Thirteen years ago, at the direction of One Voice, a small group of community leaders and elected officials gathered with the MS NAACP in a roundtable discussion on leadership. This discussion evolved into a monthly meeting aimed at cultivating strategic alliances. As a result of these discussions, the first Mississippi Black Leadership Summit was held in 2008, convening members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, the Mississippi Association of Black Mayors, the Minority Caucus of Supervisors, MBC-LEO, the Black Sheriff’s Association, Partners in Education, Tax Assessors / Tax Collectors, Chancery and Circuit Clerks.

One Voice’s award-winning Mississippi Black Leadership Summit is coming to a community near you next month. Annually, this event convenes community leaders and elected officials for leadership development, hoping that this investment in these leaders will help build more sustainable communities and a Mississippi we all deserve. One Voice is excited to announce #MBLS2021 will uplift leaders in communities all over the state as we will be virtually traveling to every region in Mississippi for the summit.

Through the American Rescue Plan, Mississippi will receive the most significant direct federal funding in history to rebuild local economies over the next few years. As community advocates, One Voice and its partners should lead the charge, following the money and ensuring all communities can thrive. We must provide resources across the state that are not invested or funneled into systems that promote inequity. With this in mind, One Voice is using #MBLS2021 to examine what community investments should be prioritized in our state. 

MBLS Workshop Titles, Locations, and Dates

From Crisis to Opportunity: Exploring Education Investments in the Mississippi Delta
Delta – Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 5:30 pm

Who Pays, Mississippi? An overview of income, race, and economic development in Mississippi
North – Thursday, October 21 at l1am

Making the Connection from Electricity to Broadband 
Southwest – Friday, October 22 at 11 am

Lifting Our Voices: Protecting our Voting Rights & Pushing for Fair Representation
Gulf Coast – Tuesday, October 26 at 11 am

Criminal Justice in Mississippi; where we are and where we need to be 
East – Wednesday, October 27 at 11 am

Community Conversation: What’s On Your Mind? 
Central – Thursday, October 28 at 6 pm

MBLS is free to the public, but registration is required. Participants can register at onevoicems.org. 

One Voice is a nonprofit organization specializing in training, leadership development, and network building in underserved communities. Our mission is to ensure an equal voice to traditionally silenced communities.

The post #MBLS2021 Virtually Coming to a City Near You! appeared first on Mississippi Today.