1969 – CORE Chairman Floyd McKissick Launches Soul City

On May 13, 1969, civil rights leader Floyd McKissick broke ground on \”Soul City,\” an ambitious attempt to build a majority-Black planned community in rural North Carolina. As former head of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), McKissick envisioned Soul City as a beacon of Black self-determination, economic development, and empowerment. Funded by federal urban development grants, the city aimed to offer affordable housing, jobs, and infrastructure to African Americans fleeing urban poverty. Although plagued by political opposition and underfunding, Soul City laid a blueprint for future experiments in Black-owned and operated economic zones. The project challenged the status quo by asserting that Black people deserved not only civil rights but also control over land, wealth, and governance. While it never reached its full potential, Soul City remains a powerful example of the intersection between civil rights, economic independence, and visionary Black leadership.