From Compliance to Protection: People-Powered Policy and Narrative Change

Apr 16, 2026

Sustainable community change becomes possible when we build trusted relationships, center lived experience, and target resources where communities say they need it most—before crises, not after. Along the way, we must tell the story of who contributed, what happened, and what it means to our communities and to the South. These are the ingredients our region needs to shift from a mindset of compliance to a mindset of protection—protection of our land, our cultural traditions, and the families, neighborhoods, and resources that make up the diverse region we call home.

On March 10-12, 2026, 124 Southerners gathered in Florida for MDC’s State of the South^™: Jacksonville. The convening brought together local community members, artists, leaders, and neighbors from across the South to talk about ways to build community resilience in the face of increasing climate and development pressures. Over three days, we learned about the history and ecology of Jacksonville from a boat on the St. Johns River; we saw the experiences of local Jaxsons come to life through art (read more about the Duval Displaced, Duval Dis Place art exhibit here); and we discussed ways we can use data analysis, personal narratives, and policy discussions to transform systems to better serve communities. Below is a short summary of some of the key takeaways from the event, including lessons related to heirs’ property, local agriculture, child well-being, disaster recovery, community organizing, and storytelling.

1. Policies and programs are more effective when co-created with those directly affected.

The people most impacted must be meaningfully included in decision-making. Data is powerful, but it’s incomplete without community voice and storytelling. For example, heirs’ property maps can show us where to target action, but our solutions may not work unless we fully understand the context and the lived experience on the ground.

Examples of effective co-creation strategies:
- Parent advisory councils in child welfare – like PATH or Center of Hope
- Community “navigators” to address heirs’ property – like LISC JAX
- Grassroots organizers to shape economic development in formerly-redlined neighborhoods – like Efficiency Corp.
Shift needed: From designing for communities to designing with them. Trusting communities to know what they need and bringing together the broader exosystem of support to tackle systemic issues. It takes residents, community organizers, data and academic partners, financial institutions, governments, and businesses.

A recurring theme was the power of community voice. During the heirs’ property session, Kristopher Smith from LISC Jacksonville, Natavia Wicker from Historic Eastside CDC, Nicole Oriol from H.E.L.P. CDC in Eatonville, FL, and Dan Richard from the University of North Florida shared experiences of meeting community members where they are to ensure folks have a say in creating a more stable future for their communities. [Credit: Toro Photo Co.]

2. Trust is critical “infrastructure” for lasting change.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and neither does building trust – but without trust, lasting progress is difficult or impossible.

Barriers to trust:
- Historical harm (racism, exploitation, surveillance)
- Systems and institutions are perceived by community members as punitive or extractive due to past and lived experiences.
- Rushing through engagement efforts to check a box
What builds trust:
- Familiar faces (community-based leadership)
- Transparency (“You said this, we did this”)
- Consistent presence over time – not one-time engagement
Examples of effective trust-building strategies:
- Community cafes, listening sessions, door-knocking, peer networks
- Informal supports (babysitting networks, mutual aid) are often more trusted than formal systems
Shift needed: Trust is not a “soft” factor; it is a prerequisite for the development and update of interventions that will make a difference for people affected by the problem. Decisionmakers must invest in relationship infrastructure, not just service delivery.

During the New Narratives for Child Well-Being session, Christina Romero from PATH (Parent Advocates for Transformation and Healing), Trina Stephens from MDC, and Jada Hunter from Center of Hope with Family Support Services of Duval and Nassau Counties discussed how critical it is to build trust with community members, particularly with families who have experienced challenges with the systems we’re trying to transform.

3. Upstream investments prevent or mitigate downstream crises.

Systems are often punitive and respond after a crisis strikes; however, communities need supportive models that prevent crises altogether and make it easier to bounce back when challenges are unavoidable. Supportive models not only center human dignity but are often more cost-effective.

Examples of punitive and compliance-oriented interventions:
- Child welfare: surveillance, punishment, family separation
- Property: tax foreclosure, legal complexity, predatory investment, HOA restrictions on growing food
- Civic systems: bureaucratic barriers, outdated policies, voter suppression
- Disasters: slor or no recovery support for communities, administrative hurdles like reimbursement
Emerging alternatives are preventative, supportive, and resource-based:
- Child welfare: Family resource centers. Intervening before a crisis with childcare, housing, income, and community-building supports creates stability.
- Property: Early financial/legal intervention (e.g., property taxes, estate planning). Small tax assistance ($900-$7,000) prevents massive wealth loss.
- Civic systems: Positive early engagement builds long-term civic participation
- Disasters: Preparation lessens the negative impact; targeted response to communities most impacted.
Shifts needed: Invest upstream to prevent or mitigate downstream crisis. Shift systems away from a focus on compliance to a focus on support.

While a common thread through the sessions was the need to prepare and build strong systems before a crisis occurs, this theme was especially prominent in the Preparing for Community-Centered Disaster Recovery session. We heard from Captain Timothy J. Smith and Lieutenant Jonathan Ortiz from the City of Jacksonville’s Emergency Preparedness Department on the challenges of preparing for disasters while navigating diverse community needs with limited resources, and we continued to discuss our theme, working to support and prepare families before a crisis (of natural, systemic, or human origin) hits. [Credit: Kristin Feierabend]

4. Narrative change is a precursor to policy change.

Framing is critical to helping community members and leaders organize around shared interests. Once people understand that their voice can play a role in shaping a new narrative and that we can change the systems and policies harming our communities, it is easier to mobilize folks behind a goal. Art and organizing are two different key ways to do this. Our Duval Displaced, Duval Dis Place art exhibit, organized in partnership with Yellow House and 15 local artists, demonstrates that visual and performance art can both ground and inspire community and decision-makers on an issue, providing a different entry point for new or difficult conversations.

Artists and visitors gather at Yellow House for Duval Displaced, Duval Dis Place. [credit: Toro Photo Company]

To shift how policies are implemented and where resources flow, we need to shift the way we think about and frame the problems we’re trying to address.

Examples of narrative shifts:
- Child welfare: From “neglectful parents” → “families needing support.”
- Heirs’ property: From “inevitability/foreclosure” → “preventable wealth loss:
- Community development: From “what’s wrong with this community?” → “What happened to this community?”
- Art: From “decoration” → “disruptor” or “catalyst.”
Shift needed: Policy reform can’t just rely on technical fixes; we have to change how problems are understood, including the history of where the problems started and what has been tried before.

During the People Power: Effective Neighborhood Organizing session, Tiffany Khesed from Efficiency Corp and Courtney Alexander from MDC shared about their experiences organizing people to create narrative and policy change, while Afia Tyus from Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) shared data resources that are available to help build and frame new narratives. The Black Jacksonville Collective shared their Oral Histories project, documenting and amplifying both the mundane and extraordinary stories of Black Jacksonville elders and their impact in their communities – reminding us that we have to draw on our past to be able to influence and reimagine the future. [Credit: Kristin Feierabend]

5. Structural racism and economic instability are root drivers across issues.

As we explored ways to impact and challenge systems that aren’t working for families and communities throughout the convening, it was clear that the issues are all deeply rooted in economic instability tied to structural racism. As the cost of living continues to rise and wage increases fail to keep pace, families continue to struggle to afford basic necessities like rent, taxes, and childcare. The persistent racial wealth gap between Black and white Americans means that Black families are particularly vulnerable to this economic instability. When people can’t afford to pay for property taxes, childcare, or legal assistance, they are vulnerable to issues of heirs’ property or child welfare involvement, and they may not have the time or resources to be involved in community work to address these problems at a systems level. Communities in neighborhoods that have been historically and systemically underinvested in may not have the resources to be prepared for disasters or other crises. Addressing these economic mobility factors will be key to shaping a thriving South where everyone thrives.

Outcomes of structural racism and economic instability:
- Child welfare: Low-income families and families of color are disproportionately impacted by child welfare involvement.
- Heirs’ property: Rising taxes and stagnant income drive property loss and foreclosures.
- Civic systems: Lack of compensation and follow-through for community engagement activities limits civic participation.
- Disasters: Families without clear legal documentation face administrative barriers to recovery.
Shifts needed: Policy barriers and outdated systems are a major constraint to Southerners’ thriving, but targeted policy changes can unlock significant impact if informed by community voice.

Duke Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) prepared a data walk for participants to explore before engaging in dialogue. [Credit: Toro Photo Company]

What Decision-Makers Should Know

Based on these themes, here’s what we hope leaders, decision-makers, and community members take away from State of the South: Jacksonville:

Fund community-led solutions (not just institutions); co-create with communities most impacted
Build trust as a core strategy – not an afterthought
Invest upstream (before crisis hits), centering equity in all policies
Invest in narrative change efforts (including art and storytelling) to shift how problems are understood and spur more effective solutions
Address racial and economic drivers (income, housing, wealth) of inequity.

We will continue exploring these ideas at our next State of the South convening, October 27-29, 2026 in Atlanta, GA in partnership with Casey Family Programs. We look forward to diving into conversation about how we can use these learnings to support child and family well-being.

Hope to see you there!

Many thanks to Mt. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church for welcoming us to the Moncrief Springs neighborhood and for being supportive and generous hosts for this convening.

Thanks to our partners, sponsors, and vendors for State of the South: Jacksonville!

Funders and Sponsors:

LISC Jacksonville

Blue Zones Project Jacksonville

Allegany Franciscan Ministries

Target Foundation

Kresge Foundation

Center for the Study of the American South

Session Partners and Panelists:

St. Johns Riverkeeper

Ennis Davis, local historian

Yellow House