What If We Could Fill Potholes ... With Jobs?
Are potholes the worst problem we face in Jackson? No. But they represent a pretty big problem for more than one reason.
Legislature, If You Care About Kids, Prove It
With the large corporate incentive package behind us that will, hopefully, create jobs down the road, it's time for legislators to start working on more pressing issues, including how the state will spend its limited budget for the coming year.
The Real Truth About Jackson’s Airports
Let's talk facts about the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. First, Jackson's airport system originated in 1928.
Slay, Beyoncé, Slay
I'm proud of Beyonce for using her status as an influential performer to send a message of unapologetic blackness.
Good at Dates or Not, Meet Your Match
And yes, at its core, dating is a "bad situation." In one way or another, everyone on a first date feels like a perfect stranger.
U.N. Finds Evidence of Human-Rights Abuse in Jackson
While in Jackson, the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent heard a full day of testimony that provided in-depth insights into the types of de facto human-rights abuses that people of African descent face.
Lead Contamination Debacle Gives Little Faith in State-Managed Airport
Like many people who live in Jackson, we were taken aback when we heard that state Sen. Josh Harkins planned to submit legislation to change the composition of what is now the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Fallback'
Having lawmakers spend time debating bringing back World War II-style execution methods, deemed inhumane by human-rights groups, is a huge waste of time—not to mention patently inhumane.
The Sour Music of Discontent
Boneqweesha Jones: "Welcome to Boneqweesha Live Entertainment News and World Report, broadcasting live from the television studio of Hair Did University School of Cosmetology and Vocational Studies."
Thank You, Jackson, for Showing Up, Showing Out
If you missed the Best of Jackson party this past Sunday, you missed an event that perfectly exemplifies why the city is so awesome.
Give Jackson Your Best to Solve Its Problems
It's our view that Jackson's troubles bring out the best in its people. We've seen it firsthand in the 13.5 of this paper.
Why I Love My City
This entire column could have been a list of events and places, no descriptions. Just a list of all the festivals, the amazing cultural events and the deep history in our city.
Jacktown: I Call It My Hometown
I have seen a movement among Jacksonians recently. There is growth in all areas, whether people want to admit it or not.
Reminding Ourselves How Great Jackson Is
It's worth a moment of reflection to think about how far we've come in the 14 years that the JFP has asked readers who and what they think constitute the "best."
Conversations about (Young) Community
Once the panelists at Operation Shoestring's "Conversations About Community" began speaking, everyone seemed to realize, all at once, that we have to listen to our children.
Invest in Meaningful Workforce Training
Mississippi House Seaker Phillip Gunn, an attorney at one of the Jackson's largest law firms, quipped this week that he recently had to call a plumber to his Clinton home. When Gunn received his bill, he noticed that the plumber's hourly rate was the same rate Gunn charges to give legal advice.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Nature'
Alex Epstein loves fossil fuels—and has the T-shirts and buttons to prove it—because, he argues, coal and crude oil make the Earth a better place.
Financially Challenged Lives Matter
Mr. Announcer: "In the ghetto criminal-justice system, the people are represented by members of the newly established Ghetto Science Community Peace Keeping Unit."
Stop Tone-Deaf Attacks on ‘Black Lives Matter’
Martin Luther King Jr. would not approve of #BlackLivesMatter. Dr. King was about bringing people together. He would say, 'All lives matter,'" the tweet declared confidently.
Dr. King and Accountability
As the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday approaches, we must begin to reflect on the examples and lessons he left to us.
MAEP Reform: Avoid Fuzzy-Math Logic
Changes to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program are likely to be on the legislative agenda and horizon, but lawmakers must proceed with caution when tampering with certain components of the formula.
Are Our Schools Really Such a Failure?
Are our schools really such a failure? Admittedly, we can improve as educators work to make our schools better, but to those who constantly hammer on our public schools as being worse than ever before, I'd like to make a few points.
Worth More Than a Number on a Scale
When I stepped on the scale last Saturday morning, I saw a number that I never wanted to see.
Spirit of Stokes’ Comments: Black Life Matters, Too
The firestorm surrounding what many have deemed controversial comments by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes have a lot of people up in arms.
Need ‘Good Faith’ Before Regionalization
We are not against smart "regionalization." If done correctly, it would mean more transparency, collaboration and growth for the entire region—whether between businesses or governments in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties—cooperating.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Downhill'
While concern about violence against law enforcement is warranted, it is not "racist" to criticize police. The sooner Sheriff Bailey realizes that, the better off Rankin County and its residents will be.
You Know the Routine
Miss Doodle Mae: "Jojo, our fearless leader, continues his 'You Know the Routine' approach to the holidays."
The Dilemma of America’s Dad
If "America's dad" is a rapist, doesn't that mean we've all been living a lie? What other lies have we been telling ourselves? What truths are we afraid to know?
Seeing Hope in Hard Times
Seeing voters in Louisiana and workers in Mississippi and Tennessee finally stand up to the political and corporate fog machine and assert their rights gives me hope for 2016.
Show Leadership, Not ‘Randomness’
Every session, it seems, something President Barack Obama has said or didn't say whips Republicans under our dome into a froth.