The Cotton Pickers Monument is a KHAFRE, INC project. KHAFRE Inc is not for profit 501c3 organization officially incorporated in September of 2009, by the Mississippi Secretary of State. The purpose of the organization is to provide educational, lifestyle and cultural programs, build monuments and memorials to honor, celebrate and recognize the rich and complex history of the Mississippi Delta and to positively impact the quality of life of those living in the Delta, especially the disproportionately poor African American community. Understanding that this organization desires to create great change far beyond the reach of one organization, we endeavor to be a networking hub that works with and connects non-profit organizations, educational institutions, performing/visual artists, legislators and individuals of consciousness. We work toward establishing a social movement that fundamentally transforms the Delta and ushers in a renaissance and renewal of the human spirit. To assist us in realizing success in this bold journey, we put forth our roadmap for the next five years, starting with the board approved vision and mission of the organization.

Vision

KHAFRE, Inc was established to be the epicenter of a social movement that will cause a powerful, positive and profound shift in the very trajectory of the African American experience in the Mississippi Delta; a shift that will necessarily reverberate throughout the state of Mississippi, the United States of America and beyond. As result of the monumental programs, activities, initiatives and efforts of this social-justice and purpose driven force individuals of ALL races, ethnicities and social status will embrace the dignity endowed to them by their Creator. They will understand their worth and embrace the value of their lives to their families and communities, dream the powerful dreams that come from an empowered and true understanding of their ancestry and heritage and cast off the plantation mentality, as a result of fallowing the fields of their minds and planting the seeds of hope in their souls. KHAFRE exists to transform lives, build communities of equality and operate as a hub of hope – one that seeks out, connects and strengthens individuals, organizations and groups of consciousness inside and outside of the Mississippi Delta.

Mission

To realize its critically important and intentionally bold vision KHAFRE Inc will build monuments and memorials; offer programs, performances and workshops around education, music, health and history. We shall also provide resources to the formal and informal educators in the Delta, engage in community outreach and connection and operate as a repository and distributor of information on the history, beauty and talent of and within the Mississippi Delta, all for the overarching purpose of improving the quality of life of her sons and daughters.

Khafre, Inc will oversee all aspects of planning, programming and production of the following projects:

       I.     Cotton Pickers Of America Monument and Sharecroppers Interpretive Center - In recognition of the people who prospered from the cotton industry, and in honor of the folks who planted, chopped and picked cotton, Khafre, Inc shall erect a monument that will be approximately 25 feet tall and will be seated on approximately 20 acres of prime cotton/“blues” land along Highway 61. The Monument is intended to increase awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of historic sites, structures, and landscapes relating to the cotton industry and the sharecroppers experience. In addition, Khafre, Inc will develop a Cotton Kingdom Historical Trail whereby Sharecroppers’ Home Museum exhibits will be displayed within an authentic “Shotgun House” in all eighteen counties of the Mississippi Delta. The Cotton Kingdom Historical Trail will be reminiscent of the Blues, Country and Civil Rights Trail marker concept in development throughout the Mississippi Delta region. The goal is to give dignity back to those who may have lost it along the way to and from the cotton fields.

     II.     Mississippi Delta Blues…Back To Africa Educational And Cultural Exchange - In an effort to promote authentic Mississippi blues culture around the world, particularly in Africa, Khafre, Inc will present educational outreach programs (concerts, films, blues in schools, panel discussions and museum exhibits). The ultimate goal is to begin a cultural exchange in Africa.

     III.     Youth Empowerment Program: Finishing School - By exposing youth to certain life changing experiences, we will lay the foundation for monumental projects that inspire youth to create programs and become leaders in their communities. The goal is to encourage healthy environments that enable a child to become more courageous, confident, ambitious, and productive, thereby becoming empowered citizens of the world.

Khafre, Inc has developed a nine-member core Board of Directors, mostly composed of residents from the Mississippi Delta, a Board of Advisors, a Bolivar County Steering Committee, a group of reliable professional resources; and, a staff lead by founder C. Sade Turnipseed, MS/MBA, PhD, who are all very passionate professionals that are close to the history and emotional concerns of America’s cotton picking legacy...