Category: Expat - boom jackson

Chandler Griffin, Storyteller

12/12/2019

by Richard Coupe

Jackson native Chandler Griffin owns and operates Barefoot Workshops and Blue Magnolia Films, both of which teach participants the skills needed for filmmaking and photography so that they can tell their own stories. Photo courtesy Austin Britt

"I've done everything from teaching Dalits how to tell stories to running a workshop in Malaysia with kids who are deaf but want to tell their stories," filmmaker Chandler Griffin says about his career to date. Dalits are members of a lower-caste group in India. "My work is based on always thinking how to make storytelling more accessible."

Faith Simone Thigpen

3/6/2019

by Armani T. Fryer

Former Dancing Doll Faith Simone Thigpen eventually wants to bring her talents back to Jackson and open dance studios in the area. Photo by Maranda Joiner

Those who follow the TV series "Bring It!"—a show about the Dancing Dolls, a Jackson dance group—will likely recognize the name Faith Simone Thigpen.

From APAC to Amazon

6/5/2018

by Todd Stauffer

Nashlie Sephus and Ivan Walker, both Murrah High School graduates, are making their high-tech mark in Atlanta. Photo courtesy Nashlie Sephus and Ivan Walker

Nashlie Sephus and Ivan Walker knew each other at Siwell Middle School in sixth grade, but were surprised when they both got into Academic and Performing Arts Complex. or APAC, programs and ended up at Peeples Middle School for the seventh grade. Walker was particularly chagrinned with Sephus.

One Bold Step

3/7/2018

by ShaCamree Gowdy

Duvalier Malone, a Mississippi native now based in Washington, D.C., uses his voice and position as a political columnist to inspire and initiate change in his home state and the nation in general. Photo courtesy Duvalier Malone

Duvalier Malone may no longer live in his home state of Mississippi, but the impact it has had on his life and his work is with him forever.

Of Oprah, Obama and Ordinary Folk

12/7/2017

by Amber Helsel

Lottie Joiner says her favorite parts of journalism are being able to be a fly on the wall and to also get the chance to tell other people’s stories. “You learn so much when you interview people,” she says. Photo courtesy Anna Carson Dewitt

While growing up in Jackson, journalist Lottie Joiner admired Mississippi native Oprah Winfrey and says she wanted to be like her. "I wanted to be a reporter," she says. "I always liked to write, but watching Oprah when you're young, and you know, she had a daily talk show."

Bartender Turned World Traveler

8/30/2017

by Abigail Walker

Over the past year, Jackson resident and former Saltine Oyster Bar bartender Eli Juren has been traveling to various parts of the world, including the village of Huacachina in Peru, where he sandboarded. Photo courtesy of Eli Juren

Eli Juren, 23, spent more than two years serving up drinks as a bartender at Saltine Oyster Bar in Fondren. But over the last few months, the Austin, Texas, native has turned world explorer, doing everything from sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru, to visiting the Taj Mahal.

Silver Screen at 15

6/1/2017

by Micah Smith

Actor Kylen Davis, who grew up in Jackson, has a a recurring role on the event-series crime drama “Shots Fired” on FOX. Photo courtesy Jackson Beals

At 15 years old, Kylen Davis already has a more impressive resume than many movie-industry professionals. The Hattiesburg-born actor has scored small roles in several major motion pictures, locally filmed projects and big-budget blockbusters alike, over the past four years.

Silver's Mississippi Spin

3/8/2017

by Micah Smith

Mississippi-born singer Deborah Silver released her latest album, “The Gold Standards,” in September 2016. Photo courtesy Fadil Berisha

Fans of singer Deborah Silver's 2016 album, "The Gold Standards," a chart-topping tribute to the Great American Songbook, might be surprised to learn that the soulful vocalist wasn't raised in the Hollywood hills, as some would guess from the album's classic style. Instead, she spent her youth in Mississippi, first in the Delta, then Jackson.

Los Angeles Dreamin’

12/14/2016

by Micah Smith

After Maurice Smith lost his job in 2008, he decided to pursue music full-time. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam

Jackson native Maurice Smith says developing a love of music was unavoidable after growing up in a big family with musicians on both sides. With drummers and pianists on his mother's side and singers on his father's side, Smith and his siblings had a none-too-subtle push toward music from a young age.