SPLC Releases Mississippi State of the State Report Detailing Impact of Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities 

JACKSON, Miss.- Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released the Mississippi State of the State Report, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer, an event that saw hundreds of college students converge on Mississippi to increase voter participation among Black citizens. The inaugural report provides a comprehensive look of Mississippi's current social, political and economic landscape. The report’s essays examine the ongoing impact of racial and socioeconomic injustices on communities throughout the state and highlight the imminent threat they pose to a fair, free and inclusive democracy.  

“Democracy is the founding principle of this country,” said Waikinya Clanton, SPLC Mississippi state director. "Much like Freedom Summer 1964, the voices of the people are the critical component for necessary and positive change in the state. For more than 60 years Mississippi has had a vital role in the fight for Civil Rights. From ensuring voting rights and political representation — especially for those who have been systematically disenfranchised and denied a voice in the democratic process — are heard. The State of the State Report gives an anchored history to systemic issues plaguing the state and how they can be overcome.”  

The collection of essays was presented during The Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend and Win Training Summit at the Jackson Convention Complex. The summit served as the convening space for multidisciplinary workshops and panel discussions, bringing together community members, youth, faith leaders and civic groups committed to building a more inclusive and democratic ecosystem in Mississippi.   

Essays featured in the report include Adequately Educating the Soon-to-Be Electorate by Brittany Barbee, J.D.; Reclaiming a Lost Voice by Justin Moody, J.D. Amir Badat, Esq.; An Integrated Approach to Protecting the Vote, Mississippi Goddam by Nicholas Presley, MPH; Listening to Black Women by Dr. Aisha Nyandoro, Ph.D. and The Connection Between Community Building and Civic Literacy by Heather-Ann Layth, MA. 

The State of the State Report explores how voter suppression and lack of political power contribute to disparities and delves into the state’s lifetime ban on voting for certain crimes. It also explores how the prison system and disenfranchisement in Mississippi are rooted in racist intent that aim to suppress Black political power from Reconstruction and Jim Crow to the present day.   

“Voting is the cornerstone of a democratic society,” said Amir Badat, attorney and manager of Black Voters on the Rise, NAACP Legal Defense Fund who authored the essay, An Integrated Approach to Protecting the Vote and Advancing Political Power. “Mississippi’s laws make it one of the most difficult states for Black voters to cast a ballot, and the state’s history of racial discrimination and intimidation persists. But an integrated, statewide, and year-round approach to voter protection that includes organizing, advocacy, strategic communications, and litigation can help safeguard the right to vote, empower communities and advance political power for Black Mississippians.”    

The Road to 60 is part of the SPLC campaign The South’s Got Now, an initiative that unites voters to forge a powerful movement creating positive change and impact through the electoral process.