Celebrating ManhoodWhenever I've had something I needed to say to my brother but couldn't verbalize, I wrote him a letter. There have been two letters, in particular, that have proven to be the most important. And this, in a way, is …
Stop Threatening AGs AuthorityThis month, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell reported that he will beg the Louisiana Legislature for $27 million to sue oil giant BP for the damage the company's oil is doing to Louisiana's lucrative fishing and tourism market.
[Stiggers] Kicking Some ButtJudy McBride: "Greetings, Ghetto Science Public Television viewers! Welcome to the premiere edition of ‘Ghetto Psychology Today.' The objective of this television show is to discuss, analyze and understand aspects of human behavior from a Ghetto Science Team perspective.
Bad Business or Bad Math?In a column published June 3 ("Payday Lending: Bad Business" by Scott Colom), JFP readers met a man named Mike (an alias for a supposed payday loan customer.) I'd like for you to meet a real payday loan customer: Gracie.
[Hutchinson] What We Can't Do About BPFormer Secretary of State Colin Powell minced no words in an interview with ABC News recently. Powell said President Barack Obama should muscle BP aside and move in with "decisive force." The general had one thing in mind: military-type response …
The Media RevolutionLast Friday morning, as I started my daily routine of reading the news, I fired up Tweetdeck, started browsing news sites and looked at my Facebook news feed. On Facebook, my sister, Lindsey, had posted a picture of herself and …
Time to Rethink EnergyIn the wake of the biggest man-made environmental disaster in American history, our country's leaders have a perfect opportunity to finally, and at long last, make significant changes in U.S. energy policy.
[Stiggers] Black GoldMr. Announcement: "In the ghetto criminal justice system, the people are represented by two members of the McBride family: police officer and part-time security guard at the Funky Ghetto Mall, Dudley ‘Do-Right' McBride and attorney Cootie McBride of the law …
[Kamikaze] Superman Married to SuperwomanFrequent readers of my column know I often write about my mother. She was a great woman—indeed, one of the finest to walk the Earth. Her passing has left a void not just in my heart but in this city …
[Balko] The Subversive Vending MachineIn 1819 the English publisher, bookseller, and radical Richard Carlisle was sentenced to three years in prison for blasphemy and seditious libel. Carlisle's imprisonment was partly due to his publication of pamphlets exposing what's now known as the Peterloo Massacre, …
Covering Our Oily TracksWe humans forget a lot, especially when remembering means we have to change. And there is the crux of the problem: We've spent decades demanding that the rest of the world conform to what America wants. We gobble up a …
Dine Local This SummerYou hear the "buy local" message from the Jackson Free Press often because we think it's one of the most fundamental things that we all can do as citizens on a daily basis to help the Jackson metro thrive as …
[Stiggers] Out of Gas AgainNurse Tootie McBride: "Ghetto Science Public Television presents a special edition of ‘Break it down for the People World Report.' Tonight's topic is: ‘Should Poor Folk Cry over Spilled Oil in the Gulf of Mexico?'
[Colom] Payday Lending: Bad BusinessEach month, before receiving his Walmart paycheck, Mike* gets a payday loan. In exchange for the money, he writes the store a check for the amount of money he receives, plus an additional $22 for every $100 he borrows.
[Balko] Lessons From the Death of Aiyana Stanley-JonesOn the morning of May 16, a Detroit police officer fatally shot 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones in the throat during a police raid on her home. The police were looking for a homicide suspect. They found him in the apartment above …
‘Jackson is the New Jackson'When we started the JFP, we had the vague notion that we could help turn Jackson into "the new Austin." For us, that is no longer the goal. Austin is cool, and its turnabout from a boring capital city not …
Make Consolidation Study TransparentSince a flare-up of attention last winter, the issue of school district consolidation has received only limited public attention. This is unfortunate, as a governor-appointed panel is set to issue a report next month that will lay out a path …
[Stiggers] Broke FolkBrotha Hustle: "Ghetto Science Community: The Hustle family's Summer Jobs Initiative is ready to put people to work, thanks to some surplus funds from the Ghetto Science Community Stimulus Grant, or GSCSG. Special thanks go out to Congressman Smokey ‘Robinson' …
[Kamikaze] Relearning Riding the BikeI haven't been on a bike in years. Not because the desire isn't there. Well, kind of. I haven't been bike shopping longer than I have actually ridden one; I'll have to wait and see if I can still maneuver.
[Wilkes] Dudettes Wearing SuitsScene: Working husband, John Jones, walks in the door fresh from work, proverbial bacon in hand. Stay-at-home wife, Janet, cooks said bacon and puts what's left in a ROTH IRA for when their precious, unborn children, little Johnny Jr. and …
[Balko] A Drug Raid Goes ViralLast week, a Columbia, Mo., drug raid captured on video went viral. As of this morning, the video had garnered 950,000 views on YouTube. It has lit up message boards, blogs, and discussion groups around the Web, unleashing anger, resentment …
Be the ActorsI was running late and felt lost in the hallways of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C, last week, as I attempted to find Sen. Roger Wicker's office. My feet ached because I had bought into the "pain …
Sun Must Shine on Convention Hotel DealMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. dismayed the Jackson Free Press at the City Council work session Monday when he said the city was looking to enter into a possibly-financial deal with TCI-MS to complete the stalled Capital City Center, but that …
[Stiggers] Desperate PleaMr. Announcement: "G-SPAN (Ghetto Science Public Affairs Network) presents the ‘Lord Have Mercy I'm Still Unemployed Center Summer Jobs Summit.' Rev. Cletus, spiritual advisor and pastor of Rev. Cletus Car Sales Church, is the guest motivational speaker."
[Fish] Pie In The SkyThose of us who understand educational theory can clearly see the foundations on which Lynn Stoddard's "Educating for Human Greatness" (Peppertree Press, 2010, $18.50) is based. None of the ideas are new; they are synthesized from many great thinkers of …
Where the Jobs Are in 2010If we're lucky, we're coming out a deep recession and looking at economic growth that, hopefully, will mean jobs, consumer spending and new business investment nationally. Jackson is poised to take advantage of economic revitalization, but to do it, we'll …
Vet The New Lake 255 PlanAfter more than a decade, the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board came to a tentative compromise on a lake plan that does not appear to be in opposition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' …
[Stiggers] The Larger WorldCan you believe it? This year marks my seventh year writing humor and satire for the Jackson Free Press! You've endured seven years of my crazy characters, wacky parodies, unusual pop culture and ethnic references, and liberal views on society …
[Kamikaze] Transfer the PowerThis city is on the brink of greatness, with more than a billion dollars worth of new development downtown. Young professionals, black and white, are choosing to live, work, and play in an urban environment. New restaurants are all over …
[Purvis] The Case for Shopping LocallyI hate going to superstores. I rarely see the same staff, and the employees never seem too interested in being there. Maybe that's a symptom of supersizing. How can an employee in customer service be there for so many people …