NEW! Apply for the Rethink Mississippi Fellowship
Our Statement on the Mississippi State Flag
Today, Mississippi has an opportunity to choose a new flag that symbolizes the best of our state rather than the worst. A new flag will not rid our state of racism, poverty, or ignorance, but it will signal to the nation—and to ourselves—that we recognize the dignity of every Mississippian. It’s not enough, but it’s important. We will proudly fly the new, unifying flag as we continue to work for a more inclusive and equitable future.
2020 Summer Youth Institute is Now Accepting Applications!
The 2020 Summer Youth Institute will be a virtual program from Wednesday, July 1st through Wednesday, July 15th, 2020.
Participants will not be in session on Saturdays or Sundays, including for the July 4th Independence Day observance.
Click here for more information or click the button below to being the application process.
Who We Are
In the spirit of our namesake, Governor William Winter, the William Winter Institute offers programming designed to foster community communications, engage youth leaders and promote civic dialogue on the key issues facing Mississippi and the nation.
Community Building
The Welcome TableTM process helps communities build the relationships necessary to heal systemic challenges, solve civic problems and to bridge long-standing divides.
Youth Engagement
The Summer Youth Institute is a nine-day experiential program for youth to discover the value of diversity and build both leadership and advocacy skills; Summer Youth Institute 2.0 is a reconvening of SYI alumni to maintain their network and strengthen the SYI curriculum.
Policy and Civic Engagement
Rethink MississippiTM is a policy and civic engagement platform for focusing leaders and their constituents on the need for a future based on equity.
“Wherever I’ve gone, irrespective of racial or cultural differences, I’ve found that people agree on several basic propositions: everybody wants a decent education for their children; everybody wants a fair chance to secure a job that will sustain them and their family; everybody wants to be able to live in a decent house on a safe street; everybody wants access to adequate health care; and everybody wants to be treated with dignity and respect.”
- Governor William Winter
The Winter Institute in Photos
Take a look at some images of past Welcome TableTM, Summer Youth Institutes and civil engagement events.
An ongoing project to chronicle the extraordinary efforts of local people who organized to combat Mississippi’s Jim Crow segregation, as well as the complex network of white resistance trying to maintain it.
Recap: 2020 Day of Racial Healing
On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, the William Winter Institute presented an afternoon and evening of Mississippi programming for the National Day of Racial Healing 2020.
Visit our Facebook page below to see the Facebook Live recordings from the event.
The Winter Institute Blog
News and reports from the William Winter Institute and our program participants.
National Voter Registration Day 2020
In honor of National Voter Registration Day, we share these thoughts on civic responsibility written by Governor Winter in 2003. They feel as relevant as ever. “The most important office is that of citizen. It is the office that transmits all political authority. Only through the collective judgement of private
Jemar Tisby Learning Session: The American Church’s Complicity in Racism
Jemar Tisby, educator, scholar, and author of the New York Times bestselling book The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, lead a presentation and discussion on the American church’s complicity in racism. Mr. Tisby’s writings have been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, The
Winter Institute ED Portia Espy Moderates Roundtable Discussion on Women of Color
The Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Executive Director Roundtable The Executive Director Roundtable series is an opportunity for leaders of all levels to come together and learn and reflect on what it takes to create sustainable organizations that will be able to have a long term impact. Participants will have
William Winter Institute Statement on the Mississippi State Flag
Symbols, when done right, instill pride and unity. They represent the shared ideals and values that bind together members of a society. When done wrong, symbols instill division and degradation. They demarcate status and belonging among members of a society. By featuring the battle flag of the Confederacy, Mississippi’s state
Von Gordon: ‘Creating Courageous Spaces’
We’re very proud of our very own Von Gordon, youth engagement manager for the William Winter Institute and a determined community leader in the state of Mississippi. As a former vice president of the Operation Shoestring board and a founding board member of Refill Cafe, Von is committed to reaching
Renaissance Magazine: Let’s Support One Another
This article by Executive Director Portia Espy originally appeared in Renaissance: The Magazine, a publication produced by the Fondren Renaissance Foundation. We’re certainly at what appears to be a tipping point in America and abroad, sparked by the death of an African American man by the name of George Floyd.
Connect with Us
Address
P.O. Box 99
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone
601-557-0056
Email Address
info@winterinstitute.org