Mississippi Hope and Prayer

     I recently visited my home state, Mississippi, for the holidays. After traveling around the world and the United States - Mississippi still holds a very special place in my heart. There are still many issues facing my home state, but there are some signs of improvement.
     Canton, my father's hometown, where the public school district was labeled "at risk" has improved to a rating of "successful" according to the Mississippi Department of Education.
     Racial issues in the state still exist, but changes are taking place. Tyrone Lewis for Hinds County and Darrly Woodson for Wayne County were shown in as the first African American sheriffs for both counties.
     These improvements are good, but more is needed. The one of the most urgent needs is helping Mississippians living below the poverty rate. Mississippi has the highest share of  Americans living below the poverty rate. It has 22.7 percent, which means between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 Mississippians live below poverty.  There has been a direct link to low educational performance, increased crime rate, and poor health with Americans living below the poverty rate.  Mississippi is rated the worst in Science and Math in the nation. Jackson, Mississippi's capital, is ranked 14th in a 2010 crime rating poll. Mississippi is still ranked 1st in the nation for obesity.
     These staggering facts remind me, although Mississippi is improving, there is still much more that can be done.   My hope and prayer for 2012 is Mississippi's elected officials and community leaders continue to fight the good fight to make Mississippi a better place.