Mother Nature: First, Do No Harm"Y'all are just against economic development." That ribbing came from a Levee Board member who shall remain anonymous due to drinks on the table (a pretty good rule for journalists, by the way).
Fix the Smoking BanJackson has taken a stand against smoking in public places, joining capital cities across the country that have banned indoor smoking from businesses, restaurants and bars. Health experts have long identified smoking as a serious health issue, and more recently, …
[Stiggers] Step Into TomorrowBoneqweesha Jones: "Welcome to Hair Did University School of Cosmetology and Vocational Studies Pre-Graduation Banquet. Our guest speaker is the honorable Congressman Smokey ‘Robinson' McBride. Congressman Smokey just arrived from an immigration debate and conference in Washington, D.C."
Tune Up, MississippiFor a long time, I've lived uneasily with the disturbing assumption that most of the people I know who love music (and I know a lot of them) either don't know that the state song of Mississippi is an embarrassment …
[Purvis] The Zen of GardeningThe weekend is over. I sit on my back patio, watching the endless parade of squirrels shimmying up trees and trotting across the top of my weathered-wood privacy fence. My arms ache to the bone. They have acquired a new …
[Balko] Watching the DetectivesGeorge Orwell famously said, "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face–forever." He may still be right.
I Still BelieveMy mind was restless and my thoughts wandered as I sat on the second row in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church in downtown Jackson at the Extraordinary Women's conference April 16. I was excited to be there, but I …
Women's Fund Gets It Wrong … TwiceThe Jackson Free Press has been a strong supporter of The Women's Fund—including giving proceeds raised by our production of "The Vagina Monologues" this year to the group. We applaud the Fund for tackling the issue of domestic abuse and, …
[Stiggers] The Four-Way TestMiss Doodle Mae: "The staff of Jojo's Discount Dollar Store just finished the daily staff meeting, similar to the meeting seen on the television series ‘Hill Street Blues.' Our morning meeting is a great opportunity to prepare for the work …
[Kamikaze] New Breed of Renaissance ManIf you're an avid fan of the NFL, then you were probably glued to your TV this past weekend as the 2010 draft unveiled America's newest millionaires. The draft always holds a few surprises, and after 72 hours of picks, …
Pompous and CircusTo walk or not to walk, that is the question. Or is it?
Family ValuesOur history as a state and a nation is filled with atrocious efforts to destroy the self-esteem of black men. During the entire arc of slavery and then Jim Crow laws--which did not end until the U.S. Supreme Court finally …
Things Can Change, MississippiMississippi's prison system is in desperate need of reform. Under "tough on crime" legislation like increased zero-tolerance penalties for minor drug offenses and the 85-percent rule, which mandate that prisoners serve 85 percent of their sentences prior to parole eligibility, …
[Stiggers] Garment Of DestinyDear Disgruntled American Citizens: I want to make an appeal to you through this letter.
[Collier] Matters of the HeartJust about all my formal education was whitewashed. The things I knew about the parts of American history that weren't white, I learned from my family.
[Balko] Justice Stevens' Mixed Record on Civil LibertiesMany hail retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens as a champion of the accused. Stevens, The New York Times editorial board opined, has a "record of being on the side of fairness and justice."
[Modak-Truran] And We're RollingThe independent film scene is less robust than 20 years ago when it was the ultimate cool. The major studios have a tough enough time reaping profits today, and with a few exceptions such as Participant Media, the big players …
Stop Stalling Flood ControlIt becomes more clear with every Levee Board meeting that the strategy of hard-core Two Lakes development supporters is to stall any alternative plan that could render their plan moot—even though the local levee board has voted to pursue other …
Bring Back CartoonsWhen did ads and previews start taking up 30 minutes of good quality movie time? When I was a kid, cartoons preceded every movie on the silver screen. And while cartoons weren't the feature, at least they weren't advertising.
[Stiggers] Naked TruthBoneqweesha Jones: "This is a ‘Qweesha Live' television news special report! Let's go to TaaQweema Jenkins, Suma Cum Laude graduate of Hair-Did University School of Cosmetology, reporting live from the Ghetto Science Team's Museum of Fine Arts and Culture, where …
[Kamikaze] Open the DialogueMy father and I are the only non-educators in my immediate family. My mother and my siblings were once or are all teachers. And since my father sees every conversation as a "teachable" moment, I guess he could qualify as …
[Balko] The Police BlackoutLast November along the roadside of Richmond Highway, a major thoroughfare in Fairfax County, Va., a police officer shot and killed David Masters, an unarmed motorist, as he sat in the driver's seat of his car. Masters, who was bipolar, …
Chronicling Jackson's BOOMIt just occurred to me when I sat down to write this that the Saints won the Super Bowl within weeks of the King Edward re-opening--after both had suffered roughly four decades of discontent. I guess the Saints and King …
Recovering our ConfidenceIn the first glimmer of good news Mississippi has seen over its lagging tax revenues, the State Tax Commission reported an increase in collections of about a half a percentage point over the previous month.
[Stiggers] Little Bit of ChangeMiss Doodle Mae: "Finally, it looks like this winter's cold spell has broken. Trees covered with white blossoms decorate the ghetto landscape. The street corners and hangout spots are alive with unemployed folk, winos and beggars."
[Collier] Rearing Ain't for EverybodyPicture it: A woman is rolled into Choose-a-Patron-Saint's-Name Hospital, writhing in pain, cursing men and pleading with God for mercy. The contractions are coming closer together and are more difficult to bear. After 40 weeks or so, it is finally …
[Balko] Another Senseless Drug War DeathThe Jonathan Ayers story was already outrageous enough. Last September, a North Georgia narcotics task force gunned down Ayers, a 28-year-old Baptist pastor from Lavonia, Ga., in the parking lot of a gas station. Ayers had not been a suspect …
Mapping Our FutureOur GOOD issue is not an easy spread to put together, but it is one of the most rewarding features we do at the Jackson Free Press. Among all the positive things we hear after each issue is how much …
Do Good, and Do BetterAnd let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24
[Stiggers] Too NastyMr. Announcement: "G-SPAN presents live coverage of the Ghetto Science Community Health Care Reform Clinic grand opening. The clinic is the newest addition to the Club Chicken