November 6, 2024 –  The Mississippi Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Alliance, an initiative of the Foundation for the Mid South, has released a new report detailing community insights and solutions on racial and cultural divides. Through a series of open and honest community convenings on racial healing, the Alliance gathered perspectives from across the state on how Mississippians can find common ground on long standing issues in housing, education, and employment.

The TRHT initiative encourages racial healing by engaging community members in events like storytelling circles, panel discussions and listening sessions. Grants provided to community groups supported dialogue and partnerships with a particular focus to build coalitions around inclusive economic solutions. 

The report reflects residents’ views on the importance of racial unity. Many participants called for more opportunities to voice their concerns to decision-makers.

Local Alliance partners, including Mission Mississippi, Millsaps College, Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, the Neshoba Youth Coalition, and The Alluvial Collective, led conversions because of their deep community ties and commitment to racial healing. The next phase of the initiative will focus on building up the capacity for partners to track progress with enhanced monitoring tools and evaluation systems.

Key Community Initiatives in the Report:

• “One Community” Series: Led by Mission Mississippi, this series included dialogues focused on faith and building relationships in communities like Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and Picayune. Local leaders from groups like the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of South Mississippi took part in the organizing. 

• Jackson Water Crisis Awareness: The Alluvial Collective organized events to address the Jackson water crisis, drawing attention to environmental racism and the effects of long-term neglect on Mississippi’s capital.

• Changing the World with Stories: In collaboration with Narrative 4 (N4), the Millsaps hosted a daylong event focused on the power of storytelling with students from Millsaps College and Jackson State University. As part of the engagement, students visited landmarks like the homes of Eudora Welty and the Medgar Evers, reflecting  Welty’s writings on Evers’ assassination. 

Launched with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Mississippi TRHT initiative follows the foundation’s national model aimed at empowering communities to reshape their futures, address systemic challenges, and work together toward transformation.

About the Foundation for the Mid South
Since 1990, the Foundation for the Mid South has worked to build stronger economies and improve life in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The Foundation supports change leveraging resources and building the capacity of people and organizations to improve their communities.