Open SeasonMr. Announcer: "In the ghetto criminal-justice system, the people are represented by members of the newly established Ghetto Science Community Peacekeeping Unit."
My Advice for Mississippi PoliticiansBeing inspired is pretty much the same whether you're trying to decide who to elect or to stay excited about your career.
This ‘Mississippi’ or That One?Education, health, you name it. People will shrug and say, "This is Mississippi," expecting it to be the last in everything good and first at all things bad.
Stop the Budget Cut Shell GameIf the mandatory education-funding referendum known as Initiative 42 passes, Republicans say schools would have to receive full funding immediately, throwing the budget into chaos, practically knocking the Earth off its axis and shredding the time-space continuum.
A Pink Keychain of MaceOne thing everyone told me before I left for college is to always protect myself. Be aware of my surroundings, travel in packs, walk only in well-lit areas—the same diatribe heard for generations.
The Unbearable Heaviness of AdulthoodAccording to The Sentencing Project, black youth are twice as likely to be arrested than white youth, something that affected me even as a minor, and though 58 percent of black youth are sent to adult prisons, it's scary to …
About Those Racist FriendsYou can't help but notice the unbelievably high number of comments on social media concerning the issue of what we should do about our "friends" who are racists.
Stop Blaming Families for Education ShortfallsWhen we discuss issues of achievement within education, particularly revolving around Jackson Public Schools, I see the same horrifying instance play out over and over again.
50th, Yet AgainThe annual Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book came out this week, and for Mississippi, the same drum that politicians, advocates and locals have been beating for years will continue to sound hollow.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Pay Grade'We keep redefining marriage, and it's up to the courts to make sure those definitions align with the U.S. Constitution, not religious dogma. In fact, it's exactly what we pay the justices to do.
Your Purses, Your NunchucksBoneqweesha Jones: "Is it that time of the year again? It is at Hair Did University School of Cosmetology and Vocational Studies."
The Walls Come Tumbling DownWhen marriage equality became the law of the land the morning of June 26, I kissed my husband and went right back to work.
Answering a Need Not Being MetDorothy Day House is the only refuge for homeless families in Memphis, Tenn., the nation's poorest large metropolitan area.
GOP, Stop the Games Over Education FundingFunding adequate education in the state of Mississippi has morphed into a political battle with consequences beyond school walls.
Through a Child’s EyesChildren deserve the security of feeling that everything is going to be OK. That they are safe and have nothing to worry about.
End the Stigma of Domestic AbuseLast week, a friend asked me if domestic violence is prevalent in Mississippi. The answer is yes.
Learn from History: Change the State FlagNow, our elected leaders should get on the right side of history, listen to the will of the people and embrace progress. Change the flag.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Genocide'When an advocate of southern secession doesn't sound that much different than a twice-elected governor, it's easy to see how much work there is left to do for reconciliation in Mississippi.
A Shining Beacon of LightMiss Doodle Mae: "This summer, the ill winds of intolerance, hatred, racism and terrorism have besieged the well-being of common people around this nation. Then comes a shining beacon of light called progress."
Of Bill Cosby, Frank Melton and Public MoralizingYou'd think that Bill Cosby's targets would have had more power than Frank Melton's troubled "boys," as he called them, but women of any race have never had credibility when it comes to being raped.
Cities, Legislature Should Follow Jackson’s Lead on Hate CrimesWhen the Legislature reconvenes in January, lawmakers should strengthen the state's hate-crime law by extending protections to LGBT people and developing uniform reporting standards for all law enforcement agencies.
Driving Old Dixie DownIt is long past time to declare independence from a "lost cause" that wasn't worth fighting for and from those who insist on keeping us stuck there. Mississippi now is better than our past, and our people and the world …
Roll the Farmers Union OnA closing sentence in a 1937 Southern Tenant declaration of rights speaks to the hope that union still inspires: "To the disinherited belongs the future."
The Rest of Our Race StoryThe real challenge today is to understand a point of view different from our own. Yes, we need a conversation about race, but we also need to prepare our hearts and minds for the encounter.
Changing Flag Is Just a Step Toward ProgressWhile we applaud House Speaker Phillip Gunn's statement this week that the Confederate emblem should be removed from Mississippi's state flag, we would sound a note of (optimistic) caution.
While it may not be the only sign of bigotry, discrimination is a clear, 10-million-watt, Vegas-strip, see-it-from-space sign of bigotry for anyone except for the willfully blind.
We asked readers on Facebook to share some of the good-ole-boy/girl reasons they were seeing to keep the Confederate emblem in the Mississippi state flag.
It is long past time to declare independence from a "lost cause" that wasn't worth fighting for and from those who insist on keeping us stuck there. Mississippi now is better than our past, and our people and the world …
A closing sentence in a 1937 Southern Tenant declaration of rights speaks to the hope that union still inspires: "To the disinherited belongs the future."