Maya Miller

Dream Cult: Working on ‘Weekend’

What began as a group of Jackson friends jamming together as surf-rock band The Weekend Kids has turned into a music career for the members of '80s-inspired indie-pop act Dream Cult.

Frustration Continues over City Furloughs

Standing in the sweltering July heat, city workers, union organizers and their interns gathered this morning on the steps of Jackson City Hall to speak out once again about the city-mandated furlough Fridays that have been in effect since last October.

Town Hall: Reduce Youth Crime with Less Incarceration, More Engagement

The room was nearly packed on July 14 at Millsaps College as concerned members of the community gathered for a town-hall meeting on preventing violence, gang interruption, and alternatives to juvenile detention and juvenile justice presented by the Jackson Free Press and the Solutions Journalism Network.

Joseph "Piko" Ewoodzie

As a professor of sociology and Africana studies at Davidson College in North Carolina, Joseph "Piko" Ewoodzie wants to uncover what's under the hood of society and discover how the world works.

Guilty Pleas, and a Hunt for Prostitutes, Johns and Child Predators

It's been a relatively steady summer of lower crime across the city, with major crimes coming in 17.6 percent lower than 2015 with violent crimes 15.4 percent lower than 2015 and property crime 18.2 percent lower than 2015, year-to-date.

Defending Our Blackness, Unapologetically

I didn't watch the 2016 BET awards last Sunday, but I did partake in the Black Twitter awards watch party where I retweet, lurk from afar and pop some tweets off for the sake of humor. It's probably one of the rare things that brings us together on social media. Well, that and exposing racists.

‘Tough Love’: Harlem Gang Expert Visiting Jackson

Dr. Kai Smith, a native of Harlem, runs GRAAFICS, Gang Diversion, Reentry And Absent Fathers Intervention Centers, a program he founded to give young men and women an outlet to avoid criminal behavior.

Actress Aunjanue Ellis: Mississippi Flag Damages African American Community

Actress and Mississippi native Aunjanue Ellis recently spoke to the Jackson Free Press by phone on heritage, hate and bringing down the flag.

Film Star: Mississippi Flag an American, Not State, Problem

Local advocates, civil-rights activists and actress Aunjanue Ellis, a Mississippi native and critic of the state flag, held a community town-hall meeting at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center on June 9.

Stand With Victims of Sexual Violence

On the one day a week that I'm allowed to sleep past noon, I woke before dawn to a flurry of Facebook shares of one victim's soul-rattling letter to her attacker.

National Re-entry Month, Officer of the Month, Crime Down Across the City

Mayor Tony Yarber declared that the City of Jackson is participating in National Re-entry Month in support of citizens who have been incarcerated and are now returning to society.

JPD Honors Fallen Officers with 'Honor and Respect'

Family members of fallen Jackson Police Department officers placed roses on the memorial site outside of JPD headquarters in downtown Jackson yesterday, and were presented with potted peace lilies, a flower that represents innocence, harmony and purity after death.

A Weekend of Wildlife

August marks the 30th anniversary of the Mississippi Wildlife Foundation's largest annual fundraiser, the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza. The event began as a small outdoor event and is now a weekend-long festival filled with catfish, alligators, educational seminars and more.

A Flower Child at Heart

There's something refreshing about the changing seasons, and I experience it more when the trees bloom and storefronts open their doors to greet those rising from their hibernation under long sleeves and knee high boots.

Domestic Violence Coalition: State Needs to Support Victims

More than a dozen domestic violence activists gathered at the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence headquarters on May 11 in response to the failure of SB 2418, the 'divorce bill' that would have created legal provisions to make domestic violence grounds for divorce in the state.

Operation Side-by-Side, Suspect Still at Large, Violent Crime Up, Robbery Down

On Thursday, April 15, Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance and Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason launched Operation Side by Side, a joint operation created to marry up resources and tackle violent crimes in the city.

Always Strive for #BlackExcellence

As much as I'd love to talk about first lady Michelle Obama's perfectly curled hair and her beaming smile, her Jackson State commencement address was probably one of the most goosebump-inducing speeches I've heard.

First Lady Obama: Strive for Excellence, Fight for Rights for All, Reject ‘Backward’ HB 1523

First lady Michelle Obama dropped a history lesson and urged nearly 800 graduates to fight for excellence and use their power and numbers in voting to strive for progress at Jackson State University's Spring 2016 commencement.

JPD Chief and Hinds Sheriff Team Up to Launch 'Operation Side by Side'

At the Second Precinct's late-afternoon roll call at the Metrocenter on Friday, April 15, the Jackson Police Department and the Sheriff's Department joined together to create Operation Side by Side, one of the newest strategies to combat crime in the city.

Local Criminal System: Moves Like 'Quicksand,' Leading to 'Unintended Punishment'

The local criminal-justice system is slow-moving, lacks coordination, and pulls and keeps offenders inside it like "quicksand," participants at Mayor Tony Yarber's Criminal Justice Reform Task Force meeting said yesterday.

Experts on Police Pursuits: Another Way

Police pursuits take nearly one life a day in the United States, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows. Of these, one out of every three deaths is an innocent bystander or motorist.

Blair Neelley

When you first walk into the Princess Salon, bright pink walls and giant posters of Disney princesses surround you. In the center of it all is Blair Neelley.

City Workers Protest Furloughs, Demand Answers

Earlier this morning, City of Jackson workers, Mississippi Alliance of State Workers/ Communications Workers of America members, the Black Caucus of the Young Democrats of America and community organizers held a rally outside City Hall to protest the city-mandated monthly furlough day.

Capitol Street Coalition: Police Pursuits Endangering Jacksonians' Lives

West Jackson residents, Clinton residents and public officials met this morning at the intersection of Galvez Street and Capitol Street, near the site of the deadly crash that left Lonnie Blue Jr. dead earlier this week.

Police Chief Denies JPD Involvement in Deadly Chase, Charges Driver with Second-Degree Murder

Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance is pushing back on the Clinton police’s version of a recent car chase that ended in tragedy.

Nabbing Carjackers, Property Crimes Up, Violent Crimes Steady

Jackson Police Officer Brandon Caston was off-duty and sitting at a red light when he saw the stolen 2003 maroon Chevy Tahoe pulling into Burger King in his rearview mirror.

Suspects Still At Large, Crimes Against Persons on the Rise, Seeking Solutions

After a relatively low crime season, this past weekend began a very tense week for the city of Jackson.

Inside 'Mason's Inn': Life, Lockup and Learning Inside the Raymond Jail

The Hinds County Detention Facility is an all-male jail that houses about 430 inmates, fewer than 20 of them juveniles.

UPDATED: Surge in Jackson Homicide After Lull in Violent Crimes

This weekend, after two consecutively low weeks of crime in the city, five people were murdered in Jackson.

JPD Earns Accreditation for First Time in History, Most Crime Down Over Last Year

In the 134 years since its formation, the Jackson Police Department has earned its accreditation.

Black Senator: 'Appalled' at Bryant's 'Confederate' Proclamation, Take Down 'Pro-slavery State Flag'

Sen. Derrick T. Simmons, D-Greenville, issued a statement today in response to Gov. Phil Bryant's proclamation naming April as Confederate Heritage Month.

Cleaning Up Jails, Carjackings on Rise, Escapee Still at Large, Citizen's Police Academy

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason held a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 16, to discuss recent developments at the Hinds County jails, including improvements to the Raymond Detention Center and two detention officers being arrested for bringing in contraband into the jail.

Obama Drive, Drones, Rental Rules and Subcontractors Before City Council Today

Subcontractor transparency, revitalizing underutilized residential properties and regulating drones in city limits are among the items the Jackson City Council will take up today.

Teens Arrested for Robbery String, Police Searching for Carjacking Suspects

Two Jackson teenagers are in custody after a recent string of armed robberies, including of Beatty Street Grocery, Nail City and Waffle House, Police Chief Lee Vance said Thursday during a press conference in police headquarters.

Slay, Beyoncé, Slay

I'm proud of Beyonce for using her status as an influential performer to send a message of unapologetic blackness.

Zakiya Summers

Civil justice, public relations and communications are Zakiya Summers' life.

Thank You, Jackson, for Showing Up, Showing Out

If you missed the Best of Jackson party this past Sunday, you missed an event that perfectly exemplifies why the city is so awesome.

Setting up Stonewalls

Since the musicians of rock-and-roll band Stonewalls first became friends while attending Florence High School, they have also worked together as band mates through various incarnations of the group.

Conversations about (Young) Community

Once the panelists at Operation Shoestring's "Conversations About Community" began speaking, everyone seemed to realize, all at once, that we have to listen to our children.

Aching for Tamir, Fearing for My Life

When the news broke of no indictment against the officer in the Tamir Rice case on Dec. 28, I wasn't shocked or surprised. I was disappointed, I ached for Tamir's family, but mostly, I was afraid for my own.

Justin Ransburg: Testing Boundaries

Most of Justin Ransburg's artwork combines illustrations and painting, as well as graphic design and photography.

Freedom in Fides

Since the members of psychedelic-indie-rock quartet Fides first met as students at Clinton High School in 2009, they have made it their mission to create music that is serious and thoughtful while maintaining a not-so-serious attitude about life.

A Family Tradition

While New Orleans may be nearly three hours away, it's easy to find Cajun dishes reminiscent of the ones you'd find in the Crescent City at Drago's Seafood Restaurant in Jackson.

Tiffany Turner

For Tiffany Turner, owner and stylist of T-Stylez Hair Studio, everything is about being passionate and having faith.

Divas Take Jackson

With its focus on local food, fashion and entertainment, the City's "We Are Jackson" weekend, which runs from Thursday, Oct. 8, to Sunday, Oct. 11, aims to combat an age-old falsehood: "There's nothing to do in Jackson."

Anne Amelot-Holmes

Since she was a little girl serving guests where her father worked in France, Anne Amelot-Holmes knew she belonged in the restaurant business.

Bottoms Up, Angels

When Toni Francis' husband, T, came home from a trip to Vicksburg, Francis never imagined that one day, she'd become the marketing and events coordinator for the Jackson chapter of Barley's Angels, one of 75 all-female groups from across the world dedicated to craft-beer education.

Stories by Maya