Contributing Writer,
In Mississippi, where poverty is the highest in the entire nation, and where state leadership continually demonstrates indifference toward African Americans who make up nearly 40 percent of the population, the need for equity is unceasing. Striving to find a way to do more, The Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice (RVAC) was created as a non-profit in 2019 and is dedicated to advancing social justice through community programs, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy. A reflection and extension of the enduring legacy of its namesake, the bar for the organization was set high and broad – to create a more just and equitable society for all.
Setting aside that it should even be necessary, imagine an organization whose vision is “to build a community where justice and equality are accessible to all. Through our initiatives and partnerships, we strive to create positive and sustainable changes in society,” per https://www.rvacenterforjustice.org.
Last month this writer met with key RVAC leaders to discuss their recently published 2025 Impact Report – a snapshot of just one year’s activity – where four counties were served, a dozen events hosted with 300 attendees. A powerful group of collaborative partners supports the works of four primary programs – Delta GREENS Food is Medicine Project, Tougaloo Agri-Growth Initiative, Harvesting Hope, and Fresh Farmers.
FRESH is an acronym for Food Revival through Economic Empowerment, Systems Change, and Health Security. It is a food procurement initiative that offers food systems training and development, and creates a fresh foods exchange to form relationships between Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) cooperatives farms, and local buyers, enabling them to strategically capture the food market in Mississippi. This is the first BIPOC-led collective effort to organize BIPOC farms and food systems for large-scale institutional procurement in Mississippi.
One recent example – in a five week period, after conducting food environment assessments, the Fresh Farmers Program served 1,000 families – all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients – with produce distribution boxes in Mound Bayou and Shelby (Bolivar County), Clarksdale and Friars Point (Coahoma County), Hollandale and Metcalfe (Washington County), and Drew and Indianola (Sunflower County) – all among the ten poorest counties in Mississippi…