Jackson Free Press

James C. Thompson struggles valiantly to fold his 6-foot-3-inch frame behind the tiny table at Cups in Brandon. As he shifts and rearranges, he bangs his knee and laughs. He's used to tight spaces.

Thompson is the co-founder of the Jackson political consulting firm Blue Dot Group, which he says was named because the group's political affiliations make them "a little blue dot in a big red state."

Thompson, 31, a native of Dallas, came to Mississippi to attend Millsaps College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in theater in 2000. After achieving his masters' degree in acting at New York's Actor's Studio Drama School, Thompson played small roles in such notable TV series as "Sex and the City," "Wired" and "The Sopranos."

Unsure of a career in acting, but with no real plans for the future, Thompson returned to Texas. "I wasn't doing what I wanted to do, and I didn't know what else to do," he says.

An e-mail from his old Millsaps roommate Sam Hall, now the executive director of the Mississippi Democratic Party, changed everything.

Hall was working on the 2008 Jim Kitchens' "Kitchens for Justice" campaign in Jackson and asked Thompson to join him. Thompson accepted and found he genuinely enjoyed the work. He also discovered a deep affection for his adopted city.

"I think it's just the charm of Jackson. I mean, it's the biggest little town I have ever lived in, and it's the smallest big city I've ever lived in," Thompson says.

"I want to make a difference here," he says. "I think we owe it to the future to have better education, for God's sake, better education. Get these kids out of these crowded classrooms; pay more attention to them. Don't let them fall through the cracks. There's no reason a fifth-grader should be illiterate."

Thompson takes a deep breath and runs his hand through his sandy-brown hair. Taking a sip of his coffee, he continues, quieter now but no less passionate. "It seems if we just shut up and worked together to get something accomplished, we can do something productive and not be having the same conversation 10 years down the line. You have to make a change; you have to make some sacrifices. Things are going to be uncomfortable. Do it for the greater good," he says.

Thompson often works out of his Brandon home he shares with girlfriend, Lisa Kirk, co-owner of Cups in Crossgates. Blue Dot demands much of his time but Thompson still acts occasionally, appearing recently in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," at New Stage Theatre.

As for the future, Thompson is circumspect. "Let's just say I am really looking forward to the 2010 campaign cycle," he says.