Have you ever read a story that makes you sit in silence for a moment? One that feels like a punch to the gut? As a mother of two young Black men, one in his second year of college and the other navigating adulthood, the death of Trey Reed was that story for me.
Trey Reed was a 21-year-old college student at Delta State University. Full of hope. Full of life. Found hanging on his campus. His family left with grief, questions and a silence from officials that no parent deserves.
When our investigative reporter Nick Judin started digging deeper into Trey’s story, I immediately thought of my own sons, especially my 19-year-old baby boy, who’s currently in college, just beginning to experience life. I thought about how that could have been him. And I couldn’t ignore the reality that young Black men are too often unseen, unheard and their stories brushed aside.
Trey was somebody’s baby. Somebody’s joy. Somebody’s whole heart walking around in the world. Just like my sons. Just like your children. Just like someone you love.
I challenge you to pause for a moment as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, or simply a member of this community, and ask yourself: If this were my child, how would I want their story to be told? How hard would I want the press to push? How desperately would I need answers?
Trey’s parents deserved more than a headline. They deserved clarity, truth and transparency. And our community deserved honest reporting—not speculation, not rumors, not silence.
That’s why the Mississippi Free Press did what we always do: We dug deeper, asked harder questions, built a full timeline, and refused to let this story or any urgent story we cover disappear into the shadows.
Not for clicks. Not for attention. But because truth is a form of care, and accountability is a form of justice. As a community, we deserve this kind of journalism.
Right now, every dollar you give to the Mississippi Free Press is matched. Your gift strengthens a newsroom that refuses to look away.
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.