Remembering the Ladies, Black and White
"Wherever there is a racial issue, there's a gender issue," said Anita Hill, keynote speaker at the Mississippi Women's Economic Security Policy Summit, held Oct. 10.
Analysis: Democrats Disappointed for the Children
Whether this past session of the Mississippi Legislature was successful depends largely on which party a lawmaker belonged to.
Obamacare: Five Years and Counting
With Bryant's vow to undermine the ACA, the feds concluded that a state-run exchange was untenable. In January 2013, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius turned down Mississippi's application to run its own exchange, the only state she denied.
Engage to Change
Given what most black youth face—from lack of opportunity to lack of self-esteem—they have an uphill climb with little mainstream support.
‘Little Birds’: Families Sex Trafficking Own Kids
Most reported child sex trafficking in central Mississippi happens within families. In a report filled with difficult realities, this was the most shocking finding for researcher Wendy Bradford.
The Executioner’s Hood
America has a schizophrenic relationship with the death penalty. Many of us want to eliminate those who commit egregious, heinous crimes, but most don't want the personal or social guilt of inflicting additional pain and killing.
‘One Man, Two Guvnors’: Controlled Mayhem
Before the actors hit the boards for an early "stumble-through" rehearsal of "One Man, Two Guvnors" at New Stage Theatre, Joe Frost straps on knee and elbow pads and uses the crook of a cane to massage a sore back muscle, while Jessica Wilkerson practices a tricky bit of her English accent.
The Art of Happiness
Whenever the Mississippi Museum of Art is open during January and February, you might find as many as 25 people of all ages playing with photo prints, scissors, glue, stamps and stencils in one of the facility's classrooms.
The Magic of ‘Peter Pan’
Even with its G-rated '50s songs and eternally optimistic story line, people of all ages get caught up in "Peter Pan"—even the cynics.
‘Tartuffe’: Wit’s Timeless Sting
Moliere, the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, made a career out of writing plays that poked fun at the ills of the French high bourgeoisie—greed, hypochondria, philandering, pretension. "Tartuffe" takes aim at hypocrisy, gullibility and obsession through the vehicle of religion.
Maher: In His Own Words
"To me, a real patriot is like a real friend. Who's your real friend? It's the person who tells you the truth. That's who my real friends are. So, you know, I think as far as our country goes, we need more people who will do that."
Mr. Opinionated: Bill Maher Skewers the Right and the Left
Love him or hate him, Bill Maher is informed. Between having a network news editor for a father and a double-major bachelor's degree in English and history from Cornell University, he's articulate on a wide range of topics.
Batterer’s Intervention: Changing Minds, Saving Lives
Early on in Ben Ellard's career as the program manager of the Batterer's Intervention Program at Pearl's Center for Violence Prevention, he had a profound experience while processing a new program participant.
Pledge Aligns Childers with Hate Groups
Travis Childers' stance has consistently been anti-immigration, so his opposing amnesty for "dreamers," young people whose parents brought them into this country without authorization when they were too young to object, is no surprise.
Stephen Cole's Ephemeral Permanence
Sculptor Stephen Coles will exhibit his work in “B+ (new work and investigations)” at Millsaps College Nov. 5-Dec. 17.
Stop Dieting, Be Healthy
Diet is a four-letter word. For people who struggle with weight, the word conjures images of hardship and long lists of what we shouldn't be eating and doing.
Universal Earth
Kristen Tordella-Williams has an affinity for dirt. Not the stuff that gathers under the couch, but the blacky-brown soil that gets under your nails, and the mound scraped away to construct something new.
People of the Mounds
If your description of Native Americans includes "primitive" or "savages," listening to retired archeologist and Jackson resident Sam Brookes will blow your mind.
Childhood Obesity: Defying Easy Answers
Dr. Whitney Herring has been a pediatrician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for about a year. With a master's degree in public health, in addition to being a doctor and an assistant professor, she sees many obese children in her practice.
'Driving While Black'
Brandon resident Pam Johnson's historical nonfiction novel, "Justice for Ella" (iUniverse, 2014, $19.95), reveals Mississippi on a collision course with the Civil Rights Movement.
Photamerica Blowout
After 80 weeks of traveling, and a year compiling hundreds of thousands of photos and miles of (virtual) film, Josh Hailey's Photamerica is culminating with a seven-hour, family-friendly blowout Oct. 3.
David Skato
By now, David Skato has completed two feature films and two short-subject films, in addition to varied commercial work that, for now, pays the bills.
Hosemann Twists Voter ID Facts, Again
At last July's Neshoba County Fair, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann upped the ante on the usual GOP talking points of "business good, government bad"; state's rights; Obama's failures.
Six Things About Yoga
In yoga, you'll do plenty of stretching, but that's not the whole story. The physical practice can improve flexibility, strength, breath and focus.
Felandus Thames: Creating Questions
Felandus Thames' work, which ranges from small to wall-sized paintings to dimensional installations, invites viewers to take a deeper, often jarring look at the easy, automatic views of African Americans.
DA Plans to Retry Michelle Byrom
Months after the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed Michelle Byrom's death sentence, Byrom is finally off death row and back in the custody of Tishomingo County.
Laurin Stennis: Art of Consciousness
For Laurin Stennis, art is about refuge and full self-expression.
Righting Our Grand Failure
Mississippi's wellness buckets are full of stagnant swamp water. Most of us are familiar with the dismal statistics. Take your pick: teen pregnancy, obesity, diabetes, smoking, heart disease—our rates lead or butt right up against the wrong end of the spectrum, and we've been stuck there for decades.
Lessons in Abstraction
For every abstraction that leaves you cold, another may set your imagination afire. The viewer's experience is essential to abstract art, says Jackson artist Jonathan Berry, even though it was the antithesis of creativity for one of his teachers.
Peter Heller
As a writer, Peter Heller seems as complex as his character. He's a frequent contributor to National Geographic, Outside and Men's Journal magazines, as well as Bloomberg Businessweek.
Tom Thomsen's Heart for the Arts
Tom Thomsen's artistic career is long and varied. The Nebraska native—and former farm boy—began playing piano at age 4.
Hope for Harper Grace
Harper Grace Durval, now 2, has a rare form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome. Her daily grand mal seizures include unconsciousness, severe muscle contractions, and loss of bladder and bowel control. The seizures can also cause brain damage.
Investigate the Hayne Cases, Gen. Hood
Reading journalist Radley Balko's May 15 piece on Steven Hayne in The Washington Post reminded me, again, of our broken justice system.
Fishes of Many Colors
Samuel Jalapeno-Pepperoni Finn is a fish—a beta, to be exact—and he's about to start his first day at the Crystal Coral Fins Academy. Sam is the star in Shaydrienne N. Calvin's book, "The Adventures of Samuel Finn: Fish School is Cool" (Trafford Publishing, 2013, $21.88).
Building Jackson Strong, One Person at a Time
Shoppers looking for organic and locally sourced food are familiar with the unassuming little grocery on Old Canton Road in Fondren. Mostly, they just call it Rainbow.
Chris Penczak
While the Mississippi Legislature was polishing its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (which opponents say opens doors to legal discrimination for religious reasons), Christopher Penczak and other believers of a mostly misunderstood and reviled faith—Wicca—planned a workshop.
A Beautiful, Brutal Reality
Gwendolyn Magee, who died in 2011, drew international acclaim for her striking quilts, which elevated an African and African American folk tradition to fine art.
Lullaby and Good Night
A 2013 National Sleep Foundation study reported that 67 percent of respondents said they don't get enough sleep, especially on workdays, and a lack of sleep can affect us dramatically.
A Creepy Christie Mystery
"And Then There Were None," a play based on the best-selling 1939 Agatha Christie novel "Ten Little Indians," is the newest offering from Brandon's Black Rose Theatre.
How The Clarion-Ledger Got It Wrong: The Importance of Context
As part of its coverage of Mississippi's proposed execution of Michelle Byrom, The Clarion-Ledger's Therese Apel wrote a puff piece that ostensibly explored whether the United States reserves its harshest punishment mostly for men. Does the criminal-justice system suffer from gender bias?
Michelle Byrom Gets Stunning Sentencing Reversal
In a highly unusual decision, the nine justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Monday to reverse the conviction of Michelle Byrom, 57, who has been on death row awaiting execution for the past 14 years.
Will Byrom Be Tortured to Death?
Mississippi's pending executions of Michelle Byrom and Charles Crawford—which are not yet scheduled—have mired the state in a controversy over what constitutes "cruel and unusual" in executions.
Hobby Lobby Wages War on Birth Control
The Green family is headed to Washington, D.C., for its day in court—the U.S. Supreme Court.
An Innocent Woman? Michelle Byrom vs. Mississippi
If Mississippi executes Michelle Byrom, now 57, she will be the first woman the state has put to death in 70 years. It may also be a horrible injustice.
Steve Hendrix: Lost in the Art
Steve Hendrix's long, slender hands might indicate that he has psychic abilities, if you believe in that sort of thing.
Cotton Baronich
"Cotton" Baronich helps women with their chairs. He adds "dahlin'" to just about every sentence when he speaks with them. That's the kind of old-school southern gentleman he is—his daddy raised him up right. He clearly loves women, and he loves music.
The Lumumba Legacy: What Happens Now?
Chokwe Lumumba was the first to admit that he was a radical. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He became a lawyer for the express purpose of defending people from civil-rights abuses.
JPS to Keep Accreditation
Jackson Public Schools is on track with its programs for disabled children, Superintendent Cedrick Gray announced Monday, lifting the threat of losing its accreditation over violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Crime? There’s an App for That
Instead of fighting the fact that the overwhelming majority of Jackson's high-school students have mobile phones, Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber is hoping to convince young people—and all Jacksonians—to use their smart phones to help lower the city's crime rate.
Residents, Businesses Could Get Relief from Busted Pipes
Between the city's aging water and sewer systems and sub-freezing weather, broken pipes have become a contentious issue in Jackson.
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