The Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI)

The Civil Rights struggle didn't end in the 1960s. It didn't begin there either.

The Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI), a nonprofit organization committed to Black women's leadership and empowerment, supported our start-up and ongoing organizational development. Southern Journeys is one of many cooperative economic, social justice and cultural initiatives inspired by SRBWI including the Mississippi Delta Southern Rural Black Women in Agriculture AAL; 9 Human Rights Commissions; a Young Women’s/inter-generational Leadership Development program and a Southern Rural Black Women’s Hall of Fame. In isolation, each of these initiatives achieves important goals, but collectively, they represent a larger vision: a world where Southern Rural Black Women are recognized for the hard-working innovators, businesswomen, mothers, community leaders and activists that we are.

“If you could improve your life and the quality of life in your community, what would you need? This is the question the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative (SRBWI), asked women in southern rural communities that inspired the creation of Southern Journeys.

oUR pRODUCTS

are designed by our sewers and made from both hand dyed and printed or upcycled fabrics and celebrate the ancestral legacy of southern, rural, black women.

Our Worker Owners

own a share in the business and are responsible for company oversight and management. Sewers willing and able to accept management, oversight and sewing responsibilities are eligible to become a Member Owners.

Our company

is committed to evolving the culture and ecology of our communities and building individual and community assets now and generations to come.