James Meredith, Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer, Mississippi Blues: 1900-2025
MEREDITH COLEMAN MCGEE, a poet, book publisher, book collector, lecturer, a résumé writer, and a small business owner, is the author of seven full-length and seven children’s books including two about music: Mississippi Blues: 1900-2025 and Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer.
Wow! What a story! Meredith, such presence, Mississippi writer; you touched me in the way you biographed just a position of Billie Holiday’s upbringing and her journey to stardom with a unique inflection of your growing up in Jackson, Mississippi.
You made a life connection to Billie’s perfective style that delivered sultry vibes to messages that offered social commentary that would expose racial atrocities and civil injustices.
I loved the way you detailed, and shared intimate and intense aspects of Ms. Holiday’s life. It seemed as if we were transcended into her life in real-time.
Meredith it was as though you offered us an exclusive view of Billie’s romantic life, her relationships with her family, friends, her musicians, and of course her fans, and the establishment.
Billie “Lady Day” and her style framed JAZZ next to male icons and rhythmic revolutionary tool that provided upliftment and social healing.
Meredith, the way you embraced her deepest renditions offered us a chance to understand “Lady Day” in her time to relate to her life story in a way that we too are healed now “in the knowing.”
Sisterhood, brotherhood, HUMANITY, love, TOLERANCE, “ALL THAT JAZZ” respect musical genius foundation much love.
THUR. Feb. 6, 2025. 5:30 PM. Meredith Coleman McGee discusses her 13th book “Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer” at the Robinson-Carpenter Memorial Library, Cleveland, MS. The event is free and open to the public. Host: Bolivar County Library System and Friends of the Bolivar County Library System.
MON. Feb. 10, 2025. 1 PM.William Trest Jr. introduces his third novella “Vaught to Kiffin” at his book release party at Magnolia Senior Care, 3701 Peter Quinn Dr. Jackson, MS 39213.
SAT. March 29, 2025. 11AM TO 3PM. Jackson Book Festival. Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St. Jackson, MS 39202. Host: Meredith Coleman McGee, Chair, Community Library Mississippi.
Powered by AI Copilot Meredith Coleman McGee, a remarkable Mississippi publisher, author, and poet, has made significant contributions to literature and community activism. Let’s delve into her journey:
Every Inch Love Will: In this heartfelt memoir, Meredith details fragments of the life and times of her late husband, William Earl McGee Jr., an extraordinary Black man who defied medical odds and lived to age 55. Despite disabilities and chronic ailments, he embraced each day with grace, and their love story is beautifully woven into this candid work.
Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer: Meredith’s biography of the legendary Billie Holiday explores her life, activism, and struggles. A testament to growth from grief, this book also highlights Black American history.
Jackson Book Festival: Meredith actively organizes the Jackson Book Festival Poetry Contest and speaking series. Her commitment to literature and community engagement shines through her work.
Professional Writer: With over 50 published newspaper articles, Meredith is a skilled writer. She chairs Community Library Mississippi and is affiliated with various reading groups and networks.
Degrees and Affiliations: Meredith holds degrees from the University of West Florida and Antioch University McGregor. As the niece of civil rights icon James Howard Meredith, she continues to make a positive impact in Jackson, Mississippi. Meredith Coleman McGee’s resilience and passion exemplify the power of storytelling and community involvement. Her words inspire and uplift, reminding us that even in life’s twists and turns, we can push forward and create meaningful change. 📚