Justice

Putting a Price Tag on Voter ID

The debate surrounding voter ID in Mississippi has focused on political and historical arguments, rather than funding. While its proponents have lauded voter ID as essential for preserving the democratic process, opponents have claimed it is an effort to discourage African Americans and other minorities from voting—especially those old enough to remember Jim Crow-era tactics such as poll taxes.

[Kamikaze] Stop Waiting; Start Working

In past columns I've spoken about what has been coined the "savior complex," the tendency of a group, party or race to expect one individual to be the answer to all that ails it. It's the thought that by electing or appointing the perfect person to a position of power, we can sit back and watch as they magically make everything better with the stroke of a hand.

Meeting Focuses on Crime Solutions

Local law enforcement officials, justice advocates, clergy members and Jackson residents came together last night to discuss solutions on tackling crime in Jackson.

Light a Candle

The killing of Mr. James Craig Anderson in Jackson in June seems to have precipitated a number of questions that can, in my opinion, be answered by revisiting our state's history.

Hundreds March to Heal and Denounce

Community organizers and leaders see the Aug. 14 vigil for James Craig Anderson as the first step toward community healing and racial reconciliation.

Simulation Builds Respect

It's almost the end of the month, and a family is trying to decide how to stretch their money to buy groceries. One family member doles out a few bills, explaining that they have to spend it a little bit at a time, otherwise they won't have any food at the end of the week.

An Open Letter to the Greater Jackson Community

We, the members of the board of Jackson 2000, extend our hearts and thoughts to the family and friends of James Craig Anderson, and we join the rest of the community in sharing the pain and sadness they must feel, and offer to them our comfort and resources. Indeed, we are concerned for all of those involved and touched by this tragedy.

[Kamikaze] I'm Angry

I try not to write when I'm angry. They say some of the best writing comes out of emotion. But some of the most regrettable pieces have come when penned emotionally as well.

[Head] One Mississippi, Two Mississippi

This is not a new disease. This is an acute symptom of a very old chronic disease.

Crime Perception Hurts Jackson Economy

Jackson misses out on booking conventions because of a false perception that the city has a high crime rate, Rickey Thigpen says. Thigpen, executive vice president of the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, spoke this morning at the Friday Forum gathering at Koinonia Coffee House.

Time for Justice

"The wheels of justice grind very slowly, but sometimes they grind in the right direction." Hinds County Circuit Court Tomie Green spoke those words to Cedric Willis March 6, 2006, as she was exonerating him of all charges against him, setting him free 12 years after his arrest.

Second Best Ideas

I vividly remember the day when Ward 1 City Councilman Ben Allen bounded into my office at the Jackson Free Press. During the Frank Melton mayoral administration, it wasn't unusual for Allen to pop by; we didn't agree on everything and fought like banshees on the Internet from time to time, but we were on the same page when it came to some of the crazy coming out of city hall. We found common ground on the need for Jackson, and particularly downtown, to get its groove back.

James Ford Seale Dead in Prison; Helped Kill 2 Black Teens in 1964

James Ford Seale, 76, has died in prison in Terre Haute, Ind., where he was serving three life sentences on federal kidnapping charges in 2007, the Associated Press is reporting. In 1964, he was a Ku Klux Klansman who helped kidnap and murder two teenagers, Henry Dee and Charles Moore. The Jackson Free Press accompanied Moore's brother, Thomas, and a cameraman from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in 2005 back to Meadville and Roxie, Miss., where the team discovered that Seale was still alive and living openly next to his brother in a trailer in Roxie. Other media, including the Associated Press and The Clarion-Ledger, had reported him dead.

The JFP Interview With Tyrone Lewis

Tyrone Lewis, former Jackson Police officer (1983-2010), police chief and Democratic candidate for Hinds County Sheriff, is not a small man. He stands about 6 feet, but his barrel chest is like a cowcatcher on a 19th-century steam locomotive. When he flexes his arms, the muscles beneath the skin tumble over one another like a bag of basketballs.

Keeping Kids Off the Streets

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and the Jackson City Council are advocating for a facility in the city to house minors who are not serious offenders as a solution to curbing teen violence this week.

Ellington