Project Vision

Archimedes once said, “Give me a firm spot on which to stand, and I shall move the earth.” Communities of faith and justice-centered communities are a firm spot from which to move the South—and the whole earth. Mississippi Rising Coalition is partnered with People’s Justice Council and others to move the South from a place of brittleness in the age of climate crises to a place of resilience and restoration, and we’re working through existing faith-based communities and justice-centered networks to do it.  From Resilience to Restoration (FRtR) aims to establish Resilience and Restoration Hubs throughout the South. We're starting with development of a centralized, online database of resources geared toward adaptation and use by individual houses of faith and justice groups. Then, we’ll work directly with faith-based and justice-centered organizations to create local Resilience to Restoration Hub plans. Our emphasis is on supporting and strengthening our most vulnerable, frontline communities.

 

To utilize a sports metaphor,we can't win if we're playing a defensive game. We know that preparation and adaptation in the era of climate change are necessary, especially for the most vulnerable communities. Therefore, we're building Resilience to Restoration Hubs at the national, state, and local (house of faith and justice group) levels. We envision a future in which local communities are strengthened by a restoration of environmental, economic and spiritual systems that enable us to live life to the fullest in a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive future.

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Project Contacts

PJC Executive Director and Grist 2020 Fixer Reverend Michael Malcom is Restoration Hub Coordinator. Malcom is facilitating the establishment of From Resilience to Restoration hubs throughout the South and beyond. Rev Malcom’s interfaith environmental justice (EJ) work has led to such initiatives as the Southeast Faith Leaders Network. He is also the Environmental Justice Representative for the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, the co-chair of the Building Power from the Grassroots Task Force with Climate Action Network International, and the co-chair of the Environmental Justice working group for the Southeast Climate and Energy Network.

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PJC Program and Policy Director Kyle Crider is closely assisting Rev Malcom. Crider holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a double emphasis in Urban Planning & Policy Analysis. He is also a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional, Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND).

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Here in Mississippi, Mississippi Rising Coalition organizers Lea Campbell and Morris Mock are facilitating the establishment of Resilience to Restoration hubs. Lea Campbell was a healthcare clinician for 20 years before transitioning to community organizing around racial, economic and climate justice issues. She founded Mississippi Rising Coalition in 2016 and is the co-facilitative lead of Mississippi for a Green New Deal (MS4GND). Morris Mock is a worker organizer at Nissan Canton whose passion is labor organizing. He is passionate about a just transition for workers to a renewable energy economy. 

 

 

“Mustard Seed” Funding

As a member of America’s first Justice40 Initiative cohort, the PJC and Mississippi Rising Coalition are helping direct vital funding and other resources to the frontline communities where they're needed most. Let MRC help your organization develop a local Resilience to Restoration Plan to prepare your community for resilience and sustainability. We’ll work with you and your community to draft a plan that centers the issues you face and the solutions you want to implement. Finally, we’ll work with our regional and national partners to secure the resources to make your Resilience to Restoration Plan a reality. We’re all in this together. Let’s make From Resilience to Restoration happen.