Mississippi Center for Justice
July 2003

For the first time in almost a decade, Mississippi again has a nonprofit public interest law firm providing statewide legal advocacy in support of racial and economic justice. A development effort that began in late 2001 culminated on June 12 with a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony and street party at the new headquarters of the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson.

ãThe Centerâs opening marks the beginning of a new era for civil justice in Mississippi,ä said former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Fred Banks, who chairs the Centerâs board. ãBy scheduling the opening on the 40th anniversary of Medgar Eversâ death, we convey our commitment to carry on his legacy of service to the cause of social justice in Mississippi.ä

Mayor Harvey Johnson welcomed the Center to Jackson and presided over the ribbon cutting. He presented a key to the city to special guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, who traveled from Maine for the opening of the Center in his childhood home near the state capitol.

ãOne reason I like it that this house is now the home for the Center for Justice is that itâs appropriate to the nature of life, which is about change, and about what we do,ä Ford said. ãAnd change, in this instance, means progress, and emphasizes the present, and also the future, not the past.ä

Since the civil rights movementâs legal organizations closed up shop in the 1980âs and the Legal Services Corporation withdrew funding for its state support program in the 1990âs, Mississippi has lacked a statewide capacity for systemic legal advocacy to combat continuing problems of poverty and discrimination.

A group of Mississippi lawyers and activists resolved to change that situation. In June 2002 they incorporated the Mississippi Center for Justice as a nonprofit public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice. The new board envisioned a home grown organization that provides legal support to anti-discrimination and anti-poverty activists.

As great as the need for this new capacity was, the board anticipated an uphill battle to generate resources to get the Center off the ground. But as word got around that respected leaders were stepping forward to make it happen, the excitement became contagious. Enthusiasm for this fledgling effort soon paid off with an anonymous donation to stake the Centerâs first year of operation ö a generous contribution of more than $300,000.

During the fall, the board continued its development efforts. So far, six ãfounding donorsä have joined the anonymous donor with contributions at the $10,000 level and more than 100 individuals have made contributions to the work of the Center. This fundraising success has made it possible to hire staff and purchase the office.

The Centerâs four staff members will provide an infrastructure to mobilize legal talent and resources across Mississippi and create a coherent center for advocacy on initiatives as diverse as public education, consumer protection and immigrant worker rights.

The Center will:

• Advocate for solutions to social injustices, combining traditional legal tools like litigation and legislative advocacy with community organizing and media strategies.
• Broker legal talent both inside and outside the state to provide the right legal help at the right time for the right cost.
• Convene community leaders, activists and stakeholders to find creative solutions to pervasive social problems.