Miss Keke
Growing up gospel—that's Miss KeKe, aka the Queen of Mississippi's "Fokus." This 25-year-old Jackson native says her faith in God and hard work brought her to where she is today. She is a promoter in the music industry, helping local artists launch their careers.
Chassity Dykes
This is what you'll likely hear seconds after you step into Chassity Dykes' consignment shot, Nu 2 U.
Rev. Paul Jones
The white double doors of the home of Paul Jones, 63 opened and revealed a man with a welcoming smile, his red hair glowing golden from the Christmas tree lit behind him. He led me into his office, where the walls were blanketed with degrees and diplomas, shelves lined with books.
David Rop
Coach David Rop, 28, may seem soft-spoken and gentle, but his fierce dedication to cross-country is anything but mild. A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Rop moved to Jackson in 1995 after accepting an athletic scholarship to Jackson State University. At JSU, Rop collected copious cross-country and track trophies and set new records as he completed his bachelors and masters degrees in mathematics. After graduating from JSU in 2001, Rop became assistant cross-country coach at JSU and taught mathematics.
Patti Carr Black
Patti Carr Black's Belhaven living room appears almost square, with built-in, wall-size bookshelves directly across from the front door. A quarter of the way down, surrounded by a portion of her collected books, hangs Walter Anderson's "Magic Carpet," opulent in color and design, breath-taking in its seven-foot width.
Ellen Reddy
While Ellen Reddy describes flaws in Mississippi's youth justice system, an 11-year-old draws corpulent cars and squiggly skeleton keys on a large easel pad in a conference room at the Mississippi Youth Justice Program. Reddy, who is co-director of programs and a community organizer for the program, says that children as young as the girl drawing have been taken from their families and locked into a dark cell at one of the state's training schools. Reddy works with the Mississippi Coalition for the Prevention of Schoolhouse to Jailhouse, which is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to keep kids out of institutions and in their communities and schools.
Robert Langford
Tall and slender, with a fluid gait that quickly takes him from one responsibility to the next, Robert Langford, 42, has the needs of children and their families foremost in his heart and mind. First, there's his wife Betsy Bradley, executive director of the Mississippi Museum of Art, and their two children. Then there are the elementary school students and their families served by Operation Shoestring where Langford has been executive director since 1997.
Tendai Kuwaza & Steven Browne
Steven Browne, 22, and Tendai Kuwaza, 21, want Jacksonians out and enjoying the magic of world music. To that end, they've formed KB Entertainment and hosted dance parties, jumping to the beat of their native Barbados and Zimbabwe, respectfully. You can find them weekly at Seven*Studioz—at the Renaissance Underground on Wednesdays and at the Reggae Soca dance parties on Saturdays. The two men recently sat down with the Jackson Free Press to spread the good news.
H.C. Porter Bolds And Contrasts
The paintings that line the walls of H.C. Porter's studio on Millsaps Avenue portray, in boldacrylics and prismacolor, scenes from her youth. All the subjectsare African American.
Rebecca Starling
Rebecca Starling hesitated a bit about being a JFP Jacksonian—she's not someone looking for the spotlight. Her deep-seated conviction to meeting the needs of Hurricane Katrina-displaced students attending Jackson Public Schools changed her mind.
Cat Cora
Within weeks of Hurricane Katrina's attack on the lives of Mississippians, Chefs for Humanity Executive Director Debra Rainey was in the area to assess needs so that the non-profit could begin its response. Since then, she's kept a journal of sorts that you will want to read by clicking the OntheRail link at chefsforhumanity.com. The monthly archives are there, explaining how they fed thousands for weeks and how they're planning to return for the holidays.
Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson, 31, is wearing a t-shirt that says, "I Love Myself," when I interview him. "Born and bred" in Jackson, Robinson sharpened his public speaking skills at Murrah High School on the rap team, then went on to Mississippi Valley State University for a degree in music education. He developed a passion for outreach, education and compassion.
Steve Deaton
Steve Deaton teaches English at Belhaven College and Holmes Community College. He also gives guitar lessons at Morrison Brothers. It doesn't take too much imagination to see all of this when I meet him: He's got the English teacher look all over him, although maybe a cooler English teacher than most of us might have had. What might not be so obvious is that every so often, he and his band Buffalo Nickel like to rock out Jackson audiences and make great records.
Stuart Rockoff
Dr. Stuart Rockoff is a historian who works for the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which is sponsoring a photography exhibit at Millsaps College that focuses on Jewish history and culture in the South. The exhibit features 20 black and white photographs that are part of a collection called "Shalom Y'all" by Bill Aron. The exhibit will hang in the Lewis Gallery at Millsaps College until the end of November and at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, Dr. Rockoff will give a guided tour of the exhibit and present a program discussing Southern Jewish life.
Kendria Moreland Robinson
Canton native Kendria Moreland Robinson, 33, understands the "no pain, no gain" mantra. As a former gymnast, fitness has always been her drug of choice, and running is her new fix. A couple weeks ago, she completed the five-mile "Over the River Run" in Vicksburg, her longest to date.