[Stiggers] Desperate Men in Dire TimesMr. 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 firm …
[Queen] We're Getting Hitched"Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Buddha's famous quote has directed my life for the last 30 years. I've always done my best to live life to …
Of Melton's Health and 'Failures'Jackson Mayor Frank Melton called his administration's work on lowering the crime rate in the city a "failure" twice during a Dec. 30 press conference, but followed up each confession with a caveat.
A Long, Long Road"Donna, you know what? I run Jackson," declared Mayor Frank Melton, scrunching his face up into one of his trademark snickers that are cute and creepy at the same time. "I do it in a weird way, but I run …
[Stiggers] High Hopes in 2009Chef Fat Meat: "Despite all the terrible things that poor and middle-class folks have suffered throughhome foreclosures, job layoffs, natural disasters, loss of medical benefits and moreit's time to lift up our burdened heads to see the stars in times …
No Rest For the WearyBenjamin Franklin once said that without continual growth and progress, such words as "improvement," "achievement" and "success" have no meaning. This statement, true in the 18th century, remains so in the 21st century.
[Johnson] Hear No EvilMore than two years after Mayor Frank Melton and police bodyguard Michael Recio destroyed a duplex on Ridgeway Street, they may finally answer for their crimes in federal court.
Make Jackson WeirdI grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan, and one of the biggest adjustments to rooting for my now-beloved Saints is to learn to keep hope alive for a team that lacks a tradition of winning.
Stop Spreading PowersSecretary of State Delbert Hosemann has approached the Senate Elections Committee asking for a statute that would allow his office to subpoena records and evidence relating to state or local elections.
[Stiggers] Christmas in the GhettoBart Starrchild: "This is your token Caucasian announcer broadcasting live from the Funky Ghetto Mall. I'm here for the premiere of the Ghetto Science Team's Community Christmas Parade titled 'A Missing Toe Christmas,' brought you by the Ghetto Science Team …
[Kamikaze] Moving On to New ThingsI hate moving! If I had to make a list of my least desirable things to do, moving would be just above being held hostage in a Cambodian prison camp and getting a prostate exam from a blind doctor.
Southern GOP: We're Over IdeologyThe national electoral gains that Democrats have made in the 2006 and 2008 elections are nothing short of historic, and at the expense of a devastated GOP. Those gains even include large swaths of voters in the South, including nearly …
Come All Ye FaithfulIn his column last week, The Clarion-Ledger's Sid Salter quoted the fifth chapter of Matthew to justify Gov. Haley Barbour diverting federal money away from low-income Katrina re-housing and into a port project instead. Yes, he said, Jesus cared about …
[Stiggers] Dodging ChristmasBrotha Hustle: "Miss Doodle Mae, spokeswoman, part-time cashier and security guard at Jojo's Discount Dollar Store, is on full-time security duty during the Christmas holiday season. She asked me to fill in for her to tell you about Jojo's Discount …
[Wilson] Santa's New SuitAs my half-completed degree from Reformed Theological Seminary can attest, I have a hearty sense for the true meaning of Christmas, but I'll let some other commentator discuss that.
Art For the PeopleAfter an exquisite breakfast of fresh fruit and hot flapjacks during our recent honeymoon in Belize, my husband, J.P., and I slowly sipped our glasses of orange juice and walked 20 feet from the Turtle Inn restaurant to the sandy …
Look at the Whole Immigration PictureImmigrants and their children sent a loud message last week. About 50 people marched on the capitol, protesting recent raids at a Laurel factory and a new Mississippi law that puts people in jail for being undocumented and employed at …
[Stiggers] Who Will Bail Us Out?Nurse Tootie McBride: "If you work a full-time job, live in a financially challenged neighborhood (aka the ghetto) and want to join a labor union, become a member of the Ghetto Workers' Labor Union #776 and 3/22.
[Kamikaze] Battling the HolidaysLiving in the greatest country in the world has its obvious advantages, but sometimes it's difficult living with the utter intolerance of some of its citizens. This is most evident during the holiday season.
[Queen] A Woman's WorthMy mother and I have been extremely close since my father passed, but it took some time to obtain the relationship we have today. The first couple of years after my father died, I thought I was the reason for …
For Them, the BraveIt used to be that murders of black people didn't matter. They still don't matter enough, but they get taken a lot more seriously than they did back when I was a baby. Then, an angry white person, a mob, …
Fire the Employees Stealing from CityWard 1 Councilman Jeff Weill summed it up best when he said the city of Jackson had "dropped the ball" on supervising the city's gas cards. According to city council members, 1,088 city employees have access to gas cards that …
[Gregory] The Christmas MiracleI've always loved the holidays. I like the fall smells in the air, eggnog lattes and almost any dessert spiced with cinnamon. I especially adore the whiskey drinks and how no one seems to mind if you get publicly drunk …
Let Us Begin AgainNot long ago, an evangelical minister and his teenage son visited me at the JFP offices. We sat in the classroom, under the watchful gaze of Emmett Till from a movie poster on the wall, and talked about being inspired …
Stop Creating More ShortfallsIf State Auditor Stacey Pickering gets his way, the state could end up paying an extra $3 million for a bill that has already been paid.
[Sue Doh Nem] Inauguration at the DiscoMomma Roscoe: "I thought I'd never see this day. And you know what I mean. This old lady hasn't been this excited since John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1961. I'm not like that sweet 106-year-old lady President-Elect Barack …
[Kamikaze] One-Way Metro StreetI often hear the term "metro Jackson" bandied about, more so in recent years. We have a "Metro"center Mall. We even had a "Metro" Jackson Chamber of Commerce (now called the "Greater" Jackson Chamber Partnership). But I often find myself …
The national electoral gains that Democrats have made in the 2006 and 2008 elections are nothing short of historic, and at the expense of a devastated GOP. Those gains even include large swaths of voters in the South, including nearly …
Immigrants and their children sent a loud message last week. About 50 people marched on the capitol, protesting recent raids at a Laurel factory and a new Mississippi law that puts people in jail for being undocumented and employed at …
If State Auditor Stacey Pickering gets his way, the state could end up paying an extra $3 million for a bill that has already been paid.