(Photo from Imagination Library)
- New “Books for Jackson’s Children” nonprofit celebrates Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday to help raise funds to send books to Jackson children from Dolly’s “Imagination Library.”
Books for Jackson’s Children, Inc., a nonprofit recently formed by local education Advocates, has a mission to help fund and enroll more children in the capital city’s most challenging neighborhoods into Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.
To raise awareness of the cause, the nonprofit is hosting a FREE “Birthday Party” honoring Dolly’s 80th, beginning at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at Hal and Mal’s Restaurant in downtown Jackson. Dolly attire and donations are encouraged and welcome. Complimentary cake and jazz—with a little “Jolene” thrown in—will be performed by the Raphael Semmes Quartet with guest “Dolly” singers.
Dolly’s Imagination Library mails millions of excellent, age-appropriate books to children all over the English-speaking world each month, from birth through age five, at no cost to the child’s family. Each book is addressed to the child by name.
Early literacy research shows that reading to children between ages 1 and 5 is one of the most effective investments a community can make. Children who are read to regularly by an adult are:
– 74% more likely to perform well in school by the third grade;
– 4 times more likely to graduate from high school; and
– Far less likely to face incarceration, unemployment, or early parenthood
Imagination Library’s deeply discounted books cost about $2.60 per child per month, including program management and mailing services. That’s about $31 a child to receive a book each month for a year. Official local program partner organizations enroll children and reimburse Imagination Library for their costs.
All of the work of Books for Jackson’s Children is being done through a partnership with the United Way of the Capital Area, Inc., which serves as the official Imagination Library local program partner for all enrollments in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties in Mississippi.
“It’s critical that children in Jackson, particularly children growing up in Central, West, and South Jackson’s challenging neighborhoods, have books,” said Brad Pigott, founder of the local organization. “While tri-county enrollment is open to any child regardless of income, the focus of Books for Jackson’s Children is on obtaining and funding enrollments for our city’s children in underserved areas.”
Pigott, a former United States Attorney and Mississippi State Board of Education member, and long-time Jackson resident, was inspired to found the nonprofit after learning about Imagination Library’s program. “It was clear this program offers a simple, scalable solution—one that could deliver immediate hope to children facing challenging educational circumstances. Everyone can participate, one book at a time.”
Apart from Pigott, the advisory board of Books for Jackson’s Children includes other Jackson residents with long histories of public education involvement:
• Benita Burt: former President of Jackson Urban League, President of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Jackson Public Schools Board
• Brooke Collins Floyd: Programs Director of People’s Advocacy Institute of Jackson, former Director of Children’s Services of Stewpot Community Services, and a former Jackson Public Schools teacher
• Jeanne Middleton Hairston: former Chair of the Education Department of Millsaps College, former National Director of Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools, and the former President of the Jackson Public Schools Board
• Stephanie Parkinson: Executive Director of Nationwide Early Tutoring Program and former Mississippi Public School Teacher
• Judy Wiener: Co-founder of Parents for Public Schools, Inc., and Board Member of Friends of Jackson Libraries and the Community Foundation for Mississippi
“We urge you to consider the profound difference a contribution to Books for Jackson’s Children can make, not just for an individual child, but for the entire community,” highlights Judy Wiener, Advisory Board. “Let’s invest in Mississippi’s future, one book and one child at a time.”
To sustain and grow the program, Books for Jackson’s Children is calling on local donors, sponsors, and volunteers. Seed funding has allowed the initiative to launch, but ongoing community support is essential.
“This is not charity—it’s strategy,” Pigott added. “When a child learns to read, an entire community moves forward.”
To learn more, donate, or get involved, visit here.
