Jeff Good
Jeff Good, 41, came to Jackson from Salt Lake City his senior year in high school, graduated from Murrah in 1981 and Millsaps in 1986, then sold computer systems for the old National Cash Register company. In the early '90s, frustrated after the company changed hands, Good was on the phone with his best friend from high school, then a chef in San Francisco. They decided to go into business together.
Carlos Smith
The strength and tone of his voice reminds you of the late and great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Knowing Carlos Smith's passion and dedication to helping others succeed, you can literally see Dr. King's dream at work.
Mary Grace Brown of Mardi Gras
Jackson has set big goals to renovate downtown. Lots of private business people have been getting in on the ground floor of some very exciting downtown developments. Mary Grace Brown, owner of Brown's Fine Art in Fondren, and her business partner, Shawn Hunt, recently have taken on a massive project that will contribute to the revitalizing of Jackson's downtown nightlife with the opening of Mardi Gras at 824 South State St. in an abandoned car dealership.
Bob Moses
Robert P. Moses, who turned 70 Sunday, is usually surrounded by young people, especially Lanier students and college-age mentors for the Algebra Project, which he runs from his classroom in Midtown.
Domini Bradford
"You have to try today's soup before you leave," said Domini Bradford, 37. So I did. The soup in the small bowl she placed in front of me was thick and creamy orange. "It's butternut squash bisque," she explained. I was amazed to learn that it contained a cashew base along with such striking ingredients as curry, and most importantly, that it was devoid of oil and dairy. Oddly, it reminded me of home.
Rep. Cecil Brown
Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Hinds, represents the 66th District in the Mississippi Legislature. He is an investment adviser educated at Ole Miss and the University of Texas. Born in Meridian June 22, 1944, he has lived in Jackson for 40 years and has been a legislator since 2000. He is married to the former Nancy Haas and has three children: Lisa, Mickey and Lindy.
Taylor Jane Hodges
Taylor Jane Hodges, 9, will introduce you to her goldfish: Bob, Billy, Katy and Samantha. She will perform tricks for you on her swing-set. She will tell you every last thing she got for Christmas. In many ways, Taylor is almost indistinguishable from any other 9-year-old girl, but in just as many ways she is not.
Dent May
Watching a Rockwells show will bust open any preconceived notions you might have had about four college students, home for the holidays, getting together to play with their old band. In Jackson, The Rockwells' popularity is audible, if not deafening.
Vanessa Morales Butler
Living most of her life in Venezuela, Vanessa Butler as a little girl had dreams of becoming a flamenco dancer. "I studied at a dancing academy as a child, and here I have performed with the Mississippi Hispanic International Folklore Group," says Butler, 26. "I have always wanted to be a dancer, but as you can tell it is just a dream." The group stopped dancing last year due to busy schedules. "It is hard to try to keep it all together," she says.
Ken Stiggers
Ken Stiggers—a television producer, video artist, satirist and columnist for the JFP—was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa. Stiggers, 43, came to Jackson by way of Atlanta's public access studios and public schools, where he was a teacher. Now as the media services coordinator of the PEG Network (public access) in Jackson, he is an up-and-coming player in the media services and entertainment industry here. He is also an eclectically creative artist—a biting satirist, poet and video artist.
Sam Sparks
Sam Sparks, 23, is a busy New Stage Theatre producer and director, a Tupelo native who has lived in Jackson for six years. Of late, he has drawn attention for his breathtaking über-mod sets for "Don't Dress for Dinner." This month, the stylish director is working on both "A Christmas Carol" and David Sedaris' hilarious and irreverent "The Santaland Diaries" that is being performed at 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday nights.
Othor Cain
Othor Cain, 38, radiates an exuberance for life in his smile, his body language and, most of all, his deep-toned voice. That voice, were it visible, would surely be the burnished gold of fine jewelry.
Nikki Giovanni
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. is a renowned writer and activist who prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." A native of Knoxville, she now teaches in Virginia—in addition to traveling and lecturing to packed audiences. She is, quite simply, a superstar in the world of spoken-word poetry. The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, a CD of her spoken-word performances, was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award. She has received 21 honorary doctorates.
Ashley Weileman
Have you ever met somebody and thought to yourself, "I wish I would have known this person when I was younger. Maybe things would have turned out differently." That was precisely the feeling I had when I sat down with Ashley Weileman, owner of Josie's Closet.
Scott Albert Johnson
Scott Albert Johnson, 34, knows he returned home to Jackson at just the right time. From the time he was 18 up until last year, Johnson went to college, grad school, worked—as a journalist, a Web page designer, and at a think tank in metropolitan Washington, D.C.—and lived across the country from coast to coast. He rediscovered his love of American music in D.C. five years ago and soon developed a new-found talent on the harmonica. He's a prolific musician and part-time actor, with dreams of making his living doing just that. In the meantime, he also works with Jackson's Operation Shoestring. Their second annual fund raiser takes place Dec. 2 at Hal & Mal's from 6 p.m.-1 a.m.