Thread by @Danny_McArthur_, It's the end of my first year as a professional journalist! COVID-19 [...]

It& #39;s the end of my first year as a professional journalist! COVID-19 threw the biggest wrench ever, but it& #39;s still a huge milestone for me so I& #39;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">https://www.djournal.com/news/nort...

North Mississippi prides reflect on their history, impact of Stonewall

TUPELO • Fifty years ago in Greenwich, New York, a group of LGBT bar attendees turned into activists as they decided to fight back against police harassment. Those initial Stonewall

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/rura...

Rural groceries fill need, face struggles

SHANNON • After Shannon’s only grocery store closed in early September, local resident Jennifer Watts felt the loss of the long-time community staple “like a death in the family.”

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/whet...

Whether 2008 or 2019, immigration raids leave lasting impact

The day Immigration and Customs enforcement came to town, Cesar Cabrera’s mother took him out of school. It was 2008, and he was in the seventh grade.

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/leah...

Leah Davis: Tupelo native charts path toward progress at state's flagship university

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of three articles highlighting the efforts of women working to impact and improve their hometowns, schools and wider regions. Whether they

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/trac...

Tracing the imprint of slavery in Marshall County

HOLLY SPRINGS • It all started when a culvert needed repair.

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/loca...

Three of "Ole Miss Eight" reflect on impact of Black Power protest 50 years later

Oxford • The Feb. 25, 1970 protest at the University of Mississippi wasn’t supposed to be the signature protest for the Ole Miss Black Power movement; it was simply the

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/uneq...

Unequal impact: Black Northeast Mississippians discuss impact of COVID-19 within their communities

On March 21, less than two months after the death of his wife, L.C. Conner was not feeling well and told his son so.

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">https://www.djournal.com/news/nort...

Northeast Mississippi mutual aid networks builds community ties to address pandemic needs

TUPELO • Mutual aid projects in Northeast Mississippi are rallying for communities to take care of each other’s needs during the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

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