I celebrated my birthday last week on June 2, and like most birthdays, it came with a quiet moment of reflection that I wasn’t expecting.
Birthdays have a way of making us stop and take inventory. We think about where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, the people who have walked beside us and the kind of future we hope to leave behind. There’s something about marking another year of life that pulls us away from the noise of the everyday and invites us to ask the questions that really matter.
As I reflected this year, I found myself thinking less about gifts and more about gratitude. That shift surprised me a little, but the more I sat with it, the more it made sense. Gratitude has a way of clarifying what we truly value. Those are the things that no birthday candle or wrapped box could ever fully represent.
I am grateful for my family. Grateful for another year of life. Grateful for the people who have encouraged me, challenged me, and helped shape who I am. And with all of that, there’s a deep and genuine thankfulness for the work we do every day at the Mississippi Free Press and for the community of readers and supporters who make that work possible.
Every day, I get to witness something extraordinary. I see reporters spend hours, days, months and sometimes years pursuing the truth. I see our team travel Mississippi’s back roads and main streets, listening to people whose voices are too often overlooked. I see journalism that puts people over power and communities over politics. Most importantly, I see the impact that trustworthy reporting can have when it reaches people who need it.
In a time when trust feels increasingly fragile, that work has never been more important. The stories we tell, the facts we verify, the communities we serve—all of it is a quiet act of faith in the idea that truth still has no power to change things.
Over the last several years, our Trusted Elections reporting has become one of the most important ways we serve Mississippi. Our goal is not to tell people what to think or who to vote for. Instead, we focus on providing clear, factual, nonpartisan information that helps people understand the issues, navigate changes to election laws, find their polling places, understand redistricting and participate confidently in our democracy. Reliable reporting is a lifeline.
We believe voting should not be confusing, and we believe facts should not be partisan. Every Mississippian deserves access to trustworthy information, regardless of where they live, what they believe, or how much money they have. When people have access to reliable information, they are better equipped to make decisions for themselves and engage meaningfully in their communities.
At the Mississippi Free Press, we keep that information free because we believe access to trusted local news should never depend on someone’s ability to pay. We believe an informed community is a stronger community, and we are committed to making sure no Mississippian is left out of that promise because of their zip code or their bank account.
Free Press journalism is not free to produce. Behind every election guide, every accountability story, every explainer and voter resource is a team of journalists, editors and designers working tirelessly to make sure Mississippians have the information they need to make decisions for themselves. That team shows up every day because they believe in this mission and that belief deserves to be sustained and supported.
That work is only possible because people like you choose to support it. Your decision to invest in local journalism is not a small thing. It is a vote of confidence in the idea that truth matters, that communities deserve to be informed and that independent journalism is worth protecting.
So this year, a week after my birthday, I have one simple request. If you believe that everyone deserves access to trusted local news, if you believe facts still matter and if you believe democracy is stronger when people are informed, will you make a gift today to support the Mississippi Free Press?
Your contribution helps fund accountability journalism, Systemic Reporting, Trusted Election coverage and community-rooted reporting across Mississippi’s 82 counties. Every dollar goes toward keeping that promise alive and making sure our work can reach every corner of this state.
Please make a gift today. Right now, your gift is matched thanks to Ellen Morris Prewitt.
And if you’d like to see the election resources your support makes possible, visit our Trusted Elections coverage.
As I begin another year of life, I am reminded that the things that matter most are rarely the things we can hold in our hands. Trust, truth, community and democracy are not guaranteed. They are built, strengthened and protected by people who care enough to invest in them.
Thank you for helping us make truth shine across Mississippi and beyond and for supporting journalism that serves the public good.
Mississippi Free Press stories are always free because we believe everyone should have access to quality journalism. Donations from readers like you make that possible. Please click here to give to help sustain and grow vital, people-over-power journalism for Mississippians.
Readers can sign up for our free newsletters here.
