Mississippians are invited to join an important tele-townhall conversation focused on voting rights, the Shield Act, and the issues impacting communities across the state.
Hosted in partnership with a coalition of organizations committed to protecting voting rights and fair representation, this conversation will bring together advocates, community leaders, and residents for a timely discussion on recent legislative developments and what they mean for Mississippi voters.
Participants will have the opportunity to hear directly from advocates, ask questions, and learn how to stay informed and engaged.
The current state of voting rights and recent legislative developments
What the Shield Act does and why it matters
The importance of civic engagement and community participation
How Mississippians can stay informed and take action
Why This Conversation Matters
Voting rights and fair representation are essential to building strong, informed, and empowered communities. As new policies and legislative actions continue to shape access to the ballot, it is critical that Mississippians have the information they need to understand what is happening and how to respond.
At Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, we believe informed communities build collective power. We invite you to join this important conversation and share this opportunity with your family, friends, and networks.
For the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MS BWR), 2024 has been a year of activation, leadership, and community power. That power lives in each and every one of us, and can not be taken from any of us. MS BWR offers a way for you to plug in and take your seat at the table – through action or donation. We need your support with us!
Through civic engagement programming like the Power of the Sister Vote Campaign and Black Youth Votes, MS BWR creates pathways for people to step into their power and take the lead on issues impacting their communities.
This year, the Power of the Sister Vote (POTSV) made waves of change by engaging 387 women across 17 counties, and increasing voter turnout in eight counties with historically low participation rates. Not only were these boot camps spaces for people to learn more about the voting process, but also join a network of empowered leaders ready to make their voices heard at the polls. POTSV boot camps also provided child care services, making it easier for families to attend, engage, and get out the vote.
For college students looking to engage their campus community, the Black Youth Votes Ambassador program was an entry point for them to take the lead and make their voices heard. This year, the program expanded to seven Mississippi colleges and universities, increasing the youth vote in critical areas of the state.
Another valuable resource, the result of the dynamic partnerships among MS BWR, the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, and One Voice, is Mississippi Women in the Lead (MWL). Now in its second year, MWL creates opportunities for women of all backgrounds to prepare for elected office positions and drive change for their communities. This year, 30 inspiring women are set to take the lead with Mississippi Women in the Lead!
Advancing Economic Security
A major component to sparking community power is addressing Mississippi’s economic disparities. We’ve found that economic injustice disproportionately impacts women, particularly Black women, in our state contributing to larger inequities that stand in the way of community development and progress.
Through the Mississippi Women’s Economic Security Initiative (MWESI), MS BWR has brought together key stakeholders and coalition partners to bring the issue of economic disparity to policymakers. During the Mississippi state legislative session, we connected community leaders to training sessions centered on how they could make their voices heard on issues, like economic security, during the legislative session. They then put those skills to work during our advocacy event on the Capitol steps!
Community Rapid Response
MS BWR has addressed the immediate needs of families and communities impacted by natural disasters or infrastructure breakdowns through the Community Rapid Response Initiative (CORRI). Ensuring that families are able to recover from these events ensures that communities stay resilient.
This year, MS BWR assisted over 40 families with rental and utility support, provided free laundry services to over 200 families, and leveraged partnerships with local organizations to grow resource and service networks. We’re thankful to the volunteers from our network and community partners for making this work possible!
The Power is with Us
The spirit of community matters now more than ever. Every step toward justice, every voice raised, every hand extended builds a better future for Black women and their families across the state. We invite you to join the Power of Us and help us continue to shift power where it matters most. Whether you join as a volunteer, a leader, or a supporter, you are helping build a brighter future for our state!
Featuring dynamic presentations from people like MS State Representative Jeffrey Hulum III and our very own Director of Civic Engagement and Voting Rights, Velvet Scott, and Director of Policy Advocacy and Movement Building, Robin Y. Jackson, this event examined the challenges and opportunities present in the current state of Black voting power.
During the event, MS State Representative Jeffrey Hulum III exposed tactics used to suppress and intimidate voters while providing strategies to counter misinformation and ensure voters are informed.
MS BWR’s Director of Policy Advocacy and Movement Building, Robin Y. Jackson, offered a comprehensive look at Project 2025’s potential policy impacts and implications for marginalized communities.
MS BWR’s Director of Civic Engagement and Voting Rights, Velvet Scott, explained how to navigate the absentee voting process, avoid common pitfalls, and empower student voters to participate fully.
Participants also heard from The Steps Coalition’s Gordon Jackson, who guided them through the process of reviewing sample ballots, understanding key races and measures, and ensuring they know their polling precincts to confidently prepare for Election Day.
Event Highlights
Speakers & Topics
MS State Representative Jeffrey Hulum III: Recognizing Voter Suppression, Intimidation, and Fighting Misinformation
(MS BWR) Robin Y. Jackson: A Policy Analysis of Project 2025
(MS BWR) Velvet Scott: Correct Absentee Voting and Student Voting
(Steps Coalition) Gordon Jackson: What’s on Your Ballot?
Thanks to our Partners!
MS BWR wants to thank The Steps Coalition for partnering with it to host The State of the Black Vote brunch, presented by Deeneaus Polk, which examined the current state of Black voting power, addressing both the challenges faced and the opportunities to increase civic engagement and influence.
From checking voter status to taking the lead as a voter mobilizer, MS BWR has something for each level of civic education and engagement. Check out highlights from our local events, which stretch all across the state and lift up the power of our vote!
Voter Registration Events at M-Bar and Names & Faces Lounge
For people looking to have fun, socialize, and check off their voter registration while they’re at it, we host community events like this one at M-Bar and Names and Faces Lounge in Jackson, MS!
We had an amazing evening bringing together organizational partners (shout out to One Voice and Democracy Divas!) and people in the community ready to check their voter status, register, or make a plan to make their voices heard at the polls.
For our young leaders looking to engage their campus, Black Youth Vote offers a great opportunity for them to engage. From civic centers to college campuses, Black Youth Vote has led the charge in registering the next generation of voters and connecting them to the tools they need to make their voices heard at the polls.
Black Youth Vote was developed to connect young people to voting resources and give them the information and guidance necessary for them to lead their communities and increase voter turnout.
According to Census Data, college-aged people make up nearly 20% of Mississippi’s population. Imagine what could be accomplished if they all made a plan to get out the vote!
Power of the Sister Vote in Belzoni (and Across the State!)
For folks who want to step into community leadership and work with organizations to power local voting efforts, MS BWR offers the Power of the Sister Vote Boot Camps.
Our most recent boot camp found us in Belzoni, Mississippi, mobilizing an empowering group of leaders to help get out the sister vote! It was a magical time full of leadership, learning, and inspiration, and we are so appreciative to our partners and supporters for making this event possible.
We appreciate each and every one of our participants for showing up for their communities!
Women’s Equality Day, observed on August 26, commemorates the adoption of the 19th amendment, which granted some women the right to vote in America – for decades after 1920 scores of Black women were still excluded from the voting process due to barriers such as poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and racial terrorism. Today, we celebrate how far we’ve come while acknowledging how far we still have to go to not only extend this right but protect it! Keep reading to see how you can help power progress with the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MS BWR)!
Stand for Equality & Security for All Women
At the heart of women’s equality is the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – core tenants of the United States Declaration of Independence, principles that have never rung true for millions of Black women across the South and this nation.
When Black women are at risk of police violence, burdened with extra caretaking responsibilities as they attempt to earn a living wage to support their families, and wrestle with systemic racism in the workplace and beyond, security is out of reach. The Mississippi Women’s Economic Security Initiative (MWESI) works to advance policies that champion women’s economic security and equip black women and girls to be part of the formation and implementation of the policy-making process. The policy areas of focus include access to healthcare and reproductive health, pay equity, increasing the minimum wage and eliminating the sub-tip minimum wage, access to affordable childcare, paid leave, and safety, and ending violence against women and girls.
These policies are all connected to Black women and girls’ survival, let alone security. One of our partners, Women’s Foundation of the South, launched a report today celebrating Women’s Equality Day called “Shift the South: Why Change Can’t Wait for Women and Girls of Color.” Read it here.
A significant barrier to women’s equality and security is the gender wage gap. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) found that across the country, regardless of full-time or part-time status, women face a pay gap averaging $21.90 per hour when compared to the earnings of white men.
In Mississippi, the gender wage gap poses an even greater challenge for Black women and their families. More than 80% of Black households with young children rely on the income from Black mothers, which is only 55 cents to every dollar earned by white men in similar jobs, according to IWPR.
Women need every cent of income they’ve earned to create the life they envision and deserve for themselves and their families.
You can stand for economic equality and security by joining MS BWR’s legislative advocacy events or training programs like Mississippi Women in the Lead (MWL) that push to move Black women’s economic security and leadership forward.
Lift Up the Sister Vote
While the 19th Amendment protects our right to vote, there’s still work to be done to ensure Black Mississippi women are supported in not only casting their votes but elevating their issues. In a state notorious for voter suppression, there are many systemic barriers that make it challenging for our communities to access information on voter rights, registration, and mobilization.
Through programs like the MS BWR’s Power of the Sister Vote Boot Camps, you can help break those barriers and ensure our community’s voices are heard. You can also help us set the precedent for the next generation of women’s votes, while building momentum for policies that put our needs first. Check out our upcoming boot camps here.
Lead at Decision-Making Tables
Mississippi needs more female representation! More than four out of five of Mississippi lawmakers are male, and a majority of them are white, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislators. Becoming an elected official or policy-maker not only paves the way for solutions to the issues impacting women and girls statewide, but also builds security and hope for the future of aspiring women leaders.
If you’re interested in running for elected office, MS BWR’s Mississippi Women in the Lead (MWL) program is the perfect place to start. MWL brings together the best of its community partners – the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, and One Voice Mississippi – to provide in-depth training, mentorship, and more, all dedicated to helping potential “nominees” successfully navigate the campaign process.
Designed specifically for Mississippi women, the program offers a supportive learning environment both in-person and online and eliminates financial barriers with zero cost for accepted applicants, as well as options for fellowship stipends for those who qualify.
Through the vote, we empower change!
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, and through that vote, we empower change! Let’s continue the fight for women’s equality and for the futures of our families by coming together to make our voices heard. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media for event and program updates, and click here to donate.
This year’s Essence Fest in New Orleans was especially inspiring for us at the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable. On July 5, with the help of our partners at the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), Black Women’s Roundtable, and Black Women’s Roundtable Louisiana, we brought together leaders, advocates, and changemakers for an afternoon celebrating the power of the sister vote.
With an impressive panel of moderators and event hosts, guests were able to engage in interactive discussions about voting, explore the economic impacts of their vote, learn ways to lead and mobilize, and also peek into how younger generations are voting and participating in elections. 2024 is a presidential election year, making it all the more vital for Black women in Mississippi and beyond to step into their power and make their voices heard at the polls.
We are so grateful to our hosts, moderators, and sponsors for making this event such a powerful space for connection, learning, and lifting up the sister vote. Thanks also to everyone who participated!
Event Hosts
Melanie L. Campbell is the President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Participation and the National Convener for the Black Women’s Roundtable.
Cassandra Welchlin is the Executive Director & Co-Covener of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable.
Gwendolyn Hughes is the Convener for the Louisiana Black Women’s Roundtable.
Mistress of Ceremonies
Pamela D.C. Junior, Director Emeritus, Two Mississippi Museums, Historian, and Motivational Speaker
Inspiration
Jotaka Eaddy, Founder, #WinWithBlackWomen, Founder & CEO, Full Circle Strategies
Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President & CEO, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
Special Greetings
Marc H. Morial, 59th Mayor of New Orleans, Chairman of the Board, National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Urban League
Erica Loewe, Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the White House Office of Public Engagement
Partner Greetings
Mikhiela Sherrod, Ph.D., Director, US Domestic Program, Oxfam
Joi Owens Norwood, Esq., Program Officer, W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Tanya Lombard, VP, Global & External Affairs, Head of Strategic Alliances, AT&T
Nsombi Lambright-Haynes, Executive Director, One Voice
Moderators
Angela Rye, Principal/CEO IMPACT Strategies and Host, Native Land Pod.
Tiffany Cross, T.V. host, Journalist, and Author of Say It Louder.
Panelists
Helen Young Butler, Executive Director, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda/Convener, GA Black Women’s Roundtable
Kimberle’ W. Crenshaw, PhD., Co-Founder & ED African American Policy Forum, Host of Intersectionality Matters, Professor at Columbia Law School & UCLA Law School
Letetia Jackson, Convener, South Alabama BWR, President & CEO, Tandeka LLC
Monica Simpson, Executive Director, Sister Song
Bishop Leah Daughtry, Founder & Co-Convenor, Power Rising
Commissioner Sheila Tyson, Convener, Alabama Coalition on Black Civic Participation/AL BWR
Tameka Ramsey, Convener, Michigan Black Women’s Roundtable, Michigan Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Founder, T. Ramsey & Associates
Angele Wilson, Senior Director, ERP Resources, Inc.
Christal M. Jackson, Founder, Mosaic Genius
Aleshia Young, BYV Ambassador, MS
Moriah Bateast, Member, Terrebonne Parish NAACP Youth Council
Kiersten Hawkins, BYV Ambassador, MS
Kalyn Washington, State Coordinator, Alabama BYV
Mary-Pat Hector, State Coordinator, Georgia Black Youth Vote, CEO of Rise Free, Founder of Equity for All, Inc.
Keturah Butler-Reed, Co-Convener, Louisiana Black Women’s Roundtable; LA Regional Organizer, Black Voters Matter
Illai Kenney, Managing Director, HBCU Green Fund, Black Youth Vote Alumni
As Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (July 9) approaches, we sit down with our Executive Director, Cassandra Welchlin, for an insightful discussion of the wage gap, its implications, and how Black women can build power through community engagement and lifting the sister vote.
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that 4 out of 5 Black women are the primary breadwinners for their families. How does that resonate with you?
When I think about this statistic, I think about how most of a woman’s paycheck fuels her household. Because in Mississippi, eight out of ten Black women are the breadwinners of their families, the wage gap impacts her healthcare and her ability to look after her well-being, which affects her ability to work. It’s challenging.
Also, because she’s so focused on putting food on the table and keeping a roof over her family’s head she has a lot less money to do some of the long-term things that will be beneficial for her, like saving for retirement or investing in career development so she can make more money.
She has to work longer and harder than anyone else, is the caregiver for her family, and is often not in a position to help position them for success if, God forbid, she loses her low-paying work, gets sick or passes away. Black women are underemployed and don’t make enough money. Yet local and state economies are fueled by Black women’s paychecks.
Why is the wage gap so significant for Black women in Mississippi? What other elements are at play?
Race is definitely at play here. When discussing the wage gap, we also talk about who it impacts. And it’s impacting Black and Brown women, who are facing not only racial discrimination but also gender discrimination. And we know that discrimination runs deep.
The other thing that comes to mind in this conversation is what women are losing from the wage gap. Black women in Mississippi are making 55 cents to the dollar. Over a year, she’s losing over $20,000 a year. I call that wage theft.
That $20,000 could go towards groceries for her family. It could go towards a mortgage or rent. It could go to several other necessities to support a family: utilities, gas, child care, and household expenses. But instead, it’s lost in the wage gap. And it’s not happening only in Mississippi. Black women are losing wages across the country.
The Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable offers various ways for Black women to get involved in their communities, from leadership training to voter mobilization. How do voting and community participation help address the wage gap in Mississippi?
MS BWR always takes issues like the wage gap to the polls. When we engage Black women in voting, we ask them, ‘What’s important to you?’ We ask, ‘What do they need to take care of their families? To be economically secure? To be caregivers?’ They say, ‘We need higher-paying jobs. We need access to health care. We need access to child care.’
It’s so important that we talk about voting holistically because it’s not about the candidate. It’s about solving the issues you discuss at the kitchen table. Her vote is tied to that issue, like the wage gap, which is tied to her household and the pocketbook.
Moreover, we know that Black women are the primary breadwinners of their families. We spoke about that earlier. That means we must bring the wage gap issue to the polls because our paycheck is essential to support our household.
One of our key programs is the Power of the Sister Vote, which really brings Black women into a space where they can elevate their skills as leaders and access the tools they need to educate their own communities about these issues, take them to the polls, and make a change. We actually have a Boot Camp coming up in July in Cleveland, Mississippi,people can go to msbwr.org to get more information!
What are the broader implications of the wage gap inequity?
The broader implications of the wage gap are its impact on the state and local economies. When we talk about who’s in the workforce, especially in Mississippi, Black women and women are in the workforce. Half of them are minimal-wage earners. If we close the wage gap, we’re cutting poverty in half, and we know Mississippi has a significant poverty rate in this country. We’d also be ensuring that women can better contribute to the economy in a way that benefits the state.
Let’s say, for instance, a woman who lives in a local community takes her dollar and patronizes the grocery store. She then drives to a gas station and patronizes that business again. Then, she goes to a local grocery store to get food for her family. Her dollar is turning over and over again in that local community, which benefits the local community and promotes the larger state economy.
Mississippi continues to say it is a work-friendly business state. If that is the case, then we’ve got to make sure that we are doing our part by having a good equal pay law on the books that protects women when they are working and their wages, especially for Black and Brown women.
Do you see the wage gap as a product of history or a consequence of poor legislation?
This is a great question! I see it as both. When we think about it, Black women birthed the labor that made this country wealthy, particularly in the South, and we never got a monetary benefit from that. Then, we moved into Jim Crow, and we still weren’t paid what we were worth because of systems rooted in white supremacy that still exist today.
Inequities like the wage gap are a continual consequence of a system that does not benefit or consider us. Mississippi is still governed primarily by white men who do not appreciate our experiences as Black women. We are not the priority to them.
That’s why it’s essential for us to be involved in the legislative process and be at those decision-making tables. That’s why we need to be part of implementing and forming public policies and embody what Shirley Chisholm says, ‘We’re bringing our chair to the table.’ We take that seriously at MS BWR to equip and train Black women to be leaders, not only in our communities but also at these policy-making tables where policies such as the minimum wage and equal pay laws are being made.
I think about my mom’s story again. She worked right across the street from the state capitol. When I was just two or three years old, I had to go to work with her because she didn’t have enough money for childcare. But she worked across the street from the state capitol, where lawmakers had the power to write a law to increase her wages to a living wage because she was just making $2 and some change.
We’re still there. We’re still working at the legislature to make sure that, as Marian Wright Edelman says, ‘No mom has to choose between the child she loves and the job that she needs to take care of her household.’
Out of thousands of applicants, MS BWR’s Director of Policy Advocacy and Movement Building, Robin Jackson, and her son RJ were selected as Strolling Thunder Representatives for Mississippi, and we couldn’t be prouder! Their journey to Washington, D.C. will culminate in a discussion with Congress about the importance of supportive childcare policies for families in Mississippi.
Strolling Thunder is a project of Zero to Three, an organization focused on leading policy solutions that give babies a strong start to life. Robin and RJ will join 50 other family representatives at Capitol Hill.
Check out our Q&A with Robin discussing her policy plans, her experiences with child care as a new mom, and her thoughts on how important affordable child care is for Black women in Mississippi providing for their families.
How did MS BWR help you maintain a work-life balance as a new mom?
When I returned to work full-time after having my son, RJ, I was able to do hybrid work. On days that I worked on admin tasks for my department, I would work from home. And then on the days I had to go to the office, I could bring RJ and there was space to accommodate us both.
MS BWR provided a space big enough for us both, where I could privately feed and change my son throughout the day. He also had toys to play with and a little Pack N’ Play. I was able to take Zoom calls and fulfill my office tasks, and the accommodations helped me a lot while I stabilized myself and looked for child care I could afford.
It was really a community thing. My colleagues were very helpful, and would watch my son or let him play in their office if he was, you know, maybe a little rowdy and I had a Zoom call. It was a family environment. I’m very grateful because I know accommodations are not made for working moms, especially new moms, very often at other organizations. They say it takes a village to raise a child; MS BWR was my village.
Why are childcare accommodations like this important for working moms? Especially Black moms?
Businesses should realize that effectiveness depends on stability. Accommodations are so important because they help moms stabilize while they look for child care, re-adjust to office life, or manage their new routines.
When businesses do create accommodations, they change the culture. They start a movement and support workplace justice. There are big businesses like Amazon or Google that already provide child care. Hospitals do it too, but we need it in other fields. Black women are some of the lowest-paid workers in the state, and child care is very expensive. Having to cover that cost can severely impact how a mom can support her family.
How can childcare costs become a financial burden?
The pandemic made people more aware of the importance of child care and early learning programs, making these services much more expensive. When I was looking for child care, the average monthly cost was more than my mortgage. It was like paying college tuition to send my child to a child care center.
Then there’s the fact that Black women in Mississippi are making less than $15 an hour. That means childcare costs take anywhere between 50 and 60 percent of their income. This is why affordable child care is so necessary; moms are left with only 40 percent of their income to take care of their families.
Those costs trickle down, hindering a mom’s economic advancement. They have to choose between paying for child care, potentially working a second job, and forgoing degree studies and career advancement or not paying for child care, not accessing early learning for their children, and taking time away from work to find someone to watch their kids. It all links back to economic disparity.
How do you feel about RJ being a representative for Mississippi?
I’m really excited! You know, even though he’s one, I think it’ll be a great experience for him and he’ll have the memories to look back on later. I remember that there were times throughout my childhood where I had opportunities to go to the White House, but it was not something my parents could afford.
I’m grateful that everything worked out, and that he’s getting this opportunity at such a young age. Hopefully this will be a key start to his advocacy career. I’m also thankful to Zero to Three for being so accommodating, inclusive, and showing different representations of family.
It was really important for me, as a single mom, to bring somebody else to the event, and they let me bring my sister, Kiersten, who is a co-caregiver to my son. I think it’s important to show that everyone’s support network looks different, and that’s ok!
Why is child care your policy priority for Strolling Thunder?
Because, while there have been federal policies and legislation created for things like universal child care or certain child tax credits for paying for care, more needs to be done. Taking care of a child is one of the hardest things women face, and they need supportive policies in place to help them be at their best.
I want to talk to our Congress members about this, not so they continue to look at it from a federal level, but for them to see what’s happening in Mississippi. If we’re looking to move Mississippi forward, then increasing affordable child care and access to early education are going to be the ways to do it.
How is Strolling Thunder inspiring? How do you think other working moms and Black women in Mississippi can mobilize?
Strolling Thunder is important because representation matters. I think being a single mom from Jackson and getting this opportunity with my son, helps moms know that there are people who look like them and are from their community who are going and fighting on their behalf.
I’m hoping this can inspire moms to advocate for what’s beneficial for them, and see where they can activate in their area. This may also power work at the Mississippi Capitol during the 2025 legislative session. Above all, I want this to catch the attention of single moms and get them to say “Hey, I want to do something like that!” and then go take action.
Organizers rented two screens and were able to give out more than 170 tickets. They said the screening was important not only because Halle Bailey was starring in the movie, but the film helps provide representation for Black girls.
“Representation is the most important thing, and to know that a Black girl is going to be our representation, to know that little girls can live up to a princess like that is a very great thing,” said Hollye Weekes, found of Digital Weekes, LLC.
Women make around 82% of what men make in the same job according to a recent national study by Pew Research. The Equal Pay for Equal Work act of 2022 was passed by the Mississippi legislature to address the state’s lack of an equal pay bill. But the Mississippi Black Women’s Round Table says lawmakers need to remove language that carves out several exceptions for wage discrimination. Executive Director Cassandra Welchlin says it allows employers to use pay history and employment gaps as justification for unequal wages.
