Rocky Mount

A Case Study in Economic Equity

In 2023, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, embarked on a mission to strengthen its residents' financial stability, and Civility Localized was proud to be part of that journey. Through the CityStart initiative, we worked together to build a more inclusive and economically vibrant future for the city.

The many cities and rural communities of North Carolina hold a wealth of talent, resilience, and vision for progress. The City of Rocky Mount's partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative are shining examples of their community's vision, and their local government’s commitment to economic equity in Eastern North Carolina. Together, we are demonstrating that powerful economic equity solutions can emerge from, and be applied, anywhere. The hope is that examples of success like the one emerging from Rocky Mount will empower communities across the state to build more inclusive futures for everyone.

What’s Happening in Rocky Mount

With a population exceeding 53,000, Rocky Mount began charting a new course towards financial empowerment. Through the CFE Fund's CityStart initiative, the city embarked on a transformative journey from 2022 to 2024. The CityStart program provides a roadmap for local governments to address financial instability, the impact that instability has on residents, and ultimately to craft blueprints for more inclusive economies going forward.

This initiative was designed to operate in two distinct phases: a learning phase and a design phase. In the learning phase, Civility Localized played a crucial role as community engagement consultants. Our team worked alongside the CFE Fund and Rocky Mount residents to analyze the local landscape hoping to identify systemic factors impacting racial wealth equity. Through data collection and fostering dialogue at stakeholder roundtables, we engaged directly with Rocky Mount residents. We know that people are the lifeblood of every community. We worked hard to understand both the challenges they face, and their hopes for the future.

Applying A Racial Wealth Equity Lens

Based on the learnings from this phase, along with the city's priorities, the CFE Fund guided Rocky Mount into the design phase. In 2024, a comprehensive, government-led financial empowerment blueprint will be crafted, focusing on tangible, measurable strategies to improve financial lives, particularly for Black residents. The Greenwood Initiative's invaluable expertise ensures a racial wealth equity lens is applied to every step of the process.

CityStart has a proven track record of success. Past participating cities have leveraged this program to advance their commitment to financial inclusion, and Rocky Mount is poised to follow suit. Civility Localized is proud to have been part of this work, amplifying the voices of residents and ensuring their needs were captured during the learning phase.

The Civility Connection

We are proud to participate in shaping Rocky Mount's financial future and excited to see what the City is able to accomplish with the data and knowledge gathered. Of course we couldn’t have done it without the active participation of local residents, and we are endlessly grateful to everyone who attended our resident engagement sessions, shared their experiences, and contributed to building a blueprint for an inclusive, economically vibrant city. 

We’ll be following the outcomes of this economic equity initiative in Eastern North Carolina, and championing similar projects in a community near you. The future is bright in Rocky Mount, and economic equity is a goal worth pursuing in every municipality. If your community is working to address systemic inequities, consider a consultation with Civility Localized as we dramatically increase community engagement capacity and public awareness of important projects like these.

Civility Localized exists to bridge the gap between local voices and powerful local government solutions. We believe every municipality deserves equitable opportunities. We are committed to culturally responsive engagement and specialize in amplifying the voices of people closest to the issues of the day.