Russell is a historically Black neighborhood located in Louisville, Kentucky, just west of the central business district. The neighborhood boundaries are S. Ninth Street (east), W. Broadway (south), S. 32nd Street (west) and W. Market Street (north). Russell was once a vibrant and diverse hub of Black-owned businesses that served the neighborhood, created jobs and contributed to neighborhood resilience, and was a center of Black homeownership.

Redlining practices in the early 1900s and urban renewal efforts in the 1950s-60s decimated Russell’s residential and business community, destroying opportunities for generational wealth building. Since then, a host of facially neutral but racially discriminatory institutional and state actions and policy decisions have perpetuated these patterns, keeping families from preserving and building wealth. Over the past several years hundreds of millions of dollars in planned and underway investment are changing the neighborhood, and Russell is poised to experience a neighborhood renaissance. It is essential that these changes are paired with intentional and innovative strategies focused on Black wealth building and investment to prevent displacement of existing residents and businesses.

Russell: A Place of Promise launched in 2018 as a project incubated by Cities United and Louisville Metro Government with fiscal sponsorship by the Community Foundation of Louisville. Through RPOP’s incubation, these partners have provided a variety of resources to support our foundational development.

Fiscal sponsorship refers to a contractual relationship that allows an initiative or a project that lacks its own nonprofit status to advance charitable or other exempt activities with support from a nonprofit sponsor organization. The Community Foundation's fiscal sponsorship of RPOP allowed us to seek and receive grant funding, manage grant dollars, and benefit from the support of an existing nonprofit organization as we grew through our incubation period.

RPOP launched from its status as a fiscally sponsored project starting in 2023 when it incorporated in Kentucky. RPOP became a 501c3 public charity in late 2024. RPOP’s form, a nonprofit that operates a community land trust, and its founding board members were chosen through an extensive, multi-year shared learning experience through which Russell residents collaborated with RPOP to define the future of the organization.

Cities United's Contributions

Collaboration with other project planning partners to develop the Place of Promise framework

Access to a national network of Mayors, city leads, young leaders, and organizations working towards safe, healthy, and hopeful communities

Guidance in developing strategies informed and led by the people most impacted including community engagement approaches, organizing principles, and leadership development tools

Staff support, including processing payroll, providing benefits, and managing HR needs

Office space, supplies, technology, communication tools, and other materials

Louisville Metro Government's Contributions

Property and property management, including up to 75 residential sites and the 5-acre property located at 3025 W. Madison Street, directly south of the Louisville Urban League's Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Complex

Access to key LMG staff members working in areas connected to RPOP's work

Procurement, including access to LMG's purchasing power for technology, printing needs, and holding contracts or agreements related to properties that remain in LMG's ownership

Staff support, including processing payroll, providing benefits and managing HR needs

Miscellaneous resources including access to mapping services and similar data tools

Community Foundation of Louisville's Contributions

Managing RPOP's grant funds and donations in dedicated accounts

Processing invoices and holding contracts and insurance related to RPOP's work

Providing a staff contact who serves on RPOP's Advisory Board and supports RPOP's administrative needs

RPOP connects and organizes resources to support residents, faith leaders, community based organizations and business owners, fills in the gaps and accelerates efforts to learn, build, lead, and grow Black Wealth in Russell.”

Past Advisory Board

RPOP's Advisory Board was made up of Russell residents, business owners, community members, and partners. During RPOP's incubation, the Advisory Board participated in meetings and decision making and supported community engagement.

Ruth Daniels
Russell Resident

Rene Douglas
‍Louisville Metro
Parks and Recreation
Former Russell Resident

Kevin L. Dunlap
REBOUND Inc.

Jackie Floyd
Russell Resident

Mary Grissom
Community Foundation of Louisville

Haven Harrington III
‍Russell Resident
Russell Business Owner

Alice K. Houston
HJI Solutions
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Cecoiya Johnson
‍Byck Elementary School

Lafesa Johnson
Russell Business Owner

Lyndon Pryor
‍Louisville Urban League

Paul Resch
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Blacksmith Ironworks

David Shadburne
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Park Community Credit Union