FOUNDATION FOR THE MID SOUTH INC

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MID SOUTH BELIEVES THAT THE SOLUTION TO REGIONAL CHALLENGES LIES IN BUILDING THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITIES TO TRANSFORM THEMSELVES. THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE REGION. WHEN INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND BUSINESSES ENGAGE IN THE CHANGE PROCESS, THEY CAN BUILD THE COMMUNITY THEY WISH TO SEE, CREATING VIBRANT PLACES TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. WE DO THIS BY PURSUING CHANGES IN SYSTEMS AND POLICY, INCLUDING CHANGES IN THE COORDINATION OF SERVICES, CONTEXTUALIZATION OF LITERACY AND OCCUPATION SKILL DEVELOPMENT, A COMBINATION OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT OF CAREER PATHS, STRENGTHENING THE WORKPLACE TO BE A LEARNING PLACE, AND IMPROVING POLICIES.SINCE 2020, THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MID SOUTH HAS LED AN EFFORT TO ENGAGE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN ITS COMMUNITY, VISIONING AND PLANNING AROUND TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING, AND TRANSFORMATION (TRHT). TRHT IS A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROCESS THAT PLANS FOR AND BRINGS ABOUT TRANSFORMATIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGE AND ADDRESSES THE HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY EFFECTS OF RACISM. THE TRHT MODEL SUPPORTS COMMUNITIES IN RACIAL HEALING AND DISMANTLING CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS BELIEFS IN A HIERARCHY OF HUMAN VALUES THAT LIMITS EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION, FULFILLING EMPLOYMENT, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, AND QUALITY HEALTH CARE. OUR GOAL IS TO USE LESSONS LEARNED TO HELP US CREATE A FUND TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES AND SUPPORT LOCAL LEADERS TO CREATE SYSTEMIC CHANGE. THE PLAN IS TO USE RESEARCH-BASED APPROACHES TO ENGAGE VARIOUS MISSISSIPPI VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE STATE AND DOCUMENT LESSONS LEARNED.THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS PROVIDE A DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN WITHIN EACH OF THESE AREAS, ALONGSIDE THE OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS OBSERVED OVER THE COURSE OF 2023. MISSISSIPPI TRHT FOCUSED ON 3 AREAS, NARRATIVE CHANGE, RACIAL HEALING: FOSTERING DIALOGUE AND CONNECTION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH.1. NARRATIVE CHANGE: SHAPING NEW STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES - THE NARRATIVE CHANGE WORK FOCUSED ON SHIFTING DOMINANT NARRATIVES THAT PERPETUATE RACIAL INEQUITIES. THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH ARTISTS, AUTHORS, AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, THE MILLSAPS ALLIANCE CREATED SPACES FOR NEW STORIES AND OLD ONES TO BE RE-EXAMINED. - CHANGING THE WORLD WITH STORIES: IN COLLABORATION WITH NARRATIVE 4 (N4), CHANGING THE WORLD WITH STORIES WAS A DAYLONG EVENT THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ENGAGE IN A SERIES OF STORYTELLING EXERCISES AND DISCUSSIONS CENTERED ON THE POWER OF NARRATIVE/STORYTELLING. - STORYTELLING AND PANEL DISCUSSION: A PANEL DISCUSSION WAS HELD AT MILLSAPS COLLEGE. THE DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON HOW NARRATIVE CHANGE CAN BE USED AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION, WITH EACH PANELIST SHARING PERSONAL STORIES AND REFLECTIONS ON HOW THEIR WORK CONTRIBUTES TO SHIFTING CULTURAL NARRATIVES. OVER 50 GUESTS FROM THE MILLSAPS AND JSU COMMUNITIES ATTENDED THE PANEL, MARKING A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TO THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES.2. RACIAL HEALING: FOSTERING DIALOGUE AND CONNECTION - THE FUNDING ALSO HELPED TO SUPPORT CREATING SPACES FOR RACIAL HEALING. THROUGH A VARIETY OF EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, AND INITIATIVES, THE ALLIANCE HAS PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MILLSAPS COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE, IDENTITY, AND HEALING. - CIRCLES AND SQUARES: ART EXHIBITION AND DIALOGUE: IN NOVEMBER 2023, THE MILLSAPS ART DEPARTMENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE TRHT ALLIANCE, HOSTED AN EXHIBITION TITLED IN A WORLD OF CIRCLES AND SQUARES. THE EXHIBITION, CREATED BY ARTIST MICHAEL BROHMAN, EXPLORED HOW WHITE PEOPLE HAVE HISTORICALLY CONSTRUCTED AND MAINTAINED SYSTEMS OF RACIAL HIERARCHY. - LISTENING SESSION WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ON "UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AND STRUCTURAL INEQUITY": THE LISTENING SESSION, HELD AT THE COFO BUILDING IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, BROUGHT TOGETHER 22 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING RESIDENTS OF WEST JACKSON, REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS. THE EVENT AIMED TO EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AND STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY. - RACIAL HEALING VIA THE DECOLONIZATION OF THE EXPRESSIVE ARTS: WAS AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION EXPLORING HOW DECOLONIZATION WITHIN THE ARTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO RACIAL HEALING. WITH APPROXIMATELY 60 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES AND 24 ONLINE PARTICIPANTS. 3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH - 60TH ANNIVERSARY FREEDOM SUMMER: THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY FREEDOM SUMMER EVENTS IN PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI, WERE MONUMENTAL IN COMMEMORATING TWO SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF FREEDOM SUMMER AND THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHILADELPHIA COALITION. HOSTED BY THE NESHOBA YOUTH COALITION, IN COLLABORATION WITH MISSISSIPPI HUMANITIES COUNCIL, VISIT MISSISSIPPI, AND MISSISSIPPI TRHT, THE EVENTS WERE HELD TO HONOR PAST CIVIL RIGHTS HEROES, CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS MADE IN RACIAL EQUITY, AND PROMOTE ONGOING NARRATIVE CHANGE IN PHILADELPHIA AND NESHOBA COUNTY. - YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS: OVER THE REPORTING PERIOD, THE NESHOBA YOUTH COALITION CONDUCTED 15 YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS ACROSS THREE CITIES: PHILADELPHIA, CLEVELAND, AND JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. THESE WORKSHOPS, WHICH DREW 430 YOUTH PARTICIPANTS, WERE FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE TRHT FRAMEWORK. BY TARGETING YOUNG PEOPLE, THE WORKSHOPS SOUGHT TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN THE ONGOING FIGHT FOR RACIAL EQUITY AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. - IN ADDITION TO YOUTH WORKSHOPS, THE NESHOBA YOUTH COALITION ORGANIZED TWO COMMUNITY RACIAL HEALING CIRCLES, ONE IN PHILADELPHIA AND ONE IN CLEVELAND, MISSISSIPPI. THESE EVENTS DREW 58 PARTICIPANTS AND WERE DESIGNED TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR OPEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE, STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY, AND COMMUNITY HEALING.

EDUCATION - THE EDUCATION PROGRAM ADDRESSES ISSUES ENSURING IMPROVED EDUCATION OUTCOMES LEADING TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PARTICIPATION. THE GOALS ARE TO INCREASE STUDENT LEARNING AND IMPROVE INDICATORS SUCH AS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES, COLLEGE READINESS, AND WORK READINESS ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH. SEVERAL APPROACHES ARE UTILIZED TO REACH THIS GOAL, SUCH AS EXPANDING THE SKILLS AND CAPACITY OF STUDENTS AND SUPPORT GROUPS, AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING IN OTHER MEDIUMS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MID SOUTH IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE RECIPIENT OF A $15 MILLION COLLEGE READINESS GRANT AWARDED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE GRANT IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST APPROXIMATELY 2,995 SIXTH AND SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. THE SEVEN-YEAR INITIATIVE WILL SERVE STUDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: HOLMES, CLEVELAND, NORTH BOLIVAR, HOLLANDALE, LELAND, WESTER LINE, GREENVILLE, GREENWOOD, HUMPHREYS, AND YAZOO CITY. THE GEAR UP GRANT IS ONE OF ONLY 27 PROGRAMS FUNDED NATIONALLY. - IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MID SOUTH SERVED 80% OF ITS STUDENT POPULATION (2,329 STUDENTS) AND COMPLETED 11,988 SERVICE HOURS THROUGH ITS EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA G.E.A.R. U.P. - PARTNERSHIP. PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDED STUDENT AND FAMILY WORKSHOPS, ACADEMIC INTERVENTION, COLLEGE VISITS, COMPREHENSIVE MENTORING, COUNSELING, AND SUMMER CAMPS. - THE OBJECTIVES OF THE GEAR UP PROGRAM ARE TO INCREASE THE GRADUATION RATE AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. - PROGRAM PARTNERS CONSIST OF 3 INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS AND 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT SPAN ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION.