What the Story of Soul City, N.C., Can Teach Us About Fixing Systemic Economic Racism

'Civil rights leader Floyd McKissick left the Congress of Racial Equality in 1968 to found a new city in North Carolina. McKissick, who had served in the Army during World War II, saw the success of the U.S. Marshall Plan in rebuilding Europe and had the idea that government dollars could be used to fix the problems poor Black people were facing in the American South. His project, named Soul City, would be built by and for Black Americans. It was “designed to be a showcase of Black capitalism,” according to Devin Fergus, a professor of history and Black studies at the University of Missouri. McKissick got government support from President Richard Nixon — with conditions. Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal discussed the history of Soul City with Fergus.' -- Marketplace