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Gettin' Older in San Fran
Todd bought me a new little digital camera for my birthday but, so far, I'm not sure it's really for me. What y'all think?
Daily Newspaper Revenue, Readership Declining
No surprise here, but daily newspapers are in trouble. Gannett, which owns The Clarion-Ledger, is showing a dramatic drop in revenue and readership, for instance. The New York Times reports today on how bad it is, and why:
Time to Stop the 'Black Friday' Lunacy
The trampling death of a Wal-Mart temporary worker yesterday morning in a stampede to shop in a big-box retrailer whose products are mostly made outside the United States sent a clear sign that American needs to grow up and that the marketing creation "Black Friday" needs to end. Not to mention, Black Friday is terrible for local economies and local businesses as people crowd into mega-stores that take much of the profits out of town and out of state (and out of the country, in too many cases.
A Hunger to Live: The Struggle to Interrupt the Cycle of Violence
Several members of the “Undivided” crew told their story recently in Sheppards Brother Park in the Washington Addition.
[Ladd] Souls of Our Citizens
I left Mississippi in 1983 to find my place in the world. It wasn't in my home state, I knew then; I just didn't fit here. My spirit was a bit too free and independent to follow a traditional path; my heart bled a bit too easily to belong in the prevailing political climate; my voice was a bit too loud in a state that liked its women a bit more, shall we say, cooperative and demure.
Melton to File Another Lawsuit ... Against Donelson?
Mayor Frank Melton seems to be in a litigious mood this week. First, he filed a lawsuit against The Clarion-Ledger that many believe is frivolous (reported first by the JFP). Now, he is telling WLBT that he is planning to file a civil suit against Albert "Batman" Donelson for murders he has not been convicted of, including two he hasn't been tried for:
A Mayor's Story: Tony Yarber on His Past Mistakes and Evolving Vision
Mayor Tony Yarber is different this time around. During his first run for the job vacated when Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014, a bunch of urgent business suits surrounded and handled him amid a certain amount of arrogant campaign chaos.
Hello from Chi-town
So I'm up in Chicago right now teaching at the Academy for Alternative Journalism done at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern. It's been fun and inspiring—10 students are chosen every year for the workshop with the goal of increasing diversity in the alternative media by teaching them how to write alternative-style—meaning, for the most part, not like the daily newspaper. ;-) We teach heavy immersion reporting, narrative writing and in-depth research. I love it—it's definitely "being deliberate" about finding the right way to ensure that our industry covers all our communities in meaning ways.
Please Help Debunk the CRA Lies
In a campaign increasingly filled with ugliness, the worst thing I've seen happen is the false and racist campaign to blame the current financial crisis on poor people of colorthrough lies spread about the Community Redevelopment Act. We've been on this one for weeks now, starting with threads on the site, then this editorial, then Adam's story, A New Blame in Town. (We were glad to see that The Clarion-Ledger joined us yesterday in a good editorial, but I can't find the link on that awful site of theirs.) Now McClatchy has a news story out debunking the myths (quotes after the jump below).
Haven't We Learned Anything About Racism?
Associated Press:
One of the saddest things about society-condoned bigotry--these days against illegal immigrants--is that is always leads to violence, especially among young people who hear their elders spouting ignorance about certain groups, and then act on it. We've seen it over and over again in this state. The sad part is how hard it is to learn from our own recent past.
Murder in the City: Deep Causes, Harmful Biases, Unexpected Solutions to Gun Violence
On the night of Thursday, Feb. 9, a group of twenty-something Jacksonians were hanging out in Westwood Apartments at 3150 Robinson Road playing dominoes. Suddenly, several men walked in pointing guns and demanding their belongings.
The Streets We Live On
Can the width of our roads actually affect the quality of our lives? That's one of the questions central to the discussion surrounding "infill" and revitalization development in urban areas. It's something, for instance, that local urban planners are discussing in regard to the planned Jackson Metro Parkway and its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods—indeed, its impact on anyone doing business in central Jackson. But the design of a street can affect us on every level—at home, getting to work, heading down to the grocery store or fighting traffic at the mall.
Icky: ‘Heritage' Operative on Barbour's Staff
Just when you thought that the past was another half-mile behind us, something like this comes to light. The Associated Press reported:
Vasti, Proud and Strong, by Scott Barretta
Feb. 26, 2004—Guitarist, songwriter and producer Vasti Jackson may well be the busiest musician in Mississippi. In the last several years, the Hattiesburg resident has appeared in several feature films, a documentary and a TV show, co-produced a Grammy-nominated album, and worked as a session man and road musician for numerous artists. Jackson also performs with his own band and as a solo acoustic act, and recently stepped up front with a new CD, "No Border to the Blues," that might be seen as a distillation of all the work he's accomplished to date.
All Eyes on Jena, La., Today
The JFP's Maggie Burks is in Jena, La., today continuing her http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=14884_0_67_0_C ]coverage of the Jena 6 case that she started in early August when she went to cover Al Sharpton's visit there.
Meeeeeeeetttt Mr. Deuce!
Here's our latest little rescue darling, Little Mister Deuce. He's staying in the office with us right now, home at night, and really needs a good home. He's loving, and playful and loves to cuddle! Get in touch with us, 601.362.6121 ext. 5 if you'd like to be considered as his new parent(s). You would be very lucky. He's wonderful!
Melton: A Cowboy Who Wants to Be Mayor
Please click here to read Donna Ladd's profile of Frank Melton.
[City Buzz] Crackheads vs. Democrats
CRACKHEAD SON-IN-LAWS: The usually-respectful Jackson 2000, a group that meets regularly at Mikhail's to discuss racial reconciliation, got a little saucy this month when a panel gathered to discuss the impact race had on the state's elections on Nov. 4.