OPINION: Jackson Policing Betrays Poor and Working-class Black People
Before rushing to volunteer to be Jackson's political classes' attack dog against racist insult, we should be mindful of Zora Neale Hurston's oft reminder: "all my skin folks ain't my …
OPINION: Beloved Rep John Lewis: ‘Son, Your Generation Must Speak Up’
Just days before we close out another decade in American history, civil-rights icon Congressman John Lewis announced on Sunday, Dec. 29, that he has been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic …
DOSSIER: Chuck Todd’s ‘Naive’ Screw-up Is Warning for Mississippi Reporting, Too
If you were caught up in the spirit of the holiday, as I was on Christmas Eve, you might have missed one of the most disturbing interviews ever with a …
OPINION: From Memory Holes to 'Alternative Facts,' George Orwell's '1984' Has Endured
Few novels have stood the test of time like "1984" by George Orwell. Since its publication in 1949, many of the ideas and terms in the novel have come into …
OPINION: Soul Work Required for Resolutions to Stick
People make promises to themselves that they won't keep. "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right," Oprah Winfrey said once. This year, choose …
EDITOR'S NOTE: Be Clear; Trump (and Clinton) Caused Own Impeachment
"Impeachment is hell for a the country—but the reasons impeachment proceedings begin are very serious. They are the kinds of violations of public trust than set dangerous precedents for the …
DOSSIER: Mississippi Secrets Revealed, from 'Ole Miss' to RFK to Charles Overby
"Most people in Mississippi who do not agree with the radical-conservative, racist status quo have always been afraid to speak publicly about it—certainly at least the white ones."
OPINION: 'Faith' Is Inadequate, and Dangerous, Cover for Racism
"Racists, segregationists and anti-miscegenists can now back up their mere (and at least occasionally unstudied) religious opinion with the word of the law: they've got a right, so long as …
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Engagement, Solutions, Race Equity and IPAs
"As we go into 2020, I think two things could help downtown Jackson become more vibrant. First, interest and awareness in downtown need to be curated. Second, we as citizens …
OPINION: UM Rhodes Scholar: Moving Confederate Statue Sets Example for World
The opportunity to study at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar is a great accomplishment; however, December brings a much bigger opportunity for our beloved university and our …
OPINION: Racial Fantasy in Mississippi Politics: ‘Threading the Needle’ Ignores Reality
The future of Mississippi's Democratic Party depends upon its willingness to embrace a platform that premises its politics upon shared economic and racial injustice, rather than trying to thread a …
EDITOR'S NOTE: Meet the Mississippi Free Press, Focused on Causes and Solutions
The need for a new moral and cultural compass is why I and my co-founder Kimberly Griffin are announcing a new media project today called the Mississippi Free Press, which, …
OPINION: Colliding Toward Vienna; Strange, Random Kindness Amid a Merry Romp
Columnist Richard Coupe had a merry romp, and kind help from a connected Austrian, to get to Vienna on time.
OPINION: Mississippi Not a ‘Lost Cause’; Build and Fight
"I chose to make my home here 23 years ago. Mississippi has broken my heart on many more than one occasion. So, I hope everyone who worked hard will take …
OPINION: Even More Thankful This Year With Cancer in Remission
"We shouldn't limit being thankful to the last Thursday in November, especially in America."
DOSSIER: Shanda Yates' Win in Mississippi Inspires Voters, Teaches Lessons
If the last week has proved anything, it's that people in the U.S., in Mississippi and especially in the Jackson metropolitan area are excited about a political newcomer, Shanda Yates, …
OPINION: Caution; Numbers in Presidential Polls Don't Count, Yet
President Donald Trump's approval ratings are in the basement, and he could be impeached. But with about a year to go until Election Day 2020, it's too early to write …
OPINION: Kentucky, Virginia and Louisiana Voted for Change; Mississippi Still Has Work to Do
"While the rest of the country is erupting in action by using the power of the vote to elect more progressive officials, it seems apathy has gripped a large portion …
DOSSIER: From Bashing 'Boys of Spring' to Unpacking a Mississippi-Brexit Love Affair
"TV networks may live and die on ratings and people screaming opinions at each other from two "sides," but our democracy really can't take much more of this kind of …
OPINION: Women in Mississippi—So Strong and So Tough
"Over the 25 years that we have lived in Mississippi, we have taken quite a ribbing. Whenever we told them of our children's successes, they always scoffed and said 'but …