Centered.

The Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) at Delta State University is host to a number of initiatives that work to advance community well-being and economic growth and stability throughout the Mississippi Delta. This center, like that-of no other in the region, plays a vital role in relationship building and resource bridging across municipalities, towns, and cities in the region.

When I first arrived at CCED, I couldn’t believe my eyes.12 programs run out of the Center, with each one of them except one, run by black women – not including the Institute for Community-Based Research which is also housed through the Center. It was an unspoken favor, that I had the opportunity to work with such appraised women in their community – working toward mobilizing change.  Much like that of the Civil Rights era where women like Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Ruby Hurley, and Ruby Stutts Lyells (a well-known republican and advocate of black rights) worked toward voting, education, and economic justice – the women of CCED modernize how black women play a vital role in community change efforts in low-income and impoverished areas here in the Delta.  These women’s experiences of race, and adversely educational opportunity, in Mississippi reflects a grassroots approach to addressing disparities that alarmingly impact black folks in the region and furthermore impacting black women and children.

Politically, the CCED has been recognized as a “black center”, believed to only support black citizens of the Delta. Ironically, its leadership and establishment stems from a number of white men and women, and only in the past couple years, has a black woman taken the role of Center Director. Mrs. Deborah Moore, a native of Cleveland, MS, spends many of her days and nights ensuring that the center maximizes its capacity – much of which relies heavily on her expertise and leadership.  Overseeing an average of 12 programs throughout the fiscal year, her belief in making change and empowering the people of the Delta extends her never-ending grant-writing cycles (beyond other duties that are not limited to administrative assistant duties, which she hasn’t had funding in over a year to support someone for that role). She is the first to arrive, and the last to leave – with little time for a real lunch break that doesn’t involve business. Throughout her 16-hour workdays, she inspires, encourages, and expects no more from someone than she is able to give herself. She is the example that she would like to see in other people, and without her extreme dedication, passion, and leadership – programs that seek to increase awareness of child asthma, obesity, breast cancer, equitable education, and community service would not exist in the region. Unfortunately, with lack of support from the larger community decision-makers and funding availability, the Center Director position will be obsolete after 25% cuts from the University for the next 4 years.

This work, extends you or I – this work is specific to disadvantaged and disenfranchised people of the Delta. This work extends the leadership, and the hard-working men and women of the center – the community must also be invested. This work, for many Mississippians, has come full circle from the days that as social and political power was gained, economic scare tactics were used. As communities start to see progress, resources continue to be compromised – this Center’s hard work and dedication, emotionally bruised.

For many people of the Delta (including those at CCED), a life free of physical, emotional, educational, and economic despair, is centered around hope.

Woman, man, white, or black – this work must remain youth-centered. For they are the future that will carry hope.