Inspiring Conversations with Merald Holloway

Today we’d like to introduce you to Merald Holloway.

Hi Merald, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Greetings! My name is Merald Holloway.

I’m a native North Carolinian, born in a rural community within North Carolina, and currently residing in Raleigh, NC. After attending UNC-Chapel-Hill, I made a home in the Triangle and supported the work of a couple of Fortune 500 sales organizations for over a decade before taking a year off to do some soul searching, looking to find a direction for my work and career that fed my growing sense of duty to the community, and matched where I had landed on my equity and racial identity journey.

I found myself in Durham working at Self-Help, a multi-tiered organization with a mission focused on creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially vulnerable residents in the margins and rural communities.

This led me to a career as an enthusiastic and resolute advocate for economic empowerment and social justice within several North Carolina communities and business sectors.

Today, I am both the founder and Executive Director of NC 100, (www.nc-100.org) a non-profit focused on mapping and identifying opportunities for collaboration and change in Rockingham County, also serving as a program manager with the Rural Forward program housed inside of MDC Inc, (www.mdcinc.org) (shaping a South where all people thrive. Through the Rural Forward NC work, I serve as part of the capacity-building arm for the Healthy Places NC initiative for the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.

I am also the owner/operator for a small consulting firm called Vicktori Support LLC, working as a partner in several economic development projects in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Washington DC.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
After leaving a stint at Self-Help that lasted 10 years, I had several challenges that first year as a social justice focused entrepreneur that made me question why I made the decision to work on my own project- funding challenges, lack of time spent around my family, and lack of focus. Starting a new business was not easy.

Once I established the design of what this work might look like, I had to really work hard on answering several questions- how might my new social enterprise and non-profit move from direct service and survival mode to proactive systems change? What needs to be in place to develop a sustainable funding model for the future? What is going to be my approach to developing a community of leaders that can stand in my place if they so choose?

To stay healthy, I had to power through every challenge and learn from them. I think we learn the most from doing and sometimes failing. It really informed most of the moves that led me to where I am today- but I’m very aware that this work and life, in general, are fluid.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about NC 100?
NC 100 is a not-for-profit organization based in rural NC connected to and working directly with local and statewide leaders in urban centers like Raleigh, Durham, and Charlotte that believe in the power of community organizing and extending networks as an avenue for supporting education, workforce development, and community service.

Serving as a consistent and persistent partner with individuals, groups, and institutions for the betterment of 100% of the community beyond with the following goals:

1. Supporting an environment where 100% of the Student Population will have the tools to explore illustrious career options before ninth grade, leading toward 100% of HS students graduating as career-ready individuals.

2. Supporting an environment where 100% of the Community will have access to all the resources available that support and protect wealth and health.

Our Strategies:

1. Developing authentic relationships and building upon the assets that are found in the community and mobilizing individuals, associations, and institutions to come together, for facilitating conversations and actions that lead to increased access to primary healthcare.

2. Capacity building dedicated to organizations that have Black American leadership or focus on traditionally marginalized communities (e.g., Black American, Latino/a/x rural, low wealth).

Our Core Values:

1. We believe in Empowerment. NC 100 models, develops, and designs programs that promote community organizing efforts. Making space for marginalized voices instead of allowing mainstream organizations to use NC 100 as a proxy.

2. We believe in Liberation. Supporting individuals and mainstream organizations by creating inclusive processes that account for power imbalances (age, gender, language, etc.).

3. We believe in developing authentic relationships. Responsive to community needs and working as directed, while pushing for systemic changes, not just individual issues.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My family makes me happy. My partner, Sakeya, and our adult children Morgan and Kyra are quite the steadfast team and cheerleading section for each other. My parents still drawing breath on this earth makes me smile and stay grateful, my baby sister (mind you she well over 21 years of age and the baby😊)doing well, and seeing her family thrive makes me happy. Enjoying the achievements of my friends and other family is a source of great joy.

Building power and helping organizations and people in marginalized spaces is a joy- strengthening rural non-profit capacity and sustainability as individuals, organizations, and coalitions put a huge “battery in my back”. At every stage I can help it, I want to be part of a movement that makes spaces for marginalized voices instead of allowing mainstream organizations to use us or them as a proxy for our most vulnerable.

I also love sports and music and I can’t decide in what order… but activities related to both are important to me!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.nc-100.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nc_100_reidsville/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=871992840233101
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NC100RockCo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWwPmnkonCI–RXYFKPJNaA/videos
• Other: https://www.mdcinc.org/