farmers and rural development. There will also be farm and forestry tours of demonstration projects and information on the Master Plan for the Federation’s Memorial Legacy Park at the organization’s Rural Training and Research Center.

For more information, contact the Federation’s Rural Training and Research Center near Epes, Alabama at 205-652-9676.