Mississippi Today (https://mississippitoday.org/author/eshelton/)
Eric J. Shelton is a 2018 corps member in Report for America, a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms, and joined the team as our first photojournalist. A native of Columbia, Eric earned his bachelor’s in photojournalism from the University of Mississippi. He has worked as a staff photographer for the Natchez Democrat and Texarkana Gazette after serving as photojournalism intern for the Associated Press. He was a multimedia journalist for Abilene Reporter-News, chief photographer for the Hattiesburg American and photo editor for the Killeen Daily Herald before joining our team June 2018. Eric’s photojournalism has won awards from the Mississippi Associated Press Managing Editors and the Arkansas Press Photographers Association.
The historical role of black cowboys in rural life has drawn renewed interest in recent years in Mississippi, nationally and around the world
Farmers, in their own words, talk about the 220,000 acres of farmland inundated with floodwaters in the Mississippi Delta, disrupting their lives and livelihoods. The area isn’t expected to drop below flood stage until August.
Residents of Tchula, located in the state’s poorest county, Holmes County, have been affected by Tchula Lake’s recent flooding. View images from the area and the people dealing with the rising waters.
Although hundreds of people have been displaced due to the flooding in Warren County, Anderson Jones Sr., a resident of Filter, Miss., walks a little less than a mile every week to get to his home. The photos in this gallery show the strenuous circumstances of his journey.
In Issaquena County, homes, churches, vehicles and farm equipment can be seen nearly submerged in flood water. This photo gallery shows the severity of the flooding in the county.
Mississippi has the highest percentage of at risk rural hospitals in the country. For residents in those communities they’re the difference between life and death, and worth fighting for.
The nonprofit Cooperation Jackson commissioned six artists to create murals for the organization’s first Mural Fest. The event’s goal is to inspire the city of Jackson in hopes of sparking community change and encouraging more appreciation in the arts.
Follow this slideshow of photos by photojournalist Eric J. Shelton depicting a day in the life of Delta teacher Kaitlyn Barton as she navigates through her day of teaching, working a second job and, finally, making it home to prepare for her next day in the classroom.
January saw one of the capital city’s highest homicide counts in recent memory. In this multimedia essay, some victims’ friends and family members urge us to remember them as more than just crime statistics
African American cultural traditions discourage black women and men from talking openly about intimate-partner violence. But in the era of #MeToo that could be changing.
Jackson Indie Music Week brings Mississippi artists and fans to the capital city’s most well-known venues and hot spots
Check out Mississippi Today’s year in photos, including work by photojournalist Eric Shelton
Election Day images by Mississippi Today photo journalist Eric J. Shelton
Meet some of the people holding together to a historic Jackson community
The historic Jackson neighborhood is often painted as a tale of tragedy. In reality, people who live there also embody a spirit of triumph.