Now You're Talking with Marshall Ramsey

As the blackest state in the nation, it is imperative that Mississippians observe Black History Month. This February, we wanted to sit down with some guests that can speak to how contributions from Black people have shaped and improved our state and we have definitely accomplished that this morning. Omo Moses, son of Bob Moses, and Frank Figgers are on the line today. Two men that know a thing or two about Civil Rights and Mississippi, both gentlemen have served in the Young People Project in Jackson, Mississippi.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.

We like to discuss stories on this show, and today’s topic may be a part of your story in some way as it is so many others. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is bringing a free conference to Mississippi this will allow participants to learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, caregiving, and legal and long-term care planning- the latter of which is why Richard Courtney is in the building. Richard is a Certified Elder Law Attorney and the Principal of Courtney Elder Law Associates PLLC, and he’s sitting down with us to discuss his own journey with the disease and why this event could help so many in our state.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.

Today I’m sitting down with a man that loves Mississippi and loves the ecosystems it has helped develop. Davy Murrah is the son of Herman Murrah, who lived his entire life on the banks and in the swamp surrounding this river in southeast Mississippi. His book Watershed: Herman Murrah and the Pascagoula River Swamp recounts pivotal moments in Herman’s life and in Mississippi’s conservation history more broadly. In this book, Davy details the adventures that continue to inspire young conservationists in the fight to protect our remaining natural ecosystems.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.

Our guest today is author and political mind Bill Crawford, a Canton native that has served as a daily newspaper reporter, a statewide political campaign operative, and an IHL Board leader over the years. A graduate of Millsaps and Mississippi State, Bill is Mississippi to the bone and knows a thing or two about the political history and tendencies of the Magnolia State. He’s here to talk about his recent book, A Republican's Lament, in which Crawford weaves a unique and eventful story about his home state’s enduring dilemmas and a clarion call for its better possibilities.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.

Happy New Year! We’re doing things a bit differently today and sharing some of our favorite moments from 2024 with you. Join me and my producer Lacey Alexander as we talk about some highlights from the past year!Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.

Joe Lee has a background in radio, television, and journalism and was a radio disc jockey and a television weatherman before becoming a full-time writer and publisher. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Dogwood Press, a small but traditional publishing house headquartered in Brandon, Mississippi, and he is the author of nine suspense novels set in northeast Mississippi and a pair of non-fiction books released earlier this year. He has over 1,000 non-fiction news and feature stories to his credit and has written for several Mississippi newspapers and magazines over the years. He lives in Brandon with his family.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award. 

If you’re looking to see some cool stuff and learn about our state’s history, consider the Museum of the Mississippi Delta. Director Lisa Cookston joins us via Zoom today to talk about the museum, which at the crossroads of regional history and art. Located in Greenwood, the building houses visual reminders of the Delta’s military and agricultural history. Lisa is New Orleans-born but Greenwood-raised, and in addition to talking about the museum will fill us in on her story and why she’s so proud to call Mississippi home.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award. 

What do you say we kick off the month of December chatting about Christmas play? Arts educator and friend to many William “Peppy” Biddy is back in town to direct “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” at New Stage theatre in Jackson. Peppy is a professor emeritus of Mississippi University for Women where he served 31 years and directed over 40 productions. During his tenure at “The W”, he received a plethora of honors including the Lowndes County Educator of the Year Award. His current project is Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, a festive and electrifying musical by Colin Escott, that will take the stage December 4 – 22.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award. 

This episode is produced in loving memory of Maggie Hurley, Marshall's mother-in-law and dear friend, who passed the day before this show was recorded.If you haven’t heard by now, a massive music festival has decided to make our capitol city its host for the next few years. The 82nd National Folk Festival will take place in downtown Jackson, Mississippi November 7-9, 2025 but with a kickoff event having gone by and plenty of media coverage the hype is starting early. First presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival is the flagship event of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and celebrates the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Here to tell us more is NCTA executive director Blaine Waide and Department Chair of English at Jackson State University, Dr. Ebony Lumumba.Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized, Emmy award winning editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today's Editor-At-Large. He's also host of a "Now You're Talking" on MPB Think Radio and "Conversations" on MPB TV, and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.