Today, we're talking to Brad Kamikaze Franklin, the founder of Jackson Indie Music Week, a seven-day music festival that celebrates independent music in Jackson, Mississippi. The conversation covers the origins of the event, its growth and impact, and the recognition of Visit Jackson's contributions to the independent music scene.

Kaegan Sparks, the new curator at the Mississippi Museum of Art, talks to us about the significance of their latest exhibition - the final stop on a multi-state tour that focuses on the landscapes of an artist that everyone knows - Pablo Picasso.

On this episode, we talk with Chief Anu Amen-Ra – the Sartorial Tobacconist and Season 4 host of Dirty Napkins – to learn how one man shares his family legacy while finding a career in doing something he truly loves.

Eudora's Mississippi Brasserie operating partner, Tyler Alford, explores the origins of his unapologetically fine dining establishment and gives us a background on where he's been and the experience he's bringing to the City with Soul's culinary landscape.

https://eudoras.com/

Transcript: https://www.visitjackson.com/blog/soul-sessions-tyler-alford-eudoras

The Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival, celebrating 50 years since its inception in 1973, is set to take place at Jackson State University. The festival was originally organized by poet Margaret Walker and brought together 30 leading black female authors. The event aimed to celebrate Black women writers and pay homage to Wheatley, the first Black woman to publish a book of poetry in the United States. The festival continues to honor Walker's legacy and will feature both established and emerging Black women writers. Dr. Ebony Lumumba is our guest and hopes to showcase the beauty and creativity of Jackson, Mississippi, and its people during the festival.

Today on our show, Dr. Clay Hays, President of Jackson Heart Clinic and Vice Chair of the Jackson Heart Foundation was one of the people instrumental in bringing about the Museum Trail and pushing for its expansion, like this month's Waterworks Connector in the Waterworks Curve.

Today, we’re talking with Chris Goodwin, the special projects manager for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. He's the man behind History is Lunch and other fascinating programs. And, we've been planning this for so long that Chris has just added more to his plate.

Today, we've freshened up and episode - a conversation my colleague Yolanda Clay-Moore has a conversation with the 22nd head coach of the Jackson State University Tigers, TC Taylor. Coach Taylor talks about his lifelong preparation for the job and he recruits players and coaches for the team. And to say the coach understands the gravity of the big shoes he's filling, all that might be an understatement.

Today we're talking WellsFest, the annual family-friendly, alcohol-free event, with food, kids' fun, and a full day of local music. Each year, a local organization benefits from this fundraiser. I'm talking to Robert Langford today, Executive Director of Operation Shoestring, this year's WellsFest charity.

Today on this special edition of the show, we talk to Andrea Patterson about the Mississippi Science Fest weekend, September 14 through 16.