When the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written, one of the darkest chapters (outside of the 600,000+ deaths) will be the politicization of public health efforts. The results of that have led to public health officials, usually underpaid and overworked, to received threats and social media scorn. Mississippi’s public health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, hasn’t allowed any of that scorn to slow him down. Uniquely qualified to be in charge during a coronavirus-driven pandemic, he just continues to continue to put out scientifically based information to inform the public. Like a meteorologist who interrupts a ballgame with a tornado warning, he just continues to keep us informed — critics be darned.

Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today’s Editor-At-Large. He’s also host of a weekly statewide radio program and a television program on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.