Justice

Arts, IDs and ALEC

Malcom White, executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, constantly battles the perception that his and the state's other "cultural agencies" are not core government functions.

Save ‘Violence Against Women Act'

Next on conservatives' list of things to drown in the bathtub of "big government extravagance" is the Violence Against Women Act. Bill Clinton signed VAWA into law in 1994, providing just over $1.5 billion to help investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violence against women, to provide grants for education about domestic violence and to help shelter women from abusers.

[Kamikaze] Still Racial

So, you're tired of hearing folks talk about race, right? Tired of reading about it? Sick of seeing all the articles and all the pieces on CNN? You could do without another rally, without another Facebook or Twitter campaign, correct?

After Fiery Debate, Voter ID Passes

Following one of the hottest Senate debates of recent weeks, Mississippi's constitutional amendment to require would-be voters to prove their identities at the polls, inched closer to realization this morning.

Civil Rights Museum Planners Collecting Stories

It has been 50 years since James Meredith became the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi. Until recently, Mississippi had no central location for celebrating this type of event, and so many others of its kind.

‘Internalized Racism'

Damien Henderson scrawled the words "Rest in Paradise" on a vent outside his brother Ryan's dorm room at Jackson State University last week before leading approximately 200 college students dressed in red in a peaceful march to the Palisades Apartments, where Ryan was shot and killed March 25.

New Details Emerge in JSU Student's Death

Jackson police released more details this morning about yesterday's arrest of Jarrod Emerson, a cousin of Jackson State University freshman Nolan Ryan Henderson who was shot and killed at a party over the weekend.

Rankin County Teens' Hate Spree Punished

As people rallied across the nation calling for justice in the racially charged shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida, Jackson was center stage for a landmark hate-crimes hearing.

Family Rallies: ‘Ryan's Life Mattered'

Around 200 college students dressed in red gathered in front of Alexander Residence Hall at Jackson State University to remember Nolan Ryan Henderson, a freshman shot and killed after attending an off-campus party.

JSU Shooting Details Sketchy

Details about the shooting death of 19-year-old Nolan Ryan Henderson at the Palisades apartments over the weekend are slowly emerging, but much still remains unknown.

With Pressure On, JSU Releases Statement About Henderson Shooting

The statement, verbatim:

Amid allegations that JSU football players may have killed Nolan Ryan Henderson last weekend, as I blogged about this morning, Jackson State University just released a statement calling for information about the shooting. No one from JSU is speaking directly to the press about the latest allegations, which have taken social media by storm today (#justiceforryan on Twitter), but they released a statement that did not address the football-player allegations, which Henderson's brother, Damien, is passing around via social media, along with other friends and family, suggesting that JSU has not acted quickly enough to identify the killers. The statement is below, verbatim, and comes after the Henderson family met with JSU administration including Dr. Carolyn Meyers this afternoon at Jackson State. It's also interesting to note that Henderson's mother had agreed to go on JSU's TV-23 tonight with a JSU representative, but then backed out, saying that she plans to sue the university. This information came from Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin, the host of the program who is also a columnist for the Jackson Free Press.

Jackson Rallies for Trayvon Martin

"An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere." The crowd of protesters cheered as Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber gave the tweaked quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a rally cry on the steps of City Hall Sunday.

JSU to Hold Vigil for Shooting Victim

Jackson State University plans to hold a candlelight vigil this evening in honor of a freshman who was killed in a shooting over the weekend.

State Executes William Mitchell

William Mitchell was already affixed to the metal table with thick, heavy, tan leather straps when prison guards escorted witnesses into the execution viewing rooms at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Dressed in a red jumpsuit and surprisingly clean black and white sneakers--MSP's version of Converse's All-Star--Mitchell's bulky 6-foot-1-inch frame filled every available inch of the gurney that was bolted to the floor. Underneath the slab, curiously, sat a small, wooden step stool.

Three Plead Guilty to Felony Hate Crimes

The federal government used the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed in Oct., 2009, for the first time Thursday in a case where the defendants actions resulted in a victim's death.

Ellington