Shirley Sherrod is a prominent civil rights leader and advocate for Black farmers, known for her work championing land rights and economic justice in rural Georgia. As a co-founder of New Communities, Inc., the first community land trust in the U.S., she played a pivotal role in organizing Black farmers to secure and sustain land ownership during a time of systemic discrimination. Sherrod’s decades-long commitment to social justice led her to serve as Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the USDA, where she worked to address historic inequities in federal agricultural programs. Despite facing political challenges, Sherrod remains a dedicated voice for Black landowners, using her platform to fight for racial equity, agricultural sustainability, and the empowerment of rural communities.