7 Innings to Extraordinary Kids
Rafe Esquith, who has taught at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los Angeles since 1984, inspires young students—all from a poor, immigrant community—to become extraordinary students and citizens.
Yes, It Was That Bad
"I've alluded to it here and there, but it wasn't until this year, when we decided to focus the Chick Ball on sexual assault, that I knew it was my turn to come out, so to speak."
You, the Masterpiece
Once they reach adulthood, people tend to think that they are either creative or not, left-brain or right-brain, and never shall the twain meet.
Learn to Be Inspired
We live in a world where kids who can't sit still in class are labeled troublemakers or low-performers or even ADD. But maybe they're just kinesthetic learners: that is, they need to move around in order to soak up the information.
Time to Create
So how to convince your right-brain, distinguished self to plan and get organized? You need to learn basic principles and then practice until it becomes second nature.
Outside the Political Box
The "cultural creatives" movement is one attempt to reject the binary division in favor of a new, more enlightened political climate.
Epic Change
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."—Albert Einstein
Signs of Creative Life
Recently, Todd and I happened to be driving throughout downtown Jackson on a Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, we drove by one of the new art boxes.
Repeal the Rhetoric
The morning that the U.S. Supreme Court did not strike down "Obamacare" as so many believed it would do was yet another of those crazy busy days in the Jackson Free Press offices.
Bye Sportsman's Lodge, Hello Jackson Square, N.U.T.S.
Several new businesses will open at Jackson's largest outdoor shopping center July 21.
Believe Her
Words count. One thing has become clear in reading Managing Editor Ronni Mott's cover story about sexual assault and rape this week.
JFP Wins Awards for Feature Writing, Public Service, Commentary
The JFP got more great news Friday night when we learned that we are winning two first-place and one second-place award from the Society of Professional Journalists' southeastern division. Valerie Wells takes first place for feature writing, the Personhood team (this time, including R.L. Nave and Adam Lynch) takes second place for public service, and I won first place for serious commentary. Here is the full press release. Cheers to the team, congratulations to all the winners. We're honored to be in your company:
JFP Wins Multiple Awards for 2011 Work
The Jackson Free Press got amazing news from Detroit Friday afternoon when we learned the Association of Alternative Newsmedia was presenting us a coveted first-place public-service award for our team coverage of the personhood effort last fall.
Inherit the Flame
I haven't written much over the years about the man I like to think of as my "real father." Maybe it's too painful.
Employers Shouldn't Dictate Birth Control Choices
Dr. Beverly McMillan is against birth control. Or at least any kind of hormonal birth control, from the regular pill to the morning-after pill, all of which she considers to be a form of abortion. The head of Pro-Life Mississippi, McMillan wants your employer to be able to tell you what kind of birth control your health insurance can pay for. Never mind that you pay for your insurance with your own labor, and often partly with your money.
Melton Mentees Get Second Chance
The late Mayor Frank Melton may well be smiling from his grave over the good fortune bestowed by Gov. Haley Barbour and the city of Jackson to two of the troubled men he mentored over the years.
Getting Past the Rhetoric of Hate
Here in Mississippi, our history is filled with people, events and creations that stir pride in us. Sadly, our history also contains wrongs, violations and prejudices that cast a long, shameful shadow over our state.
Attend the JFP Chick Ball Happy Hour Thursday, May 31, 6 to 8 p.m.
Join the JFP, the Center for Violence Prevention and the Chick Ball Committee for a free JFP Chick Ball happy hour Thursday, May 31, at Hal & Mal's downtown (200 S. Commerce St.). We'll provide great munchies (yes, lots of fried stuff and more), and we'll buy you a drink if you sign up to volunteer or donate to the Chick Ball effort this year. We'll buy you two drinks if you bring a donation check (in any amount over $10) or a gift or piece of art for the silent auction (or drop it at the JFP in advance of happy hour).
The Pursuit of Excellence
Every now and then, I have to lighten up in this space. Rather than taking on the troubles of the world or trying to pull at your heart strings with serious commentary about something amiss in the state of Mississippi, I feel a calling to talk about the Jackson Free Press and our staff this week.
BREAKING: JPS Agrees to Overhaul Discipline Policies, Settles Lawsuit
Good news! The Southern Poverty Law Center just emailed this statement, pasted in its entirety:
JACKSON, Miss. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced today that a federal judge has approved a settlement agreement with Jackson Public Schools (JPS) to reform discipline policies across the district and to end the brutal practice of handcuffing students to railings and poles for hours at a time as punishment for minor rule violations.
Wright Appointment Raises Concerns
At the Jackson Free Press, we believe strongly in second chances. People make mistakes, get caught up with the wrong crowd and follow the wrong people down the wrong rabbit holes.
Awards, Awards, Awards: Cheers to JFP Staff, Freelancers
Yesterday was a very good day for the JFP staff, and especially our writers and designers. First we found out that we are finalists for three Association of Alternative Newsmedia awards. Being a finalist for AAN awards (and the others we found out about yesterday) means that we will find out in a few weeks what our placement is, and we are grateful whether we win first place or honorable mention! And cheers to all the other AAN (and Green Eyeshade) finalists; we are humbled to be in the honor of such talented people.
WTF, Rep. Nunnelee?!?
Who ARE you, and why would you do such a thing, Rep. Nunnelee, considering you come from state where domestic abuse is such an epidemic? I mean, Haley Barbour lets brutal domestic murderers go free early, and now you go against bipartisan support for a bill that fights domestic abuse? Seriously? What kind of message does this send to abusers back here in your home state?
Boys Will Be Boys
I don't manage to get out of the office often these days for lunch. But Friday I was in the mood for a Two Sisters veggie plate (probably had something to do with the staff party the night before, but I digress).
To Do Its Job, Council Must Show Up
Jackson has a strong-mayor, weak-council structure. Some City Council members seem to want to weaken their own power even more by not attending meetings and work sessions—or leaving early when they do attend.
8th Annual JFP Chick Ball Set for Saturday, July 28, 2012
The 8th Annual JFP Chick Ball is raising money to help the Center for Violence Prevention start a rape crisis center. Center Director Sandy Middleton chose the focus for this year's fundraising effort because sexual assault is an epidemic in Mississippi, and far too resources are available to help the victims. As always, the JFP Chick Ball will be a fun and funky event with a cover charge of only $5 for men and women 18 years of age and older. Once inside, you will find all sorts of fun ways to help raise additional funds, including the city's best silent auction with well over 100 gift packages and art by local artists to bid on. In the past, the JFP Chick Ball has funded a new mini-van for the center, raised start-up funds for the area's first (and subsequently very successful) batterer's intervention program, set up a legal fund to help families escape abuse and funded rural programs around the metro area.
Help Lavaree Jones get life-saving surgery
Rickey Cole just sent out this call for help. Please do what you can. Verbatim:
We are having a Radio-Thon on WMPR-90.1 FM on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. to raise money to help Lavaree Jones receive life saving heart surgery. As you may know, Lavaree is a pioneering Jackson business woman, Democratic political activist and community organizer. She has served the Jackson and Hinds County Community for over 30 years as a real estate professional, and active community citizen.
Don't Just Complain; Engage!
The Jackson Public Schools board meeting May 1 was packed. Parents and students who had recently learned about the district's rezoning plan lined the walls and stood in the halls to protest the plan, which will close schools and shift students around in the district.
Voter Shenanigans Could be Costly
A curious exchange took place between Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, and Republican Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton over the weekend, as the Legislature hammered a budget for state agencies.
Voter Shenanigans Could be Costly
A curious exchange took place between Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, and Republican Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton over the weekend, as the Legislature hammered a budget for state agencies.
Young, Impressive, Ours
When freelance writer Greg Pigott turned in his write-up of Mark Scott of Callaway High School for this "Amazing Teens" issue, he wrote: "I wish I had more words to use--this kid was really amazing!"
[Editor's Note] Young, Impressive, Ours
When freelance writer Greg Pigott turned in his write-up of Mark Scott of Callaway High School for this "Amazing Teens" issue, he wrote: "I wish I had more words to use--this kid was really amazing!"
Dinner and a Movie
Last Saturday night, Todd and I sat at a small table next to the open kitchen at Parlor Market and were dazzled by the chefs' performance.
Save ‘Violence Against Women Act'
Next on conservatives' list of things to drown in the bathtub of "big government extravagance" is the Violence Against Women Act. Bill Clinton signed VAWA into law in 1994, providing just over $1.5 billion to help investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violence against women, to provide grants for education about domestic violence and to help shelter women from abusers.
Coming Home
"Alligator Lake" is another in a string of roughly historic race novels by white people that claims to be another "The Help." I wasn't prepared to like Colorado nursing professor Lynne Bryant's novel about another white woman coming back home to Mississippi to confront our demons. But the book—about race conflicts in the 1980s—deals with mixed-race love and the response to it in a smart and revealing way.
[Editor's Note] We the Job Creators
When I was asked to go to the White House in early March to talk about business in Jackson, I didn't know what to expect. I just said "yes!" and headed to Washington, D.C.
We the Job Creators
When I was asked to go to the White House in early March to talk about business in Jackson, I didn't know what to expect. I just said "yes!" and headed to Washington, D.C.
[Editorial] We Like ‘Obamacare'
With the U.S. Supreme Court considering health-care reform, we thought we'd mention that (a) our health-insurance rates are down, (b) we appreciate the tax credits for our small business, and (c) we've already seen cases where pre-existing conditions or gaps in coverage—which used to keep employees from getting insurance—are no longer barriers to coverage.
We Like ‘Obamacare'
With the U.S. Supreme Court considering health-care reform, we thought we'd mention that (a) our health-insurance rates are down, (b) we appreciate the tax credits for our small business, and (c) we've already seen cases where pre-existing conditions or gaps in coverage—which used to keep employees from getting insurance—are no longer barriers to coverage.
Why Local Matters
A 2010 report by Michigan State University assessed the economic advantages of shopping at locally owned businesses and, like researchers around the nation, found immense benefit to keeping as many dollars as possible in the local economy.
Note: All posts below this one are for previous Chick Balls!
Read and enjoy info about previous Chick Ball, but see the top few posts at http://www.jfpchickball.com for current information!
[Editor's Note] Two Steps Forward
"Leave." That one-word tweet came from a conservative dude in Louisiana, not Mississippi. But he wasn't pleased that I was talking about crazy legislation that the right wing has wrought upon Mississippi once again. I have a way of raising the hair on the necks of folks who prefer empty rhetoric over research-based criticism, especially when I'm talking about issues like women's health and reproductive services; sex ed; voter ID; or, yes, race.
Two Steps Forward
"Leave." That one-word tweet came from a conservative dude in Louisiana, not Mississippi. But he wasn't pleased that I was talking about crazy legislation that the right wing has wrought upon Mississippi once again. I have a way of raising the hair on the necks of folks who prefer empty rhetoric over research-based criticism, especially when I'm talking about issues like women's health and reproductive services; sex ed; voter ID; or, yes, race.
With Pressure On, JSU Releases Statement About Henderson Shooting
The statement, verbatim:
Amid allegations that JSU football players may have killed Nolan Ryan Henderson last weekend, as I blogged about this morning, Jackson State University just released a statement calling for information about the shooting. No one from JSU is speaking directly to the press about the latest allegations, which have taken social media by storm today (#justiceforryan on Twitter), but they released a statement that did not address the football-player allegations, which Henderson's brother, Damien, is passing around via social media, along with other friends and family, suggesting that JSU has not acted quickly enough to identify the killers. The statement is below, verbatim, and comes after the Henderson family met with JSU administration including Dr. Carolyn Meyers this afternoon at Jackson State. It's also interesting to note that Henderson's mother had agreed to go on JSU's TV-23 tonight with a JSU representative, but then backed out, saying that she plans to sue the university. This information came from Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin, the host of the program who is also a columnist for the Jackson Free Press.
Tyler Edmonds Says He's ‘Dusting Off' After 5th Circuit Loss
Tyler Edmonds, who was tried as an adult for allegedly helping his sister kill her husband when he was only 13, was rebuffed yesterday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He and his mother, Sharon Clay, sued Oktibbeha County officials for coercing a confession out of him while one of the police officer's kept his mother out of the room with his foot against the door. Using that confession, Edmonds was accused of helping his sister Kristi Fulgham pull the trigger to kill her husband, Joey Fulgham, but later acquitted after getting a new trial.
Cousin of Shooting Victim Says JSU Football Players to Blame
A cousin of Jackson State University student Ryan Henderson, gunned down last weekend at a pool party, is blaming JSU football players for the shooting. On her Tumblr page this morning, Shelby Davonna wrote: "My cousin Ryan was brutally murdered by members of the Jackson State University football team after he accidentally bumped into a player during a pool party. The problem could have been resolved when Ryan apologized, but instead he was jumped 3 times, chased around an apartment complex, and eventually was shot in the face."
Bad Crime News Week for Rankin County
Rankin County suffered a one-two punch this week on the crime news front. Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney's office announced that three Rankin County men, Dylan Wade Butler, 20, John Aaron Rice, 19, and Deryl Paul Dedmon, 19, would be the first sentenced under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act for committing a hate crime that resulted in murder. The three men, and up to four accomplices, worked together to kill James Craig Anderson last summer.
Services Aren't Like Toasters
Politicians, especially the tight-fisted ones, love to compare the government to your home. When money is tight at home, they'll explain condescendingly, you may have to send your toaster to a repair shop, put off that Disney family vacation or drive that old clunker around for another year or two.
Services Aren't Like Toasters
Politicians, especially the tight-fisted ones, love to compare the government to your home. When money is tight at home, they'll explain condescendingly, you may have to send your toaster to a repair shop, put off that Disney family vacation or drive that old clunker around for another year or two.
[Editor's Note] A Romney Runs Through Us
Campaigning in Mississippi last week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney set off a mini-firestorm in our offices. Sometime between joking about grits and forking up some hay, down-south style, Romney uttered words that made us nearly sputter in response: "If the federal government were run more like here in Mississippi, the whole country would be a lot better off." Say what, Gov. Romney?!