About the Initiative
Our organization, founded in 2008 as The Elmore Bolling Foundation, is now The Elmore Bolling Initiative.
We made the name change to clarify that we are not a granting organization, but rather an organization committed to seeking grants and donations to put that money to work in Lowndes County.
Our inspiration is Elmore Bolling, a native of Lowndes County whose entrepreneurial and philanthropic efforts gave dignity and vital economic opportunities to Black people in Lowndes County during the repressive Jim Crow era.
In 1947, a group of white men, enraged at Elmore's success, conspired to lynch Elmore. Despite there being several eyewitnesses to the crime, no one was ever indicted and justice was never served for the killing of Elmore Bolling.
Our mission is to preserve the legacy of Elmore Bolling by telling the full history of Lowndes County, Alabama and empowering the region’s citizens today.
The Elmore Bolling Initiative is grateful for support from:
The National Park Service
The Alabama Historical Commission
The Alabama Department of Tourism
The Alabama Bicentennial Commission
The Alabama Department of Education
The National Trust
The Alabama Historical Records Advisory Board
The Alabama Resource Conservation and Development
The Town of Lowndesboro
The Lowndes County Commission
The Center for the Study of the Black Belt
Robert and Oslo Case
The Haughton Family Foundation
First Parish Church, Boston
And hundreds of donations from individuals.
Please join them with a donation of your own.