Ripples of Hope in the Mississippi Delta:
Charting the Health Equity Policy Agenda
The Mississippi Delta consistently ranks as having some of the worst health outcomes in the United States. Even with this stark reality, researcher David K. Jones (1981–2021) found “ripples of hope.” For four years, Jones turned to residents and local leaders to learn firsthand the intricate connections between race, place, and health in the region. Using an innovative mix of photovoice, policy, and social science research, Jones weaves their insights with data analysis to show how local, state, and national policies and structures, whether intentional or not, constrain or expand daily choices that affect health.
Blaming individuals for poor health choices isn’t the remedy. Jones describes how a community-led, goal-oriented approach to creating health equity policies is needed and that everyone benefits when we ensure that all people can pursue a healthy, fulfilling life. In this compassionate and practical book, Jones provides a roadmap for anyone who would like to make a difference, wherever they live. Jones calls on his readers to act for change and provides examples from the Delta to show how. He reminds us that small steps—”ripples of hope”— can save lives and improve health.
Chapters of the Book
Chapter
01
Food
Equity
Chapter
02
Neighborhood
Equity
Chapter
03
Job (Economic)
Equity
Chapter
04
Education Equity
Chapter
05
Healthcare Equity
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Through on-the-ground interviews, this book explores health in the Mississippi Delta to better understand health policy goals for the entire nation; uses the microcosm of the region to illustrate the broad applicability of the determinants of health in the Delta to other parts of the country.
Everyone cares about their own health and the health of their family and friends. This book helps us know how to help ourselves, our family, our friends, and indeed the nation be a healthier. Having better health outcomes is possible across all populations and regions.
Promotional code: 01UNCP30 for a 30% discount.
Featured Endorsements
“This book is both a lucid, engrossing, and illuminating analysis of how structural forces—from racism, to politics, to laws—shape health of residents of the Mississippi Delta, and part of the remarkable legacy of a scholar who died far too soon.”
Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH Dean, Robert A Knox Professor, School of Public Health, Boston University
“Ripples of Hope offers incisive knowledge and perspective on health equity with an unparalleled combination of clarity, accessibility, expertise, and courage. This book is a remarkable gift with much to give everyone: scholars, journalists, policymakers, and ordinary people. By taking his readers deep into the Mississippi Delta, and connecting us with real people, places, and power dynamics, David Jones reveals the painful underbelly of racism in the United States while pointing us towards the transformative possibilities of a new health equity policy agenda.”
Jamila Michener. PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor of Government and Public Policy, Inaugural Director, Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures, Senior Associate Dean of Public Engagement, Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University
"With deep empathy, nuance, and specificity, Ripples of Hope depicts whole communities coming together to redress inequities in one of the country’s most distinctive regions. It’s a story profoundly rooted in one place, with the voices of local activists and providers shining through – this book brings the Delta to mind and depicts it with justice. But Jones' gift and a legacy of this work is to show how a place-based approach to health equity can build on every community’s strengths, by addressing housing, jobs, food, and health care systems. It's an approach that places around the country are adopting, and this book has powerful lessons for everyone interested in bringing about change in a way that is both comprehensive and locally grounded."
David M. Greenberg, Vice President, Community Research and Impact, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
A Public Health Conversation
News
Ripples of Hope Book Release
The book Ripples of Hope in the Mississippi Delta: Charting the Health Equity Policy Agenda was released in December 2024. Boston University School of Public Health and Dean Sandro Galea hosted two book launch events on December 3rd, 2024. The first event was a public...