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 2: Gun Violence

Issues:

Community Attitudes and Norms

  • Participants noted that residents have easy access to high-powered weapons.
  • Residents said turf wars are a problem in the community.
  • They also noted a history of violence based on generational revenge or grudges.
  • Community members said that residents are afraid to “snitch” when they see illegal behavior.

Government and Institutional Failures

  • Participants identified a lingering distrust between citizens and law enforcement.
  • Residents said they feel there is a lack of care or concern from local, state and government officials.
  • They highlighted the systemic and institutional racism that remains in Greenwood.

Family and Cultural Shifts

  • Residents say that parents have moved away from the “traditional” ways of raising children and that parents are not monitoring the media their children consume, leading to negative influences prevailing.
  • Participants reflected on the impact of unhealed trauma on community violence.

Solutions:

Law Enforcement and Accountability

  • Residents highlighted the need to remove officers who were not upholding or obeying the law. They noted that these officers also needed to lose their police certification so that they could not continue the behavior elsewhere.
  • Participants discussed the use of community interrupters (also called credible messengers) and how they could be useful in Greenwood.

Family Support and Assistance

  • Residents suggested there is a need for a return to traditional parenting. 
  • Participants also highlighted the need to monitor children’s environments, regularly inspect their bedrooms, and talk with them frequently about what is happening in their schools and communities.
  • They also noted the need for parental role models and programs for struggling families. 

Mental Health Assistance

  • Participants suggested that the community needed more programs to combat trauma and support mental health.

➡️ Read more stories from the Delta Bureau here.

Torsheta Jackson is MFP's Systemic and Education Editor. 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.