They are some of the brightest students in the state and they were in Clarksdale last week as part of the Delta Regional Forum.
Seventeen students from across the region gathered at the Cutrer Mansion to listen to elected officials, local businessmen and women and economic development professionals discuss some of the Mississippi Delta’s problems and also some of the area’s success stories and strengths.
The event was hosted by the Coahoma County Higher Education Center and students from Mississippi State, The University of Mississippi, LSU, Alcorn and Harvard took part in the event.
Anna Dean was born in Jackson, grew up in Bentonville, Ark., and now attends Harvard where she is studying Women and Gender Policy
“We got to learn about the history of the Mississippi Delta and of course the Blues and its connection to Clarksdale,” said Dean. “The civil rights issues of this area and the issues facing women in this area were eye-opening.”
Dean said 39.7-percent of the women in The Delta are exposed to or are the victims of domestic violence.
“There has to be a way to stop that,” said Dean. “Or at least ways to make that number go down. It’s a tragedy.”
Dean said she was pleased to learn about the Diaper Bank of the Delta and how it linked women facing economic hurdles to resources in the community.
“It doesn’t just give out diapers,” said Dean. “It gets women in touch with the resources they need to overcome a variety of problems.”
Lorne Turner of Corinth said he hopes to stay in Mississippi once he finishes his studies in Public Policy. He is an undergraduate at The University of Mississippi.
“The Delta is one of those areas of the state that is not talked about a lot,” said Turner. “People know about the crops and agriculture, but not some of the underlying issues.”
He felt The Delta has been ignored by both the State of Mississippi and federal politicians.
“There are people who want to see The Delta change and realize its potential,” said Turner. “Figuring out how to unlock that potential is the key.”
Locals speaking to the group included: Jon Levingston, of Crossroads Economic Partnership; Bernice Sykes, of Quitman County Arts Council and Culture Center; Ann Williams, of Coahoma Collective; Shelley Ritter of the Delta Blues Museum; Chelesa Presley of the Diaper Bank of the Delta and the Baby University; Amanda Dear-Jones of Family and Youth Opportunity; Roger Stolle, of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art; and Jen Waller, of Coahoma County Higher Educational Center and Cutrer Mansion.
The Delta Scholars program is a ten-day immersion program for about 12 undergraduates committed to improving the lives and experience of residents in the Mississippi Delta.
Working in conjunction with the Harvard Law School Mississippi Delta Fellow, it is headquartered at the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College on the campus of Mississippi State University.
Scholars are mentored by the Harvard Delta Fellow and by faculty advisors who conduct research that focuses on food security, education and economic development in the region.
Scholars learn the history of an issue and form a solution that is crafted in the form of a paper or report that is then used to get local public officials, non-governmental agencies, business leaders and state representatives to support a remedy.
