Mississippi has a 38% population of African Americans, which is the highest percentage of any state in the nation. Agriculture and forestry are its top economic industries, making it a top producer of farm-raised catfish, sweet potatoes, cotton and pulpwood. However, systemic racist policies and practices continue to bedevil Mississippi and are deeply ingrained in every facet of society: housing and banking access, education, criminal justice, policing, clean water, health-care, environmental hazards, farming, food security and more.
As Mississippians prepare to go to the polls on Nov. 07, 2023, to either re-elect the incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for a second term in office or elect his successor, I have one question: Will the next Mississippi governor prioritize the needs of Black Mississippians?
Tackling Poverty and Educational Disparities
Poverty disproportionately affects African Americans in Mississippi. Despite being the 32nd largest and 35th most populous state in the United States, Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the country and frequently ranks high in poverty, with Black Mississippians having almost three times the poverty rate of the state’s white residents. For example, the effects of poverty are continually being felt in Jackson, the state capital and the most populous city of more than 150,000.
People, mainly whites, began to leave the city after the integration of public schools starting in 1970 and continuing over the decades since then. As a result, state leaders have refused to develop in much of Jackson, which is home to more than one-fifth of the population of Mississippi, forcing more residents to abandon the city, decreasing from a population of 173,514 in 2010 to 153,701 in 2020. This further shrank the tax base and left more people, especially Black Jacksonians, with fewer opportunities and the capital city with less revenue.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, right, falsely claimed systemic racism is not a problem in America during an appearance on Fox News with other Republican governors on April 29, 2021. Photo courtesy Gov. Tate Reeves
Education is another major issue affecting Black Mississippians, leaving some schools in deplorable condition as the government continues to operate two
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