It is a bittersweet announcement that Attorney Vangela M. Wade is stepping down as the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice.
On August 14, 2024, communique Tara Y. Wren made Wade’s intentions to resign known to the public via a press release. However, it was clearly stated that Wade intends to stay on until another President and CEO can be installed. The communique also stated that Wade had made a firm commitment to continue functioning and performing all her duties with the same vigor that she has displayed since she assumed the position in 2020.
Wade is a native of Mississippi and graduated in 1984 with her BA degree from Mississippi State University. She then obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1996.
The Mississippi Center for Justice is dedicated to dismantling the state’s culture of inequity and injustice. Supported and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center develops and pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide.
Throughout her career, Wade positioned herself as a servant of the people of Mississippi. She has been recognized nationally and internationally. In 2021, Wade was chosen as one of 19 honorees selected by the National Black Voices for Justice, an organization that fights systemic racism through the support of Black leaders. The $50,000 honorarium Wade received was donated by Wade to the Mississippi Center for Justice.
Also in 2021, Wade was invited to join the International Women’s Forum (IWF), a network of high-achieving women from 33 countries that included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Maya Angelou, and Coretta Scott King. Additionally, Wade has served on the Board of Directors for Mississippi Today, a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom, and continued to serve as a member of its Advisory Board from 2020-2023.
In a statement by Wade concerning her departure, she said, “Leading the Mississippi Center for Justice has been a profound honor, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made toward equity and justice in Mississippi and beyond. When I accepted this role, I had concrete goals in mind, and I’m proud to say those goals have been achieved, and then some. Over the past four and a half years, we’ve worked tirelessly to combat injustice – whether it’s empowering and protecting land ownership against predatory developers through our Heirs’ Property advocacy, supporting Black farmworkers in the Delta facing discrimination, or identifying educational disparities exacerbated by COVID-19 and implementing resources for students with learning disabilities in historically underserved school districts. While stepping down is bittersweet, I’m confident the organization is strong and ready for the next visionary leader, and I am committed to ensuring a seamless transition that will elevate MCJ to even greater heights.”
Martha Bergmark, the first president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice and current board member, said of Wade’s legacy, “MCJ’s next leader will be fortunate to stand on her shoulders.”
Immediately, upon her becoming the president and CEO of the Mississippi for Justice in 2020, Wade was confronted with the daunting task of leading the organization through the global pandemic. Wade was not deterred by her task during the pandemic. She was able to double the organization’s revenue through fundraising events, and thereby enhancing the brand of the organization at the national and international levels.
Mississippi Center for Justice Board Chair Walter H. Boone said, “Thanks to Vangela and her mighty team, MCJ is poised for our next great leap forward to bring racial, economic, and social justice to disenfranchised Mississippians.”
Wade will be honored at the Westin Hotel in downtown Jackson at the Champions of Justice event on September 26, 2024. She will be recognized and celebrated for the leadership she has demonstrated throughout her tenure as President and CEO at the Mississippi Center for Justice. The celebratory event contributions will also serve as an investment for the long-term mission of the organization. For additional information regarding the Champions of Justice event please contact Tosha Taylor at ttaylor@mscenterforjustice.org.
