[Stiggers] Hot Treats In The ‘HoodStill Bill the Funk Doctor: "Happy holidays, groovy people! This is your 'funk doctor' broadcasting live from the Ghetto Science Team's Telecommunications Center, WGST, 107-and-a-half on your raggedy radio. You've been listening to the holiday hip-hop sounds of D.J. M-Dog's …
Consider The AlternativesIs it possible that the LeFleur Lakes proposal—a project to damn the Pearl River and create a system of lakes in the name of flood control and Hinds/Rankin development—isn't the only solution for the Pearl?
[Sawyer] Man At His WorstI have been away from the writing world for a while, away from the whirling dervishes that are American politics. But I must admit, it's hard to shake off a bad habit, so here I am again, back on my …
[Stiggers] Girls Gone Wild For ChristmasJojo: "The older women in my family have a fascinating holiday tradition. Every Christmas they decorate their living room couch next to their coffee table with doll displays. Relatives, friends and visitors also admire the variety of these dolls' arrangements. …
[Kamikaze] Lighten UpAfter reading all the controversy surrounding the Borat movie, two things have become painfully clear. One, some Americans lack a sense of humor and two, alcohol is a bigot's truth serum.
Anatomy of An ErrorOn Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006, The Clarion-Ledger published an editorial titled "Will DA Accept Another Plea Bargain?" in which the writer made a huge error when he wrote the following:
[Parks] There Is No OtherIn journalism school, we were taught not to intervene in our stories. After working in Mississippi, where I helped organize benefits to raise money to help fix some of the problems I covered, I felt a little iffy about the …
[Stiggers] When Kramer CrackedNurse Tootie: "This is your favorite nurse sitting in for Boneqweesha Jones on the Boneqweesha Report. As you all know, that Kramer dude from the sitcom 'Seinfeld' had some N-words for two African Americans while performing his comedy act at …
Tarring and Feathering Faye PetersonI was sitting in the student center at Belhaven College Friday afternoon, participating in a media-ethics forum with several other media leaders from around town. The conversation was compelling, and there was a great deal of mea culpa (not to …
[Kamikaze] Don't Blow ItAfter I signed my first recording contract, an old industry mentor asked me: "You've bought the album. Now what are you going to do with it?" In other words, now that you got what you wanted, how are you going …
[Stiggers] A Dose of Holiday RealityBoneqweesha Jones: "It's 'Late, Late, Late Night Conversations,' the television show for insomniacs who are tired of looking at those food-processing and real-estate infomercials. My special guest is Sis. Judy McBride, representing the esteemed members of the McBride family and …
[Parks] Mississippi: America's AfricaBefore New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and I left on our trip to Africa in September, WNYC's Brian Lehrer interviewed us on his radio show. A caller asked us why we were leaving the country to cover poverty when …
Welcome, Mr. WhitakerJust in case y'all missed it last week, The Clarion-Ledger's most recent publisher, John Newhouse II, has left his post at the C-L, and we're told, the employ of the Gannett Co. chain entirely.
[Chickdom] Parenting From The BoxJust three weeks into our marriage, I called my new husband, Mr. Steam Jeans, to ask a very simple question, "Honey, do you want to do 'Wife Swap?'" His immediate response to this question was a significant pause—the kind of …
[Parks] Fear of Stigma, Here and ThereThe Central African Republic was a long cry from the Gulf Coast, but looking into the eyes of the Africans I met, I saw something familiar each time. When New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and I found ourselves stuck …
[Stiggers] Work Those Steps, Brotha HustleJudy McBride: "I'm guest facilitator for this week's Bootleggers Anonymous meeting. My objective today is to help individuals addicted to gaining personal income through the means of piracy or copyright infringement—or shall I say bootlegging!
Pity Would Be No MoreIn a few hours, I would be leaving Africa. After two weeks traveling through Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Central African Republic with New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Nick Kristof, I stood in the Bangui, C.A.R. airport ready to …
Ronni's Wild Ride<i>"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
[Stiggers] Legends of Chief Crazy BrothaMiss Doodle-Mae: "As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, the staff of Gadus Discount Dollar Store and I want to share with our customers what we believe is the true meaning of Thanksgiving by presenting a brief one-man play titled 'Thanks for …
[Kamikaze] The Show Must Go OnFirst of all, let me say that the Mississippi's Best Awards, held on Oct. 28 at the TelCom Center, was an excellent idea. The vision honoring the best our state has to offer was long overdue. Not everyone excels in …
14 Cents To The Promised Land<i>"We must not let anything interfere with the ability of the youth of this region to secure here in the region as good an education as is available anywhere in the country, and this opportunity must be available to all …
[Stiggers] Tune In, Drop OutBroth Hustle: "Greetings, bootleg satellite dish owners! The Ghetto Science Team's telecommunications division and I have joined to provide poor folk with a new listening experience called the Broth Hustle Underground Satellite Radio Network. When the skies are clear (or …
[Hutchinson] Was Dr. King A Republican?Civil rights leaders, black Democrats and Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele went ballistic when the they heard a woman in a 60-second radio ad say that "Dr. King was a Republican." The ad, which is bankrolled by the National Black …
[Stiggers] Spook The SpooksLil' Momma Roscoe: "Since the Y2K scare, corporations, media and government have waged scare campaigns on the poor and helpless. These entities use buzz words and/or phrases like terrorism, global warming, mad cow disease, West Nile Virus, sexual enhancement medicine, …
I Got Mugged by the NOPDIt began, as it always does, with beer. It was my first trip to New Orleans, in October 2004, to see Voodoo Fest with my girlfriend Melissa. We had checked into our hotel and caught a cab to City Park, …
For The GirlsWhile reading the first draft of Natalie Collier's cover story this issue about domestic abuse, I was overtaken by emotion and memories.
[Greggs] Not That Many BulletsIt used to be that when you wanted to lose it and shoot a bunch of the idiots hanging around you, you would say you were about to "go postal." It seems to me that after the recent uprising in …
[Stiggers] One Giant Leap For GhettokindDr. Silas P. Rathbone III: "It's a defining moment in Ghetto Science history. Two of our finest will embark on a journey where very few in the ghetto have gone before.
[Kamikaze] Watch What You SayOne of the most controversial rap groups of all time, Public Enemy, had a song called "Freedom of Speech … Watch What You Say" from the seminal late-'80s album "Fear of a Black Planet." It was a testament to the …
The Next AmericansLast week, President George W. Bush signed The Secure Fence Act, which adds 700 miles to the 83 miles of fence on our border with Mexico. Along with the fence, which will cost at least $6 billion, Congress approved billions …