Sweet Quote of the Week: 'Responsibility'
In a society that increasingly shifts too much of the accountability for kids off on institutions—schools and jails, to name two—it's easy to forget our individual responsibilities to youth.
A Very Clubb Chicken Wing Christmas
Big Roscoe: "This year, Little Mama and I decided to televise our annual Christmas gift to the community: A Clubb Chicken Wing Christmas."
Living and Loving in a Know-It-All Nation
I doubt I'm the only one who has struggled to find the holiday spirit this year. Mind you, I'm a holiday fanatic—decorate, give, wrap, deliver, entertain, even cook—but I've had to work hard this year to get to my happy Christmas place.
Full Funding Would Give All Schools a ‘Choice’
It can be hard to determine the motives of those who push for "school choice." After all, it can be difficult to distill what proponents of school choice, a movement that includes everything from expansion of charter schools to some version of vouchers, even want.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Today'
Thigpen is either so gung-ho about pushing the "school choice" agenda that he'd look past the residual racism still alive in the state, or he's just naive.
I’m Here, and I Can’t Breathe
I wanted to write a warmer, fuzzier column. I'm sorry, but my conscience won't let me. We're in the midst of a national moment, so warmer and fuzzier can wait; there's critical work to do.
A Media Outlet with a Mission
We can work together—even through our shopping and end-of-year purchases—to create a prosperous new year for Jackson.
What I Learned from “Law and Order SVU”
While obtaining a Ph.D in "Law and Order SVU," I acquired a real-world understanding of how beneficial an individual's civil liberties are when navigating the criminal-justice system.
Playoff Committee Unfair to SEC West
In an effort to right this wrong, the Big 12 purportedly will petition the NCAA for the right to stage a championship game in future seasons.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Can't'
Stamps is correct in that rules must be followed to prevent chaos during government meetings. However, in recent weeks, community activist Enoch Sanders addressed the council at least twice to stump for Ward 3 Councilwoman LaRita Cooper-Stokes.
Everything is a Dollar
Miss Doodle Mae: "Corporate-owned big-box, retail and department stores ushered in the holiday season by having employees work before, during and after Thanksgiving. Now, these same stores are wailing and weeping the blues because Black Friday sales were down 11 percent."
Response to "Making Mississippi 420 Friendly" by R.L. Nave
The need to immediately legalize marijuana nationally is the most pressing moral issue of our time. More and more present and former members of law enforcement agree. Please see leap.cc.
Response to "Mississippi Last In Vaccine Choice" by Anna Wolfe
Mississippi should be lauded as first in protecting its citizens, especially children, from infectious diseases.
Addressing Infrastructure Essential
When the 2015 elections comes around, we will hear about education, health care, job creation and economic development. These issues without a doubt are essential to a community's growth, but there is an underlying issue has a direct impact on these important aspects of life.
Legos Make Jackson Better
In places such as Rankin County, there's this major misconception that Jackson is this evil place where everyone robs everyone, and witches brew their sinister potions on street corners.
What If He Were White?
The tragic death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., leaves us with an opportunity to embrace the simple notion of empathy just as Grisham's fictitious jurors did.
Ending Racial Bias: Hard and Necessary Work
White Americans are more punitive than people of color. Whites misjudge how much crime African Americans and Latinos actually commit. Whites who more strongly associate crime with racial minorities are more supportive of punitive policies. Media crime coverage fuels racial perceptions of crime.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Unfortunate'
A majority vote has never justified the systemic erosion of a group of people's rights—which is the point of the U.S. Constitution. If anyone, a state leader in Mississippi should know this.
I Can’t Not Talk About Ferguson
I can't not talk about Ferguson, because the child in my lap, the sweet one that I nurse and nourish, is brown and male just like Michael Brown.
Why Don’t We Value Black Lives?
Young, black men are often killed because white people fear them, and they kill each other because society tells them their lives are worthless. But the most terrifying part is that white people still defend others killing black folks because we have been socialized for generations to accept it.
Gov. Bryant: Stop Running Off LGBT Mississippians
How can you deny that fostering an oppressive and hateful atmosphere towards the LGBT community forces hard-working taxpayers to seriously question where their pink dollars are spent?
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Broken'
Gregg Harper and his ilk—which includes conservative Republicans and Democrats—can never really articulate how welcoming immigrants is a step backward for the U.S.
Holiday Rebellion
CEO: "Because of Obamacare, Ebola outbreaks, terrorism and minimum-wage protests, Y'all Mart and Crunchie Burga World employees will not receive their annual holiday bonus this year. On behalf of the corporate board of directors and management, we truly appreciate your hard work this year. Happy Holidays."
My Only Egg Bowl Regret
David Rae Morris and I both really wish our dads were here to witness this magical season—one in which both teams have helped take a lot of glory away from the usual football powerhouses and captured the country's imagination.
Mr. Barbour, Stop Insulting Black People
A few days ago I popped on the Jackson Free Press website to see what's going on in the city and noticed the interview with Ward 1 County Supervisor candidate Charles Barbour. It wasn't long before I was overcome by the nausea I feel when people choose to talk about things they don't understand.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Important'
As one of the state's top law enforcement officials, Jim Hood probably has more power to clean up elections in Mississippi—which was recently named the nation's most corrupt—than anyone else in the state.
Fighting Corruption Requires More, Not Less Oversight
A movement has been afoot for sometime to roll back government regulations and oversight at every level, the argument being that any amount of government mucks up the words for free-wheeling capitalists to create jobs and make everybody gobs of money.
Of Charles Barbour, TEDx Jackson and Decent Role Models
Simple facts about what built today's inequality are not discussed by people like Charles Barbour. They still use the same old-school scare tactics that should offend white voters because they assume we're too dumb to see through the lies and reject them.
Facts About Public Education Matter to Communities
The Clarion-Ledger recently published an opinion piece that attacked public education in Mississippi and castigated its supporters. The piece, written by Empower Mississippi President Grant Callen, advocated for alternatives to traditional public schooling.
‘This Is All A Big Game’
What a gathering it was two years ago when Terry McAuliffe got together with his buddies Bill Clinton and Haley Barbour in Horn Lake to celebrate the plant opening of GreenTech, a then-McAuliffe-led producer of battery-charged automobiles.