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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

“There are as many ways to be creative as there are Muppets. And there are a lot of Muppets.” —Kermit the Frog

“The mind of a child is a beginner’s mind.” —Kermit the Frog

“It’s cute, honey, but it’s not marketable.” —Jill Conner Browne

“We in Mississippi know that we have the power in our voices.” —Melody Moody Thortis

“Yes, I am a recovering politician.” —Joe Reardon

“By freeing ourselves from the traditional cultural boundaries. … we can engage the world in a new way. We’re redefining what success means for archaeology.” —George Bey

“If we want to make the change that we want to see, then we have to show the demand, and we have to ask our elected officials and city leaders to change that from the top down.” —Melody Moody

“I believe (the rhythm of the blues) connects all human beings, regardless of what the culture of their country is, not matter where they’re from, and when this rhythm is put to song, everyone can identify with that regardless of the language they speak.” —Vasti Jackson

“I’m just gonna let y’all know that, as far as diet is concerned, if you don’t love yourself inside, there is no diet on this Earth that is going to make your behind small enough for you to feel good, so just stop wasting your time.” —Sarah Jones, “What Does the Future Hold?” TED Talk

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.