Photo by Imani Khayyam.

Art and music flow through Krystal Jackson's veins.

She started taking singing lessons at age 7 and has been painting almost as long. Born and raised in west Jackson, she went to Murrah High School and then chose to stay in town for college. She is now a sophomore at Millsaps College double majoring in art and music.

Jackson started selling her paintings in middle school to teachers and students. Doing that has allowed her to travel, including doing a study-abroad excursion last summer in Italy to study classical voice. She describes her art as a part of the grieving process. Her art is beautiful, raw and, Jackson says, weird. For example, she says she has painted a happy black lady with six arms, but she also paints little slave 
children.

"It's a grieving process for who I am or what I want to be with my culture or my history or my experiences and my friends' experiences," she says. "And it all kind of focuses on identity and the greatness that can come with that but also the hardships that can come with that."

While art has sustained her and enabled her to go on several trips, she says music is her favorite. It has been a part of her life since her parents put her in private voice lessons. She was in several different choirs at Murrah High School, and now, she is one of the vocalists in the Millsaps Jazz Ensemble and participates in a cappella group Major Harmony on campus.

Jackson says artistic ability and talent runs in her family. Her mother, Christie Jackson, played the trumpet for years; her aunt, Marjorie Alexander was a sculptor; and her grandmother, Joyce M. Jackson, sings. They all pursued careers as teachers or nurses, but Jackson says that's not her plan. After she graduates, she plans to pursue music.

"It doesn't sound right to just go get a job," she says. "I want to go to Julliard and study voice."

Jackson initially thought of leaving Jackson for college to begin with, but she decided to stay with the scholarship she received at Millsaps. Jackson, now 19, says she is grateful that she stayed close to home, as she gets to see her family once a week. Even though Jackson grew up here, she has rediscovered the city ever since going to college.

"Jackson is a city just like anything else, and has a lot to offer as far as the arts are concerned," she says.

"It has a lot of potential."