MAEP’s Moral Center: Mississippi’s Education Enigma
The quality of education in Mississippi is falling behind the rest of the nation with only 61 percent of students graduating from high school on time and two-thirds of kindergarteners not ready to learn how to read.
The Fire Next Time
City Council President De’Keither Stamps said last week’s fire at the state-owned Ag Museum, which Jackson fire crews extinguished, is a prime example of why the state should be kicking in to pay for public safety.
Mr. Barbour, Stop Insulting Black People
A few days ago I popped on the Jackson Free Press website to see what's going on in the city and noticed the interview with Ward 1 County Supervisor candidate Charles Barbour. It wasn't long before I was overcome by the nausea I feel when people choose to talk about things they don't understand.
The Perils of Deregulating MDOC
Not long after Chris Epps took over as the commissioner of the state prison system, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill that removed the Mississippi Department of Corrections from the purview of the state personnel board for one year.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Important'
As one of the state's top law enforcement officials, Jim Hood probably has more power to clean up elections in Mississippi—which was recently named the nation's most corrupt—than anyone else in the state.
Fighting Corruption Requires More, Not Less Oversight
A movement has been afoot for sometime to roll back government regulations and oversight at every level, the argument being that any amount of government mucks up the words for free-wheeling capitalists to create jobs and make everybody gobs of money.
Origin of Cotton: Basquiat and the South
A painting is probably by Jean-Michel Basquiat if a single figure or a large head dominates a painting's canvas and is surrounded by smaller drawings of body parts and other objects in quirky but accurate line drawings, pieces of language and riotous blasts of color spread into cartoon flatness.
Say ‘Yes, MAAM’ to Classical Music
You may not be a die-hard classical-music purist, but the Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music, known as MAAM, can make you feel like one.
The Source of Southern Songwriting
Millsaps College's Arts & Lecture series is known for featuring gifted speakers and talented artists, but on Monday, Nov. 24, the series steps into new territory with a focus on songwriting.
The Slate
Will Muschamp is stepping down as the head coach for the Florida Gators after this season. Oh, don't feel bad for him. The Gators will pay him $6.3 million just to go away.
No Margin for Error
Mississippi State University seemed to be in shock for the first half of last weekend's game against University of Alabama. The Bulldogs played some of their worst football of the season as the Crimson Tide won 25-20.
2014 JFP Top 25 Poll: Week 12
Florida State University returns to the top spot after Mississippi State University's loss to the University of Alabama. The Seminoles escaped with another win but remain undefeated. That counts for something.
Hickingbottom Joins Ward 1 Race
The field is set for the special election to replace Quentin Whitwell as Jackson Ward 1 Councilman. The last man—all six candidates are men—in is Bob Hickingbottom.
A Living Document
The West Jackson Master Plan, which started a year a and a half ago, is complete. Planners hope the end product—the West Jackson Planning Guidebook—will act as a kind of living document that residents can use to spur growth.
Lung Cancer: Know the Facts, Women
As a medical oncologist, I treat patients battling a variety of cancers—from common types such as breast and prostate to rare cancers of the brain and bones. But of all the types of cancer I see, none causes patients as much fear and dread as lung cancer.
Fitness App of the Week: Walk for a Dog
You know what they say: A dog is a man's best friend. Perhaps that's why quadruped pals (and I don't mean cats) make the best walking or running partners. A dog's gotta walk, right? And you need exercise.
The 'Be Happy' Playlist
Music is the one of the only reasons I can stand to be in a gym. I hate to admit it, but if my iPhone isn't at least 50-percent charged, I won't exercise because I can't deal without my playlist.
Dorlisa Hutton
One student in particular holds a special place for Dorlisa Hutton, project manager at the educational nonprofit Scientific Research, aka SR1, in Jackson.
Facts About Public Education Matter to Communities
The Clarion-Ledger recently published an opinion piece that attacked public education in Mississippi and castigated its supporters. The piece, written by Empower Mississippi President Grant Callen, advocated for alternatives to traditional public schooling.
Of Charles Barbour, TEDx Jackson and Decent Role Models
Simple facts about what built today's inequality are not discussed by people like Charles Barbour. They still use the same old-school scare tactics that should offend white voters because they assume we're too dumb to see through the lies and reject them.