Mississippi News
NAACP says state didn’t spend federal funds properly to battle COVID-19
NAACP says state didn't spend federal funds properly to battle COVID-19 in communities of color
The NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center filed a federal complaint alleging the state of Mississippi did not adequately dispense federal COVID-19 relief funds to combat the pandemic's outsized impact on communities of color.
The complaint, filed on behalf of both the national organization and state chapter of the NAACP, says the state's actions violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after state officials “deliberately shut out advocacy groups” from receiving federal funds to address the pandemic in the minority community.
“The State of Mississippi and other public and private organizations in the state received $15.7 billion in COVID-19 related funding, yet the state has continued to provide a discriminatory program, resulting in disproportionate rates of sickness, hospitalization, and death in Black, Indigenous, and brown communities,” the NAACP complaint says.
The complaint continues: “Mississippi has engaged in unlawful race discrimination when it failed to plan, distribute, or otherwise provide COVID-19 vaccine access in an equitable manner breaching its legal duty to ensure nondiscrimination in federally assisted emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery programs.”
When asked for comment, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said his agency, the Mississippi State Department of Health, recognized the COVID-19 racial health disparities early and worked hard to correct them.
“Although the state encountered numerous challenges to advancing the equity mission — including early vaccine access, trust issues, and technological barriers to vaccine appointments — a statewide coalition of agency, faith, medical and community leaders was able to deliver much needed information, vaccines and PPE to minority populations across the state,” Dobbs said.
The results of those efforts, Dobbs said, are apparent today: a higher vaccine rate among Black Mississippians than whites in the state, a higher vaccine rate among Black Mississippians than Black Americans at large, and a lower COVID-19 mortality rate for Black Mississippians than whites. The vaccine rate for Hispanics, Dobbs added, was near equal to that of white Mississippians.
The pandemic, in its earlier days, did have disparate effects on Mississippians of color — in mortality rates, in spread of the virus and in vaccine rates once they became available. Dobbs and other state officials were brutally honest about those racial disparities and said they worked hard to address them.
But the complaint alleges that as the pandemic wore on, state leaders did not develop a strategy to ensure a higher vaccination rate in the state — especially in the minority community — and did not provide a plan to improve the vaccination rate.
The complaint also points out the state's health care system has built-in problems that disproportionally impact minorities. For instance, the complaint says more of a plan was needed to aid minorities in being transported to vaccine locations.
“Just as Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has disavowed the existence of systemic racism, so too has the state's COVID-19 vaccine program failed to account for these systemic deficiencies and vulnerabilities,” the complaint said. “The state's vaccine program discriminates against communities on the basis of race, color, or national origin, even when disparities in access to COVID-19 testing foreshadowed these problems.”
The NAACP is asking the U.S. Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights “to immediately investigate and remedy the unlawful and ongoing discrimination.”
“We would like immediate and lasting changes to vaccine policies and procedures to ensure economically and socially marginalized groups have access to vaccine programs in their areas, including urban and rural communities that have inadequate or substandard access to private health care facilities, hospitals, and pharmacies,” said Rev. Robert James, president of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP.
READ MORE: How Black community leaders put Mississippi on the path to vaccine equity
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Ole Miss men’s basketball continues to add from transfer portal
SUMMARY: Ole Miss men's basketball had a successful first season under coach Chris Beard, reaching 20 wins but missing the NCAA Tournament. The team added four players from the transfer portal, including Davon Barnes, Dre Davis, Malik Dia, and Mikeal Brown-Jones. Barnes, a guard from Sam Houston, averaged 13.5 points last season. Davis, a guard from Seton Hall, averaged 15 points. Dia, a forward from Belmont, averaged 16.8 points. Brown-Jones, a forward from UNC-Greensboro, averaged 18.9 points. The additions provide depth and talent to the team for the upcoming season.
The post Ole Miss men's basketball continues to add from transfer portal appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Family of Dau Mabil wants answers after his body is found in Pearl River
SUMMARY: The body of Dau Mabil was found in the Pearl River in Lawrence County, Mississippi. His brother expressed disbelief and devastation over the situation. There is disagreement between the family and authorities over the circumstances of Dau's disappearance. An independent autopsy was granted, and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson requested a federal investigation. Jackson leaders expressed support for the family and the Capitol police are leading the investigation with assistance from the Jackson Police Department. Police have not found evidence of foul play, but further testing is pending. The family's attorneys are urging a thorough investigation into the case.
The post Family of Dau Mabil wants answers after his body is found in Pearl River appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Willis Miller sentenced to 45 years in prison, mandatory
SUMMARY: Willis Miller was sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing Paisley “Gabby” Frazier while drinking and driving. Frazier died in an ATV crash, and another child was injured. The incident occurred in April 2022 and Miller was found guilty of aggravated DUI and aggravated assault. Frazier's mother, Caprice Thompson, expressed relief at the sentencing but acknowledged the pain of losing her daughter. District Attorney Scott Colom emphasized the seriousness of drinking and driving, noting Miller was driving 97 miles per hour on the wrong side of the road. Thompson hopes the case serves as a warning about the dangers of drinking and driving.
The post Willis Miller sentenced to 45 years in prison, mandatory appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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