Josh Evans
Josh Evans just got a kick start for his film project, "Young Bros," a short film about a couple of 10-year-old boys pulling pranks during the summer in Jackson.
Michael Brown
The past nine months have been eventful for 20-year-old Michael Brown as he has traveled through the state providing emergency assistance to residents and building homes for families in need. The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps member is assisting families in Clinton who lost their homes during the April 15 tornadoes.
Creating a Brand
Tripp Muldrow is a busy man. In the past year, he has spent 150 days traveling throughout the country, listening to residents and compressing often-complicated stories into brands that instill community pride.
Rev. Mike Campbell
The Rev. Mike Campbell spends what little spare time he has catching up on movies. Campbell, 46, is senior pastor at Redeemer Church, at 640 E. Northside Drive. After spending more than a decade in Miami, the Bluefield, Va., native moved to Jackson almost seven years ago, with his wife, Keren, and their three children.
Marcus Burger
Marcus Burger knows his way around the three primordial elements of rock, paper and scissors. Burger, who is the Hinds County deputy director for Young Leaders in Philanthropy, is organizing a tournament of the game to raise money for YLP's signature program, Imagination Library, an early childhood literacy initiative.
Beneta Burt
Beneta Burt knows it can be a challenge to change people's behaviors when it comes to healthy living. As project director for the Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity, Burt promotes systemic, incremental solutions and programs to help fight obesity in the state.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Last Sunday, my partner, Todd Stauffer, and I set off on another of our weekend road trips that take us wherever we end up. This time, we landed in Ruleville, northwest of Greenwood, at the grave of Fannie Lou Hamer and her husband, "Pap" Hamer.
Martha Foose
For Martha Foose, cooking isn't just about the food. It's about the company, the memories and the art of eating well.
Darrell "Doc" Cousins
Darrell "Doc" Cousins doesn't care about making a few extra dollars. All he sees is a pair of brown leather boots in need of some polish. "Care for a shine?" he asks in the middle of our interview. With the motto, "When you look good, you feel good," Cousins opened The Shoe Shine Doctor and Company in Jackson about a year ago.
Johnnie Hawkins
Johnnie Hawkins wants to help young people in the Jackson area with the same entrepreneurial desires that drive her. Hawkins, 48, is executive director of the Perico Institute for Youth Development and Entrepreneurship (PRIYDE), which collaborates with a number of area organizations on a citywide strategy for educating aspiring business owners.
Don Poythress
Don Poythress' childhood piano teacher knew his talent was going to take him places. When he was 4 years old, his instructor told the Meridian native that he was going to grow up to be a country musician and perform in the Grand Ole Opry.
Rob Mies
Taking a 16-hour road trip from Michigan to Jackson with four live bats doesn't faze Rob Mies who has spent his career promoting bat conservation and education.
Dirk Dedeaux
Dirk Dedeaux knows the cost of obesity to Mississippi taxpayers. Dedeaux, a Democratic representative from Perkinston, chairs the House Medicaid Committee, giving him a front seat to witness the economic toll obesity takes on the state, which some projections put at nearly $4 billion annually by 2018.
Chloe Garth-Elkins
Chloe Garth-Elkins' Saturday Upward Bound class at Jackson State University is learning about the word rastaquouere. The students begin to grasp the true meaning of the word through application of its technical definition: "social intruder; upstart." Garth-Elkins patiently guides students through the lesson, inviting them to enter the world of scholars in constant pursuit of knowledge.
Shelley Johnson
When Shelley Johnson started researching the American foster-care system 10 years ago, she was shocked to discover that 500,000 children did not have stable homes.