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It's the end of my first year as a professional journalist! COVID-19 threw the biggest wrench ever, but it's still a huge milestone for me so I'm making a thread of some of my favorite articles of the year.
I was nervous to pitch this being fresh out of college and new to Mississippi. Social justice kind of stays in the background for me so I thought why not write about Mississippi Prides in honor of Stonewall’s 50th anniversary: https://www.djournal.com/news/north-mississippi-prides-reflect-on-their-history-impact-of-stonewall/article_11c0cea6-8bc5-56a6-b6cb-60c370ef7ceb.html
This article taught me what we take for granted in small towns can be part of a larger system. Growing up in a small town, it felt very familiar to only have a few grocery stores in place, but the role that plays into food security is significant: https://www.djournal.com/news/rural-groceries-fill-need-face-struggles/article_28e31c40-83f2-5232-b235-e7f1f260c029.html
This stretched me as a journalist and writer. It taught me that as much as journalism is go, go, go, sometimes you have to listen to the background and see what came before you. (It’s also the article that helped me earn my first professional AP award): https://www.djournal.com/news/whether-or-immigration-raids-leave-lasting-impact/article_7d4c97fc-ab3a-5c93-9ee0-374d1511ec3e.html
This was one of a series of articles I wrote about native Mississippians working to make Mississippi a better place. I enjoyed talking to people about what inspires their activism and the impact they hope to leave: https://www.djournal.com/news/leah-davis-tupelo-native-charts-path-toward-progress-at-state/article_effc1df8-4845-5a9f-b5fe-57a3e038cd69.html
There’s a lot of history in Holly Springs (home of Ida B. Wells, for one), and this article hit on a part of history foks still don’t like talking about - slavery. It was an honor to write it: https://www.djournal.com/news/tracing-the-imprint-of-slavery-in-marshall-county/article_afd3ba83-d6d5-51e3-8642-63f2d4c3cf52.html
This is another article that was an honor to write. The 1970 Fulton Chapel Protest was a historic turning point in Ole Miss’s history. Talking with these three men, and also covering part of the 50th commemoration, was like witnessing walking history: https://www.djournal.com/news/local/three-of-ole-miss-eight-reflect-on-impact-of-black-power-protest-50-years-later/article_c6cd1a64-ecd7-5778-a2c8-3751824a3c47.html
It wouldn’t be a true year round-up if I didn’t talk about COVID-19. This article wasn’t easy to write, because I wanted to focus on how COVID-19’s impact on Black people by talking with people who were seeing it firsthand: https://www.djournal.com/news/unequal-impact-black-northeast-mississippians-discuss-impact-of-covid-19-within-their-communities/article_5f81ed57-56f5-5d67-9293-aee5e290ede6.html
Here’s a more recent article I have written about the role mutual aid networks are playing in the COVID-19 response: https://www.djournal.com/news/northeast-mississippi-mutual-aid-networks-builds-community-ties-to-address-pandemic-needs/article_c3ba276f-6889-5f80-8ba8-94e34d6e25f5.html
I wrote waaaay more articles that I love and am proud of. I am grateful for what I’ve been able to do so far. Here’s to hoping this next year is full of growth, bravery and maybe finally getting past imposter syndrome.
