As her videographer glided across the stage, Meridian, Mississippi, native Hayley Williams followed the camera’s movements, looking into the lens as she sang a full set for the audience of thousands who filled the BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove in Southaven, Mississippi, on Monday night. Having just finished a performance in New Orleans two days before, Williams, known for being the lead singer of Paramore, stopped in DeSoto County to deliver her first concert in her home state.
Fellow artists Rico Nasty and Magdalena Bay opened for Williams, energizing the crowd ahead of her 90-minute set, which featured a duet by Mississippi natives Big K.R.I.T. and KIRBY. The former is from Meridian, same as Williams, while KIRBY is from Southaven, the city that hosted the concert.
My partner Hannah has been a big fan of Paramore’s and Williams’ since well before we met nearly nine years ago, so as a mid-semester pick-me-up, I drove the 4.5 hours it took to get there from Hattiesburg on Monday before sundown. I’m not especially versed in the world of music, so I admittedly did not know the words to anyone’s songs, but it brought me joy to watch Hannah dance and shout-sing to their favorite tracks. And I did my best to clumsily groove along, bouncing my knee and swaying my shoulders.
I even ran to my friend Kris, whom I hadn’t seen since my wedding in 2023. He and his wife were in the same row of seats; what a fun surprise to precede a fun show.
Between songs, Williams—known for being outspoken in her stances on sociopolitical issues—emphatically projected a few messages from the amphitheater’s speakers, ones that touch on topics that long-time Mississippi Free Press readers will recognize.
“F-ck ICE.”
“Free Palestine.”
“The greatest threat to our democracy is Christian nationalism.”
“Justice for Nolan Wells.”
Not every Mississippian agrees on these hot-button issues, obviously, and Williams herself faces online scrutiny at times from those who consider phrases like that to be performative or misinformed. Listen, I myself have no clue what lies in her heart, but as all of us who stayed until the finale filed out of the stadium in a Snake-like fashion (marching down the winding ramps), I reflected on the fact that she decided to say such nationally controversial things in a setting where many were listening.
That night, Williams held a microphone, and she used it to address topics that she believes matter.
When I first began writing editor’s notes with the Free Press, I was extremely hesitant to speak on divisive issues. Generally speaking, I am a nonconfrontational person, and I prefer to play peacemaker and to lean on diplomacy when applicable. I was not prepared to receive backlash from my more progressive opinions knowing that I lived in a largely conservative state. But somewhere along the way, some of my stances that, to me, felt like lukewarm takes (as opposed to hot takes) came to be considered controversial.
At some point, I realized I needed to show some courage and be willing to share my perspectives, for better or worse. After reading several months’ worth of CEO and Executive Editor Donna Ladd’s unapologetic editor’s notes, I realized that having an audience, in this case a readership, means that we in the news and editorial profession sometimes have a responsibility to informatively speak on things we decide matter. I still try to be delicate and mindful when writing, but remaining passive and refusing to use my voice when circumstances have given me a proverbial microphone would feel like a disservice now.
On the individual level, we all have microphones. No, we don’t all have audiences as large as a stadium or a mailing list, but we have people who pay attention to the messages we share. We have platforms. So, I encourage anyone to respectfully use their voice (when appropriate)—be it within their church, workplace, bookclub, bowling league or household. We should take care that our opinions are informed and based in fact, and we should be considerate of time and place. But beyond that, we never know when our outspokenness can change hearts or motivate others to be vocal in return.
I promise I didn’t start this draft planning on plugging our MFP Voices section, but for anyone ready to pick up the mic, our publication does specifically allow Mississippians of all backgrounds a place for their own voices to be heard. Consider submitting an op-ed about topics that affect Mississippians. Be an activist for what you believe in. Whether you have years of writing experience or are just now typing up your thoughts for the first time, Assistant Editor Kevin Edwards can help get your opinion column into shape and ready for publication. See the tagline below for more information.
Grab the mic, Mississippi.
This MFP Voices opinion essay reflects the personal opinion of its author(s). The column does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.
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