Marika CackettAs the new Jackson and Convention & Visitors Bureau manger of communications and public relations, Marika Cackett says she has found her dream job promoting the city she loves.
Christopher PaigeChristopher Paige's determination to make his South Jackson barber shop, Custom Cuts & Styles, a thriving business that serves the community is perhaps what earned him the title of Rising Entrepreneur and Best Barber Shop in the 2011 Jackson Free …
Kenneth BraswellKenneth Braswell wants fathers to step up. The keynote speaker at Jackson Public Schools' Dads of Destiny Conference this evening, Braswell advocates for responsible fatherhood through his organization, Fathers Incorporated, and the New York State Fatherhood Initiative.
Ellen DouglasThe literary world knows her as Ellen Douglas, critically acclaimed writer. Many Mississippians fondly recognize her as Josephine Haxton, mother of three accomplished sons, a Democrat, an Ole Miss graduate. To her friends, she's just Jo, full of life and …
Bernice RayfordBernice Rayford, 50, has more to offer the literary world than just "Collard Greens and Ham," the title of her debut self-published novel in 2005. She recently completed her seventh novel, "Betty Bushy: She Will Make You Laugh."
Luisa Macedo"It's bigger than my head," 9-year-old Luisa Macedo says as she describes her 21-pound cabbage that named her the Mississippi winner of the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program award. A Senatobia native, Macedo is now in the fourth grade at …
Shirley BrewerShirley Brewer has seen plenty of changes from her perch at the Fondren McDade's Market. Brewer has worked at the grocery store for the past 27 years, seeing the business change names and owners from Jitney Jungle to Winn-Dixie to, …
Chandler GriffinFor years, Chandler Griffin has observed the tough work of international development. As a documentary filmmaker for nonprofit organizations working in Rwanda and Uganda, among other countries, the Jackson native has seen the challenges of trying to build sustainable programs. …
Kimberly JacobsKimberly Jacobs' 1,000-watt smile lights up the room as she hugs me during our first introduction. Without reservation, she begins to share her passion for promoting artists.
Cynthia NewhallCynthia Newhall was just a teenager when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968. On April 18, her 16th birthday, Newhall decided to dedicate her life to the struggle for equality.
Hezekiah WatkinsOn a sunny day in the spring of 1961, Hezekiah Watkins was just another face in the crowd as he watched the Freedom Riders arrive at the Greyhound bus station on Lamar Street. Itching for a closer look, the 13-year-old …
Tonja MurphyApproximately 2 million children in the United States have a parent who is in prison, and with the national incarceration rate increasing 6 percent each year, Lutheran Episcopal Services Director of Mentoring Tonja Murphy understands importance of a mentor.
Manervia Cross RayfordManervia Cross Rayford has lived so long that sometimes her descendants have trouble keeping up with all the things she's done in her life.
Beth HamiltonMayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s vision for the capital city is what keeps Beth Hamilton in Jackson. "I am 100 percent in love with this city, even though I have only been a Jacksonian for about two years," she says.
Lydia QuarlesIf Lydia Quarles has her way, Mississippi will no longer rank as the 49th state in the nation for the number of females serving in elected office.