About Rethink Mississippi

Mississippi is losing its future — one graduate at a time. Since 2010, 80,000 more people have left the state than arrived. That number, if gathered in one place, would form the second-largest city in Mississippi. These are not just numbers. They are teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, nurses, and neighbors — people whose talent, energy, and economic contribution Mississippi can no longer afford to lose.

Rethink Mississippi exists to reverse this trend.

Our Origin

Rethink Mississippi began as a flagship initiative of Working Together Mississippi (WTM) — a statewide nonpartisan organization that revitalizes Mississippi’s civic infrastructure by developing leaders in community-based institutions, strengthening their capacity for collective action, and finding solutions to the issues that matter most to Mississippians’ lives and livelihoods. WTM operates in communities across all 82 counties.

Rethink Mississippi is an initiative that works to retain, recruit, and return young Mississippians by changing public policy, strengthening communities, and developing the next generation of leaders. We envision a growing state where every young person has the opportunity to live in a welcoming and vibrant community, build a fulfilling career, and contribute to the state’s economic and social progress. To understand why people leave — and what would bring them back — we partnered with Mississippi Today and the University of Mississippi Center for Population Studies to conduct the state’s first scientific survey of the brain drain.

Our Research

We have produced the state’s first-ever scientific study of the brain drain, gathering more than 7,600 responses from people in all 82 Mississippi counties, 48 states, and 17 countries. The University of Mississippi Center for Population Studies is analyzing the full dataset, with findings published through Mississippi Today and rethinkms.org.

The data are already revealing actionable truths. Mississippians cite the income gap, limited professional opportunities, and quality-of-life factors as primary drivers of departure. But the survey also surfaces genuine reasons for optimism: affordable housing, family ties, natural beauty, and a strong sense of community identity that makes Mississippians, even from afar, root for their home state.

Our Team

Jake McGraw leads the Rethink Mississippi initiative. He began researching and writing about the brain drain when he moved back to Mississippi more than a decade ago. A native of Oxford, he studied public policy and economics at the University of Mississippi and economic history at Oxford University. His reporting, published through Mississippi Today, has reframed the brain drain not as an inevitable regional fate but as a solvable challenge — if Mississippi is willing to understand it clearly and act decisively. You can reach him at j.mcgraw@workingtogetherms.org.

Our Partners

Working Together Mississippi is a statewide nonpartisan organization with active chapters across the state. Its network of civic, religious, and community-based institutions forms the backbone of grassroots Mississippi.

Mississippi Today, the state’s leading nonprofit news organization, is our partner on the brain drain survey. Several of the articles on this site were originally published by Mississippi Today and are republished here with permission.

The University of Mississippi Center for Population Studies is our partner on the brain drain survey, bringing rigorous demographic expertise to the study’s design and analysis.

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This is not destiny. It is a choice.

Mississippi’s brain drain is a solvable problem — if we understand it clearly and act decisively. Join us.