Stewpot Community Services board members Bernie Butts, Amy Brooks and Ken Brooks (L-R) attended the Taste of Mississippi preview event at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Local restaurants provided the food at the Taste of Mississippi preview event the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Jackie McCullough and Yvette Jaceque (L-R) attended the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Shamberi Horton and Rhonda Tomlin (L-R) pose together at the Taste of Mississippi preview event at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Attendees got to enjoy wine at the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Spectrum performs at the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Shirley Trigg attended the Taste of Mississippi preview part at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Attendees enjoyed cake at the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Nina Washington attended the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Michelle Bingham and Rachel James Terry attended the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Bobby and Georgianna Keenum attended the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.
Darryl and LaSonya Drake; Kenny and Jessica Wilson (L-R) attended the Taste of Mississippi preview party at the Arts Center of Mississippi on March 17, 2016.

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.