Jackson Free Press

Many Mississippians view former Gov. William Winter as one of the few great progressive leaders of the state. Winter is a partner at the law firm of Watkins, Ludlam, Winter and Stennis, and travels around the state speaking to audiences on racial reconciliation. Borne from a 1997 initiative during the Clinton administration, the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation helps to foster dialogue and understanding across racial lines. Last month I sat down with Gov. Winter in his downtown Jackson law office.

With your background and experience in Mississippi politics, what do you think Mississippi needs in its next governor?
Well, obviously, a capacity and a dedication to provide leadership for the people of Mississippi, an understanding of the real problems the state is confronted with, a disposition to work across racial lines, and sectional lines, and class lines to achieve maximum results in support of programs of benefit to the state. I think it particularly important that the governor establish clear priorities in terms of his administration, and No.1 on that list of priorities, I think, should be the promotion of education (and) the reconciling of differences among the races. Economic development obviously is an important element (as is) supporting, improving and building an infrastructure that will serve the needs of the people of the state, and a framing of creative ideas that will enable Mississippi to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens. (The governor should have) the capacity to inspire people, to look beyond (his) own narrow interests, and to be willing to make building up the state and the communities of the state a very important part of (his) daily existence.

Many people feel like the political process for voters has been reduced to voting for the lesser of the two evils. What encouragement would you offer to those Mississippians?
To get more involved in the political process. The only way the political process will be improved (or) reformed is through public interest, through the work of a great many individual citizens who are not looking for anything for themselves other than an honest and forward-looking system of government. Politics involves a lot of really hard work. There are no easy answers in politics, and you've got to continue to maintain a strong belief in the integrity of our political structure, and not succumb to cynicism or pessimism. When we do that, we simply throw in the towel, and the system will deteriorate.

What is the biggest obstacle to improvements in public education in Mississippi?
Two or three things that stand out to me: One is failure to recognize how important it is in the building up of the state to have in every community a very strong public-school system. Only those communities that maintain a strong public-school system are going to be competitive in the long haul. A second obstacle, I think, is a tendency on the part of some communities to be more interested in turf protection than in educational excellence. Only as we have support for the highest quality of administrators and teachers will we have the highest quality of education. And third is a failure to do whatever is necessary to reduce the number of young people who are dropping out of school. That is still a scandal as far as I'm concerned, to have such a high percentage of young men and women in this day and age who don't get a high school diploma.

How do you think state or community initiatives can help the problem of Mississippi's brightest fleeing the state?
Well, that's an age-old problem, as you know. There's nothing new about it. As long as I can remember, we've let too many of our best and brightest leave the state. But I think that's beginning to change. I see now, with the changes that have taken place in the last few years, (young people) wanting to stay in Mississippi, seeing the opportunity here, seeing that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side of the fence. So I'm very optimistic that we are gradually eliminating that exodus of bright (young people). We'll always lose a lot of them—that's only natural. It's only natural that a lot of young people want to go outside the area where they grew up. Many of them come back, though.

What is the greatest obstacle to racial reconciliation?
Not enough civil, candid communication between people; still not enough trust across racial lines; (and) not enough understanding of different points of view that people have. And that's one of the things the Institute for Racial Reconciliation at Ole Miss is doing: breaking down some of those barriers and bringing people together in frank discussions, comparing notes, looking at each other through each other's eyes, and willingness to walk in somebody else's shoes for a while. And I think when we do that, we understand that there's not really much difference. What we look like is not nearly as important as what we stand for.

If you could be granted one wish for the state of Mississippi, what would that be?
That my five grandchildren, who are growing up in Mississippi, will live to see a quality of life here—a system of justice, a basis of cultural and economic opportunity—that will enable them to live lives of satisfaction and fulfillment and prosperity.