Like many of you, I consider myself a daughter of the South. I am proud to say Mississippi is my life-long home. Mississippi educated me from preschool through my doctoral studies, and Mississippi taught me that community matters. From a young age, deep love was sown in my heart for our people, our culture, our music, our literary heritage and all the talent that exists here in our home state.
This is why when the W.K. Kellogg Foundation invited me to be a part of its generational commitment to Mississippi, I said “of course.” What better way to show my love than to continue working in service of our children, families and communities?
What I want for my children is what you want for your children: to see them getting into good schools or apprenticeships, excelling in their careers or running successful businesses, raising children of their own, helping their neighbors, and leaving their corner of the world a better place.
Ultimately, we all imagine a future where our children have grown into happy, healthy adults.
Yet, in this moment of crisis, for our children in Jackson, being happy and healthy requires having clean water. Our little ones won’t get to realize the brilliant future we see in our mind’s eye if the water running from their faucets causes them to become ill or doesn’t run at all. We must work swiftly and decisively to find the collective will to fix this failing infrastructure.
Children Are Relying On Us
All children and families deserve clean water; it’s a basic human right. They need it to safely eat, brush their teeth and bathe. They need it to energize them while they study, practice their newfound skills, and run, play and discover the world around them.
We’re already seeing the early consequences
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