Mississippi Rising Coalition holds the view that the quality of life and well-being of Mississippi citizens and the progress of our state are directly related to social, political and environmental factors, and these factors can be directly and positively impacted by our efforts.

As a guide to direct MRC’s organizational focus and actions, we have chosen to use the indicators of social progress as outlined and measured by the Social Progress Imperative in its Social Progress Index:  Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Well-being and Opportunity.

Basic Human Needs

• Nutrition and basic medical care
• Personal safety
• Shelter
• Water and sanitation

Foundations of Well-being

• Access to basic knowledge
• Access to communications and information
• Health and wellness
• Ecosystem sustainability

Opportunity

• Personal rights
• Personal freedom and choice
• Tolerance and inclusion
• Access to education

Current Projects

 #TakeItDown Campaign

MRC is currently advocating for removal of the Confederate battle flag emblem from the Mississippi state flag. The Confederate emblem has been used since the Civil War to represent various groups, including the army and government of the Confederate States of America and numerous white supremacist groups, as a symbol of intimidation and white supremacy. Unspeakable acts of terror and violence against African Americans, Jews, LGBT citizens, immigrants, Catholics and other minorities have been committed by these groups under the Confederate emblem, and it is unacceptable that the flag representing our state enshrines the symbol of hate and flies on tax-payer funded public properties. The flag is a barrier to the social and economic progress of Mississippi, and as we are committed to lifting ALL the citizens of our state, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, we are committed to growing the momentum toward a new state flag that is a symbol of equality, unity and Southern pride.

We are providing grassroots education on the history of the Confederacy and its symbols, post-Civil war history in Mississippi including the period of Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era and the US Civil Rights movement in Mississippi; current neo-Confederate and white supremacist organizations in Mississippi including their ideologies, symbols, political agendas and impacts on social justice in our state; the role of racial diversity and racial reconciliation in social progress and the impacts of government use of hate symbols as a barrier to social and economic progress; and the importance of voter registration and participation in democratic processes as means of facilitating social progress.

Since the beginning of the campaign for flag change in 2015, the momentum and support for change has grown steadily and includes religious leaders, institutions and organizations; academic leaders and institutions; business and economic leaders and organizations; notable civic, political and cultural leaders; coaches and athletic directors from the various major Mississippi university athletic programs; media organizations and numerous cities and counties throughout the state.

“No Hate in Our State” Campaign

In the wake of the passage of HB1523, The “Religious Freedom Accommodations Act,”  in the 2016 Mississippi legislative session, and the subsequent controversy surrounding protections for transgender students in Mississippi schools, Mississippi Rising Coalition is partnering with multiple social justice advocacy groups to increase public awareness of the origins and impacts of so-called “religious freedom” legislation; the role of municipal and state level non-discrimination policies in increasing social justice and ensuring equal civil rights for all citizens; the role of the separation of church and state in maintaining a free and equitable society; LGBTQ bullying, abuse and suicide prevention; and the importance of vigorous participation and engagement in the democratic process at the local and state level to ensure equal civil rights protections.