‘Shift Your Shopping’ During Independents Week
As we pause this week to consider what makes this country great, I'd like to suggest that you think about the small, local, independent businesses that make this region a unique place to live, while building wealth, independence and character in metro Jackson.
To Fetch a Pail of Water
This summer marks 25 years since I came out of the closet. Today, coming out happens so often in the world of the Hollywood A-listers, athletes, journalists and elected officials that it hardly makes news. Harvey Milk said we must come out and, while not everyone can right now, plenty visible folks are twirling out of the closet, wire hangers and all.
It’s Time to Fight for Disability Rights
At its core, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act is about discrimination. The federal act was passed in 1990, and Title II "prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities."
Equal-Opportunity Bullets
If one peeked through the veil of gun freedom rhetoric, he or she may take issue with our gun culture and discover it to be a bullet-riddled illness that has plagued this country for generations.
Of Love and Orlando
The day before a gunman massacred 49 mostly Latino men and women at the gay club, Pulse, in Orlando, I was wandering through the Brooklyn Pride festival in New York City. It was right around the corner from my rented apartment in Park Slope where I stayed to do more crime-solutions reporting.
The American Dream?
It is silly to walk around this planet consumed with the idea that you are the only one who matters, but it is equally foolish not to think about your own needs and desires.
Politicizing Tragedy
The nation woke up Sunday to a horrific shock—the worst mass shooting in recent U.S. history—that at least for now appears to be part terror, part hate crime.
I Come from Mississippi
I come from Mississippi, where the struggle for racial harmony has always been particularly tough and violent.
In Tough Times, Be Grateful
A few things have made me realize that it's important to give thanks every day—not just one day of the year.
Mississippi: America’s Third World?
I came to the U.S. in my early 20s for college from my village in Middle Belt, Nigeria. Prior to that, I was an international student in neighboring West African countries Liberia and Sierra Leone.
City Council and Mayor: Get on Same Page
We can see it from both sides—Mayor Tony Yarber, after running on a platform of transparency, has dipped deep in to the rainy day fund and then brought it up after the fact. And while the entire Siemens contract and water snafu isn't completely his fault, it hasn't exactly been managed with great alacrity.
The Greatest of All Time
During my childhood, Muhammad Ali was the ultimate symbol of blackness, which was a combination of intelligence, socio-political activism and style.
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.
Told You So About #MSLeg
In the poorest, most woe-begotten state in the United States, the Mississippi Troika and their loyal minions have managed to cut even deeper into woefully underfunded state education, health care, mental-health care, roads and highways maintenance.
Trafficking: An Ugly Reality in Mississippi
Human trafficking, a form of slavery, doesn't just happen overseas in prostitution rings or on television. It's a nasty, ugly reality—and it happens right here in Mississippi.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'At Risk'
Saying that women are "at risk" of sexual assault by allowing trans-inclusive bathroom policies is not only an argument for discrimination, but also untrue.
The Hustlers’ Time of Year
Brother Hustle: "Welcome to another Compensatory Investment Request Support Group meeting. To paraphrase the words of my favorite funk group WAR: 'Summer time is here / Yes, it's summer, the hustlers' time of year.'"
Women Misrepresented in Media, Business
Recently, I watched the documentary "Miss Representation" by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The 2011 film focuses on the misrepresentation of women in mainstream society and the pressures we face because of it. It framed the struggle of women in a way I've never seen or thought about before.
Do You Have a Seat at the Table?
Where Mississippians once led at the forefront of the movement for change, it looks as though we have become content and reliant upon others.
Lawmakers: Stop Using Transgender Citizens as Political Pawns
In a state where lawmakers couldn't make domestic violence grounds for divorce, the same group of legislators claim that the protection of girls and women informs their decision to demand the state superintendent of education to resign from her job for "risking the safety" of girls in classrooms.
‘Thank God for Alabama’ Now Has New Meaning
Growing up in Mississippi, it seemed we were always competing with Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana over which state could be the worst in education, health care, economic development and other vital issues. Most competitors try to be the best at their craft, but our competition was a race to the bottom.
Juvenile Crime: Identify the Problem
It may not be your fault, but it is your problem. It's our problem. And so far, solving problems seems to be pretty much our saving grace as a species—which is a good thing considering how many problems we create. Let's get to work.
The Lessons That Matter
Before the last chapter in your journey as a child is complete, let's review what you have learned as you matriculated through school. Not mathematical formulas, historical dates or scientific facts, but what will really matter as you continue through adulthood.
2016 Legislative Session a Bust
The new Republican supermajority succeeded in making the 2016 Mississippi Legislative Session one of the least productive and most contentious on record. Aside from those accomplishments, the 2016 Session was a bust; as many reasonable Republicans agree.
Lawmakers: Stop the Shortsighted, Dangerous Budget Cuts
Several state agencies are looking at budget cuts for the coming fiscal year, and a reduction in services to Mississippians—from mental-health care to rehabilitation treatment—will inevitably put pressure on local communities and other support services to pick up the slack.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Disregard'
After President Obama issued a directive to school districts on curbing sex-based discrimination, specifically against students who do not identify with the gender commonly linked to their biological sex, Gov. Phil Bryant told the Mississippi Department of Education that it should disregard the president's calls.
First Lady Sadie-Mae
Mr. Announcement: "Ghetto Science Public Affairs Network TV presents First Lady Sadie-Mae McBride's graduation commencement speech at Hair Did University School of Cosmetology and Vocational Education. We join the first ;ady's speech already in progress."
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.
Having the Space to Try New Ways to Prevent Crime
It's critical for the City of Jackson to have solid coverage of our efforts to try new approaches at crime reduction. It is equally critical that the citizens of Jackson engage with such reporting.
Using Evidence to Bridge Partisan Gaps
Of all the things the Legislature did this year, a budgeting strategy that could potentially save the state wasted dollars in the long-term and ensure taxpayer dollars fund successful programs emerged as a priority, albeit a quiet one, of the legislative leadership.