The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is excited to invite you to their 59th Annual Meeting & 25th Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony taking place August 13-15, 2026. Centered around this year’s theme, “Sustaining the Future: Innovation, Resilience, and Member Engagement,” the event will begin in Birmingham and conclude in Epes, Alabama.
This special gathering celebrates decades of leadership, advocacy, resilience and progress in strengthening Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives and rural communities across the South. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect, reflect on the Federation’s enduring impact, and honor individuals whose contributions continue to shape the future of cooperative and community-based development, including legendary civil rights attorney Fred David Gray, whose lifelong fight for justice has helped shape the course of American civil rights history. Gray is the recipient of this year’s Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award.
Aug 13th, 2026, 7:00 PM - Aug 15th, 2026, 2:30 PM