Spark authentic dialogue. Demand accountability. Report equitable solutions.

What is a
Solutions Circle?

MFP-YMP Solution Circles are a platform for a diversity of Mississippians to together address challenges communities face through deep listening and relationship-building across divides. Through respectful dialogue, our neighbors become our best resource and allies for creating sustainable and impactful solutions around urgent public-policy and community issues that can transcend partisan politics. The Mississippi Free Press and other media outlets can then center oft-ignored communities and people from counties across the state based on the needs, solutions, experience and expertise they bring to these people-led circles.

What happens:

You’ll arrive, park and check in! You will get a sticky note to answer this briefly: “What do you want to solve?”
The circle team will quickly organize your topics into larger categories
Participants will self-sort into these circles, or create new ones with our guidance.
Each circle will then spend 30 minutes discussing and writing down what you believe the problems and challenges are in your topic area.
Your circle will then spend another 30 minutes discussing possible solutions you’ve seen elsewhere or want to see explored or brainstormed.
Your group then will report out to the larger circle on your ideas, which we will document and publish on our new Solutions Circles website.
Participants then envision ways to follow up on our ideas from intimate think-tank meetings to other creative solutions they imagine and implement.
Outcomes and ideas will appear on this microsite for later discussion.

Biloxi #1 Solutions Circle from March 2024. Photo by Acacia Clark
The first live MFP-YMP Solutions Circles occurred at New Horizon Church in Jackson on Nov. 9, 2023, with support of the American Press Institute. Photo by Imani Khayyam
The Mississippi Free Press held its second Biloxi Solutions Circles event, this time focused on voting, on Oct. 22, 2024. Photo by Kimberly Griffin

Circle Outcomes

Delta

Greenwood Circle #2 Outcomes: Gun Violence

The Mississippi Free Press held a Solutions Circle in Greenwood, Miss., on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, where attendees discussed challenges and disparities in their town and surrounding communities.

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