Vera Johnson
"I'm pretty much a glorified driver," Vera Johnson says, referring to the time she spends chauffeuring her two children, Elisabeth, 9, and William, 5, to activities like dance classes or basketball practices.
Cornel West
If you ever need pointers on being a rock star academian, Cornel West is the only man you want to ask. He is Lauded in academic circles as one of the foremost authorities on race, class and gender in this post-1960s Civil Rights Movement. The professor, who earned his doctorate from Princeton University, now teaches at his alma mater in the departments of African American studies and religious studies.
Health for All
Alvin Poussaint's career reads like a hopscotch game across the touchstones of post-World War II African American history. Born in 1934, Poussaint earned a medical degree at Cornell University and studied psychiatry at UCLA before joining the Civil Rights Movement.
Paul DeBoy
Paul DeBoy's first stage was the backyard of his Baltimore, Md., home. His older brother wrote plays that DeBoy would star in, and the two would charge admission when DeBoy was just 5 years old.
Carla Palmer-Allen
Carla Palmer-Allen knows that perseverance eventually pays off. Last month, the Jackson native became the first African American to serve as president of the Jackson Association of Realtors, a 1,500–member organization that advocates and provides information for area realtors.
Russ Markle
Even though Russ Markle joked about growing a mustache, he knew it would involve a few challenges. His wife wasn't a fan of facial hair, and he felt he would risk his professional look at work. But when friends offered to pay him to grow a mustache if he donated the money to charity, it was an offer he couldn't refuse.
Jim Wilkirson
Jim Wilkirson has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that adults stop acting their age. As the special events coordinator for the Mississippi Children's Museum's "Ignite the Night" gala, Wilkirson is helping bring magicians, jugglers, an Elvis impersonator, party favors and 17 door prizes to Saturday's event.
Ken South
Ken South takes pleasure in seeing the annual Mississippi HeARTS Against AIDS benefit grow. The benefit, which takes place Saturday at Hal & Mal's, features a silent art auction, live entertainment and food. Since 2007, the auction has taken place in an outdoor tent to accommodate the event's rising attendance.
Parveen Kapoor
An Indian man with a medium build, dressed in a mauve polo shirt, khaki pants and a black apron, carries white napkins and silverware while he serves five customers in his restaurant. His soft brown eyes wear a warm smile. Parveen Kapoor, a native of Delhi, India, owns Bombay Bistro, which opened in December in Jackson.
Dowell Taylor
Jackson State University Director of Music Technology Dowell Taylor faces a hefty challenge: He has 48 hours to pull together Jackson Public Schools' annual All-City High School Band Festival.
A.M.E. Logan
Remaining fearless and determined even into her late 90s, civil rights activist A.M.E. Logan would frequently attend community meetings and drive herself around Jackson delivering Avon products to her clients.
Edward Dacus
Although Edward Dacus has only had his new title of Mississippi Opera Chorus Master since Jan. 26, he has not wasted any time starting new opera projects. Dacus, who is currently preparing the all-men chorus spring show, "The Barber of Seville" for April 9 at Thalia Mara Hall, values the importance of male and female vocals and is also working to establish an additional performance that will showcase the ladies chorus.
Christy Henderson
Artist Christy Henderson has been busy creating artwork and jewelry that explores the theme of love for Valentine's Day.
Timothy Fizer
The front door of F. Jones Corner bursts open around 4 a.m. on a Friday, and Timothy Fizer emerges, holding a drunken man's arms behind his back as the man bucks and jerks under the 6-foot-tall, 330-pound bouncer's half-nelson. Instead of fighting the troublemaker, Fizer simply takes the man across the street away from the commotion of the bar and sits on his back until he stops resisting. Fizer leans over to address the subdued partier.
Peppy Biddy
When actors auditioned for a role in New Stage Theatre's "39 Steps," director Peppy Biddy warned them that the play would be like running on a treadmill at its highest speed for two hours.