Building Power in North Carolina

How a coalition of grantees prepared for big elections

Mobilizing rural voters in North Carolina, a state with prominent presidency and governor’s elections, will prove crucial this fall. North Carolina has over 3 million rural voters, more than any state except Texas. Fortunately for many who call North Carolina home, a coalition of Heartland Fund grantees has spent years building a powerful base of pro-democracy support. Groups like We Are Down Home and North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) have joined forces to galvanize rural voters in the Tar Heel State.

This coalition has been building local power and leadership for years. Organizers at We Are Down Home, for instance, boosted their community building by coalescing around a significant local park that had fallen into disrepair. 

This park builds power

The powerful moment emerged in 2023 when locals in Oxford, North Carolina, a small town in rural Granville county, captured an opportunity to fund renovations of a once-beloved park. Granville Street Park was historically a meaningful place for Oxford residents to gather, shooting hoops and building camaraderie. But the city’s disinvestment in Oxford’s Black community gradually wore away at the park’s facilities. The basketball hoops were removed, cracks meandered through the blacktop, and the locals trickled away. 

But Oxford community members never gave up on Granville Street Park. In 2023, We Are Down Home organizers zeroed in on money from the American Rescue Plan Act. This federal funding was available to municipalities to provide foundational support for working families. We Are Down Home also encouraged the city to put its budget surplus toward revitalizing the park.

In pursuit of the park’s rebirth, We Are Down Home members knocked on doors, circulated a petition, and expanded their network of trusted relationships to mobilize local leaders and supporters. Hundreds of Oxford residents felt energized by the chance to contribute a tangible improvement to their community. 

When the Oxford City Commission agreed to meet with four We Are Down Home representatives, the handful of invitees quickly multiplied into 20 people showing up to champion the park effort, and the commission unanimously voted to fund the park.

Not only did the residents get the park improvements they needed, but they also discovered newfound power to become decision-makers and drive solutions for their community. The energy surrounding Granville Street Park led many of these small-town residents to step into leadership. With a wider base and newfound optimism, We Are Down Home is stronger for the next campaign. 

Ready for the future

Rural leaders in other parts of North Carolina celebrated their collective power with mass mobilization of traditionally overlooked voters in 2022. 

Rural organizers used tested local approaches to bring these voters to the polls. Heartland Fund grantee NCAAT contributed to the highest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) turnout in Cabarrus County’s history, distributing culturally competent and language-specific materials. And We Are Down Home’s large-scale doorknocking campaign, which reached an impressive 35,000 households, helped educate diverse North Carolinians and prepare them for future elections.

Now, this winning North Carolina rural coalition has the energy and infrastructure to rally their communities for November. Organizers at We Are Down Home and NCAAT understand the mobilizing power of local races, in which well-known leaders from the community serve as a pipeline to engage voters up the ballot. All these efforts together underline the importance of multi-year investment in communities to drive voting, civic engagement, and communities to participate the decisions that impact their lives.

Heartland Fund supports rural North Carolinians

Heartland Fund has for years supported these groups and others making life better for rural people in North Carolina. We know the value of long-term investment in rural communities and the critical need to connect with people who are too often overlooked. Fueled by victories like Granville Street Park and impressive turnout in the 2022 elections, these groups are perfectly positioned for this year’s opportunities. 

Support Heartland Fund and equip these groups to succeed.