Mississippi Delta Residents Chosen to Develop a New Vision for Delta Region

Jackson, Miss. – The Mid South Delta Initiative, a project of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation announces that 58 residents of 17 counties in the Mississippi Delta are members of work groups that will spend the next 12 to 18 months developing a roadmap to improve the economic and social lives of Delta citizens in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The residents will participate in one of three design groups in Mississippi focusing on youth, grassroots and leadership in the Delta. Louisiana and Arkansas will have the same three groups in their states. The individuals were chosen from a pool of more than 600 applicants for the 180 slots in all three states.

"It is clear that Delta people are ready, excited, and willing to invest their own wisdom and energy into this process," said Gloria Dickerson, Kellogg Foundation program director. "These groups will serve as the engine for change, opportunity and equity in the region."

One of the goals of the selection process was to engage people and groups who are often missing from community change work, especially young, elderly, disabled, and low-income people. The working groups include students, business people, teachers, former and current elected officials, people working in community-based organizations and others.

"The Mid South Delta Initiative has been working in the Delta for the past seven years investing millions of dollars into strengthening Delta communities," said Dickerson. "We have asked the working group participants to survey current conditions related to their issue, build on what is good in the region, and address what is missing."

The working groups will meet regularly throughout the next 18 months and will send representatives from each state group to regional meetings to share information to build a regional roadmap for the future. In addition, all the design working groups will participate in creating a regional alliance, which will be open to public participation.