A coalition of labor and faith leaders from West Tennessee, known as BlueOval Neighbors and supported by Tennessee For All, is calling on Ford Motor Co. to sign a community benefit agreement before opening its new factory. The agreement would ensure environmental standards, local hiring, and investments in affordable housing. Despite efforts to engage with Ford over the past two years, the company has cited concerns over the legally-binding aspect of the agreement.
In response, Ford has stated that they have been engaging directly with the West Tennessee community and are working on a Good Neighbor Plan with the Equitable Growth Advisory Council to address concerns and barriers to local participation in upcoming economic growth. The company has already committed significant resources and time to meeting with community members and learning about their priorities.
The push for a community benefit agreement comes as Tennessee lawmakers provided $900 million in incentives to attract Ford to open an electric vehicle and battery plant on state-owned property near Brownsville and Jackson, areas with a high percentage of Black farmers. Several Black farmers have been forced to sell their land through eminent domain for the construction of roadways to the Ford facility, raising concerns about fair compensation and the impact on the community.
These actions, along with attempts to dissolve the largely Black city of Mason and place it under predominantly white Tipton County, have spurred Tennessee For All to organize in the affected communities. The creation of BlueOval Good Neighbors aims to ensure that local residents benefit from the new Ford plant and that their voices are heard in the decision-making process.
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Photo credit tennesseelookout.com
