MFP Live Podcast Mississippi Free Press

On this special episode of MFP Live, young Mississippians discuss what racial healing looks like in Mississippi on the 7th annual W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Day of Racial Healing. 

Within the conversation, panelists discussed the individual work that they have been doing within Mississippi along with discussing the issues that they are currently working on to make Mississippi a better place for all. 

The moderator was Arielle Hudson and the panelists include Tyler Yarbrough, Leah Davis, Jordan Jefferson, Maisie Brown and Jarrius Adams. 

W.K. Kellogg Foundation provides support for the Mississippi Free Press, and Donna Ladd is a former Community Leadership Network Fellow for Mississippi.

On this episode of MFP Live, Donna Ladd and Kimberly Griffin talk to Rhea Williams-Bishop, of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Von Gordon of the Alluvial Collective.

They discussed the recent 7th annual W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Day of Racial Healing. They also discussed the power in creating space to hold conversations to help further various communities and societies. 

Rhea is a three-time graduate of Jackson State University where she earned an undergraduate degree in Urban Affairs, a Masters in Public Policy and a doctorate in philosophy in educational leadership. Rhea was raised in Carthage, Mississippi.

Von is a graduate of University of Mississippi where he was a student leader and helped organize the first statewide summit on race. He served as a founding board member of the Winter Institute and the only student representative. He is a member of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation provides support for the Mississippi Free Press, and Donna Ladd is a former Community Leadership Network Fellow for Mississippi.

On this episode of MFP Live, Donna Ladd and Kimberly Griffin talk to Keith Beauchamp, Deborah Watts and Jaribu Hill about “Till”, the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s endless pursuit of justice for her son Emmett Till. 

They discussed the exciting journey of creating the film based on Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight for justice as well as the recent discoveries that was made within the Emmett Till case. They also discussed the ongoing work of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and their commitment to getting justice for Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till. 

Keith Beauchamp is a filmmaker, co-writer and producer of the feature film “Till”. Keith has been featured on a number of broadcasts and publications including “60 Minutes”, ABC World News Tonight, Associated Press,    and Jackson Free Press. Keith’s documentary “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” was a major factor in the decision to reopening the murder case back in 2004.  Keith is a member of The Mississippi Free Press Advisory Board. 

Deborah Watts is an author, motivational speaker, co-founder of Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and the cousin of Emmett Till. She has been featured in a number of broadcasts and publications including Black Enterprise, Essence, and MSNBC. Deborah is also the first African American woman to represent Minnesota’s third congressional district as a 2004 candidate for Congress in the United States House of Representatives.

Jaribu Hill is an author, civil and human rights attorney. She is the founder and executive director of the Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights. She is the author of Knowledge is Power—A Know Your Rights Manual and co-author of The Black College Guide. she  has appeared on various TV and Radio programs, including TV One’s acclaimed series: Murder in Black and White. She also  serves on Mississippi’s Access to Justice Commission and hosts “Talking Rights With Jaribu”, a weekly radio program on WDSV 91.9 FM.

On this episode of MFP Live, Kimberly Griffin and Azia Wiggins talk to Dr. Byron D’Andra Orey, political science professor at Jackson State University.

They discussed the various forms of voter suppression in Mississippi along with the complexities of Mississippi politics. They also discussed redlining and redistricting and their lasting effects in Mississippi. 

Dr. Orey is a Jackson, Mississippi native. He has earned his  PhD from the University of New Orleans in Political Science. He has a masters in political science from State University of New York at Stony Brook, a masters of public administration from University of Mississippi and bachelor of science in business administration from Mississippi Valley State University.

On this episode of MFP Live, Kimberly Griffin and Azia Wiggins speak to Kanika Welch, executive director of The Bean Path, and Anik Kurkjian, the organization's director of STEAM and their newly opened Makerspace. 

They discussed The Bean Path and the ever-growing impact that the tech literacy organization is making within the Jackson community through their Makerspace and STEAM-inspired programming. They also discussed their plans for furthering the Jackson Tech District and providing space for local talent to flourish. 

Kanika is a Jackson, Mississippi native and graduate of Alcorn State University. Anik is from the United Kingdom and graduated from the University of Brighton.

On this episode of MFP Live, Donna Ladd and Kimberly Griffin speak to journalist, filmmaker and teacher Ellen Ann Fentress. 
    
They discussed Ellen Ann’s years as a student at Pillow Academy, a segregation academy near Greenwood, Mississippi, and how she came to terms with her time there and the way it shaped her. They also discussed how a reflection essay written in 2019 led her to create "The Academy Stories," an online forum examining segregation academies’ impact on their recent and past graduates. 

Ellen Ann is a native of Greenwood, Mississippi. As a journalist, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Oxford American, The Bitter Southerner, The Baffler and Mississippi Public Broadcasting.