The MLBC Rundown
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
THE MLBC RUNDOWN - AUGUST 26, 2026 Faith, voice and action are moving across Mississippi
Here is what happened, why it matters and what you can do next.
This week, MLBC’s work continues to move from the Capitol into churches, neighborhoods and community rooms. Across Mississippi, the Caucus is sharing clear information, listening to local concerns and demanding answers about decisions affecting Black families.
FAITH IN ACTION
Churches Are Helping Protect Our Voice
MLBC recently met with clergy and church leaders for Operation Turnout, a statewide faith and civic engagement effort. The work is rooted in a truth our communities know well: churches have always helped Black people learn, organize and move.
Operation Turnout equips congregations to protect the voice, mobilize the vote and turn faith into action in their communities.
Faith leaders were challenged to speak boldly, educate their congregations and help people take action. That can mean sharing trusted information, helping eligible voters prepare, bringing neighbors together and choosing one clear civic action to complete within the next 30 days.
One Church. One Action. Thirty Days.
· Choose one action your church can complete.
· Name one person to lead it.
· Set a date and get started.
We are the only salt in town.
The message draws from the biblical call to be the salt of the earth. Faith has a public role. That work continues before, during and after Election Day.
To learn more about Operation Turnout, contact mslbc1976@gmail.com or sign up to the Protect Our Voice Network here.
The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus is connecting people with clear information, listening to local concerns and calling for answers on decisions that affect Black families across our state.
MLBC ON THE MOVE - OKOLONA AND UPCOMING TOWN HALLS
Okolona Showed Up. Louisville, You're Next.
A strong crowd came out for the first Protect Our Voice Legislative Town Hall in Okolona. Community members connected with legislators, heard updates and made space for local voices to be heard.
That is what public service should look like: elected leaders meeting people face to face, in the communities they serve.
Now the town hall tour is headed to Louisville.
Louisville Town Hall Details
Monday, August 31, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Still Valley MB Church Annex
521 Armstrong Street, Louisville, MS 39339
Come hear legislative updates, ask questions and speak directly with members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus.
Food will be served.
Bring your questions.
Bring your concerns.
Bring someone with you.
Save the Next Dates
HATTIESBURG
Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
C.E. Roy Community Center | 300 East 5th Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Light refreshments will be served.
LAUREL
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.
L.T. Ellis Community Center | 610 Munson Street, Laurel, Mississippi
Lunch will be served.
ACCOUNTABILITY - KOHEN WILEY
Kohen Wiley's Family Is Still Waiting for Answers
One-year-old Kohen Wiley was fatally shot on June 14 during a law-enforcement encounter in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating his death.
MLBC has called on Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell to make sure Kohen's family receives direct, timely and ongoing updates about the investigation.
Some information may need to stay private while the investigation continues. Silence is still not acceptable.
POLICY WATCH - COLLEGE FUNDING
College Funding Plan Paused. The Questions Remain.
State leaders and the Institutions of Higher Learning Board are considering changes to how Mississippi's public universities receive state money.
During its August 20 meeting, the IHL Board took no action on the proposed performance-based funding formula. That means the current formula remains in place for now.
The MLBC is still calling for an independent PEER review before any new formula moves forward. The Caucus wants the full picture on the table, including each institution’s funding, student needs, facilities, endowments and history of state investment. The request also includes Mississippi’s public community colleges.
The goal is clear: Mississippi should understand who could gain, who could lose and how students and communities could be affected before changing how public colleges and universities are funded.
A formula that treats every school the same can still hurt schools that have been underfunded for years. MLBC wants clear facts about what the plan could mean for Jackson State University, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University.
REDISTRICTING WATCH
Redistricting Hearings Have Begun. Our Power Is on the Line.
Mississippi lawmakers have started holding public hearings on whether to redraw the state’s legislative, congressional and judicial voting districts before the next census.
The first hearing was held August 18 in Tupelo. The next hearing is Thursday, August 27, at 6:00 p.m. at Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Ranger Center, 1210 Church Road in Southaven.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais does not require Mississippi to redraw its maps. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains law, but the ruling sharply limited how it can be used to challenge maps that weaken Black voting power.
MLBC is calling for an open and accountable process, including public hearings across the state, livestreamed meetings, proposed maps and data released for public review, and meaningful community input before decisions are made.
Voting maps determine which communities vote together, who represents them and whose voices carry power. Show up, follow the maps and make your voice part of the public record.
READ THE MLBC REDISTRICTING UPDATE Find a hearing near you.
Public redistricting hearings are scheduled across Mississippi through October 1. Attend in person or watch online.
Know. Share. Show Up. Organize.
Know: Read the redistricting update and learn what changing the maps could mean for your community.
Share: Send this Rundown and the Louisville flyer to your church, neighborhood group, family chat or organization.
Show up: Attend the Louisville town hall Monday and bring someone with you.
Organize: Ask your church to choose one Operation Turnout action for the next 30 days.
Decisions are being shaped now. Our communities must be part of shaping them.
Our Voice. Our Power. Our Future.
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