Call for Proposals
The Southern Poverty Law Center welcomes paper submissions for our inaugural State of the State report during its The Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend and Win Summit, August 15-17, 2024, in Jackson, Misssissippi. SPLC’s State of the State report will examine the conditions and contributors to racial and socioeconomic injustices in the state of Mississippi. Recommendations for solutions for this paper will be provided by community members and other key stakeholders. The findings from this report will be released during the summit.
About the Summit
A key component of The Road to 60: Reigniting the Fight for Freedom Voter Education and Empowerment campaign, The Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend and Win Summit will serve as the convening space for Mississippi-focused organizers and community-based change agents. The summit will pay homage to the Mississippi veterans of the Civil Rights Movement and bring together key stakeholders and community members for a weekend of organizing, strategizing and mobilizing to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964. The event will be held August 15-17, 2024 in Jackson, Mississippi.
About the Campaign
The Road to 60: Reigniting the Fight for Freedom Voter Education and Empowerment campaign is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together civic engagement partners committed to building and sustaining a progressive voting ecosystem in Mississippi. In conjunction with community partners and other key stakeholders, the Southern Poverty Law Center, through its Activate Mississippi initiative, will launch a commemorative campaign centering on voter education, training and voter registration to help register 60,000 new and/or inactive voters in Mississippi.
Deadlines
- Monday, February 19, 2024: Call for papers
- Friday, March 8, 2024*: Abstracts due
- Monday, March 18, 2024: Invitation for full papers
- Monday, April 29, 2024: Full papers due
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Review and feedback sent to authors
- Friday, May 24, 2024: Revision due
- Friday, June 7, 2024: Acceptance of final versions
- Thursday, August 15, 2024: Report release
* All papers must be submitted via email to Shonna Tillman (shonna.tillman@splcenter.org) by 5 p.m. CT.
Submission Guidelines
A Note for Authors
Authors are encouraged to submit their essays, research, case studies and/or technological advancements in alignment with the conference theme and any of the following topics of interest:
- Eradicating Poverty in Mississippi
- Decriminalizing and Decarcerating Black and Brown People in Mississippi
- Protecting Voting Rights in Mississippi
- Dismantling White Nationalism and Systemic and Institutional Racism in Mississippi
- Achieving Political Power in Mississippi
Your proposal should include a 250- to 500-word abstract, a list of all co-authors, and a 100- to 150-word biography of the author(s).
You may submit two types of proposals:
- Joint paper (include a complete profile of all contributors, including their names and addresses)
- Individual paper
Once authors have been notified of the acceptance of their proposals, they will be invited to submit a 1,500- to 2,000-word manuscript. Each manuscript will discuss the gaps and opportunities in the previously provided sectors and explore how civic engagement practices help to reduce disparities among minority communities, and research strategies and solutions that can be implemented and evaluated to improve low voter engagement and turnout in Mississippi.
This report will help connect the significance of these everyday issues and experiences back to the significance of voting and how advocacy in these areas will help strengthen our democracy. We encouraged the participation of scholars, subject matter experts, practitioners, and other community stakeholders in this paper.
If interested in contributing to this collection, email the editor an abstract by March 8, 2024.
Should you have any questions email Waikinya Clanton, waikinya.clanton@splcenter.org, or Shonna Tillman, shonna.tillman@splcenter.org.
Photo at top: (Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
