I had a college professor tell me once, “Remember, you are changing your generation and the generations of the people around you.” Those words are so true and are still relevant in my life today. In fact, that professor was living proof of that statement by changing my life with mentoring, advising, and pushing me to be better. It was not just that one professor, of course. There were (and still are) many people who continually wanted to invest in me as I grew up here. My father and mother met at Lambuth University, but my dad was not in school there.

Pioneers in Reconciliation

The year was 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Jackson City Hall had separate drinking fountains for "colored" people and "white" people, and Union University and Lane College were still neighbors downtown.It was a crisp fall night in the middle of basketball season. Camille Long was one of only four African-Americans in the bleachers of the Union University gym, including the fellow Lane College student she'd dragged with her.

Stay 731: Familiarity

Familiarity. That would be the first word that comes to mind when I think about why my wife and I stayed in Jackson following our marriage. For one, I was still enrolled at the University of Memphis and taking night classes at the old Lambuth campus. I was also in my third year of working at Green Frog Coffee Company, and my wife had gotten a job at Union after graduating from there.

Hidden Pages of Jackson: Local Library Guide

I remember standing there looking at the thousands of books that lined the University of Memphis library. French literature, Biblical history, new theories in neurology, African American authors, North American archeology; all of these and much more laid before my eyes. I was truly overwhelmed. Thankfully, I am not the only one to feel the very existential tingle that shoots through my mind when I think of a good book. There is some strange power in a book.

A.M. Creative Recap: Lendon Noe

In light of tomorrow's A.M. Creative gathering at theCO—a monthly group meet-up organized for (and by) makers, dreamers, and those who appreciate stories of inspiration to share about what they are creating and to encourage others to come alongside them—we recall September’s event with the illustrious Lendon Noe and her anecdotes on a couple of exciting future projects, the ever-important role of artists’ civic responsibilities, and more.