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On this day in 1913

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mississippitoday.org – Jerry Mitchell – 2025-02-04 07:00:00

Feb. 4, 1913

Rosa Parks with Martin Luther King Jr. Credit: Wikipedia

Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. Although she is best known for refusing to give up her bus seat, she was active in the civil rights struggle long before. 

She and her husband, Raymond, became involved in the Scottsboro Boys case. In 1943, she became secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP, working on voter registration and investigating a series of sexual assaults of Black women that went unpunished in Alabama. She, too, was the victim of an attempted rape by a white neighbor. 

“I was ready to die, but give my consent?” she said. “Never. Never. Never.” 

After refusing to give up her seat, she became a worldwide icon and driving force for the civil rights movement. 

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear,” she said. “Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” 

After her 2005 death, she became the first woman to lie in state at the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. On the 50th anniversary of her courageous act, transit authorities in New York City and some other cities left the seats behind the bus drivers empty to honor her. 

In 2013, Congress added her statue to the U.S. Capitol, making her the first Black woman represented in Statuary Hall. Before her death, she noted that “racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Today

Inequity in care means Black Mississippi women dying at higher rates of cervical cancer

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mississippitoday.org – Barbara Brooks – 2025-02-14 11:17:00

Editor’s note: This essay, offered through the American Forum, examines how Black Mississippi women are disproportionately harmed by instances of cervical cancer.


Mississippi, a state known for rich culture and strong heritage, also faces some of the nation’s most glaring health disparities. Among them is the inequity in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, which is often shaped by racism and systemic discrimination in healthcare.

Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer at later stages and have a lower five-year survival rate, meaning they are less likely to survive for five years after diagnosis. Mississippi, which has the highest cervical cancer death rate in the country, is a stark example of this disparity. In the state, Black women are nearly 1.5 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than their white counterparts, even though the incidence rates between Black and white women are nearly identical.     

Barbara Brooks

I am a community-based researcher and health equity advocate with over 20 years of experience addressing healthcare disparities in the Mississippi Delta. My work has brought me face-to-face with the structural barriers that continue to disproportionately harm Black women in our state. These barriers, rooted in systemic racism, perpetuate cycles of mistrust and disengagement with the healthcare system, further exacerbating health inequities. 

When Black women experience bias or dismissal, trust in healthcare providers erodes, leading to avoidance of care and worse outcomes. For many Black women I interviewed, generational mistreatment by medical providers and institutions has left a justified and chronic skepticism about the intentions and reliability of healthcare systems. This discourages them from pursuing needed gynecological services. This mistrust complicates efforts to promote preventive care, such as regular screenings and timely treatment for cervical cancer, leaving many women hesitant to seek care from a system that has marginalized them for generations.

One woman I spoke with shared her experience of severe cramping from an IUD, only to be dismissed by her gynecologist’s office. When she was finally seen, the care she received was rushed and aggressive, leaving her feeling unheard and mistreated. It wasn’t until she switched providers that her concerns were properly addressed.

Another interviewee recounted her decision to avoid local doctors altogether after enduring substandard care in Washington County. “When I left Washington County, I was provided with better health care, and my health increased tremendously,” she said. Her story reflects a painful truth for many Black women in Mississippi: equitable, compassionate care often feels out of reach.

These individual stories are part of a broader, well-documented pattern. Research consistently shows that healthcare providers are less likely to recommend preventive measures like HPV vaccinations to Black patients. Providers also frequently dismiss Black women’s health concerns, resulting in delayed diagnoses and subpar treatment. This pattern of medical racism is more than an injustice—it is a public health crisis.

Cervical cancer should not be a death sentence in Mississippi or anywhere else. The eradication of the entrenched racism and discrimination in our healthcare system will move us closer to a future where every woman has an equal chance at prevention, treatment and survival.

Addressing these disparities requires more than acknowledgment; it demands action. We need increased investment in community health clinics to bring quality care to underserved areas. Cultural competency training for healthcare providers is equally essential to combat implicit bias and foster better relationships with patients.

Mississippi has the opportunity to lead by example in dismantling the systemic inequities that have plagued its healthcare system for far too long. By prioritizing health equity and addressing these disparities head-on, we can ensure that every woman in our state—regardless of race or zip code—has access to the preventive care and treatment she deserves.       

Barbara Rose Brooks is a community-based researcher and a lifelong resident of Leland. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State University and has dedicated 20-plus years of service to eradicating health disparities. The first African American female mayor elected in Leland in 2005, she is currently Leland’s vice mayor and a community health advisor with the Deep South Network for Cancer Control. Formerly Brooks was Project Development Officer for Tougaloo College’s Delta Health Partners Healthy Start Initiative. In 2021 the Delta Health Center’s Leland clinic was renamed the Barbara Brooks Medical Center in her honor. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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On this day in 1879

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mississippitoday.org – Jerry Mitchell – 2025-02-14 07:00:00

Feb. 14, 1879

A portrait of former U.S. Sen. Blanche Kelso Bruce hangs in the Senate Gallery. The portrait by Simmie Lee Knox is based on a Matthew Brady photograph. Credit: Courtesy of U.S. Senate

Blanche Kelso Bruce became the first Black American to preside over the U.S. Senate. He was also the first Black American to serve a full term in the Senate and later the first Black American to win any votes at a major party’s nominating convention. 

After escaping from slavery during the Civil War, he attempted to enlist in the Union Army. When he was turned down, he began teaching, eventually organizing Missouri’s first school for Black children in Hannibal. 

After making his way down the Mississippi River, he decided to enter politics, rising through the ranks of Republican leaders, and was elected sheriff of Bolivar County, then the county superintendent of education. He turned the Bolivar County school system into one of the best in the state, becoming a well-known figure across the state. 

In 1874, the Mississippi Legislature chose Bruce to fill a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. 

After Mississippi’s violent 1875 election, Bruce championed a bill to investigate the political conditions there. The bill passed the Senate, but the House, controlled by Democrats, did nothing. He pushed for the desegregation of the U.S. Army, citing what had already happened in the U.S. Navy. In 1880, he railed against the mistreatment of Native Americans. 

“Our Indian policy and administration seem to me to have been inspired and controlled by stern selfishness,” he said. 

He introduced legislation to assist destitute Black farmers in Kansas. Although the bill died in committee, it led to the distribution of duty–free British cotton clothing to impoverished Kansas communities. 

When the Mississippi Legislature, now controlled by Democrats, gathered to select a new senator in January 1880, Bruce didn’t bother. Lawmakers selected one of Mississippi’s “Redeemers” of Reconstruction, white Democrat James Z. George, to replace him. 

Bruce went on to serve as register of the U.S. Treasury and died of diabetes complications in 1898. In 2001, the Senate wing of the Capitol unveiled a portrait of Bruce, based on a Matthew Brady photograph. 

The statue of George, however, continues to represent the state of Mississippi at the U.S. Capitol, along with Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Alzheimer’s Foundation hosts free educational conference for caregivers in Jackson

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mississippitoday.org – Kate Royals – 2025-02-14 06:00:00

Caregivers and family members of people with dementia can attend a free educational conference put on by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in Jackson Feb. 19.

Experts in the fields of brain health, Alzheimer’s disease, caregiving and legal and long-term planning will speak to participants from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Jackson Hotel.

Mississippi has one of the highest rates of the disease in the nation and the highest death rate from the disease. 

Dr. Kim Tarver, associate professor of medicine and director of the division of geriatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, will speak about the disease itself and warning signs and symptoms in addition to the resources available at the MIND Center. She will also discuss common risk factors and current diagnostic and treatment methods.

Credit: UMMC

“I think many people know about heart health, because we have had data on heart disease long before emerging data on brain disease,” Tarver said. “But we are learning that the risk factors for Alzheimer’s and related dementias are very similar and some need to be recognized early in life and treated because there are absolutely things we can do to prevent or delay the onset of these diseases.”

For one, early and aggressive treatment of hypertension, often referred to as a “silent killer,” could make a big difference later in life, she said. 

She said making sure the caregivers of her patients have the resources to take care of themselves is a big part of her work. 

“Having a caregiver in the home who is mentally strong and well is of utmost importance” to the health of the patient, Tarver said.

Cynthia Armstrong of Jackson knows the importance of taking care of herself and having a support system. Armstrong’s mother, Cora, was diagnosed with dementia in 2017.

Cynthia Armstrong, standing, with her mother Cora at Cora’s 88th birthday celebration. Credit: Courtesy of Cynthia Armstrong

She relies on the social worker-led caregiver support group at UMMC to help her cope with the challenges that come with being a caregiver. She and her brother share some of the responsibilities with their mother, which also helps, she said.

She wished she’d known more about the disease and how it presents before the diagnosis. 

“I knew nothing, nothing,” she said. “… I wish I’d known the common signals, because I think I missed some triggers on some things.” 

The conference will also feature board-certified elder law attorney Richard Courtney, who will speak about the importance of estate planning and legal planning to help pay for long-term care. 

For more information or to register for the conference, visit the Alzheimer’s Foundation website. Those who cannot participate can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week through the foundation’s toll-free helpline at 866-232-8484 or texting 646-586-5283.  

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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