Small is Beautiful
When Peter Vandorn laid out downtown Jackson's streets in 1822, he designed a checkerboard of alternating green squares. His plan created a public park on every other block. Stores or residences or offices would open doors and windows to green spaces.
[Stiggers] Law of Self-Preservation
During our morning staff meeting, Jojo went into a philosophical mode to address why companies, small businesses and corporations are slow on hiring.
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.
[Outlaw] The Act of Creativity
I found myself neck deep in a community serious about its art.
Be Our Guest
One of the most famous love stories ever told comes to Jackson in October: Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." W. Kessler Ltd. brings the musical, based on a French fairy tale, to Thalia Mara Hall (225 E. Pascagoula St.) Oct. 18 to 20.
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.
[Stiggers] Throw Up Your Hands
From my perspective, the world is a ghetto dealing with the inner city blues. It makes you want to holler, weep, wail, scream and throw up both your hands, right?
[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.
Of Anger and Alternative Endings
When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a civil-rights attorney. I had visions of righting the kinds of wrongs done in my hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. I only learned about the murders of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner by people my family knew when I was 14, even though they happened when I was 3.
Think First, Bark Later
Fights about election results in tight races aren't unusual, but the committee's public-relations errors cast a negative image on Hinds County.
[Stiggers] Hustle Mode
If you're mad as hell and not going to take it any more, come to the east wing of the Clubb Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Complex and join the Hustle family, the Ghetto Science Franchise Association and the 'Lord, I Don't Have a Job Center for Unemployment' staff at the 'Hustle for Survival and Sanity in a Bad Economy Future Entrepreneur Expo.
[Mott] Shine On
In his classic work on creativity, "The Gift," Lewis Hyde likens artistic output to the gift giving of indigenous people. Creativity is a sacred thing to be shared and passed on, like a fine pipe of tobacco among some Native Americans, not something to be squirreled away or used up for personal gain. "Whatever we have been given is supposed to be given away again, not kept," he writes.
[Mamoon] We Are Jackson
Living in Jackson, we have the power to touch lives and change things, and I don't think there is anything more interesting than that.
Stop Being a Regular
Everywhere I go, I see people who are not satisfied with where they are. My friends in New Orleans can't wait until they can move to New York or Japan, but people in Jackson are anxious to go to the Big Easy. Even folks in Chicago think it's a boring place to live. Various people whom I meet or know always ask me where I want to live when I'm older or where I would like to travel.
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.
[Stiggers] Loosen the Screws
Sometimes events in life force you to make adjustments, just like that company did when it laid you off. It's time for you to loosen those screws. Rise up and move forward. Hijacking a plane won't help you.
[Kamikaze] What We've Learned
It's frustrating. Those of us who preach progression, who practice tolerance, see it daily. Despite the Herculean efforts of most of us, we still have some among us who are not willing to embrace diversity.
[Purvis] Dealing with the Devil
DeeDee didn't attend church much, but he was a man who believed in a day of judgment.
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.
Hellos and Goodbyes
In an organization the size of the Jackson Free Press, an employee leaving can feel like losing a family member. That is no more true than with Adam Lynch, the JFP's senior reporter.
[Stiggers] What A Wonderful World
Although most will gripe, moan and complain, all I have to say, 'If we had gotten involved and voted, we wouldn't be in this mess today. And the rich will think to themselves, 'What a wonderful world.'
Truth to Power
I spent last weekend in New Orleans at the Association of Alternative Newsmedia convention. It was held in the posh Ritz Carlton in the heart of the city's business district, and I was challenged trying to reconcile our "alternative" moniker with the neat little pyramids of individually rolled cloth hand towels by each sink in the ladies' rooms.
The Greatest Cause
It was my final semester in college, and I arrived in the Pendleton Learning Center for BA 465, Human Relations and Values. The class would help me finish my graduation requirements to walk that May.
[Stiggers] Teachable Moment
In the meantime, it's up to us to be positive and continue a good relationship with our loyal customers by honoring the Jojo's Discount Dollar Store slogan: 'In the ghetto, everything is everything, but, at Jojo's, everything will always be a dollar.
It's Up to Us to ‘Rebrand' City
This week, in preparation for our big Jackpedia student/newcomer guide in August, we asked Facebook friends to share the city's "best-kept secrets" to include them in Jackpedia (and at http://www.jackpedia.com). One smart aleck responded immediately: "don't leave your keys in your vehicle, nor running in certain areas, be careful, very careful, fasten your seat belt. PRAY!" (sic).
[Kamikaze] Professional Politicians
I cringed when I heard the president utter the words. As his quote was continuously bandied about the Internet, I became even more disappointed. Barack Obama had become the very thing that he tried so hard to convince us he was not.
[Purvis] Do Unto Others
I am fortunate I haven't had to resort to drastic measures to stay afloat. I know others aren't so lucky.
Time to Decide
The one complaint we hear most often these days is this: Washington lawmakers are out of touch with the people they purport to represent. So how did we get here? As the cartoon character Pogo so aptly put it: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
[Stiggers] Poor Folks' Last Supper
The Ghetto Science Community Bureau of Parks, Museums and Cultural Affairs decided to have a 'Great Wall of Artistic Expression' built within the Clubb Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Complex. This wall will feature various murals from reputable artists from the Ghetto Science Community. Therefore, it is befitting to kick off this grand opening by unveiling another poignant and controversial artistic expression from our dear Brother Sylvester, the Christmas Missing Toe artist.