Real Mississippi

Our state of Mississippi is second highest for human trafficking rates in the nation! We are the poorest state, and limits to healthcare and education in most parts of the state create vulnerability that traffickers can take advantage of. We have great programs in our state working to stop trafficking, as well as provide resources to victims. While trafficking is a global issue, it is important to do what we can right here in Mississippi to help!

Throughout modern history, Mississippi artists have worked to revolutionize the media’s portrayal of the Magnolia State. Born in Mississippi, artists we consider “The Greats” like Elvis Presley, Eudora Welty, and Walter Anderson have each contributed to the fight against Mississippi's stigma. Today, talented artists across Mississippi have a different problem: artificial intelligence (AI). With the introduction of AI, how we create, view, and value art has changed. Though AI is revolutionizing our world, it cannot replace the artist's role of exploring Mississippi with a new perspective. This episode of the Real Mississippi is written, produced, and hosted by Margaret Parker and Bea Storment. 

 Lawns may not be as “green” as they seem. Revealed in "These Roots in Mississippi," a podcast written and recorded by Zander Dennison and Jett Woods focused on the negative impact of traditional lawn care. In this podcast we unveil the horrors of invasive species, pesticide runoff, and lawn mowing. We offer insight from figures such as botanist Michael Dodson and personal local accounts. And most importantly we offer solutions and alternatives to better root your lawn into Mississippi’s soil. 

The Tombigbee River is a major transportation avenue that runs through the South. It has altered American history, created the foundations of major towns like Columbus, Mississippi, and is the site of the largest civil works project ever constructed in the United States. Despite this, for many in Columbus, Mississippi, it plays a minor role in their life and some have never heard of it. Learn to appreciate The Tombigbee through jazz, heartwarming chats with Columbus locals, and a deep dive into the legacy of rivers.

Cleveland, Mississippi is known for many things, among them a desegregation case decades after Brown vs. Board. Education in Cleveland, Mississippi, was forever changed in 2016 when the U.S. District Court consolidated two high schools. With so many positive and negative aspects arising after the consolidation, Cleveland students, parents, and teachers ask: Was the consolidation a good idea? And is white flight to private schools representing inevitable segregation? Writer Adair Gaines and producer Jose Brevil explore these questions and what they mean in context to Cleveland.

This podcast shares viewpoints on the many “lack of” statements discussed by local residents from the rural area of Cleveland, MS and the small town of Columbus,

From expired milk and soggy pizza to bland pasta and

Hurricanes regularly hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, resulting in many homes being destroyed, yet people continue to build more and more houses on the coast. These homes are also built out of weak materials such as wood that is easily destroyed by hurricanes; this has also resulted in ever-high insurance prices that many homeowners can’t afford, which leaves them homeless. This podcast is meant to be a warning and advice for living right next to the beach it is not to be a discouragement of living in/near the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

From tainted taps to unappealing pay, young adults in Mississippi often find it hard to defend a place where

Oysters have been an essential part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Environmentally and financially, oysters are one of the most important organisms on the Gulf Coast. However, in recent years, oyster populations have been rapidly declining due to hurricanes, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the Bonnet Carré Spillway way. Written and produced by Teddy Lai.