Bradley Mitchell: City Boy with a Country Past
Photo and story by Danyelle Tillman The hot sun was beaming on Bradley Mitchell’s face as his last day in rural Byram approached, with him soon returning to Jackson to live. He looked around and soon realized that the country place was like a second home to him. Mitchell is a city boy with a […]
Danyelle Tillman: Learning to Focus
Photo and story by Bradley Mitchell Danyelle Tillman was at school in math class being hyperactive on May 2, 2011. She was on the phone with a friend about a school project when her sister Octavia came into the room talking loud and throwing things. After school at 5 p.m., Tillman asked Octavia to be […]
Rayven Jones: Accepting Herself, Becoming a Leader
Photo and story by Shaddia Lee “Mom, I do not look like everyone else. I have thick, coarse black hair and the rest of the little girls in my class have silky, long, smooth hair,” little Rayven Jones told her mother more than a decade ago. Who knew that an innocent 5-year-old could be bullied […]
Cymone West: Auditioning for Life
Photo and story by Ja’Corey Mitchell In the 8th grade at Bailey APAC Middle School, Cymone West had to audition for a school play, “Politics In The Land of Oz.” The night before, she memorized a monologue in 45 minutes. She acted it out five times, and the next day she auditioned in front of […]
Anthony Hawkins: Inspired by Underdogs
Story and photo of Anthony Hawkins by Carley Dunson One day while Anthony Hawkins was in gym class, a girl approached him and threw a basketball at his head. The other kids laughed while he cried. Hawkins was being bullied often during that time. Kids would talk about how he dressed. He says that he […]
Maisie Brown: Being the Best She Can Be
by Shakira Porter Photo of Maisie Brown by Kelsee Ford Maisie E. Brown, in her white shirt and loose khaki pants, hopped out of the car excitedly. It was her first time visiting the University of Southern California in downtown Los Angeles. She was surprised at how large the campus buildings were covered in California-like architecture. […]
Lailaa Bashir: Star Athlete
by August Harp Photo above of Lailaa Bashir by Kelsee Ford Game. The amount of time between when Lailaa Bashir was born and the first time she fell in love with tennis: 1460 days. How long it took Bashir to knock off her first opponent in the qualifiers for the Southern Regional tournament in 2011: […]
Minia Johnson: A Long Journey
by Kenytta Brown Photo above of Minia Johnson by Kelsee Ford On May 3, 2009, Minia Johnson’s godmother, Classy Victor, woke her up and said, “Get in the car. It’s time to go.” On their way from Picayune, Miss., riding inside a white Cadillac heading on their way home at 11 p.m. Suddenly, two cars […]
Aja Purvis: A Free Spirit and Writer
by Chauncey Nettles Photo of Aja Purvis by Kelsee Ford It was around 10:15 a.m. on a Tuesday at Murrah High School. Aja Purvis sat at her desk closest to the wall. She was nervous and impatient about getting her essay back. She had worked so hard on her grammar and spelling the night before, […]
Meche Leflore: Talking for a Living
by Ariyana Jones Photo of Meché Leflore by Kelsee Ford “Oh Lord, I wonder what they are going to say about her this time,” Meché Leflore’s mother, Paula Sharp, thought with a sigh as she pulled up to the auburn building of Davis Magnet IB Elementary School in downtown Jackson. Her heart pounded as she walked […]
