Oren D’Lonte Anderson was only 22 when he died from gunfire in South Jackson in late 2020 during a December spike of both COVID-19 and homicides in Mississippi’s capital city. His mother Shannon Anderson believed he was on the path to succeeding in life although he suffered from an under-treated mental illness.
DeAnna Tisdale Johnson
Since the beginning of the pandemic, DeAnna Tisdale Johnson has stepped into the role of publisher of her family legacy, the Jackson Advocate. Since March 2020, she has led the publication to once again become an award-winning newspaper with a new logo and website to boot. She is a Jackson native, graduating from Murrah High School and Tougaloo College. She is also classically trained in vocal performance, and, though she’s never broken a glass, she’s known to still hit a high note or two.

