Growing up, Bailey Rayford felt singled out at many points in her FFA journey. She was the first African-American regional FFA officer in her area of North Carolina. She was the only African-American woman to attend leadership camp or be a delegate to state convention. When attending the Washington Leadership Conference, she was the only scholarship recipient to come from a Black farming family.
“Being the ‘first’ or the ‘only’ could be seen as a negative thing, but I feel it gave me an advantage,” Rayford says. “Through my experiences, I found confidence and belief in myself. I was supposed to be in those rooms at those times.”
Today, Rayford draws on her FFA experiences in her daily life. She manages the family businesses, which include logistics, real estate and agriculture. On the family farm, which was established by her great-great-great-grandfather after slavery was abolished, they raise cattle, row crops and ornamental trees.
“It’s never felt like juggling; it’s just how I was raised,” Rayford says. “Diversification is what I’ve grown up in and what I know — anything from diversifying crops to our revenue sources.”
In addition, Rayford sits on the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University advisory board and recently joined the Diversity Action Team in Agriculture at Purdue University. “Diversity has been ingrained in who I am,” she says.
With diversity at her center, Rayford hopes to use her experiences to encourage students of color to join FFA.
“One goal of mine is to volunteer more,” she says. “I want to be able to advocate for and work with students of color and get them more involved in FFA. I live in Indianapolis, and I want students in this city to understand there is an amazing organization that hosts its national convention here. I want them to be engaged and involved in FFA.”
Rayford’s vision applies to more organizations than just FFA.
“I believe all members and chapters and foundations and alumni groups should put time, effort and energy toward figuring out how to be inclusive,” she says. “We’ve come a long way, but we still have work to do. When I was a member, this focus wasn’t here. I have a daughter now who I hope will join FFA and be a part of the farm. I want her to have the same great FFA experiences I did, but I want it to be the norm for everyone in all organizations.”
