The fourth day of the 2025 Truth, Poverty and Democracy Tour swung through Mississippi鈥檚 Delta region, hearing concerns from health care workers and residents as federal funding cuts for individual health care loom on the horizon.
The聽Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 Mississippi聽tour, which was designed for community leaders, legislators and representatives from aid groups to hear about the challenges facing people who live in underserved communities, had an active audience in Belzoni on Oct. 3.
Following a discussion of transportation issues in the health care desert that encompasses a large part of the Delta region, questions turned to solutions for the lack of funding for local health care options. Mississippi state Rep. Otis Anthony was asked specifically about the $50 billion available through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which will be paid out each year over a five-year period from 2026 to 2030. The application period for the initial $10 billion in funding, which was authorized as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, opened in September 2025.
鈥淎re the right people at those tables saying we need more than just transportation?鈥 asked Kizmet Cleveland, executive director of the Mississippi Community Health Workers Association. 鈥淲e know that we know what鈥檚 going on in our communities. That鈥檚 what community health workers do. We know exactly some of the reasons why there鈥檚 a lack. But are we all at the tables when they鈥檙e making these decisions?鈥
Anthony鈥檚 reply was not reassuring.
鈥淟ord, be with me,鈥 he began. 鈥淥ur 2nd Congressional District congressman [Bennie G. Thompson] was not informed of or invited to the meeting. If he wasn鈥檛 invited, we weren鈥檛 invited either. And I鈥檓 saying it very nicely. So that鈥檚 the answer to your question.鈥
But even with the current state of political discourse in heavily conservative Mississippi, Anthony indicated he was not going to let that funding go without a fight.
鈥淣ow, just because we weren鈥檛 invited doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 knock on the door,鈥 he said.
Waikinya Clanton, director of the 人兽性交鈥檚 Mississippi state office, said the urgency of the health care need in the Delta region is the reason both tours 鈥 this year鈥檚 and last year鈥檚 鈥 have included a session there.
鈥淭hat has been the anchor for our tour,鈥 Clanton said. 鈥淭he reason that we鈥檙e going to so many places across the state is because we believe in the power of the people. We believe in the power of people鈥檚 voices and their stories. We鈥檙e utilizing this tour as an opportunity to build what we鈥檙e calling the people鈥檚 agenda.鈥
Image at top: Kismet Cleveland, executive director of the Mississippi Community Health Workers Association, speaks during a session in Belzoni, Mississippi, on Oct. 3, 2025, the fourth day of the 人兽性交’s Truth, Poverty and Democracy Tour. (Credit: Dwayne Fatherree)
