Ford Fund: Capital Grants Spotlight, Douglas Community Center

Did you know?

West Tennessee is home to BlueOval City, Ford’s electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus. Since the company first announced the move to the region, the Ford Motor Company Fund has been on the ground meeting with local organizers and nonprofit leaders, learning about the community’s unique opportunities and needs. After meeting with these groups over the last year, it became clear there was an immediate need the company’s philanthropic arm could help meet by launching a $1M capital grants program.

This spring we announced the winning proposals, each designed to strengthen and improve West Tennessee’s local services and community spaces. Seventeen organizations were selected from all six counties surrounding BlueOval City to fund projects addressing a range of civic needs — from public safety, beautification, education and workforce development to essential services such as fresh food delivery to underserved communities.

Douglass Community: A Century of Black Ownership and Agriculture in America

One capital grant recipient, the Douglass Community of Haywood County, received $100,000 to improve their community center along with the surrounding parks and playgrounds.

The Douglass community was developed in the 1930s as a New Deal (a federally sponsored program to put jobless Americans back to work during the Great Depression) demonstration project for Black farmers, intended to advance homeownership in Tennessee. As the New Deal was implemented, 40 families in the area received five acres of land each — establishing a precedent of homeownership and securing the residents’ ability to farm their own land. After nearly 100 years, the Douglass community stands as a strong example of Black ownership and agriculture in America.

Angela Douglas, a descendant of one of the original families, explains that at the heart of Haywood County is 30 acres of land and two buildings — a cafeteria and a school. Angela’s mother, father, and uncle attended the school, and her aunt, who worked at the school, drove the bus and gave tirelessly to make sure that every child had food. Every single member of the community has been anchored by these two buildings on this land.

The school remained in operation until 1985, after which its use transitioned into that of a community center. While some updates to the community center were completed in 1988, the center is due for more extensive updates to support the growing Haywood County community.

In Her Own Words: Angela Douglas shares her vision for the Douglass Community Center

“We gather here. We connect here. This is our center. Many of our annual events draw upwards of 300 people. The current cafeteria has one bathroom, and to access it you must walk through the kitchen. The two buildings, the cafeteria and the community center, are not connected which means our elderly must navigate a trek even during inclement weather.

Our plan is to create a breezeway with accessible bathrooms. We aim to expand the capacity overall to safely support 300 people. Our plan includes adding an office and a conference room to make the center more appealing and functional for visitors. Our biggest challenge will be upgrading the sewage – we don’t believe it’s been addressed since 1938.

We hope construction can begin this summer. It will be all hands on deck and any volunteers who care to help bridge any gaps after the developers are done would be welcomed.”

To learn more about the West Tennessee Capital Grants program and other recipients, click here.