Ed Whitfield is a social critic, writer and community activist who has lived in Greensboro since 1970 and now lives in Clarksdale MS. He was co-Managing Director of the Fund for Democratic Communities, a limited-life foundation that fostered authentic democracy which sunset in 2020. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Ed’s political activism started with attending Little Rock Central High School and beginning to do anti-war work as a teenager. Ed retired after 30 years in industry before becoming involved with philanthropy. He now speaks and writes on issues of cooperatives and economic development while continuing to be interested in issues of war and peace, as well as education and social responses to racism. Ed is a Sr Fellow at Seed Commons while also serving on the boards of Seed Commons, Crossroads Cultural Arts Center in Clarksdale MS, Historic Clayborn Temple Project in Memphis TN, and the Delta Commons Group.
The fund now welcomes funding from a broad array of donors to continue to support rural Black community self determination throughout the Black Belt region.