The Mississippi Free Press is committed to fostering dialogue across race, ethnicity, economic status, political parties, gender and religious beliefs. MFP’s Solutions Circles help provide a platform for these conversations where Mississippians can not only address challenges but also imagine solutions. The newsroom hosted virtual Solutions Circles during the pandemic and has since convened in-person circles series in Jackson (central Mississippi), Lexington (Delta) and Biloxi (Gulf Coast).

MFP convened its first Greenwood Solutions Circle on Oct. 21, 2025, when more than a dozen people gathered at St. John’s Methodist Church. The attendees discussed challenges and disparities in their town and surrounding communities, choosing two general topics the participants could choose to discuss. 

Circle participants stressed the importance of continuing the conversation and expressed a desire to return to the circle soon. MFP will host a follow-up circle in Greenwood on Dec 2. If you’d like to hear more about Mississippi Free Press’s Solutions Circles, including the next Greenwood Circle, sign up at http://mfp.ms/circlesinterest.

Circle 1: Fractured Community

Issues: 

Social Division:

  • Attendees discussed how segregation, isolation and separation limit interactions among people of different races in the community beginning at an early age. 
  • Parents and community members related that students in public and private schools in the area do not interact with each other, play rival sports games or have coordinated school calendars. 
  • Participants expressed that students of different races seldom develop trust or form relationships.

Community Ownership 

  • Residents stated that many community members are in denial about the challenges the community faces. Others experience defeatism, fear or complacency, all of which stall change and progress.
  • Participants said the city lacked a sense of shared community.

Leadership Challenges:

  • Residents expressed that the city, county and community leadership do not coordinate actions and efforts to solve problems.
  • Community members feel that leaders favor individual agendas over those representing the whole community. 

Potential Solutions:

Community Connection, Program Improvement

  • Residents suggested organizing events that create opportunities for community interactions.
  • They suggested promoting events and programs that involve both public and private schools, such as all-star sports games and theater groups. 
  • Residents suggested improving public facilities and parks and creating more recreational activities.
  • Participants suggested committing resources to programs that work and de-emphasizing those that do not. They also suggested placing a renewed emphasis on programs that exist but need more support. 

Leadership and Visibility

  • Participants want leadership to be more visible for the whole community.
  • Participants suggested involving young people in community conversations through programs like the Mayor’s Youth Council.

Personal and Shared Responsibility

  • Members suggested adopting the idea, “You have to start somewhere.” “Be the change you want to see,” they agreed.
  • They emphasized the importance of adults modeling change behavior.

➡️ Read more stories from the Delta Bureau here.

Torsheta Jackson is MFP's Systemic and Education Editor in partnership with Report for America. She is passionate about telling the unique and personal stories of the people, places and events in Mississippi. The Shuqualak, Miss., native holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi. She has had bylines on Bash Brothers Media, Mississippi Scoreboard and in the Jackson Free Press. Torsheta lives in Richland, Miss., with her husband, Victor, and two of their four children.