Leslyn Smith: Always Ready to Help
by Maggie Jefferis Photo above of Leslyn Smith by Imani Khayyam On a dark, sweaty night deep in Sandhill, Miss., a group of cousins were playing soccer when one of them kicked the ball over a fence while going for the goal. Leslyn Smith, then a 6th grader, volunteered to go get the ball. She […]
Joshua Wright: Back at YMP to Share
by Jeffrey Caliedo Photo above of Joshua Wright by Kelsee Ford What seemed to be a fairly regular day at the Youth Media Project soon proved to be a life-changing experience for Joshua Wright in the summer of 2016. Walking into the seemingly mundane office, Wright discovered an astonishing find. Sitting on the wooden table […]
Sean Collins: Losing Everything and Still Smiling
By Z’eani Furdge Photo above of Sean Collins by Sonni Presley On a very windy night in 2005, Hurricane Katrina was making its way into the Biloxi-Gulfport area of Mississippi. “We have to go,” Sean Collins heard his mother Laura say as she and his father, Chris, woke him up. “Where are we going?” Collins […]
Chauncey Nettles: The Magnificent
by Aja Purvis Photo above of Chauncey Nettles by Kelsee Ford The sun blazed down brightly in the 70-degree Mississippi weather as the Nettles family gathered in the cozy home of Aunt Arleans, enjoying each other’s company and taking advantage of this Christmas Eve they had together in Jackson. Younger children gathered around the neatly […]
