Mississippi has had its moments in the spotlight: the 2022 water crisis, political scandals and its continued thread of racism. Despite the grim persona the state often reflects at the national level, Mississippi has several opportunities that could help it overcome this negative identity. As a biased Alabamian-turned-Mississippian, I tend to see Mississippi through rose-colored glasses, finding the sweetness it offers in my everyday life. Something I do not notice visibly on a daily basis, but is a major component in what keeps the city of Jackson’s heart beating, is the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).

The JHS began in 1997 in Jackson, Mississippi, and enrolled its first participant on September 26, 2000. It’s the largest community-based study of the genetic and environmental risk factors of heart disease in Black people. More than 5,000 volunteers between the ages of 31 and 84 at the start of the study had physical exams and imaging tests of their hearts every four to five years between 2000 and 2013. They also update their health information with the JHS researchers every year by phone.

Over the years, major findings of the study have included:

• The discovery of a sickle cell trait associated with a higher risk of kidney disease.
• The finding that small spikes in blood pressure can lead to an increased risk of death.
• The breakthrough understanding of a gene variant in Black people that doubles the risk of heart disease.

Tackling health disparities from both a “nature” (genetics) and a “nurture” (lifestyle) perspective has led to the JHS being featured in nearly 400 publications. Along with its vast reach among scientific communities, the study’s facilitators host community health awareness and education programs in the Jackson metro area. Barbers Reach Out to Help Educate on Routine Screenings (BROTHERS) is a heart disease prevention program that helps barbers identify people at risk for hypertension by providing screenings and education in their places of business. The JHS also works in conjunction with local colleges and universities to enrich the educational experience of Black students.

Jackson is the perfect city to conduct this type of study because it is the capital of the state with the largest Black population (36.3%) in the U.S. Empowering understudied groups in a city such as Jackson and using the knowledge gained to help others around the globe is something that the JHS does well. I believe it is initiatives like this that will help lift up Mississippi and create a sense of unity.