Community

Denaya Conley: Move to Tupelo Working Out Well For New Physician

Even as a child, Denaya Conley has always had the desire to help her fellow man. Combining her passions, she found a way to do what she loves while helping those who need it the most. Denaya was born in Texas, but was raised and spent the majority of her youth in Opelousas, Louisiana. When […]

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Business

Shirley Hendrix: Shines as an Entrepreneur, Community Advocate, and Promoter of Superstars

Shirley Hendrix, owner and operator of R&B Specialty Printing, is not a sit-back-and-wait-for-it type of lady. She’s a go getter and her accomplishments speak for themselves. In 2017, Community Development Foundation (CDF) named her Ambassador of the Year. She has been on multiple boards for CDF and is a graduate of their Jim Ingram Community […]

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Business

Demetra Sherer: Entrepreneurship Journey Began with Lessons from Family

Demetra Sherer is a woman of many talents who wears several different hats in her life and in the lives of others. Despite everything she has going on, she still manages to continue pushing herself to new heights of success and working hard to make a lasting impact on her community and leave a legacy […]

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Business Community

Local Businessman Revamps Elks Lodge Into Jewel

By Amanda Jewel Warren The doors to the Henry Hampton Elks Lodge No. 782 have been closed for over ten years. It sat dormant until two years ago when Kenneth Mayfield purchased the building and has since developed big plans for the structure.  Initially, Mayfield thought of developing it as an expansion of Dynasty College […]

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Business Community Culture

Why We Need Black Media

By Wesley Wells I remember the day back in the summer of 2014 when I heard the news that Jet Magazine would no longer be publishing. I remember the confusion that I had and asked, how could this happen? I grew up reading Jet and its sister magazine, Ebony, just as I’m sure many of […]

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Community

Looking Back Down History Lane

Augustus “Gus” Ashby Gus, as he was affectionately known as, was born in Washington, D.C., but moved to Tupelo at an early age. He was a 1949 graduate of George Washington Carver High School. At Carver he was a member of the Blue Devil’s football team, Hi-Y Club, Older Youth Club, and Choir. After Carver, […]

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Community

National NAACP President and CEO Headlines Freedom Fund Banquet

By Wesley Wells NAACP National President and CEO Derrick Johnson will be the keynote speaker this year at the annual Lee County/Tupelo NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. The event will take place on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at the BancorpSouth Conference Center in Tupelo. “It is an honor to have the National President, Mr. Derrick Johnson, […]

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Business Community Fashion

African-American Owned Barber and Cosmetology College Set to Open in Tupelo

By Amanda Jewel Warren When Kenneth Mayfield built the space for Dynasty Rental last year, he knew he would have more space than he needed for appliances. The second floor alone was around 7,500 square feet. “My initial thought was to simply set it up with a barber-beauty salon, and just rent out spaces to […]

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Business

Kenneth & Veronica Bell: Family Business Founded in Faith

By Jessica Starks   Kenneth and Veronica Bell are the ultimate definition of a power couple. They are parents, grandparents, church leaders, business owners, and so much more. Despite the many different hats this couple wears, they always find a way to balance being husband and wife and business partners.    Both Kenneth and Veronica […]

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Business

Ron Thompson: Tupelo businessman finds success through faith and hard work

By Amanda Jewel Warren Ron Thompson is a highly successful entrepreneur who lives by the Biblical scripture: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” [Matthew 6: 33 KJV] This is where Thompson believes his success fully begins.  “I feel like as long as […]

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