On July 3, 2026, the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable and One Voice convened Built By Us: Black Women, Power & The Next 250 during ESSENCE Festival weekend in New Orleans.
This Mississippi-centered gathering brought together Black women, youth leaders, advocates, entrepreneurs, faith leaders, elected officials, and community changemakers to celebrate our collective power, reflect on the progress we have made, and imagine what the next 250 years should hold for Black women and girls.
The program featured findings from the Black Action Agenda Survey, insights from the Status of Black Women & Girls in Mississippi Report, and a dynamic discussion exploring leadership, advocacy, culture, community, and the future.
Attendees also experienced music from Mississippi’s own DJ Fortress and a special conversation and performance featuring Mississippi-raised singer, songwriter, and storyteller KIRBY.
Built By Us was more than an event. It was an opportunity to honor the women who came before us, amplify the voices shaping our communities today, and create space for the ideas and leadership that will define what comes next.
Watch the full event recap below and experience the conversations, connections, and moments that made Built By Us a powerful celebration of Black women, power, and possibility.
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!
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
Jackson, Mississippi — The Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MS BWR), a leading advocate for social justice, reaffirms its mission to improve economic security for Black women in Mississippi through a nationwide advocacy day on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day (July 9).
July 9 represents how long Black women must work from the start of 2024 to bridge the wage gap, and symbolizes the continued economic disparity faced by millions of Black women in Mississippi and beyond. MS BWR is calling all Black women advocates and allies on July 9 to raise awareness on social media, utilizing this toolkit, and take action to close the wage gap through voter participation, contacting legislators, and rallying community leaders to bring the wage gap issue to the polls.
“The wage gap is not something that can be outworked. It’s something that must be addressed at the polls,” said Cassandra Welchlin, Executive Director at the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable. “Mississippi’s Equal Pay Law, passed in 2022, contains loopholes that only widen the wage gap by codifying things like salary history, already lower for Black women, to determine pay. Using our voice and our vote, we need to let legislators know that a good equal pay law is essential to move Mississippi forward this next legislative session.”
Black women’s votes are tied to their paychecks, their households, and the wellbeing of their families. Bringing the wage gap to the polls shows policy leaders that we are no longer accepting a system that does not serve us.”
Black women in Mississippi lose over $21,000 a year due to the wage gap, according to research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. With 4 out of 5 of these women being the primary breadwinners of their household, the wage gap contributes not only to individual financial insecurity but also generational poverty. That’s because there is less money available to put toward household emergency funds, or even basic necessities like food, housing, and healthcare, leading to increased reliance on social services. By addressing the wage gap, Mississippi can unlock new possibilities for more active local economies and a competitive specialized workforce.
Through projects like the Mississippi Women’s Economic Security Initiative (MWESI), MS BWR has built a legacy of mobilizing communities to cast their vote and take local issues to legislative tables. July 9 serves as another opportunity for Mississippians to make their voices heard and work collectively to end a system that only increases disparity in the state.
Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MSBWR) is a statewide intergenerational network dedicated to advancing women’s economic security through policy advocacy, increasing civic engagement and voter participation among black women and girls, developing transformational leaders for long-term movement building, and engaging in community outreach and rapid response projects. Learn more by visiting: https://msbwr.org
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.’
The Mississippi premiere of Oprah Winfrey’s musical adaption of The Color Purple was more than a screening; it brought together local and national leaders to celebrate the power of sisterhood and chart a path forward for Mississippi through healing and reconciliation*.
Following the film screening, a discussion panel featuring visionaries like our very own Executive Director, Cassandra Welchlin, Director of Southern Poverty Law Center, Waikinya Clanton, and Letitia Johnson with the Jackson Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, brought to light important points about Mississippi’s history and the continued movement towards eliminating all forms of inequity for Black women.
As we celebrate Juneteenth, remember that this is also a time for action! Connect with your community, engage with Black history (like by rewatching The Color Purple!), hold conversations about the Black experience, and help continue the legacy of eliminating inequities for our communities. Because the power for change lies in us!
* Special thanks to Southern Poverty Law Center, Win with Black Women Network Mid-South, The Links Incorporated, and all who participated in making the premiere such a success!
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.
Throughout our 50th anniversary year, we’re telling the stories of leaders who have worked with the Ms. Foundation during different periods of the organization’s history. This Q&A was written by Cassandra Welchlin, Executive Director and co-convener of Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, which is a former Ms. Foundation grantee partner.
It was a night to remember. It was a time for reflection. It was a moment of appreciation. It was an occasion of encouragement. Those gathered at Connecting the Dots Foundation’s 6th Annual National Women’s History Month Celebration paused to spend time with family, friends, acquaintances, honorees, scholars and artists at the downtown Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula Street, Jackson, Miss.) Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 6 p.m. The theme was Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories. WLBT’s Maggie Wade Dixon and Walt Grayson hosted the affair.
