Rooted is a free, online magazine dedicated to telling stories of Place from the people who call Mississippi Home.
Plenty of attention is given to Mississippi’s problem of out-migration, also known as “brain drain.” Here, we explore the counter-narrative of what it means to make a home in a complicated place, a place that alternately nourishes, frustrates, fascinates, endears, disappoints, and amazes us. Living in Mississippi has shaped the way we see the world, the way we understand ourselves. In turn, Mississippi—its history, reputation, and legacy—shapes the way the world sees us.
Rooted features the unfiltered stories of those who have chosen to grow their roots in Mississippi, or who still feel rooted here despite having moved away.
We aim to complicate the notion of who Mississippians are, to tell the true, unfiltered tales of why we choose to live here and why we leave, and to explore how our outsider-ness is a strength. We aim to reclaim Mississippi’s narrative from the knee jerk red state haters and the if you don’t like it then leave crowd. We aim to connect Mississippians with our allies in progress, to remind ourselves of what we love about this weird and wonderful state, and to reinvigorate our commitment to making Mississippi a better, more equitable place to call Home.
Lauren Rhoades 