Making Room for Mississippi

What began as an idea to celebrate Mississippi has grown into something I can now see, hold, and share in ways I had not imagined.

Unapologetically Mississippi began as a thought, an idea to make room for

stories about Mississippi and the people who call it home. I knew what I wanted to create, but I had not anticipated how quickly other people would begin to see a place for themselves in it.

People started sending nominations and sharing the stories behind the people they wanted recognized. With each conversation, I became more aware of what people were entrusting to me. These were not simply names and accomplishments. They were pieces of people’s lives, and I wanted to tell them with the care they deserved.

As the weeks passed, I began to notice something else.

"Unapologetically Mississippi" was no longer just an idea I was shaping on my own. People were reading the profiles, sharing them, recommending others, and asking what was coming next. The responses made me look at the project differently because they have shown that people find something familiar in it.

I am now developing the first pieces of Unapologetically Mississippi merchandise, and seeing the name on a shirt has given the idea a different kind of presence. A few weeks ago, this existed mostly in my head and on a page. Now I can see the beginnings of what it may become.

I do not know exactly where Unapologetically Mississippi will lead, and I am comfortable with that. What I do know is that I am grateful for the people who have trusted me with their stories and for those who have taken the time to read, share, and recommend someone else.

Mississippi gave me the story, and I am simply making room for us to tell it.