Lessons from Moss Point

I’ve been reviewing the case study of Moss Point, Mississippi—a partnership between this Gulf Coast town of 16,000 (mostly African American) and the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) in Montpelier and have been really impressed by ISC’s work. Similar to the Foundation’s Heart & Soul program, ISC offers resources, coaching and training, and a certain methodology for community action and public engagement. They, like the Foundation, also serve as a catalyst for change.

In Moss Point, they’re focusing on capacity building, partnerships and leadership development in supporting efforts to rebuild the city. This quote from an article on lessons learned sounds so familiar:

“Creating a community that is stronger, that works together, and that engages and respects the participation of citizens is equivalent to building a foundation. It’s not always noticeable, but it upholds everything else.”

They also note how building capacity takes time and that results are often difficult to see—an observation the Foundation, and the towns in which we work, have made again and again.

One technique ISC uses, so common in international development work, is city exchanges. They paired Moss Point with Charlottesville, Virginia (whose Mayor has been focused on urban design). Not only did Charlottesville staff provide technical assistance, but the “study tour” of Moss Point stakeholders galvanized their group around specific actions.

In the last two years, ISC has brought Public Agenda into the project to provide training and technical assistance around community engagement. Here’s an article by Public Agenda’s Lara Birnback, which might make for an interesting Heart & Soul case study beyond Orton’s own portfolio. In addition, this article about lessons learned so far—aptly named Lessons from Moss Point: A Small-City Perspective on Crisis, Transformation, and Community Leadership—is a great example of charting progress to ensure success.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from all of this is summarized in a heading on ISC’s website: “Turning Crisis to Opportunity.” Sounds like a vision worth fighting for.