¶ Justis Gibbs joins the Chuck ToddCast!
And joining me now is Justice Gibbs. He is the legislature down in Mississippi, born and raised, a lifelong resident of Jackson, Mississippi, and part of our continuing series to elevate new voices, and Justice Gibbs joins me now, Justice, nice to me.
Too great to be here, man, great to be here, and so glad that you're allowing Mississippi to let his voice be heard. Well.
Good look. One of my favorite bosses ever is a man named Mandy Lack, and he's been the guy who up with Mississippi today. I think he lives in Jackson these days, so you may have seen him or come across him every now and then. And he has an interesting story of what got his ancestors to Mississippi. It's an unusual one. Jewish immigrants who end up making clothes for the Confederacy. They didn't know any of They were just immigrants and it was a job. They had no idea,
you know, it was one of the things. And it's something.
¶ How Justis got into politics/origin story
The more he learned about that, it just made him want to invest more and spend more time there. So, but Justice, give me your origin story, give us the how did you get into politics? Why what what was the motivation? What was the everybody was this one reason, like I'm getting in I want to solve this problem, I want to do this. What was that for you?
Yeah? It was kind of most how fascinated for me. I first say that I grew up in a family of public servants. My father, I was a circuit judge when I was born. My mother served in the legislature for about six years prior to running for a circuit judge herself. So, you know, a lot of the kitchen table conversations that we had always sort of you know, revolved around politics or policy or what was going on
in our city and our state and in our country. Uh. And you know, growing up, you know, going to our high school, serving in the student councils, something that was a really natural knack for me. But when I came home at the graduating from Howard University, attending law school, I noticed something very interesting, which was, you know, this sort of criticism that is directed to young people about you know, not exercising their rights to vote, not you know,
helping either political party, you know, with their margins. And what I really recognize is that there is just such an empty void with young leadership on all levels, city, county, state, and I want it to be a part of changing that. So, at age twenty seven, decided to run for an open seat in my area and that's really how I got involved.
You know, it's interesting. I feel like there's quite a few in people in your generation in Mississippi who've decided to quote not wait their turn right and try to
¶ The younger generation is jumping into Democratic politics
beat go challenge the establishment a little bit, particularly on the Democratic side, because I think there's been some what have you guys been doing right? You know, we're still in the same place, you know, haven't made the progress that I think people they should be made. There was a new mayor of Jackson not that long ago and sort of the same mindset. So I do feel as if whether you're whether we call you older gen Z or younger millennial, where do you feel like you fall in that?
A younger millennial? But there's also a great bucket of young gen Z folks who are interested in politics in Mississippi as well. It's just that we need to find space for them to serve in elected office. I think that there is an umptem amount of leadership development courses and leadership cohorts you know. I mean there's so many that you can't even name them. But you know, once they are prepared, we shouldn't send them to the next cohort. Weh'
just the elected office. We should put them in a position of making these decisions that are going to be solidified when we are raising our families. You know, and I agree with you. I think that that it is, you know, we can't treat our elected offices as property. You know, I think that it's okay to pass the
¶ Older generation of politicians feel entitled to their office
baton or to say that, you know, your expertise can be used outside of the electric faction.
So, you know, it's been interesting, you know, particularly with you know, one of these these generational arguments have actually been sometimes sharpest among African American communities where you've had somebody who was a long time hero maybe stay in office a little bit too long because you know, they broke the barrier right they got there, and there is so I under I weirdly understand the sense of entitlement. Hey, I broke down this barrier. You know, I made this happen.
The reason this is possible is because of what I did. What do you say to that older generation that feels as if Hey, wait a minute. I did all this hard work I took, you know, I took literal beatings in order to break through these barriers. But some of them aren't ready to pass the baton.
What do you say to that, Well, the first part of your inquiry was the word I. You know, I did this, I did that, I took the So if I did this, then I'm entitled to this. When it's never really supposed to be about the eye. It's supposed to be about the community. It's supposed to be about the progress. And if it's about the eye, well I also did that. I mean, as a young person at age twenty seven, I remember knocking on doors and people
¶ Voters don't perceive youth as qualified for office
thought I was selling cookies, you know, and I'm like, no, here's my pushcard. I'm running for elected office just because of the mindset of my community. And it's not to criticize them, but it's just what you have known about who should serve an elected office, what they're supposed to look like, what are the tackles, you know, the twenty years of experience, the thirty years of experience, without the question being what have you done within that twenty or
that thirty years. So when a young person comes to your door, you know, you don't expect them to run for elected office. So my point is, you know, I could also have that entitled attitude of saying, you know, I broke down a barrier because there's not I'm the youngest Democrat stay elected official in Mississippi. But instead I'm also focused on that next generation. How do we find
space for them to serve. But if we start to look at it as a holistic mission of changing this state without it being you know, I've been here for so long and you know, and you should, you know, pay homage to me. There's many ways that we can pay homage. And it's not just you know, continuing to support the person you know and elected office. Now there are also some great stuff. But I think that we
¶ Mississippi shouldn't be deep red, how can Democrats change that?
have to create that space.
So Mississippi is one of these states where it looks like a deep red state, but when you look at the potential of what it is, when you look at the what I would say, the unregistered population or the unengaged population, this should be a fifty to fifty state. This should be a state to put it in and where that should have African American senators plural. There should be a state that has as a bastion of political
power for African Americans, and it hasn't been. What do you see today, What have been some of the mistakes of the past that you hope to fix just tactically. I mean, look, there's this is bigger than just tactics. But I just look at the last thirty years and think, just better tactics would make this state a more competitive politically. But I think those that feel underserved would feel as if they had some political power.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I'll tell you. I remember the twenty nineteen gluminatorial race with Jim Hood and Tay Reeves, a race that was decided by forty five thousand votes. And then four years later, we have a race for Governor Patwey, Brandon Pressley and Tate Reeves that was decided I think between twenty four thousand votes. You know, that's
a two to three point race. And I don't think that the country and the folks who are in leadership positions country why to understanding that Mississippi can be the epicenter of changing the American South, of actually becoming not
¶ Mississippi is slowly trending more purple/blue
only a purple state but a blue state one day. I mean, we are seeing statistically based going in the right direction because we are investing in candidates who are meeting people where they are explaining to people in rural areas who have to drive five to ten miles and even further just to go to an emergency room or hospital, why policies that they've been voting on are optuse to their way of life, the quality of their way of life.
I think that what we have to start doing is we really need to bring the alarm on the donor base of national politics and all of the money that we pour into these national races, and there seems to not be that seems to not be an eye on states like Mississippi because it's on the ground. Man, we are a resilient party. It's the fact that we don't have the tools and the resources that we need to do what it is that we need to do.
¶ The Democratic party has underinvested in Mississippi
And a little bit of money if we want to put this in our in terms of ROI, I think the return on investment you take five if you have five million dollars to spend, it's going to get lost in Georgia. Five million dollars, No offense to Georgia. It just is what it is. A very expensive state. Now five million dollars in voter registration efforts in Mississippi in an off year that could lead to three to five new Democrats in the state legislature.
Absolutely, absolutely, and also just on the judicial front. I mean, we just had a redistricting case that was decided by a federal court to redraw our maps because of extreme jerry mendering, which you know, of course found to violate Section two of the voting Rights at So I think we look look at we brush the surface and we say, well, Mississippi has a supermajority Republican controlled legislature, they have a
Republican governor, all state wide offices are Republican. Well we're not, you know, getting deeper down into understanding the reasons as to why it's it looks like that when the citizens themselves, the constituency, a lot of people have struggled, would whether I go with the group think and go with with with the sority of who looks like me and the culture in which I've grown up, or do I go with what makes realistic sense for my children, for my grandchildren.
I think we really can be the epicenter of that change.
I mean, let's just put it in little starker race terms, is the bigger problem unengaged African American voters or moderate
¶ Lack of engagement from black voters and moderate white voters
white voters who can't who aren't ready to leave the Republican Party Like you know, if you were to say in the state wide race, what should be the priority? Is it registering the less engaged and getting more engagement and just because the numbers are there, or is it better persuasion campaign for that? Because right now, you tell me if I'm wrong, I think Brandon Presley got nineteen to twenty percent of the white folk. Does that sound right?
And I think you are.
Yeah, I think the numbers have got to be closer to high twenties, you know, somewhere between twenty and thirty two to win. So what do you see? And I obviously maybe the answer is a little bit of both. But if you were to put more effort into one or the other, where would you put it?
Yeah, and you're right, it is both. I know that that's a basic answer, but you really have to do both at the same exact time. I'd say that Presley has been focusing on his rule coalition, which is very important for the Democratic Party to invest them, and that's going into the rural areas. You know, when you look at the maps on the presidential election night and they're adding up all of the counties and it's just, you know,
one hundred votes here, a couple hundred votes here. But in the grand scheme of things, that is how you're able to be an epicenter of like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, you know,
or Detroit, Michigan. So I think that what we should do is is make sure that there are folks in the party that feel included and feel inclusive to be able to do what is their strong set, which may be you know, breaking it down to the rule of voters, but also doing the work of making sure that we find ways of getting unengaged African Americans out to vote at every election. I noticed in my community when I was running for office, there are folks that are are
blue collar, white collar folks who don't vote. They don't vote the process. They just I mean, I mean, what do you go to do that's different, you know, And that's why I decided to try to focus my first
¶ The importance of bringing "visual change"
two years in the legislature on actually bringing about visual change, visual reality for people to say, oh, that's why it's so important to elect people in this specific.
I mean an example of that is that what is something? When you say visual change, I think like a mayor. I would think like making sure to restreet light has afe working light bulb, right, Like that would be a visual change. What's something? Because it's a little harder from a state legency in the when you're in the political minority.
Yeah, very hard, very hard. And so with ways and means and appropriations, of course, you know, we do have an ability of sending state dollars to our communities for various projects. And it goes back to the discriminatory nature of our legislature in a way in which it was crafted in eighteen nineteen, meaning that Democratic majority districts or African American majority districts don't usually proceed. They're just doing
state of appropriations. But I've been able to start the first state sponsored solar surveillance camera program that is giving a lot of my residents the ability to feel more comfortable and safe in their communities. It's attached to the County Sheriff's office and the real time command Crime Center of the able to repay streets, repave roads because we know that city and Jackson has had of course, invest in a lot of other, you know, issues that we
have had. But if we can get all of our elected officials to work together to try to help the city and whatever it is, we're improving the quality of life of residents. And that is also how you get people to show back up to the polls. If they can point to something in their communion and say, well, you know what he said he was going to work on this, and he did it. Then this is my state representative matters, right.
You know, let's talk about Jackson. I used to say when I was sitting in the doing meet the press, meet the present. Now, I spent a lot of time
¶ Status of the underreported Jackson water crisis
on the Jackson water crisis. I thought this should be more of a national story. I think when one of America's fifty state capitals does not have reliable drinking water, this should be this should be the focus of somebody in federal government, the singular focus. And I found and it hasn't mattered whether it was Republican administration or Democratic administration. You get the lip service, but there doesn't seem to be this what are we doing? Just figure out how
to fix this problem. Stop trying to figure out whose fault it is, and I felt as if there was a lot of effort being put in well a bad contract that the mayor did, or a bad thing that the government, and everybody was pointing fingers and nobody was getting their clean drinking water. Give me an update on the situation and how much of this is just caught up in just old fashioned political you know, finger pointing.
Yeah, yeah, Well, we're of course under a Feroe receiver shit now. And you know, we have a gentleman named Ted Hitefen who has been brought to the city of Jackson to try to revitalize the city's war system. There
have been, of course, those who satisfied. There have been a lot of businesses in Jackson has threatened to leave because of the situation that are back on their feet with consistent, reliable drinking water and water that's just being you know, sent to their businesses on a consistent basis.
But you know, we also still have our struggles. We still have our struggles with the federal receivership understanding the differences between the sections of the city and what some areas of the City of Jackson has struggled with versus what others have struggled with.
You is it somebody with at least a knowledge of Jackson in charge of the receivership or is it just some outsider.
Well, the judge, I mean, we're talking about the federal judge who does live and frequent in Jackson, So that does give us a leg up. Somebody doesn't understand, right, you know, the history Jackson, and of course it is really his authority that is given to NFN. In relation to how they actually revive the system, I will say that there have been improvements made, but again we can't
get caught up. And I think you talked about how people are caught up in where to blame the thing, where to point the finger and who the place blame on. But we also can't also figure out who to blame in terms of where the contracts go. You know, we kind of get into this conundrum sometimes when we do have power, the power now goes to, well who else do you get power to? Right? Like, where do I have money? And I didn't want you to send the money so that company. It should have went to this company.
And now we're losing sight on what it is that we're supposed to be improving.
The main thing should be the main thing, which is yeah, clean drinking water, that's the main thing. Let's not take our eye off of it.
That's right. Yeah, And some people want that. They just want effectiveness. They don't care how you do it. Just don't break the law, do it the correct way, and get it as consistent and reliable as possible.
¶ Is the water crisis a symptom of longstanding political dysfunction?
What are you attribute it to. You've lived in Jackson your whole life, and so what it may mean is this been sort of a norm you've understood. Yeah, this is how it works sometimes. What you talk about growing up with politics around the table, How did something like this happen? And why is? Why is the state leadership so laise fair about it?
Yeah? Yeah, you know again, I can't say that there's one person that you placed blamed to, but I think that there's been a variety of factors. I think that you can blame on flight people leaving Jackson, our tax based decreasing, But I also think that you can blame it on previous administrations and their lack of sounding the alarm at the appropriate time. But I also think that you can blame it on the states leadership and the state not coming in and giving the city adequate resourcesests
of what it actually needs. But that also goes to the breakdown between democratic administrations and Republican administrations. So growing up at the table, you know, the stories that my parents would tell me and my sister was in relation to how Democrats and Republican work together. A lot of
¶ Lack of bipartisan cooperation in Mississippi
the times, you know.
Back in the eighties and nineties, they did, because Mississippi did, by the way, regularly. Shoot, it was all Democrats until you know, until in somewhere in the nineties that the Republicans broke through. So it wasn't an unusual you know, late eighties in the Senate and then in governor's races. So you had this I think because both parties had a shot at winning the governorship, the relationship to Jackson was better for both parties.
Right, yeah, yeah. But but I will say that that I have seen the state leadership because of the culture and political culture of the city of Jackson within the past eight years, say I'm going to hault any type of assistance to the city, and we are now getting away from that. We have new leadership. We have a much more inclusive city government and that sees all areas of Jackson as being important and included in the future of jack And also though we had a new leadership
¶ Republicans refuse to work with Democratic leaders in Jackson
in the legislature which has started things like the Capital Revitalization Committee focused on creating legislation and policy to help the capital city. You cannot have a successful state without a successful capital city. And Jackson is going through metic city. So you know, it's almost like get out of your you know, put your big pants on and just staying that, yes, you are going to have to work with democratic leadership in the city of Jackson. You know it's going to help the state.
This is a this is a virus that's going through our political system, which is and you're seeing it a lot more on the right, which is we're only going to govern for our supporters, and if you didn't vote for me, you're not going to get in your.
Like no, no, no, no no.
It just means we've let you make the decisions. But there's a spaceline assumption that you're going to keep services where they're at or improve them, not decrease services because they didn't give you political support. I mean, I got the sense that Republicans and state government felt like there was no political price to pay to punish Jackson and that and I think twenty years ago that wasn't the case.
Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. I agree with you, and not listening to the people on the ground, the people who've lived in Jackson for decades. Those are the folks who you go to, you know, in order to understand the dynamics of the city or what it is that the city needs. What are they asking for. I can tell you the countless amount of years that the City of Jackson has asked for appropriations for our state
government and it's fallen on deaf ears. Now, I think that there's blame that you can place on both parties, But at the end of the day, there are people behind these offices, these elected offices. They're folks who were struggling, and so that's what I'm saying. The finger pointing at some point has to stop because there are people who need the support from their government. You know, we're not exempt from pans state taxes because we're a democratic city.
So that's again why important for appropriations to these d
¶ Are Mississippi Democrats culturally conservative across the board?
equably around the state of Mississippi, not just in areas where you can go and toout you know, being a proud conservative Republican or where you can say that you're a strong Democrat.
Would you say Mississippi is culturally conservative across the board, meaning the average Democratic district is just culturally more conservative than the average Democratic district say in the northeast, or is or is are we missing something here? How would you describe the Democratic Party in Mississippi? Is it more conservative than the national Party?
Yeah? I would say socially conservative potentially yess, But again you still have and what.
Does that mean? Is that just on abortion issues or is that on other sort of cultural issues like same sex marriage and things like that.
I think all of that, I would say when it comes to abortion, I think a majority of us are pro choice that are within Theocratic Party. But I do think that there can be some disagreement. It may not be as loud as others disagreement in regards to gay marriage as well as other other social issues. But again, what I think we have to continue to focus on doing is staying unified as the party the super minority.
Attacking the super minority or ostracizing other folks in the super minority because you don't agree on one specific issue is not going to get you in the majority. It's not going to move you there, you know. And one thing I've noticed. I mean, I can count all of the moderate Republicans even in the state of Mississippi, Chuck, who told me and all of my colleagues, so, we'll never support Donald Trump again after January sixth, We'll never
¶ Democrats need to be willing to disagree with their coalition
you know, you know, we we can't be loud about it, Justice, but we're not going to go and vote for him in the ballot box. To see the previous election and the man has over seventy million votes, Well, what that that's to me is, Yeah, there may be some folks who disagree, but when it comes to the end of the day, they're going to unify and align with their party with the person who they believe is going to do more good than the bad that they see. I think that we need to start to adopt that more
in the Democratic Party in Mississippi. There are going to be Democrats who are lifelong Democrats who may disagree on one or two issues.
Look, Brandon Presley on the issue of abortion, I think is in the minority of what you just said about the Democratic Party Mississippi.
Right, that is correct, that is correct. But what you saw, Chuck in that election, as you saw us unify at the end, No, there was not large groups of Democrats protesting saying how dare we support this guy who is putting his hand on the Bible and has spent millions of dollars on television and saying that he is pro life. No, no, no, we understood the gravity of the moment. The gravity of the moment is this current Republican state administration needs to go.
And the person that we have that is our most powerful opponent to him is someone who we need to stand behind now when it comes to governing. Yeah, of course we'll get into the nice and the weis then because now we have someone who's more responsive in the governor's office. So that's again what we have to focus on to get out of this super minority, to not ostracize each other, but to find ways of unifying, to get to the mango.
As an observer of national politics and of what the Democrats, how the Democrats are doing, I'm sure you see the
¶ What's wrong with the Democratic brand, and how do you fix it?
same you're seeing what we see, which is, you know how unpopular the party's brand is. Right now, what's your diagnosis for that and what's your cure?
Yeah? Well, one, when it comes to young people, I think we need to listen to understand young people and not listen to respond. There needs to be I think we can be a little bit more inclusive to the ideas that young people bring about, and the idea is a Southern Democrats bring about to the national party and the national platform. But you know, again, I think that we do need a new generation of leadership in the party, and I think that we do need to be captivated
as a party. I remember in two thousand and eight, you know, the way that our community felt when we had a new leader, someone who kind of took the party by storm, and it got everybody excited and involved about wanting to vote again, wanted to be involved again. I think that we need that in the Democratic Party. You know, a little caffeine in the system. I felt a lot of that of electricity at the DNC when
Vice President Kamala Harris was our nominee. But how do we keep that electricity going and how do we revelop that electricity again in twenty twenty eight, I think is what's most important. Listen, this is the party for working class people. This is not the party of billionaires. There are more working class people than billionaires in the United States. So when we start to surgically pick apart the platform. I don't necessarily think that there's anything wrong with with
with what we stand for. I think it's who do we see. Who are we showing in America that their voices matter, that their priorities. Similar to what I said about Mississippi, sometimes I don't feel like the National brand sees Mississippi or seize the Democrats in Mississippi.
No, they don't know the way that they should.
And I will give credit to d NC vice sheer Malcolm kin Yata because he traveled to Mississippi, and while I didn't get a chance to meet him, he did the work that should have been done decades ago here, you know, and not only just seeing us but giving us those resources because we need money, we need funds, and we need to you know, these are six electoral
¶ Democrats could win Mississippi if they put in the work
votes down here, you know, and there are votes that we can pick up one day if we get the right investment.
Well, and do you start looking at the census of twenty thirty and where you know the blue wall of the Midwest won't be enough for Electorala to need another state, and then you're gonna have to narrowly hope you win Georgia, North Carolina, or do you need some padding? And when you start looking at the board, you know, I look at I do I look at Mississippi. Is you know this is this is a lighter red state than its repute. I always say my favorite way is it ain't Idaho. Okay.
Idaho is dark red and that is what it is, right, just like Massachusetts is dark blue. Okay, those you know that you're going to have that on both sides of the aisle. Mississippi ain't Idaho, but the National Party treats it like Idaho.
Yeah, and envision the freak out that will happen on the other side. You know when when that state does turn purple or it does.
You saw it in Georgia. I mean, look what it did to the state party. Republican Party are still divided over this. They're still fighting that. I can't believe they blew it right and they're still seeing it. They still don't quite think it was it was a one offer, it was this or was that, but it did it scrambled them. I mean, you know, it's it's like any if you really want to do game theory, it's a
version of game theory. You radially your opponent by suddenly taking a territory that they never thought they had.
To protect, right and now kick another domino right and allow Mississippi to to do the unthinkable because what it will do.
But no, no, no, you say it, because I think you're going to say it. I was just about to prompt you.
What I'm saying is that now where is their attention focused. The attention is now focused in the South. Wait a minute. This has been saved territory for as long as we've known that, and now you've taken the attention to focus the resources, the money off of the Wisconsins, off of the Michigan's, off of the swing states.
This is exactly it what Iowa being in the center of the political debate for presidential races allowed the ethanol industry to be to essentially punch above its weight, and that benefited financially the state of Iowa. If Mississippi is in play, you suddenly will get real investment in the state. Attention. National politicians will make prom says that they have to
¶ The benefits of being a swing state
keep right when you're considered already in one column or the other, like the voters benefit being I always say this, the most valuable voters in America are swing voters because politicians obsessively need you. And if you are seen as hard to get, not easy to get, it's amazing what you're going to the largest that will come your state's wife.
Absolutely and and and I can feel it when you know. I served as a surrogate for Kamala Harrison's campaign, and I went to North Carolina on the campus of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. And you could see it in the eyes as well as the conversations I had with young college voters. They knew how much their vote mattered. It was like, if you can get me, if you can convince me to write down, not being on the side of that, you've done a number. You know, your
flight here was worth it. And I noticed when I came back home in Mississippi the difference and how people saw their vote on the presidential level. You know a lot of Democrats, Yeah, we're going to go and exercise our right, but we don't see it as you know, as so much of importance to the political candidates and their machines themselves. And I agree with you when you talked about investment. You know, while we're talking about the
things that come along with it. You know that we may not be paying attention to we're paying attentions to who wins so who loses this. But there's so much more that comes with your state turning to purple, with the becoming a suite. And like you said, folks have to make promises that they have to keep because they have to come back to you.
I got to land this plane because I always a promise on these youtubes to make it a hard thirty. But I promise you you'll be able to find Republicans in Mississippi and some day that you can lead the charge to say, hey, let's make Mississippi an early presidential primary state because both parties will benefit. This is one of those areas both parties have benefit in Iowa, both parties benefit in New Hampshire, both parties benefit in Nevada,
both parties benefit in South Carolina. Stay like Mississippi, that could use a little bit of just It's like hosting a big event. You get to host a big event and you get all sorts of money pouring into your economy. If you're hosting the NCAA Regionals in Jackson or something like that, it's no different except and then politicians might learn a thing or two about what's going on in Mississippi and they may change things.
That's all right, and now we can have the double A in Mississippi because we've changed that divisive flat with conservative emblem. Unfortunately, people only pay attention to money and opportunity to eliminate the divisive you know, culture that we've had in Mississippi for quite some time. So I think you bring out a really good point. Shok, there's so much more to you know, put us in the right direction and to really have meaningful progress in Mississippi.
You know, I just find that every time I get to know Mississippi leaders, I think there's so many good leaders.
¶ Mississippi could be transformed politically with proper investment
This it's it. It's just more people in the state need to believe in their leaders because it does feel as if just a little bit of effort would allow Mississippi to punch, punch, punch higher on the list here.
Yep, absolutely right, and we have the power now, I mean up Hints County, one of the most populous counties, could have won that gubernatorial seat. We had the votes, just that county, just the county that I'm in right now, week on that. So, so that is the message to the donor class, that is the advanssage to those that have the resources as of how we can change this state if we are able to be fully invested in. Yeah.
No, I'm convinced. It's a you know, I look at sometimes I look at states in the electoral map the way I look at you know, rising college football powers. Mississippi could be a power here. They just need a little investment. So this is all right, let me ask before I let get you out of here on this Ole Miss Orssissippi.
State, University of Mississippi. Man. I got my law degree there, my father got his law degree there, and I'm a big fan of Ole Miss football. I think we're going to do amazing things. We're going to just erase last year. We're not going to talk about it, and we're gonna do some amazing things this year.
I will say this, Lane Keffen is a press conference I always want to pay attention to because you never
¶ Ole Miss or Mississippi State?
know what he's gonna say.
That's right, that's right. You never know you never know who he's going to recruit either.
It's it's very true. It's very true. You didn't say Southern mess I thought you might throw that in there as my curveball or Jackson State. I was prepared for either one of them, but ultimately it's you know, or Mississippi State. Right there, there's sort of the stepchild. I feel like sometimes they can be.
They can be my mom went to a sudden miss But I am always a Jackon. I grew up going to Jackson State football games. So if you live in Jackson and you're not a Jackson State fan, have.
You become a Colorado Buffalo's fan by sort of proxy now? Or are you bitter about about Dion leaving.
I was not one of the ones to become a Colorado Colorado fan. I will say after the coach damn Jackson. Let's just say that. Maybe I'm in the minority. But in a way which was rolled out, I am a Jackson State fan, uh and been a Jackson State fan when we've had coaches like Coach Comogy, the coaches where I don't even want to say their names, but you know, I stay true to the universities that I represent.
I love it. Well, it would have it would have been just as fun to see Shador and Travis Hunter spend three years staying in Jackson State.
Oh yeah, oh, yeah, we love we enjoyed them, We enjoyed them.
Uh, just great to get to know you appreciate the time check.
This is amazing. Thank you, ma'am, M