[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2024

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Mississippi Center for Cultural Production. The organization has gone 
beyond the call of duty to ensure that rural communities in Mississippi 
are taken care of and their stories are told.
  The Mississippi Center for Cultural Production, also known as ``Sipp 
Culture,'' is an approach and resource for cultivating thriving 
communities. Based in the rural South, Sipp Culture is honoring the 
history and building the future of rural Hinds County, especially in 
the Town of Utica, MS.
  Sipp Culture supports community development from the ground up 
through cultural production focused on self-determination and agency 
designed by them and for them. The organization believes that history, 
culture, and food affirm our individual and collective humanity. Their 
goal is to strengthen the local food system, advance health equity, and 
support rural artistic voices--while activating the power of story--all 
to promote the legacy and vision of Utica, MS.
  At the core of it all is the unwavering belief that gathering and 
sharing local stories is the best way to support safe and thriving 
communities for the future. Honoring growth, story, and imagination is 
an approach that can cultivate healthy and equitable places everywhere. 
For Sipp Culture, it all starts in Utica. I firmly believe the work 
Sipp Culture has done for the communities in Hinds County can be a 
model for what should be done for rural communities all across the 
United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing The 
Mississippi Center for Cultural Production for their service to the 
citizens of Mississippi.

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