Response to "A Portrait of Mississippi: Mississippi Human Development Report 2009"
Although the facts, statistics, and generalized conclusions that this presentation brings to light is of timeless importance and relevance- in actuality, it merely urges us to once again confront the ever present reality that not only Mississippians, but the general public has long conceded. While such an intention, to reintroduce an enduring social problem by way of an illuminated, executive summary with up to date statistics, analogies, and a re-phrased ‘call to action,’ is in no way unprecedented and hardly insightful.
That “Mississippi compares poorly to other states…in areas that are critical to human life defined by freedom, choice, and access to opportunity” is demoralizing, but not groundbreaking. Admittedly, as a current resident of Madison-Hinds, the county group with the “highest earnings of any county group in the state, the lowest percentage of adults without a high school diploma, and the highest percentage of college graduates (apart from education) it is easy for me to dismiss such blaring analogies such that, “Some groups in the state enjoy well-being levels similar to those in top-ranked Connecticut, while others experience levels of human development of the average American nearly a half century ago,” as data that is entirely disparate from the reality that I’ve come to know as Mississippi. Also, in regard to the revealed discrepancy in quality of life among “Whites and African Americans in income and health,” this too is completely inconsequential and even contrary to my personal reality as my African American co-workers live (seemingly) comfortably in beautiful homes and I sleep on an air-mattress, living paycheck to paycheck. Of course, the latter has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the transitional circumstances of a single, young adult who recently graduated college and is trying to establish a budget and pay back loans with a first year teacher’s salary of just under $30,000 a year.
While the AHDP is effectual in its attempt to"stimulate debate about political and human issues,” there are no recommendations, no policy guidelines, and no pointed suggestions as to accomplish their alleged intention of “empower[ing] people to hold elected officials accountable for progress on issues.”
