Twenty years later, I am grateful for Hurricane Katrina. I can hear my dad now, God rest his soul, saying, “Son, why would anyone be grateful for Katrina?” The truth is, August 29, 2005, was a terrible day. I remember waking up at a quarter past 6:00 AM and hearing my mother crying on the…

We’re excited to welcome Ashley Geen to the Empower Mississippi team as our new Outreach Director. In this role, Ashley will lead our efforts to connect with individuals most impacted by public policy in education, work, and criminal justice. Her work will focus on elevating community voices and ensuring those directly affected have a platform…

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Kristin Vance Richards as the new Director of Research at Empower Mississippi. In this role, she will lead our research efforts and help shape data-driven strategies that advance our work in education, work, and criminal justice. Kristin brings deep expertise and a strong commitment to using research to drive meaningful…