In a new segment for the TODAY Show, Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund, discusses how agriculture and family farms will change as Black farmers secure property rights.
Heirs Property is created when a landowner dies without a will, or other forms of estate planning, for the transfer of ownership of land to another prior to death. Subsequently, heirs property owners do not have clear title to the land they own. Today, it is estimated that over 60% of all black-owned land is heirs property.
For over 50 years, the Federation has provided education and technical assistance to thousands of heirs property owners across the South. The Federation’s overall mission has been to reverse the trend of black land loss and to encourage land-based economic development. In support of this mission, the Federation established its Regional Heirs Property and Mediation Center in 2017 to coordinate a collaborative network of partnerships and resources to address the systemic problems associated with heirs property throughout the Black Belt region. These partnerships are providing rich opportunities for research and advocacy on heirs property issues.
Learn more about the Regional Heirs Property & Mediation Center
