EDITOR'S NOTE: One Small, Honest Voice After #MeToo
Maybe you weren't bullied, but as a woman, you've probably been told to make yourself smaller and to fit the mold society created for you.
Hunter Evans
While the competitive atmosphere of the restaurant scene in New York City may intimidate some, Lou's Full-Serv Chef de Cuisine Hunter Evans did not shy away from it.
Stephen Johnston
Making movies was not necessarily part of the planned career trajectory for "Same Kind of Different as Me" Executive Producer Stephen Johnston.
Kristy Johnson
For Kristy Johnson, the current Miss Black Mississippi U.S.A., pageants are an opportunity to inspire change.
Warm Up This Fall
If you're looking for a good way to warm up and caffeinate yourself, turn to this year's Best of Jackson winners for Best Place to Get Coffee.
Fighting the Good Fight for Jackson
Jackson is filled with locally owned businesses and restaurants. A lot of people in outer counties want to see the city fail. They want to move the capital away from the cool, urban center of great food, music, art and culture that is Jackson.
Beth Poff
Beth Poff may be the executive director at the Jackson Zoo, but she says that she is a zookeeper at heart.
Crystal Kelly
"When people see my cake jars, and they see purple towels or purple spoons, they already know that’s Cakes by Crystal."
Jackson's Creative Pulse: What Has Changed Since 2002, What Is Still Ahead
When this newspaper started 15 years ago this week, promising a rising creative class in Jackson on its cover, the capital city was a different place that nearly everyone said they wanted to leave. Jackson was the butt of suburban jokes, and its champions were always on the defensive. Not fun.
Reflections in a Dark, Watery World
Unplugging doesn't actually require you to do something crazy like get in a float tank. It could be something as simple as choosing to put your phone up when you go to bed. But we all need to unplug sometimes.
Pete Halverson
For Pete Halverson, the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" holds special meaning because, in a sense, that is part of his job description as a senior book designer at the University Press of Mississippi.
Making Afterschool Programs Work
Operation Shoestring Program Director Amber May says that an equitable education is a basic right for everyone.
'Long Live Wonder' (and Robots) at Upcoming Mississippi Science Fest
The LeFleur Museum District—the Mississippi Children's Museum, Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum—are collaborating on the Mississippi Science Festival, which will celebrate science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.
Where to Find What You Need
School can be fun to shop for, and luckily, Jackson has great local businesses where you can find them while avoiding chains. Try these for staples.
Jackson’s Best Music Venues
Going to watch a local band can be a fun way to occupy your time, and with Jackson's roots in music, it's no surprise that we have many venues, including this year's winners Best of Jackson winners and finalists.
Eating Out on a Student Budget
Eating out on a college budget or even just a small one can be difficult, but this year's Best of Jackson winners and finalists for Meal Under $10 are good, affordable options.
Ronnie the Rhino
On Friday, Aug. 4, the Jackson Zoo announced that its almost-45-year-old rhino, Ronnie, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 2.
School Supply Lists
It's that time again. Here are the school supplies for Jackson Public Schools' grades kindergarten through fifth.
JPS Need to Know
Jackson Public Schools start back on Aug. 8. JPS has compiled a handy back-to-school guide on its website, Jackson.k12.ms.us. Here are some of the things parents and students should know for this year.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Education is important to a child's well-being. While classrooms provide a great setting for learning, Jackson has a lot of opportunities for kids to learn outside of a classroom. Here is some of what's happening over the next couple of months.
On the Road Again
Road trips can be fun, but they can also be a hassle. After traveling a bunch over the last few months, I've picked up on some tips that make road trips go a lot smoother. Here are 9 of them.
Ice Cream Truckers
Chunky Dunks Sweets Truck is an ice-cream food truck, and the only one of its kind in the state of Mississippi.
Grow Roots, Wings Where You’re Planted
Once upon a time, I was one of the young people who wanted to get out of this place. In early high school, I imagined that after college, I would travel everywhere, living somewhere for two years at a time. I would go to England and France and Japan and see more of the U.S. than I had before.
Shop, Give, Live Local
Shopping local isn't something I necessarily thought about until I came to work at the Jackson Free Press, which puts great emphasis on helping locally owned businesses.
Learning From a Curious Monkey
In the special exhibit room at the Mississippi Children's Museum, which currently houses the "Curious George: Let's Get Curious" visiting exhibit, the sound of children playing fills the space.
Jordan Alexis Holley
Jordan Alexis Holley traces what inspired her to get into the culinary world to one meal she had wile visiting friends in France. Her friend made leek soup, and Holley says she ate almost the whole pot.
Local Adventurers Wanted
As I've gotten older, I've realized the importance of home—and also how expensive it is to move and travel all the time.
Eat Healthier, Shop Local
Businesses such as Sweet & Sauer, which specializes in fermented foods, give Jacksonians healthier food choices.
Running a 5K in Your Shoes
Races are a thing in Jackson; here's a list of the 5Ks and other races coming up.
Hannah Lawrence
Hannah Lawrence says she had a normal childhood up until the age of 13. She made good grades and loved to play sports such as soccer. Then, a bout with viral encephalitis left her with scar tissue on her brain.
Picnicking for ‘Jubilee’
Margaret Walker Center Director Robert Luckett says that it is remarkable that author and poet Margaret Walker, who was an African American woman, chose to live her life in Jackson, a place that treated people of color and women much more harshly at the time.
On the Road Again
Summer is the ideal time to hit the road and explore little-known spots in our fascinating state. Here are a few places that make for great and quick road trips. All of these are two hours or less from Jackson.
You Are Invited ...
Alicia Stapleton, who also goes by Cookie, says she likes to use real embellishments for the wedding invitations she designs such as a small starfish for a destination wedding, or a piece of lace and a cameo pendant for a classically themed wedding.
Oh, The Places I May Go
It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat from south Jackson or a Republican from Rankin County. We can all agree that the city needs help.
Celebrate Moms Locally
Your mom may sometimes tell you, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it." But this Mother's Day, why not take your mom out for a day on the town? Let the Jackson Free Press be your guide.
The Sweet and the Sauer
The day before the grand opening of Sweet & Sauer's fermentation kitchen at The Hatch in midtown Jackson, Lauren Rhoades was in her kitchen, preparing ingredients for her fermented mustard.
Robbie Fisher
Recently, Jackson-area filmmaker Robbie Fisher's film, "A Mississippi Love Story," which follows the journey of couple Eddie and Justin Outlaw, won Best Direction at the New York Premiere Film Festival.
Downtown's Sweet Restoration
The JFP recently talked to Elizabeth Augustine over the phone about her journey to Sugar Ray's, the business itself and its place in the landscape of a changing downtown Jackson.
Beer: If It Looks Good, Drink It
I've always loved this particular phrase from "Bizarre Foods" host Andrew Zimmern: "If it looks good, eat it."
Hopping Down the Local Food Trail
If you don't want to cook Easter lunch or dinner this year (or if you need treats), why not eat and shop local? Here is your guide to Easter Sunday on April 16.
Legacy of a Blues Legend
While blues music has a lot of better-known legends, musicians such as Mississippi Fred McDowell quietly helped to shape the genre into what know today.
A Timely Tale
At a time when issues such as law enforcement's treatment of people of color are at the forefront of social discussions, films such as "On Time" can play a crucial role in highlighting what's wrong.
Don’t Cut the Creative Industries
A ton of art mediums can provide a different point of view, from painting something in an unfamiliar style, to getting low to the ground and capturing that perfect photo, to telling other people's stories.
Digital JXN
Jackson and Mississippi are synonymous with blues music and comeback sauce and authors such as Eudora Welty and Richard Wright. But sometime soon, Jackson could be known for its technology scene.
Life in Code: Nader Dabit
The Jackson Free Press recently talked to Nader Dabit on the phone about his experience in coding, the importance of data in education, and the coding scene in Mississippi and Jackson.
Creating a Sandbox
On March 31 and April 1, both Fondren and Mantle. will be bustling with more activity as Mantle. gears up for its first annual Sandbox Live, which is an event that will combine technology, film and music into one platform.
Jackson Needs More Camaraderie
It's great to have a sense of pride in your neighborhood, but it's also important to remember that we're all part of one city.
Local and Lucky
If you haven't heard, the Hal's St. Paddy's Day Parade & Festival is this weekend. Here is your guide to what you can do before and after.
What Do You Know About Being Green?
It's time for the annual Hal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival. To make sure you get where you want to be, when you want to be there, the Jackson Free Press wanted to provide a helpful guide for the day's festivities. Here is a run-down of what to expect.
Keith Tonkel
Keith Tonkel, who was the pastor of Wells United Methodist Church, died Wednesday, March 8, from throat cancer complications.