News

Service Dog of the Day

About 10 years ago, an assault and robbery left Mississippi Gulf Coast native Davis Hawn physically and mentally scarred.

SCOTUS: Prayer at Govt. Meetings OK

Outside the Bible Belt, it may seem odd for so much praying to take place at government meetings, considering the longstanding doctrine of separation of church and state. Is this even legal? According to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, it is.

Excell Butler

The winds of change were blowing through most of Mississippi in 1967. At Jackson's mass-transit authority, JATRAN, things were no different. It was that year that then-30-year-old Excell Butler applied to be a JATRAN bus operator.

Community Meetings and Events

The Canton Flea Market is Thursday, May 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Canton Square.

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Jackson Men Rally in Response to Killings

Zachery Robinson was killed on Tuesday evening; Christopher Kyles the following morning.

City Almost Grounds 'Jackson Rising' Conference

A keystone of late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's economic agenda, the Jackson Rising: New Economies Conference, which starts today, was almost derailed this week when the city of Jackson pulled its support for key elements of the event, said one of the conference's organizers.

Cities Waffle on Incinerator proposals

Short on landfill space and keen to find novel ways of generating electricity, cities nationwide have begun considering a new wave of incinerator plants designed to be cleaner and more efficient then their predecessors.

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil created Nielsen's African American consumer report, published for the first time in 2013, and served as Nielsen's senior vice president of communications prior to being vice president of public affairs and government relations.

Hendrix, Amos Among Ward 6 Possibles

With Tony Yarber becoming Jackson's fourth mayor in a year's time, a special election will be required to fill his old Ward 6 seat.

Mississippi Mother Diane Bass’ Testimony to Her Church After Learning Her Son, Lance, Was Gay

This is an excerpt of a letter Lance Bass' mother, Diane, wrote to her church about her son's homosexuality.

Lance Bass on God, Being Gay and Loving His Sweet Mama

Two years after I graduated from high school in 2004, Lance Bass came out of the closet on the cover of People Magazine. His revelation struck a chord for me not just because he was a celebrity, as one-fifth of the world-famous pop group 'N Sync, but because he was from Clinton, Miss. As far as I knew growing up, there were no gay people in Clinton.

Advice From Laverne Cox: Talk About It

As the first transgender performer to have a recurring spot on a television series, Laverne Cox plays Sophia, a transgender woman who is in prison for credit-card fraud, in the wildly popular Netflix series, "Orange Is the New Black."

And LGBTQ Rights March On: The Who, What, How in Mississippi

Although there is growing support for equal rights in both Jackson and the state, legislation like SB 2681 has the potential to encourage and legalize discrimination, harking back to Jim Crow legislation.

Building Jackson Strong, One Person at a Time

Shoppers looking for organic and locally sourced food are familiar with the unassuming little grocery on Old Canton Road in Fondren. Mostly, they just call it Rainbow.

State Law Weak on City Elections

In the waning days of the April 22 special-election runoff for Jackson mayor, third parties, surrogates and political-action committees took control of the political discourse and broadcast airwaves to become the strongest forces in the election, more than the two candidates in some ways.

Constance Gordon

Constance Gordon, 32, currently uses her voice as an advocacy coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Center for Violence Prevention in the Running for Neighborhood Assist

The Center for Violence Prevention needs your help in becoming one of the top 40 in State Farm's Neighborhood Assist campaign.

From the Eye of the Storm

This account was taken during the storm event that swept across Mississippi, Alabama and the southern U.S. on April 28.

Battling Brain Drain, New Duling Debuts and Tacos for Charity

On Friday, May 2, Arden Barnett, founder of entertainment company ardenland, is inviting everyone in the Jackson community to see the updates and new features he's made to Duling Hall during a concert featuring The Wild Feathers and Tennessee Jet.

Gus McCoy

Gus McCoy has tackled many different careers in the last few years, including working as a youth pastor and an insurance agent, and even running for Hinds County District 2 supervisor last year in the special election to replace Doug Anderson.

Campaigns Put Mississippi on LGBT-Rights Front Line

Next week, the Human Rights Campaign kicks off its latest endeavor, Project One America, in Jackson. The Mississippi stop is one of three HRC will make during a tour that also goes through Alabama and Arkansas.

Gerald Gibson

Gerald Gibson wants to change the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. He is the coordinator of community-based outreach and testing for My Brother's Keeper, a nonprofit designed to further the health and wellbeing of minority communities.

Miss. Abortion Clinic Fight at Federal Appeals Court

The future of Mississippi's only abortion clinic is in the hands of a federal appeals court.

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Jackson Charter School to Make its Case

"Schools are the next frontier for community organizing," said Ravi Gupta, who took a leave of absence from law school to help Barack Obama be elected president the first time, in 2008.