JACKSON, Mississippi — Sharon Brown seemed destined from birth to be a changemaker in her hometown. She grew up reading old newspaper clippings about her mother and aunt protesting for women’s rights in the 1960s, and watching them help neighbors with whatever they could — from child care to groceries.
Years later, her mother urged Brown and her sister to push lawmakers to let voters decide on removing the Confederate emblem from Mississippi’s flag. Their 2015 petition fell short, but when the new flag rose over the Capitol in 2021 without the emblem, Brown’s resolve to continue her family’s legacy deepened.
“Especially around Jackson,” Brown, 53, told Capital B. “I’m always greeted with love and respect, because I come in love and I come with respect.”…