His first effort occurred in Lowe s Grove, a rural community in Durham County. The first step in bringing back some of the comforts and pleasures of life is organized credit. The first step in lifting the oppression of the usurer from the neck of our country folk is organized credit. This first success opened the way to the organization of credit unions in Durham and Mecklenberg Counties, and within a few years, in the other counties in rural North Carolina. Credit union membership is a certificate of character, declared Hill, and a badge of honor.
Credit unions are the soundest financial institutions in the world.
Education became a vital key to reaching both rural and urban groups about credit unions. It sometimes seemed a slow process, but a strong foundation was being laid. Nonetheless, their presence was making significant changes in rural credits in the state. The self-help principles of credit unions led farmers and others in North Carolina to try other cooperative enterprises, including supply stores and group fire insurance. It is important to note that nearly as many rural credit unions were formed by African Americans as were formed by groups of white farmers in the state, and many of the African-American credit unions also encouraged joint purchasing cooperatives.