Opinion

It's Not a Pity

White self-pity has done more to destroy the South than any war or natural disaster.

Transparency for Citizens’ Sake

For the past few days, the Jackson Free Press has been working on a story about Mayor-elect Chokwe Lumumba's transition to officially take the reins at city hall on July 1.

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'KKK'

Humphrey mentioned monthly Ku Klux Klan marches at the University of Mississippi in several tweets, said he saw "white people in white night gowns" on campus and that Ole Miss picked a black homecoming queen for the express purpose of not looking racist.

Who's Moral Now?

In my last column, I wrote about the importance of Medicaid expansion to our state--and specifically to me. Sometimes we pay a price for publicly sharing a story; my price was being told that I have no right to health care from complete strangers on social media.

Breaking the Silence

We heal our divisions with knowledge, never with ignorance.

Dear Dewey,

To my mother, education meant the most precious of things: freedom.

Gunn and Graham: Stop the Bullying

In recent months, as Mississippians have debated the pros and cons of Medicaid expansion, the Jackson Free Press editorial board has repeatedly called on Republican state leaders to permit a full, open debate on the issue on the House and Senate floors.

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Free'

Telling taxpayers that they pay for government programs, though, is treating citizens like dumbasses.

Time and the Gulag

Big Larry Jones: "Broadcasting from the Ghetto Science Public Television studios, I'm Big Larry, Bonqweesha's favorite uncle, sitting in on 'Qweesha Live 2013.' My guest is Scooby 'Angry Black Man' Rastus, Ghetto Science Team community activist and rising literary figure. Scooby is here to promote his first self-published, chapbook/novel titled 'One Day in the Life of Scooby: Living Poor, Broke and Busted in the Ghetto is Like Serving Time in the Gulag Archipelago.'

Hope and Loving in Mississippi

When we make a choice, whether about who to marry or what our opinion is of a mayoral candidate, someone won't like it. But if we mean this American experiment, we will battle to keep the government out of those choices if there is not an overriding need for it to be involved (like public safety).

Everyday Struggles

What we have one day, we may not have the next, so we need to appreciate everything.

Jackson Will Thrive with a Balanced Approach

The story of Voice of Calvary's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (see page 11) is inspiring on many levels.

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Gym'

Why it stinks: Palazzo was speaking about his proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution titled "Right to Refuse," which is designed to "kill the health care tax mandate that comes with Obamacare" and close the "Pandora's box where future Congresses can tax individuals and businesses for failure to purchase a good or service that the government tells them to purchase," Palazzo said.

A Dangerous Game

Rarely does a two-day period go by that I don't get a Facebook message or email asking about how to apply for Medicaid or where to access free or low-cost birth control and reproductive health care. In Mississippi, we have a tremendous issue with lack of access to basic health-care services.

Notes from the Fishbowl

Waking up to our biases is like popping the red pill—suddenly, the matrix is everywhere.

The Wrong Kind of Unity

By the time you read this, the 2013 mayoral election will be part of our city's history.

You Can’t Have It Both Ways, Gov. Bryant

Gov. Phil Bryant stepped in it Monday. As part of a Washington Post Live event, he was asked how America had ended up so "mediocre" in educational outcomes. He answered: "I think both parents started working. The mom got in the work place."

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Blacker'

Wyatt Emmerich, whose (white) grandfather stood up for civil rights when he held an editor's pen, has proclaimed himself up as the arbiter of "all things black."

At a Curbside Near You

Brother Hustle: "Aunt Tee Tee and I have been blessed with the positive attributes of initiative, discipline, and ambition to become successful in business, entrepreneurship, community activism and technology."

Anticipating the Best

Without the facts, people cannot make good decisions for themselves. They cannot come together in social or activist forums; they can't celebrate what's great about their community while tackling what's not so great.

The Right Choice

A mother’s primary obligation is to create children who will contribute positively to this world.

Time to Get Real About Unity

What a week. Not only did Chokwe Lumumba come out on top in the Democratic runoff for mayor, but he caused an explosion in racist comments like we haven't seen in these parts in years. Or at least since President Barack Obama was re-elected last fall.

Ellington