Jackson Free Press

[Atkins] Modern-Day Servitude

I was a lowly intern at a major newspaper up north, sitting at my desk in a corner plotting my day when a small, elderly, bespectacled man walked past me …

Why Write for the JFP?

Ugh! He's in my office again, with his holier-than-thou arrogance, his buffed-up hair and skin so alabaster he can't have ever seen the sun! What does he want this time? …

• 2 comments

[Stiggers] Satirist's Manifesto

I thought this would be a good time to write another reader's guide to my columns published in the Jackson Free Press. Since my last reader's guide, I continue to …

Ashamed

As a white Mississippian, I feel ashamed of the Voter ID bill that just passed. Sen. John Henderson is right: no matter how it's dressed up, it's still Jim Crow. …

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 …

Vol. 10, No. 38

Make Charter Improvements Now

In a recent column, ("Why Charter Schools Died," Vol. 10, Issue 34, May 2-8, 2012) state Rep. Cecil Brown laid out the many flaws with the charter-school bill proposed this …

Deep as My Bones

Mama froze. She was holding something, a towel I think it was, and her hand stopped in mid air. Her incessant motion on pause for a moment, she looked at …

Brown Rings Hollow

Vice President for Policy, Mississippi Center for Public Policy, Jackson

Rep. Cecil Brown's explanation as to why he opposed charter-school legislation this session ("Why Charter Schools Died," Vol. 10, Issue 34, May 2-8, 2012) rings hollow given that he was …

• 1 comment

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 …

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 …

[Kamikaze] Keep Us Informed

Transparency, good communication, access to information, assurances, being proactive—these are a few traits I'm sure citizens expect out of those who hold leadership positions. Whether elected or appointed, a certain …

Benefits of Inmate Labor

When I met Haley Barbour he was running for governor for the first time in 2003. It was at the Black Hawk political rally here in Carroll County. I have …

[Outlaw] Yes. We. Can.

There was a weight on me—a black cloud that threatened all manner of lightening and rain, and I just couldn't shake it. "This," I thought to myself, "this will never …

[Queen] ‘A Place in the World'

"God Almighty created each and every one of us for a place in the world, and for the least of us to think that we were created only to be …

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, …

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 …

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 …

[Stiggers] Hope and Ambition

Greetings, fellow hustlers. Welcome to the 'Work from Home without a Place to Live Entrepreneur and Job Search Seminar'—co-sponsored by the 'Lord Have Mercy We Really Need Work to Pay …

[Kamikaze] Rich in Life

My oldest daughter graduated from high school this past Friday. It was a proud moment indeed, as she also finished as her class valedictorian. This fall, she'll be attending Jackson …

Cry Me a River, NFLPA

Is it just me, or does NFL news never stop anymore? When someone says it is NFL offseason, I have to ask, "What offseason?"