When Southern Living magazine called to ask me for a photo, I was immediately suspicious. Let’s just say that I’ve never thought of myself as the Southern Living type. But, I’m honored that the magazine chose me on the “Innovators Changing the South” with the following write-up. It was quite the surprise, to say the least, and I’m honored to be among the other innovators on the list:

Donna Ladd is an old-fashioned muckraking journalist with a sharp modern voice. She helped create Mississippi’s The Jackson Free Press, and her columns and reporting make national news as she takes bold stances that contrast typical Southern stereotypes. In addition to being a writer, she’s a speaker and a teacher with particular focus on children in vulnerable situations, race relations, and police reform.