{"id":2022,"date":"2018-07-04T08:54:28","date_gmt":"2018-07-04T08:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jsums.edu\/margaretwalkercenter\/?page_id=2022"},"modified":"2026-03-19T18:01:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:01:54","slug":"the-r-o-o-t-s-of-sunflower-county","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.jsums.edu\/margaretwalkercenter\/collections\/oral-histories\/the-r-o-o-t-s-of-sunflower-county\/","title":{"rendered":"The R.O.O.T.S. of Sunflower County"},"content":{"rendered":"

About the Project<\/span><\/h3>\n

Finding Aid<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The R.O.O.T.S.<\/a><\/span> (Reclaiming Our Origins Through Stories) of Sunflower County project is a component of the Sunflower County Systems Change Project<\/a><\/span> (SCSCP), which addresses negative perceptions and narratives about young men and boys of color. This oral history journey was undertaken by 19 young men from Sunflower County who set out to change the negative perceptions about young black men in their community.<\/span><\/p>\n

In partnership with the SCSCP and Story for All<\/a><\/span>, a non-profit organization from Oakland, California, these young men have collected stories, wisdom, and data from their Mississippi Delta community to impact change and to inform the work of disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. Their journey of collecting stories and sharing their voices, hope, and commitment to their community has also been curated into a traveling multimedia exhibit that tells the broader story of the policies and practices that disproportionately affect Young Men and Boys of Color (YMBOC) in the Delta and across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about the ROOTS journey by watching the short documentary<\/a><\/span> and listening to the interviews conducted by the youth.<\/span><\/p>\n