NORTH CARROLLTON — During this time of abundance and fellowship of Thanksgiving, we must remember those who are less fortunate: the hungry.
As of 2014, according to the Feeding America Organization, the food insecurity rate in Mississippi is 22.3 percent, consisting of 667,040 food-insecure people in this state.
Hunger crosses all four congressional districts. Usually high poverty is thought to be only in big cities because these types of situations are more visible there. However, in the more rural areas, the problem is more hidden.
There are many reasons that contribute to hunger, from lack of job opportunities and a lack of an adequate education to where life just took an unexpected turn and went in a downward spiral from there. We can look to the past with determination and cooperation as a guide to declining hunger for our fellow citizens in the future.
In 1967, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy traveled to Mississippi concerning the progress of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, also known as the War on Poverty. RFK’s visit exposed the many people of our state who were suffering from starvation and malnutrition. With 2017 marking the 50th anniversary of RFK’s trip to Mississippi, the work should continue to help those who are less fortunate in our state. It should be remembered that his visit to the Mississippi Delta brought poverty to the forefront not only in this state but across the country. The media exposure resulted in amending the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to include provisions for a national survey on nutrition and this state’s veteran Sen. John Stennis proposing a $10 million emergency fund to be established for food and medical service.
RFK met the people who needed help and provided leadership in getting results. He was genuine about helping the people of Mississippi, but he was met with some resistance.
That day in 1967 when RFK landed at the airport in Jackson, he was greeted with hostility from some, including being heckled by the Ku Klux Klan. There were also those who just did not believe that there was poverty in this state. Today the Magnolia State is known for its generosity, and that is something we all take pride in.
As in any initiative, it takes cooperation and working together to achieve a particular goal. At Thanksgiving, as places of worship have many gatherings of fellowship, the season demonstrates how our faith-based community is the best in helping the needy. Faith-based organizations along with a group effort from the local, state and federal levels working together will make a big difference in declining hunger in Mississippi.
United in continuing the good work that Robert F. Kennedy started years ago in helping those who don’t have a hot meal will make Thanksgiving more than just another day of fighting for survival.
• Ken Strachan is a North Carrollton alderman. He is a former mayor of North Carrollton and a former Carroll County coroner.
