This is the fourth post in our School of Political Leadership (SoPL) blog series! This year, 14 dynamic leaders are joining SoPL to build powerful advocacy campaigns that drive racial, economic, and environmental justice in our food and farm systems. Over six months, participants will dive into leadership training, strategy development, and mentorship—gaining the skills and support they need to create lasting change. Stay tuned as we follow their journey! 💡🌱✨
By: Lawren M. Long, Mississippi Fresh Team, HEAL SoPL 2025 Cohort
In Mississippi, the soil is rich, but the policies are impoverished. For generations, our communities have sown seeds, literally and figuratively, only to watch their harvests wither beneath the weight of systemic and institutional racism. The Mississippi Fresh Team emerged from this crucible with a singular mission: to reclaim the narrative, restore faith in political systems that have long failed us, and fight for the dignity and self-determination of BIPOC farmers and communities.
The HEAL School of Political Leadership (SoPL) has been a learning space and ground for our tenacity. We came to SoPL because we were weary of playing defense in a system rigged against us. We knew that to dismantle the asinine policies that perpetuate food apartheid, we had to sharpen our strategic communications, challenge dominant narratives steeped in anti-Blackness, and build campaigns that resonate beyond the echo chambers of the already converted.
Session 5 was a clarion Call to Action. Katie LeBlanc’s (with Cornbread and Collards Consulting) facilitation was an invitation to wield storytelling as a weapon against erasure. We learned that facts alone do not catalyze change; stories of raw, authentic, and sometimes messy experiences pierce through the oblivion of public indifference and ignite action. This is especially true in the Deep South, where narratives about food assistance, farming, and poverty are often weaponized to uphold a status quo that privileges the few while marginalizing the many.
Our team grappled with the realities of compassion fatigue, the danger of reactive messaging, and the insidious nature of burnout. We acknowledged the urgent need for values-driven messaging and communications rooted in shared principles of fairness, freedom, and community resilience. The GOST framework (Goals, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics) will undoubtedly be employed as a vital tool for organizing our vision and ensuring that our campaign responds effectively to crises while proactively shaping the narrative landscape.
The critical and transformative work of the RVA Center for Justice, Delta GREENS Food is Medicine Initiative and Food Policy Council, BIPOC farmers, and community activists involves confronting the historical amnesia that allows food apartheid to persist. It is about asserting that BIPOC farmers and families in the Mississippi Delta are not passive recipients of charity but stewards of the land and agents of their liberation.
When we discussed the looming demolition of a community grocery store, it became clear that our fight is not just against bulldozers but against a system that sees Black and Brown communities as expendable. Our messaging must reject the asinine assumptions that frame food access as a privilege to be earned rather than a right to be defended. It must counter the oblivion that swallows rural stories whole, replacing them with a narrative of erasure.
A Call to Action
The Mississippi Fresh Team is deeply committed to rewriting the narrative of what is possible across the MS Delta and the State of Mississippi. We no longer accept the false dichotomy that pits BIPOC communities against one another or forces us to beg for crumbs at the policy table. Our campaign work is built on the bedrock of our ancestors’ resilience, powered by the stories of families who have fed this nation yet have been denied its spoils.
Session 5 sharpened our understanding of narrative as a form of power. It challenged us to move with intentionality and segment our audiences out of necessity because the way we speak to skeptics, allies, and opponents must reflect the complexity of the work ahead. We will not allow the opposition’s well-oiled messaging machines to dictate the terms of the debate. Instead, we will craft communications that are audacious, sagacious, and unapologetically rooted in the lived realities of our people.
As we approach the final stretch of the HEAL Food Alliance’s School of Political Leadership, the Mississippi Fresh Team stands resolute. We are determined to author a new chapter in the fight for food sovereignty, equity, and justice across the Mississippi Delta, work that is a testament to the power of narrative to challenge the status quo, dismantle oppressive systems, and seed a future where no community is left behind.
Our mission is to level the playing field for BIPOC farmers, restore trust in democratic systems, and reimagine what is possible when we lead with truth, courage, and a collective commitment to justice.
About Lawren!
Dr. Lawren M. Long is a dedicated public servant who wears many hats as an educator, advocate, and community leader committed to advancing social and economic justice. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Long draws on her deep roots and lived experiences to address inequities in underserved communities. Her work focuses on empowering marginalized voices, fostering local food systems, and tackling health disparities. With extensive expertise in policy advocacy, nonprofit management, and strategic development, Dr. Long has led initiatives that drive meaningful change, from grassroots organizing to systemic reform. Her experience spans program evaluation, coalition-building, and creating solutions that prioritize equity and sustainability. Driven by a vision of justice and inclusivity, Dr. Long is passionate about creating pathways for economic sovereignty and community resilience. She approaches every endeavor with a commitment to fostering lasting impact through education, innovation, and advocacy.