The Empower Podcast

For most of the 20th century, Mississippi was essentially a one-party state. Today, Republicans control nearly every lever of state government. How did we get from there to here? In this episode of The Empower Podcast, Grant sits down with Andy Taggart and Jere Nash, longtime political strategists and friends from opposite sides of the aisle, to discuss the new edition of their book, Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976–2026. They revisit some of the moments that shaped modern Mississippi politics: a Speaker's race decided by a single vote, the rise of the Tea Party, the Republican takeover of the House, and a U.S. Senate primary so wild that people are still arguing about it more than a decade later. They also explore Mississippi's role in the Dobbs decision, the creation of the Two Mississippi Museums, the 2020 state flag change, and what 50 years of political fights, shifting alliances, and colorful characters can teach us about Mississippi today.   The Mississippi Legislature Changes the State Flag by Jere Nash https://www.mississippihistory.org/sites/default/files/admin/content/files/Nash%2C%20Jere_The%20Mississippi%20Legislature%20Changes%20the%20Flag_SpringSummer%202022.pdf  

Why would a family put down roots in Jackson when so many others have left?   In this episode of The Empower Podcast, Grant sits down with Ward 7 City Councilman Kevin Parkinson, an educator who came to Mississippi for a two-year teaching assignment and stayed. Kevin shares why he chose Jackson, what led him to run for office, and what he has learned during his first year on the City Council.   They discuss the city services Jackson must get right, its progress on water and public safety, and the challenges that remain. Kevin explains how population loss and perceptions of the city reinforce each other, while Jackson's neighborhoods, culture, and people give him hope for its future.   The conversation also explores Kevin's experience as a school principal, the value of giving families more education options, and why he believes Jackson is a place worth investing in.

For decades, communities across the Mississippi Delta have watched people, jobs, and opportunity leave. Jack and Elizabeth Coleman decided to go the other direction. After successful careers in Washington, D.C., and Texas, they returned to Jack's hometown of Rosedale, Mississippi, and made an extraordinary bet on its future. Through Rosedale Distilling Company, they are investing millions of dollars, restoring historic buildings, creating jobs, attracting visitors, and building the first legal distillery in the Mississippi Delta. In this episode, Grant talks with Jack and Elizabeth about what brought them to Rosedale, why they believe struggling communities can come back, the importance of entrepreneurship and risk-taking, and what it takes to restore hope in a place too many people have written off. It's a conversation about the Delta, but even more, it's about what can happen when people stop asking who is going to fix a problem and start asking: If not us, who?

Good intentions are not always enough. Sometimes the help we offer can create dependency, reinforce brokenness, or make it harder for people to move forward. In this episode of The Empower Podcast, Grant sits down with State Representative Celeste Hurst to discuss what years of ministry taught her about poverty, compassion, foster care, and the limits of government. Celeste shares why real help must be rooted in relationships, dignity, accountability, and a willingness to walk alongside people rather than simply provide for them. They also discuss the role of the church, her family's experience opening their home to others, and how those lessons now shape her work in the Mississippi Legislature.

In this episode, Grant sits down with award-winning writer and filmmaker Dayton Duncan, longtime collaborator of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and co-creator of The National Parks: America's Best Idea.   Drawing on decades of research and storytelling, Dayton explains how America became the first nation to preserve its most extraordinary landscapes for everyone rather than reserving them for the wealthy or politically connected. He shares the remarkable stories behind Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and the birth of the National Park System.   Along the way, the conversation explores why the national parks are more than beautiful destinations—they are a uniquely American idea rooted in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the responsibilities of self-government, and the obligation every generation has to preserve something greater than itself.   Whether you've visited one national park or fifty, this conversation offers a deeper appreciation for one of America's greatest achievements and what it reveals about the American experiment.