Finance leaders, mayors of several major Deep South cities and others will attend DELTA FEST conference in Jackson next week, which planners are calling an “economic activation festival” to map a 10-year plan for economic prosperity in the Deep South.

The free three-day event, held from Sept. 16-18 at the Environmental Learning Center in south Jackson, was organized by HOPE Enterprise Corporation and Yancey Consulting. It will include presentations and support from other major financial institutions like Capital One, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs.

The idea for the festival, HOPE CEO Bill Bynum said, was developed following the 2024 election as a way to empower people in communities across the Deep South.

“Last November, it was clear that we were at a very critical point in the country a

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