We are proud to highlight a recent, thought-provoking conversation featuring our Director, Tsedey Betru. Tsedey joined the My Black Space podcast for an expansive discussion with host Paul Bauknight that moves past traditional urban planning discourse to address the vital intersection of racial equity, environmental justice, and the communities we call home.
In this episode, Tsedey explores her journey from Ethiopia to Memphis and her career path, offering a window into the evolution of Just Communities as we focus on racial equity, climate resilience, and the importance of community involvement in development.
Reflections from the episode:
Navigating Identity and Environment: Tsedey details how her personal experience navigating race and identity within the cultural landscape of the deep South became a catalyst for her work in policy and community advocacy.
The Weight of History: Tsedey challenges listeners to examine the built environment, outlining how historical inequities are etched into our cities and neighborhoods. She emphasizes that planning for an equitable future requires confronting these legacies of exclusion.
A Shift in Methodology: Tsedey articulates our shift away from rigid, top-down metrics. Instead, she highlights our reliance on deep, meaningful partnerships with neighbors and practitioners to co-create spaces that are reflective of community needs.
The Future of Just Communities: Looking ahead, Tsedey discusses the necessity of long-term sustainability and ensures that our focus remains on the people at the heart of every project rather than just the structural output.
This conversation is a testament to the values that drive our daily work. It invites us all to rethink our relationship to the land and to each other as we push forward in our mission to build a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future.
We invite you to listen to the full episode and join the conversation here: Land and Justice: A Conversation with Tsedey Betru
Tsedey Betru
Director — Just Communities
Tsedey is the Director of Just Communities at the Partnership for Southern Equity. Originally from Ethiopia, Tsedey’s experiences immigrating to the U.S. and growing up in Memphis, TN, have shaped and informed her 20-year career advancing racial equity in community and economic development.
She started her career as a community organizer for the National Voting Rights Institute and the 7th St. Community Improvement Initiative in Oakland, CA. After completing her graduate studies in urban policy analysis and nonprofit management, Tsedey worked at PolicyLink and at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy in NYC before becoming the Vice President of Community LIFT in Memphis, TN.
More recently, she has moved into economic development and philanthropic advising, working as the Manager of Community Affairs & Strategic Initiatives for Invest Atlanta, as an economic development advisor to Memphis Mayor Wharton, and a philanthropic advisor to the Estee Lauder Charitable Foundation, Waverley Street Foundation, and Gates Foundation.
Tsedey currently serves on the City of Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission, the Atlanta BeltLine Public Arts Advisory, and raises funds for the African Diasporic Arts Museum of Atlanta.