Change Your Mind; Change Your LifeMy first encounter with Mrs. Martin (not her real name) was the day before my birthday in August 2010. She came to my office complaining of fatigue. She was 49 years old and working as a secretary. I noticed during …
Parades and PassionLiving in downtown Jackson is fantastic all year long but it is even more wonderful on what is one of the best weekends of the year. I speak, of course, of Mal's St. Paddy's Parade weekend. This year marked the …
Raise Your VoiceImam Ali Siddiqui is intimately familiar with the destructive nature of religious fundamentalism and the problems of immigration in the modern world. Born in 1944, his family fled their native India in 1950, in the wake of that country's liberation …
Fruits of EducationFor most college students, graduation is the capstone of their last four years and a marker of achievement. However, diplomas don't mean as much as they used to, and graduation isn't always the proof of success that it should be.
How to Shop FondrenWhen the Fly Girl and the Girl About Town get together, we shop. Or at least we talk about shopping. So, we decided to start a series of "How to Shop" guides. Our first stop: Fondren. The little gem of …
Parade Weekend ScheduleFollow the trail of fishnets and beads to establish your own queeness at this year's parade.
The Unofficial SPQ GlossaryVisualize the Sweet Potato Queens—smiling women throwing beads from a queenly float wearing costumes covered in green and pink sequins, spangles, and fringe; long, curling, glossy red hair; sparkling tiaras; and pink majorette boots during the Zippity Doo Dah Parade.
Running Of The VixensIf you're roaming the streets of Fondren before the start of the Zippity Doo Dah Parade, be sure to watch out for the bulls. It may not be Pamplona, exactly, but the Magnolia Roller Vixens will bring some excitement and …
Boom TimeKnown as the "Summa Cum Laude" of college bands, the Sonic Boom of the South will provide visitors to Fondren an education on how we do it here in Mississippi as the band leads the Zippity Doo Dah parade March …
One for the GuysThe idea behind this review was twofold—to get a man's perspective on the latest Sweet Potato Queen book and to do a bit of a combo review of "The Dummy Line," a novel by Mississippian Bobby Cole whom Browne's husband, …
SPQ Shopping ListAny girl worth her salt loves to shop. And that's no exception for a queen. Take some advice from this list to unleash the queen within.
Love, Peace, and Itty Bitty FloatsAlexander "Trace" Alston, 50, has been to every Mal's St. Paddy's Parade since the beginning. As part of the Rude Men Krewe, Alston and 75 fellow krewe members from all over the country descend on downtown Jackson every March to …
All Eyes On FondrenGet Ready, get ready, get ready! The Sweet Potato Queens are back! Grab your tiara, fluff your boa, and grab a stud and make your way down to Fondren this weekend to the Annual Zippity Do Dah Parade! And remeber, …
Sweet TartnessVinegar is one product with multiple uses. It has benefits for the home (inside and out) and benefits for better health.
Get Ready, get ready, get ready! The Sweet Potato Queens are back! Grab your tiara, fluff your boa, and grab a stud and make your way down to Fondren this weekend to the Annual Zippity Do Dah Parade! And remeber, …