Jackson State University students are organizing a rally on the steps of the State Capitol at 1 p.m. today in protest of Gov. Haley Barbour's recommendation to merge the state's three historically black colleges and universities.
In his Nov. 16 budget proposal, Barbour announced that the state was facing a $715 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2011 and another $500 million shortage in fiscal year 2012. In addition to merging the state's HBCUs, he suggested many draconian budget cuts in response to the impending shortage.
"This budget proposes merging Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State with Jackson State. No campus would close, but administration would be unified and significant savings achieved," Barbour said in a release, expecting $35 million in savings from the mergers. "Our historically black universities would be united into a premier university with the land-grant agriculture and technical advantages of Alcorn, MVSU's Delta campus and JSU as an emerging great urban university."
Barbour explained that the Alcorn and MVSU campuses would still continue to function, although there would be a "rationalization" of class offerings at the campuses, implying the merger would result in classes and curriculums being cut.
Many legislators and rally organizers do not think the proposal will get very far with the Legislature, however.
"Barbour's proposal was less about the merger of HBCUs and more about what agencies he's going to protect from the cuts, like the (Mississippi Development Authority) and the Mississippi Department of Corrections," said Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson, adding that the Mississippi Development Authority, led by Barbour, is only suffering a 5 percent cut to its budget.
Johnson said the actual job of appropriating funds falls to legislators, however, and said he did not see the House taking the the proposals seriously because of the strength of the Legislative Black Caucus and the attitude of the chairman of the House Colleges and Universities Committee.
Committee Chairman Melvin Buck, D-Holly Springs, told the Jackson Free Press that he would likely not act upon a proposal to merge the universities because consolidation would restrict students' access to many educational programs. A student living near Alcorn, for example, may have to move to Jackson to get a degree in math education, and possibly could not afford the added costs.
Other legislators remarked that HBCUs offer a considerably less expensive education that is important to many minority students. Tuition at the University of Mississippi—which is not subject to a merger under Barbour's proposal—is $5,106 a semester for in-state students, while out-of-state students pay $13,050. A semester of tuition at Jackson State University, comparatively, costs only $2,317 for Mississippi students and $3,362 for out-of-state students.
JSU students voiced their outrage during a similar rally at JSU's student union building yesterday. Johnson said today's rally was still important, despite his belief that the mergers would not get far in the next legislative session.
"The rally today is about students voicing their opposition to the very question of the mergers, that they would even be put on the table," Johnson said. "What we're seeing here are just Barbour's priorities, and educating black children, apparently, (is) not a big priority for him."
On Saturday, Michelle Obama will meet Beyonce at the KenFolk Family Foundation's fashion show, "THEshow," to raise money for the Community Outreach for Social Awareness, an organization that provides free health screenings and education to the citizens of Madison, Hinds and Rankin Counties.
Or at least they will in fashions by stylist and designer J. Bolin when he shows his older line, NikiNikol, which he describes as "Michelle Obama meets Beyonce." Bolin will show his new line, CHIC, which uses only the color black, for the first time Saturday. He will be opening his boutique, J. Bolin Celebrity Fashion Stylist/Designer in the coming months.
Lauren Nicole Taylor, 24, of LaureNicole will showcase her love of the designing process by displaying five of her pieces, including one that has never been seen. "A piece of clothing starts out lying flat with no body or shape—it is lifeless. Then, it comes alive," she says.
Gail Ambeau, 45, worked as a music teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, and Greenwood and Lexington, Miss., before hearing the Lord's call for her to design clothing, she says. She now designs a variety of clothing for all sizes. "I am an artist, so every time I make something, it is like creating art for me," she says. Ambeau will show an array of designs at "THEshow," which will also feature Kenneth Lloyd's designs.
KenFolk Family Foundation President Kenneth Smith, a native of Cleveland, Miss., says that the foundation is dedicated to aiding families in need and working for youth empowerment. Ken Lucas, a member of the Seattle Seahawks and a friend of Smith's, started the organization in 2006.
Smith says that KenFolk chose to raise money through a fashion show because it is a different form of entertainment. Rather than settling for a party, a fashion show will be entertaining while encouraging people to donate.
"THEshow" is Nov. 21 at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available on THEshow Web site or at Bebop Records locations. For addition information, contact Honey Marie at 601-559-7517.
Dr. Marianne Hill, senior economist at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, wants to see the status of women improve in Mississippi.
In addition to editing the Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook and predicting the state's economic forecast, Hill, 64, is a member of the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women. The commission is made of up 13 volunteers from various parts of the state and a paid executive director, who together compile data in an annual report that demonstrates the gap between women and men in Mississippi.
"The comission has a main emphasis on providing information about the status of women, helping to ensure more women are considered for public boards and letting those (boards) know about qualified women who are capable to serve," Hill told the Jackson Free Press, regardless of political affiliation. "The commission is a non-partisan supporter," Hill said.
This week, Gov. Haley Barbour recommended ending state funding for organization. Hill, who helped write the commission's 2009 annual report, says because it's a volunteer-based commission, it can operate with low costs. But losing state funding means the commission may be unable to find funds for expenses like travel reimbursement and Web site development.
"It's certainly not the case that we would dissolve without funding," Hill said. "We functioned for several years without state funding." Hill said the commission started in 2001 but did not receive state funding until 2007.
"It takes effort for getting funding to improve the status of women," she said. "If men are doing better, it can become a gender-neutral issue with lawmakers assuming women will do better. But they aren't thinking about creating access to child care. Women have a primary responsibility to care for children, and in addition to that they get paid less than men."
Hill moved to Jackson in 1990 from Ohio to work at the IHL She received her doctorate in economics from Yale University, and said she to chose to work in a field where she could use math to make society better. She currently lives in Madison with her 23-year-old daughter, Rosie.
If finding the perfect, one-of-a-kind holiday gift is what you're after, this is one weekend to get it done. Head to the Mississippi Trademart today until 6 p.m. today or tomorrow from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for the annual Handworks Holiday Market. Admission is $5. If your tastes run more to a fabulous dinner and contributing to worthy causes, make sure to check out "A Taste of New York," tonight at the Fairview Inn. Along with food from seven top local chefs, you get wine, music, performance artists, carriage rides and more. $125 for dinner or $60 for the reception only; call 601-948-3429 (extension 316) for more info. Where's the best place to look when you're planning your weekend? Start with the JFP Best Bets page to find these events and more.
Head out early Saturday for the finest fresh produce, meat, seafood, handcrafted food items and lots more at the Mississippi Farmers Market/Greater Behaven Market, open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. near the fairgrounds on High Street. Then head to the NUTS (Neat Used Things for Sale) warehouse sale on Millsaps Avenue where most everything is marked down 50 percent. Shop today from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Also, if you haven't seen the Mississippi Invitational exhibit, yet, this is the day to go. The annual exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art closes in a week. You'll find dozens of other one-time and repeating events on the JFP Events Calendar.
In a party mood Saturday night? Find where your favorite band, singer or DJ is playing on the JFP Music Listings. Underground 119 features Jackson favorite Scott Albert Johnson; Hal & Mal's has two rooms and six performers; 930 Blues Cafe features Jackie Bell; Martin's is featuring The Furrows; or head to Cultural Expressions for a line-up of hip-hop and soul. That's just five of the more than two dozen music options for tonight alone.
If dinner and a movie is more your style, start your search with the JFP Restaurant Listings and the Menu Guide. Finding the perfect silver-screen entertainment is also just a click away with the JFP Movie Finder.
Head back to the JFP Best Bets page on Sunday when you're looking for something to do. At 3 p.m., head to St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral for a free concert by Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra. On the program are works by Mozart, Beethoven, Copeland and more. There's even another opportunity for unique shopping at The Cedars for the Pearl River Glass Studio Open House.
Our suggestion for the perfect stocking stuffer? An "I Get It Once A Week" T-shirt, of course. Get yours at Swell-O-Phonic's new location in the Fondren Corner Building.
Have you cast your vote yet for the Best of Jackson? There's never a better time than right now to go to the Best of Jackson online ballot and vote before time runs out.
Is something missing? To make sure your event is listed on the JFP calendars, send the information to or , or add your event yourself. It's easy!
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reassessing more than 100 unsolved civil rights era cold cases, and is searching for victims' next of kin to notify the families of their results, according to a release from the agency. In 33 of the cases, the FBI has not found next of kin, including 11 from the Jackson division, listed below.
FBI officials hope that by releasing the names and circumstances of the killings, the public may be able to help the agency locate surviving family members. The 11 Jackson division cases are:
Eli Brumfield: Eli Brumfield was stopped for speeding in McComb, Mississippi, on October 13, 1961. When Brumfield allegedly jumped from his car with knife, he was shot and killed by the police officer.
Silas Ernest Caston: Silas Ernest Caston was shot and killed by a law enforcement officer in Hinds County, Mississippi, on March 1, 1964.
Jimmie Lee Griffin: Jimmie Lee Griffin's body was discovered on a local highway near Sturgis, Mississippi, on September 24, 1965.
Ernest Jells: Ernest Jells was shot to death on October 20, 1963, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, by a police officer after Jells allegedly pointed a rifle at officers who were attempting to arrest him for stealing a banana from a local grocery store.
William Henry Lee, aka, John Patrick Lee: Lee's body was discovered near railroad tracks in Rankin County, Mississippi, on February 25, 1965. Lee may have walked away from his disabled vehicle to seek assistance.
George Love: George Love was shot and killed near Ruleville, Mississippi, on January 8, 1958, by police officers after Love allegedly shot and seriously wounded a Ruleville night marshal who sought to question Love about a robbery.
Neimiah Montgomery: Neimiah Montgomery stopped at a gas station on August 10, 1964, in Cleveland, Mississippi, and asked the attendant to put gas in his car. Montgomery allegedly refused to pay for the gas and attacked the attendant. A police officer shot and killed Montgomery when he arrived on the scene.
Jessie James Shelby: Jessie Shelby was shot and killed by a police officer in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on January 21, 1956.
Ollie Shelby: Ollie Shelby was shot and killed on January 22, 1965, while he was incarcerated in the Hinds County Jail in Mississippi.
Ed Smith: Ed Smith was allegedly shot and killed on April 27, 1958, in State Line, Mississippi.
Isaiah Taylor: Isaiah Taylor was shot and killed on June 26, 1964 in Ruleville, Mississippi, by a police officer following a traffic stop.
Find details on the other 22 cases on this page. If you have any information about any of the cases, contact the Jackson division at 601-948-5000, your local FBI office, or an American embassy or consulate.
Mississippi Farmers Market opens at 9 a.m. Local artists, craft makers, food merchants and more selling their goods. Free; call 601-506-2848. ... Delta Music Institute Industry Workshops at Morrison Brothers Music (127 Dyess Road) at 1 p.m. Instructors from the Delta State University program will provide workshops on a range of industry topics. Free; call 601-956-0135. ... Michael Jackson Tribute Dance Celebration Class at Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Club (3625 Courthouse Circle) at 3:30 p.m. for ages 12 and older. Come in costume for a chance to win door prizes. Free; call 601-853-7480; visit http://www.go-long-productions.com. ”THEShow at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 Pascagoula St.) at 8 p.m. is a fashion-show fundraiser for Community Outreach Health Awareness Inc. $20; call 228-324-2946. ... Larry Brewer performs at The Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Call 601-982-0002.
Men’s college basketball
North Central Tip-off Classic, Mississippi College vs. Lakeland (2:30 p.m., Naperville, Ill.)
Pensacola Christian at Millsaps (7 p.m., Jackson)
Piedmont Baptist at Wesley (7 p.m., Florence)
Ole Miss in Puerto Rico Tip-off (TBA, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 97.3 FM) Women’s college basketball
Emory Invitational, Millsaps at Emory (5 p.m., Atlanta) High school football (MHSAA playoffs)
6A, Olive Branch at Madison Central (7 p.m., Madison, 105.9 FM)
5A, New Hope at Ridgeland (7 p.m., 103.9 FM)
5A, Pearl at West Point (7 p.m., 97.3 FM)
2A, Puckett at West Point (7 p.m.)
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning heard some rotten numbers at this morning's IHL meeting. Gov. Haley Barbour recommended a flurry of budget reductions for the state's eight colleges and universities, spurring Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds to speak on the possibility of extreme cuts in university staffing, the elimination of some education programs and tuition hikes.
"The decisions we make now will have a long-term impact on our universities. This is not an economic downturn anymore. We're in a financial crisis," Bounds said. "There may be a need to reduce workdays or pay. ... We're going to lose people with these types of cuts."
Bounds added that the board may need to come back in December to discuss the continuing effort for achieving cost efficiency.
Barbour recommended tuition hikes only for the Mississippi State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, though Bounds said all universities should probably consider tuition increases to keep their budgets' balanced for the years 2011 and 2012. But he recommended against matching the amount of cuts facing colleges with tuition increases.
The commissioner said the state is facing a projected a budget shortfall in 2011 of about $715 million and a $1.2 billion projected deficiency for 2012, with state universities and colleges facing a 12.8 percent budget reduction for 2011. In response, universities would likely need to restructure employee retirement benefits. Bounds relayed Barbour's recommendation that universities shift a proposed 1.56 percent increase in retirement benefits and $29.3 million of health-care costs onto current employees, and eliminate a 3 percent cost of living adjustment for employees up to age 55.
Bounds reiterated Barbour's recommendation to merge some universities—particularly the historically black colleges Mississippi Valley State University, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University—and combining the Mississippi University of Women with Mississippi State University. The mergers would save about $35 million, Barbour says.
Rep. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson, an Alcorn graduate, was openly furious at the prospect of the merger, which largely involved colleges that serve minorities.
"A lot of these universities have been up and running for well over 100 years. This is not the first time we've faced an economic bind, so why now do you say we should consolidate the HBCUs? When I look down and look at the numbers on the amount we're spending on all universities, HBCUs are getting a fifth of what some universities are receiving," Wooten told reporters. "To me, there's no comparison. You can talk about saving money, but if you're pushing a different agenda, then let's sit down and talk about that."
Bounds said he did not advocate for the governor's recommendation, though he did point out to Wooten that state money going to HBCUs was adjusted to reflect the lower attendance at those schools.
Board member Amy Whitten assured the meeting audience of about 60 that the board would be working in the best interests of every institution: "The board works under the assumption that each and every school is vital," Whitten said. "Each school is important to their region, and whatever decision we make will reflect that."
Meanwhile, board member Bob Owens suggested schools consider raising tuition for out-of-state students, explaining that about half the funding the state approves goes to out-of-state student education.
"It's like they're getting a bonus," Owens said.
Aside from advising against shifting the majority of the burden to tuition increases, Bounds said he would submit to the wisdom of individual university presidents on deciding where to make cuts. "Let the presidents do their job," Bounds advised. "All of our institutions have wonderful leaders, and we should let them take the lead on how to decide cost efficiency."
When Dea Dea Baker graduated from the University of Colorado in 1978 with a business degree, she never thought she would leave her adopted home of Boulder to come back to her hometown of Jackson. Love, however, had other plans for Baker.
Those plans included her hometown friend Adolph Baker, who visited her often and told her that "the wonderful skiing" is what brought him to Boulder time and time again. But the last time Adolph came home to Jackson, he brought with him something more than skiing stories: Dea Dea and Adolph married in 1980, and after 29 years of marriage and two daughters—Rachel, 25, and Jessie, 23—Dea Dea says she doesn't miss Boulder anymore.
Today, Baker's focus is her love of art: No matter where she goes, she is never without her watercolors. Baker says enjoyed painting with her daughters when they were small, but as soon as her youngest started school full time, she went in search of an instructor.
"I went that very same week to start art classes," she says, eventually finding a teacher in local artist Ann Barron. "She told me 'no' at first. Then after she thought about it, she told me to get six friends together and she would teach us. She's a purist, and so she probably wouldn't like my work today."
Baker, 53, says that proper marketing of her work is what has brought her the most success in selling her pieces. "You have to get out there," she says, offering her advice to fellow artists who want to make a living with their art. They "cannot have a hundred of their paintings under their beds at home."
After seeing one of Baker's Christmas cards for Mississippi Children's Home Services, Jan Wade and Pam Turner of The Everyday Gardener approached her with a fundraising idea for the organization. Baker, who was once on the Board of Trustees for MCHS, couldn't say no.
Tonight (Nov.19, from 5 to 9 p.m. during Fondren Unwrapped), Baker will sign 100 of her angel prints at The Everyday Gardner (2905 Old Canton Road), which will offer the framed, high-end giclee prints at $74.99 each. Patrons can also bid on the original watercolor, which will be sold through a silent auction tonight. All proceeds from Baker's original and the prints will go to benefit Mississippi Children's Home Services.
"Mississippi Children's Home Services gives the children in their care the 'roots and wings' that they need to lead healthy, productive lives," Baker said in a release.
"It feels so good to give back," Baker told the JFP. "Each painting is a little bit of me."
Jackson Violent Crimes Drop Again; Property Crimes Increase
File Photo
by Ward Schaefer
November 19, 2009
Major crimes rose slightly last week in Jackson, with a drop in violent crime offset by a rise in property crimes, especially house burglaries. According to statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning, patrol officers reported 21 violent crimes last week, down from 36 the previous week, and 186 property crimes, up from 158 the week before. Those figures are consistent with recent trends: For the year to date, violent crime is down 10.8 percent over 2008, while property crime is up 0.9 percent.
The most dramatic spike in house burglaries occurred in South Jackson's Precinct 1, which recently received a new commander, Donald Gater. Precinct 1 officers reported 40 house burglaries last week, up from 19 the week before. Gater told JPD command staff that the majority of his precinct's house burglaries occurred on weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. For the year to date, Precinct 1 has seen a 14.9 percent increase in house burglaries over 2008.
Auto burglaries are the only other property-crime category showing a year-to-date increase, with this year's figures rising 5.5 percent above last year's. Last week, officers reported 48 auto burglaries, an increase of one over the previous week. Northeast Jackson's Precinct 4, which has seen a 14.7 percent drop in overall crime for the year, reported 24 auto burglaries, the most of any precinct. Commander Kenneth Goodrum told command staff that most of those incidents took place Wednesday and Thursday nights, especially in several gated apartment complexes along Old Canton Road.
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court Rules
Kate Medley
November 19, 2009
More than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
The Corps failure to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet canal, "was not policy, but insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness," U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. wrote in the ruling.
"For over 40 years, the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the MRGO. ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so. Clearly, the expression 'talk is cheap' applies here."
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by six New Orleans plaintiffs, and has resulted in five monetary awards ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. Duval ruled against one couple, CNN reports.
More than 1,800 people died in the storm, most—nearly 1,600—in Louisiana, where Katrina devastated New Orleans when the city's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred. Overall, the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people, causing more than $81 billion in damage. FEMA called Katrina "the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history."
Recovery continues throughout the areas affected by the storm, including the entire Mississippi Coast.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs say that this ruling gives New Orleans residents ammunition to push the federal government to do more.
"It has been proven in a court of law that the drowning of New Orleans was not a natural disaster, but a preventable man-made travesty," the attorneys said in a statement. "The government has always had a moral obligation to rebuild New Orleans. This decision makes that obligation a matter of legal responsibility."
Pearl River Glass Studio Open House at The Cedars opens at 10 a.m. Free; call 601-353-2497; visit http://www.pearlriverglass.com. ... Handworks Holiday Market at Mississippi Trade Mart is a two-day, annual event with handmade gifts just in time for holiday shopping; opens at 9 a.m. $5 admission, children under 12 free; call 205-937-4834 or 205-991-9840; visit http://www.handworksmarket.com. ... Chefs and the City: A Taste of New York at Fairview Inn at 5 p.m. includes a five-course meal, performance artists, carriage rides, and martini and champagne bars. $60 reception only, $125 for reception and five-course meal; call 601-948-3429; visit http://www.simonsharpeaglefund.us. ... "Road Trip: Drawing a Perimeter Around the United States" at Lewis Art Gallery starts at 7 p.m. Jacob Wick will perform open scores, inviting response and collaboration from local improvisers. Free; e-mail . ... Jason Twiggy Lott showcases new work at 7 p.m. at the home of Buddy Barksdale. Free; e-mail . ... The Fifth Annual Classy Classic Affair at 9 p.m. at Schimmel's (2615 N. State St.) features music by DJ Phil from the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. $20; e-mail .
I grew up in the Episcopal Church, and it was the center of everything my family did. From Sunday school to youth group and potluck dinners, the church provided a sense of community and belonging.
A few years ago, the church I was baptized in became divided over the question of gay bishops and same-sex marriages within the denomination.
The debate led to a schism in our congregation. More than half the members renounced the Episcopal faith and became Anglican. The divided members literally packed up and left to start a new church.
It would be incorrect to define this as the reason I stopped participating in church, but it was definitely a turn-off. Despite the fact that I believe gay couples should have equal rights, this difference in opinions severed a church once unified. Relationships that ran years deep were silenced.
The Episcopalian Church isn't the only church dividing itself over gay marriage.
Last week, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., threatened to discontinue providing social programs unless the city changes a proposed same-sex marriage law to be voted on next month.
Even though the proposed law would not require religious organizations to make space available for same-sex weddings, the archdiocese fears it will eventually have give to employee benefits to same-sex couples.
Catholic Charities, the organization that runs the social programs, serves 68,000 people in the city. Services include homeless shelters, food pantries, rental assistance, health care and adoptions. While other modes of funding (public and private donations) contribute to the program, The Washington Post reports that the Catholic Church supplements the program with money from its coffers.
Basically this means the Catholic Church is willing to sacrifice 68,000 of the city's most vulnerable people in an effort to deny other citizens equal rights.
This reasoning defies the church's main purpose of showing God's love, demonstrating compassion to others and empowering others to do the same.
D.C.'s city council members are calling this move a weak attempt at blackmail, and show no signs of changing their support for the law. I imagine that the Catholic Church has managed to successfully isolate and turn off the entire gay community as well as those believe in a core message of Christianity: Love thy neighbor.
Here in Mississippi, we are seeing progress in terms of generational paradigm shifts, emerging activist groups and the practice of tolerance. The religious community must be central to this progressive shift.
Taking a different approach, this church does not just tolerate, but it welcomes everyone including the LGBT community. In October the church hosted an interfaith church service and workshops during OUToberfest. The church also performs wedding and commitment ceremonies for all couples.
The atmosphere was different from other churches I've been to in the past. I was hugged when I walked in the door, and several members greeted me during the service.
Egon Cohen, a first-year law student at Mississippi College, gave a sermon that humorously compared Jesus to Elvis (as two larger-than-life cultural phenomenon). His overarching message was that sometimes we get caught up in debating the facts and trying to figure out what we believe instead of just stopping and listening to the music and experiencing God.
Cohen, who moved here from West Virginia said he has attended churches of the Baptist faith and has gay family members. He said that while many churches will "tolerate" gay members, rarely do they welcome them and offer them a sense of belonging.
When I mentioned I was writing a column on religion and the LGBT community, a few members expressed anxiety and concern because revealing the names of members could result in backlash from their employers or family. Safe Harbor creates an environment of acceptance and trust, and as a first-time visitor who happens to work for the media, I endangered that space.
I may not know what it is to be judged, picked on and denied equal rights to that same extent, and I can't imagine what it's like to have my family disown me or my church label me a sinner.
But I do understand the power of a good story. Ceara Sturgis's story, reported by Adam Lynch in this week's issue, is impressive because she is happy with herself and doesn't let her sexuality define her. She is more than a lesbian—she is an athlete, a daughter, friend, an honor-roll student, a Mississippian.
I hope that others will stand up like Ceara and take part in conversations about the LGBT community in our state. This isn't a fringe group with issues that should be swept under the rug. These are our community members, friends and co-workers.
The story of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and politician in San Francisco, exemplifies the theory that standing up for what you believe in can change the world. He said it best himself during his campaign in 1978.
"I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad or frustrated," Milk said. "I can only hope that they'll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that two, three, four, 500 will step forward, so the gay doctors will come out, the gay lawyers, the gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects. … I hope that every professional gay will say 'enough,' come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know.
New Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced several changes to her command staff on Friday. The moves include promotions and some shifting of responsibilities among deputy chiefs.
Coleman moved Precinct 1 Commander Jeremiah Jones to Precinct 2, replacing Jesse Robinson. She promoted Sgt. Donald Gater to Jones' top spot in the South Jackson precinct.
In Northwest Jackson, Coleman promoted Precinct 3 Commander Eric Wall to deputy chief for patrol, replacing Dewayne Thomas. Thomas' new position is director of the department's planning and research division. In Wall's place as Precinct 3 commander, Coleman installed Sergeant Ron Sampson.
Gerald Jones (no relation to Jeremiah), the former deputy chief for investigations, is now over the department's standards and training, including the police academy. Taking Jones' spot over investigations is Sgt. Brett Winstead.
Deputy Chief Tyrone Lewis, who served as interim chief from May until Coleman's confirmation last month, is now deputy chief of the Community Services Division.
Coleman kept several top-level staff in the same roles, including Lee Vance as Assistant Chief, Lindsey Horton as deputy chief for Administrative Support Services and Kenneth Goodrum as commander of Northeast Jackson's Precinct 4.
Rumors of university consolidation gave way to outright threats Monday when Gov. Haley Barbour released his executive budget recommendations for the 2011 fiscal year. Painting a dismal picture of the state's finances for the next three years, Barbour called for consolidating the state's eight public universities into five institutions. Barbour proposed combining the state's three historically black universities—Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State—and merging the Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State University.
"At a time when the focus must be on efficiencies and excellence, we must recognize the unsustainability of dividing our limited (Institutions of Higher Learning) funding among eight public universities," Barbour said.
The state's anticipated budget shortfalls dwarf the savings Barbour hopes consolidation will achieve, however. In his recommendation, Barbour projected an additional $200 million shortfall for the current budget year, a $715 million shortfall in 2011 and a $500 million hole for 2012. If state lawmakers managed to pass a consolidation measure in the legislative session that begins in January, it would not take effect until 2012. Barbour estimated that mergers could save the state $35 million in 2012.
Barbour's proposal would preserve each of the affected universities' campuses but consolidate programs and administrative functions. The recommendation also calls for cutting back on redundant class offerings at all eight state universities. Changes to class offerings could offer greater savings, as instructional costs comprise a far greater portion of the state's IHL budget than administration costs.
Before Barbour's September budget cuts, instruction made up 45 percent of the state's $160.6 million in 2010 spending on IHL, and academic support accounted for another 10 percent. By comparison, only 12 percent of the state's IHL spending went to administration. Another 12 percent went to operations and management, which includes things like facilities upkeep, which is unlikely to change after Barbour's proposed mergers.
Despite Barbour's support, university mergers are an unpopular proposition for many legislators, especially those looking ahead to 2011, an election year. Rep. John Horhn, D-Jackson, said that he opposed consolidation on purely pragmatic grounds.
"The larger issue is: Would it really save us any significant money?" Horhn said. "The purpose of consolidation is savings and efficiencies, and the jury's still out on those."
But opposition to mergers also comes with personal and political overtones. Supporters of the Mississippi University for Women are aware that the school, one of the state's smallest universities, is politically vulnerable because of enrollment losses and a proposed name change that has caused splits in MUW's alumnae groups.
Anghaarad Teague is president of Mississippi's First Alumnae Association, a group of MUW alumni that outgoing MUW President Claudia Limbert disaffiliated from the school in 2007. Teague expects alumni to rally together in support of the school if it is targeted for merger.
"I think there is a perceived lack of unity swirling around the W right now," Teague said. "If the Legislature takes up merger, they're going to see how unified the alumnae can be."
Merging MUW into another university would also eliminate a unique opportunity in the state, Teague argued. While MUW has admitted men since 1982, its mission still emphasizes women's leadership. At a time when women's pay still lags behind that of men, MUW's focus is essential to the state, Teague said.
History of Neglect
Supporters of the state's historically black universities make a similar argument for keeping Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State independent. The state has long neglected its black institutions, they argue, pointing to the $503 million settlement of the Ayers case, a 1975 lawsuit brought against the state for its unequal funding of its three historically black universities. Only since 2002 has the state begun paying the settlement out.
Ivory Phillips, a Jackson Public Schools board member and professor at Jackson State University, believes that the state's black universities have not had adequate time to compete—on equal footing—with other state institutions for students and prestige.
"People feel there's too many universities, but the real underlying feeling is there's too many historically black universities," Phillips said. "If you look back historically, Mississippi Valley State has not been able to offer the kind of programs that a lot of the other universities did for reasons, in terms of funding, that were racially motivated. So now you decide to merge or close it because it hasn't developed the way the others have developed. It's punishment because they were punished in the first place."
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, who is black, doubts that racism has much part in the most recent round of consolidation discussions, but he believes the combination of MVSU's historical mission and its geographic location should be reason enough for protecting it.
"We're oversensitive," Jordan said. "We've never had the resources to compete. To deprive 450,000 people in the Mississippi Delta of their own historically black university is just unfair. We have a right to exist."
Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, launched speculation on the merger issue in an Oct. 21 speech to the Mississippi Economic Council. He said that while he sympathized with opponents of consolidation, the state's budget crisis demanded a closer look at increasing efficiency in the state's universities.
"I share my black colleagues' concerns, but that does not erase the fact that we have an obligation to make certain that we provide quality education to every student at every university at the least cost to the taxpayer," Flaggs told the Jackson Free Press.
Flaggs compared Mississippi's plight to Tennessee, which examined the possibility of restructuring its university system or merging schools during the 2009 legislative session. Tennessee has seven public universities, but its system is not entirely analogous to the one in Mississippi. Six state universities fall under the authority of the Tennessee Board of Regents, but the University of Tennessee system has its own governing Board of Trustees distinct from the Board of Regents. The two systems compete for funding, and recent reform efforts have focused on establishing a single system of governance.
Doomed Idea?
In the case of Mississippi, the cost savings from consolidation or merger are not nearly so evident, because the state's universities already share the same governing authority. Merging university administrations, while keeping their distinct campuses, could save the state some money, but it would do nothing to reduce the more substantial cost of instruction.
Like school-district consolidation, university mergers are a recurring topic of discussion, especially during budget crises. The state's IHL Board of Trustees has taken up the issue twice in the past twenty years. In 1986, after exploring a reorganization of the state's university system, the board voted to keep MUW and MVSU open. In 1994, the board received recommendations for university mergers but took no action.
Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, thinks that the Barbour's merger proposal has little chance of passing both houses of the Legislature.
"I'm all for saving money, but I don't think we've carefully thought this through," Brown said. "If we can rationalize it and say we'll get a better educational outcome for kids֖more graduates, better quality of instruction, and it doesn't cost any more money֖I'm all for it. So far I haven't heard that."
University Spending by the Numbers
Only 12 percent of Mississippi's spending on its institutions of higher learning (IHL) goes to administration.
Percentage of Original 2010 State IHL Appropriation Instruction: 45% Internal Research: 2% Public Service: 1% Academic Support: 10% Student Services: 7% Administration: 12% Operations and Management: 12% Scholarships: 10% Transfers: 1%
Source: Mississippi Institutions for Higher Learning.
Mr. Announcer: "Ghetto Science Public Television presents 'Cooking with Grandpa Pookie!' Tonight's guest is Brotha Hustle, the Ghetto Science Team's roving and mobile entrepreneur. On this segment of the program, Grandpa Pookie and Brotha Hustle will show you how to eat well on a recession budget."
Grandpa Pookie: "Greetings, culinary friends! Can you smell what's cookin' in the kitchen? If you can't, it's because you eat pre-packaged foods sold at your local corner convenience or dollar store. The economists say this nation is moving out of the recession. Yeah, right. Even if the knife is pulled out of my back, the wound remains. And poor folk are hurting. Now, poor people must resort to food shopping at a neighborhood 'bodega' (aka convenience store) for their daily or weekly meals. Brotha Hustle, how does a financially challenged individual eat well on a restricted budget?"
Brotha Hustle: "Despite what is happening with the economy, poor folk still eat like kings by purchasing extremely low priced items from 'bodegas' like Mr. Habib's Gas Station or Jojo's Discount Dollar Store. On the kitchen counter is an inexpensive dinner for less than $5. And it's good eating, too!
"Here's what you get: Shrimp and pork-flavored ramen noodles, saltine crackers, barbecue-flavored beef jerky, a super-size bottle of lemon-lime flavored Juicy Juice, a honey bun and a bonus large snack-bag of teriyaki-flavored pork rinds."
Grandpa Pookie: "The smell of shrimp and pork-flavored noodles and teriyaki pork rinds fill the air. Yummy!"
I call myself a moderate for a reason. I find myself shying away from the lunacy that lurks on the outer fringes of both parties. I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican, liberal or conservative. Honestly, I think everyone should do themselves a favor and listen to all opinions, no matter how crazy they may be, and then make a decision—whether it's about candidate, a bill, a resolution, whatever. It simply isn't wise to vote along a party, race or ideological line without listening to all sides.
I've watched the health-care debate with great interest. I've heard the talk about Obama's stimulus plan, and listened to the socialism and communism debates on all the news channels. I've seen the rise of tea parties all over the country. I've even seen Glenn Beck gather a room full of black conservatives to prove they do, indeed, exist.
Because I have no problem giving credit where it's due, I must give a word of friendly advice to Dems and liberals everywhere: Don't take the tea-party surge lightly. It could prove your undoing. Sure, you may think they are a vocal minority. You may say it's just sour grapes. Some of them may indeed be racist. However, don't dismiss them so quickly.
The fact of the matter is, even if the numbers are trumped up, even if FOX News "accidentally" shows the same clip twice for two different tea-party rallies, these gatherings show something that I haven't seen since Obama's campaign from some Democrats and liberals: passion. I don't agree with a lot of what I hear at these tea parties. To me, they reveal the "selfish America" that some of our neighboring countries see us as—the America where we step on and over our fellow man in need.
I can say, though, that at least to the untrained eye, these are organized efforts from folks who believe strongly in their convictions. They don't care if your feelings are hurt. They may not care if you're offended. Decorum be damned: If it means interrupting a town-hall meeting or marching outside the White House, they will be heard.
Either Dems are complacent or they're just oblivious to the fact that there is dissent afoot. It was only after this wave of protest started that I saw folks sent to town halls to shout down the shouters. Only recently have I seen public efforts to gather supporters of health-care reform in their own rallies, even though they knew folks on the right were waiting to launch attacks at President Obama from day one. It would be good to occasionally see a gathering of 10,000 folks on the mall in Washington chanting reasons we should support Obama's health-care plan or a stimulus.
At least make it interesting. Form a party to foil the tea parties. When is Rachel Maddow going to say something as wild as Rush Limbaugh and make some conservatives mad?
Show. Me. Some. Passion.
You have independents and moderates like me who are waiting to hear facts. Truth is, the real solution lies somewhere in the middle, a mix between what the right and the left want. The middle is where the most common-sense thinkers are, in my opinion. The middle is where a real health-care solution can be found. Right now, I only see one side pushing.
I'm often struck by the way that many people live half-truthfully, editing out personal information that they deem unsavory to others. I'm not sure if this is a southern phenomenon, or simply a trend among those of us who are the black sheep in our families. Since President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, I've been thinking about my LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) friends. As they have found the way out of their various closets, I've often simplified their task in my mind. "Just do it," I think. "Be yourself."
But my friends might face grave consequences for revealing their sexual orientation or gender identity. One namesake of the Hate Crimes Act is Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student. Two young men drove Shepard to the outskirts of town, where they beat, tortured and hung him up on a fence post. Court testimonies strongly suggest that the killers targeted Shepard because he was gay. He died five days after the attack, on Oct. 12, 1998.
Recently in Mississippi, school officials forbade lesbian Wesson Attendance Center student Ceara Sturgis, 17, to wear a tuxedo in her senior portrait. Though Sturgis' situation wasn't fatal, it involves her freedom to express herself as she chooses in a country that guarantees its citizens that right.
Sturgis' story broke during the week of Jackson's 5th annual OUToberfest, hosted by Unity Mississippi in order to bring Mississippi's LGBT community together to meet, attain education and information, and have fun. They also hold the festival in honor of LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day and the anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder.
I went to Smith Park the last day of OUToberfest, an overcast Sunday afternoon. I arrived just as drag queen Tori Madison was leaving the stage.
The small but lively crowd sat in lawn chairs, accompanied by coolers, dogs of all sizes and children, who balanced on the concrete walls and played in the recess in front of the stage. I knew almost nobody there, save the friends I had brought with me, but one of them introduced me to Duane Smith, the dark-haired and affable co-founder of Unity Mississippi.
I missed the interfaith service in the park that day, but I saw Madison perform alternately wearing a gigantic feathered cape and a tiara that would make Delta Burke burn with the greenest of envies.
Then, Eta Iota Mu, a non-traditional African American fraternity that includes females, took the stage and entertained the crowd with a stomp/dance routine. As the crowd cheered, I marveled at the fact that everyone in the park that day was there for one goal: unity among races, genders and cultures.
A week later, I met with Smith and his partner Knol Aust, another founding member of Unity Mississippi, out on the porch at La Cazuela Mexican Grill. We sat tables away from where they initially founded the organization in 2004, following Mississippi's passage of a constitutional ban on gay marriage. A gay pride event had been planned for that October, but the organizers cancelled at the last moment because of an internal argument.
"We started talking about the festival that we wanted to do, and it turned into, 'Why did nobody even know that it was cancelled, and how did anyone know about it in the first place?'" Aust said.
Aust, Smith and other friends then began the task of creating Unity Mississippi to build a community dedicated to cultural diversity, reaching out to anyone who wanted to be involved—queer and straight alike.
Some divisions within the community surprised Aust, but he and Smith count Unity Mississippi's fifth anniversary as a victory. In five short years, their network has grown from an e-mail list with 20 or 30 people to more than 500 people.
Unity Mississippi is a networking group that connects people to LGBT-friendly businesses, doctors and advocacy groups. Both Smith and Aust want people in the community to feel accepted and safe in Jackson. While Aust has experienced several strong instances of discrimination, he remains unabashed about his beliefs and identity. Smith says that he hasn't experienced discrimination, and that he's always found it very easy to be himself.
The passage of the Hate Crimes Act and the fact that Aust and Smith are both so confident—despite discrimination—help me believe that we're headed ever closer to the goal of common decency and equality. My hope is that as we approach this goal, we'll all have less need to hide behind the half-truths we tell in fear of reprisal.
In the western world, the earliest works depicting homosexuality come from the ancient Greeks, where the practice of adult men having sexual relations with male youths was considered quite normal. The term lesbian dates back to the Greek poetess Sappho, born on the island of Lesbos between 630 and 612 BC. Plato (427 to 327 BC) praised same-sex relationships in his early writings.
In Europe during the Renaissance, homosexuals fell increasingly under the strictures of religious courts. In 1494, the Dominican Girolamo Savonarola of Florence, Italy, declared sodomy a capital crime. Since then, the clergy and legal authorities have declared homosexuality everything from a mild perversion to a sinful abhorrence. In a handful of Middle Eastern countries, homosexual activity is still punishable by death today, though most western countries have at least decriminalized it. It took until 1973 for the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.
Yet, despite the legal, spiritual and social consequences of homosexuality, more than 2 percent of American men 14 to 44 years old defined themselves as homosexual in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, and some experts say the total numbers of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered Americans could be as high as 10 percent of the total population. By any measure, those percentages translate into considerable numbers: somewhere between 6 million and 30 million individuals in the U.S. alone.
Theorists have debated the question of whether homosexuality is inherent or caused—nature vs. nurture—for decades. In 1945, Alfred Kinsey published "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," which rocked the world with its revelation that about 10 percent of his subjects had experienced sexual relations with another man. Subsequent studies by other researchers revealed no correlation between development or illness and homosexuality, leading the APA to declare in 1994, finally, that "... homosexuality is neither a mental illness nor a moral depravity. It is the way a portion of the population expresses human love and sexuality."
In the 1990s, at least three separate studies revealed differences in homosexual brains. Along with Dean Hamer's potential discovery of a "gay gene" in 1993, the argument that homosexuality is naturally occurring is strong.
Studies into animal sexual behavior support the human research. A review of existing research by scientists from the University of California, published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution in June, concluded that same-sex behavior is "a nearly universal phenomenon in the animal kingdom, common across species, from worms to frogs to birds," reported physorg.com, a science and technology news service.
Social theorists also have arguments as to the reasons behind homosexuality. In the 1970s, Frenchman Michel Foucault espoused the theory that homosexuality is a social construct, something made up to justify aberrant behavior. Others believe that conditioning and environment—unresolved Oedipal conflicts á la Sigmund Freud and weak opposite-sex relationships—can cause homosexuality. Conservatives embrace social theories of homosexuality, believing that if the behavior is caused through conditioning and environment, changing one or both can "cure" it. Little evidence exists to support the premise.
School is not always the most comfortable, or safest, place for a gay student.
Even though attitudes toward homosexuality are changing among many young people, both teens and their teachers can be extremely insensitive to LGBT students, use hurtful language, or even participate in or condone violence in the most extreme cases.
The use of words like "fag" or "dyke" can be devastating for a young gay person trying to find their way, even when the word is used to mean something slightly different.
"'Fag' is synonymous with 'stupid' and phrases such as 'that's so gay' are widely used, but words do actually hurt, and we know that LGBTs are already more susceptible to all kinds of negative health outcomes, from suicide to depression to alcohol or drug use. They're also prone to dropping out and being homeless because their parents kicked them out for being who they are," said Sarah Young, outreach coordinator of the Mississippi ACLU and a member of Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition steering committee.
Young says, however, that making the classroom or school more conducive to alternative-lifestyle students doesn't have to take much effort. In some cases, discouraging the use of words like "fag" or "dyke" can make a huge difference. Many teachers, it turns out, don't realize how damaging such labels can be to gays and lesbians.
Youth risk-behavior surveys show that 26 percent of gay or lesbian students interviewed in one 2007 survey had considered suicide within the last year, while 12 percent attempted suicide that required medical attention. Homosexual youth in a 2005 Chicago youth risk behavior survey had it slightly worse, with 33.3 percent of homosexuals surveyed and 35 of bisexual students surveyed admitting to having made a suicide plan, compared to only 9.7 percent of heterosexual students.
More than 27 percent of those same gay and lesbian students had actually attempted to carry out that suicide plan, while more than 33 percent of bisexual students had given their own suicide plans a shot—compared to only 7.5 percent of heterosexual students.
A 2007 study in Wisconsin revealed that sexual minority students were 3.7 times more at risk for having attempted suicide in the past two months, compared to heterosexual students.
The Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition is entering its second year of existence. The organization is committed to protecting students' constitutional rights, but also exists to bring about change in Mississippi schools by "ending homophobia, transphobia, sexism and all forms of discrimination, and fostering acceptance of LGBT students through public education and advocacy," according to its mission statement.
Such a progressive plan might seem difficult in a state that amended its Constitution to define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman in 2004. Mississippi is a state whose laws do not explicitly allow a gay partner to make medical decisions on behalf of their incapacitated same-sex partner, and a state that whose laws declare that "couples of the same gender" may not petition to adopt a child.
The work ahead does not intimidate Young, though, who says the coalition re-educates from the ground up to be effective.
"The coalition is a broad base of students, teachers and parents trying to work at a grass-roots level," Young said. "Our experience is that safer schools mean better performance on test scores and better attendance. If you're being bullied, for whatever reason, you're terrified to come to school. You skip, so it's better for everyone to work with us."
Safe Schools offers counseling, advice and information to students, teachers, parents, administrators or anybody who is interested in learning how to make their school an easier environment in which to get along.
"We've gathered tools and information that we're dying to share with teachers to make their classroom safer," Young said. "But teachers are so busy, it's insane. They're worried about test scores and all kinds of things going on, and the very idea of making classrooms safer is automatically accepted as yet another thing to do in an already overwhelming day."
Young has high hopes for Mississippi, pointing out that younger generations have an easier time accepting alternative lifestyles than many adults.
Her belief coincides with the results of numerous studies, including the August 2009 Center for American Progress report "Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Policy Responsiveness." That report breaks down explicit support for same-sex marriage by state and age group. The figures show that while Mississippi ranks near the bottom of the national scale when it comes to support of same-sex marriage, the state's younger people (ages 18 to 29) appear to show more support for gay marriage than seniors age 65 or older in highly progressive states like Massachusetts.
"I'm not trying to minimize the discomfort that other youth are causing (their gay peers), because bullying or harassment from students is there, but the huge power plays are coming from adults," Young said.
Ceara Sturgis' home in Wesson, Miss., is filled with cookie jars. Ancient, smiling caricatures of 1950s-era "Campbell's Kids" join recent additions featuring the likeness of the M&M characters. The kitchen also features a selection of antique kitchen tools, many of which managed to survive the 1960s, including a small gathering of novelty saltshakers and eggbeaters that probably had siblings on the "Leave It To Beaver" show.
"Yeah, we got a pretty good collection," said Sturgis, 17, referencing shelf after shelf of her grandmother's porcelain containers, some from as far back as the 1940s.
It is a home that sits only a few minutes from downtown Wesson, population 1,693, and about a mile from the Copiah-Lincoln Community College—the seat of unsettling recent news regarding the alleged gang rape of a female student at Ellzey Hall.
Sturgis' home is a stark contrast to the problems at Co-Lin, but a mirror image of the lazy calm of the town of Wesson, 51 minutes from downtown Jackson. Her grandparents have clearly filled their home with a profound sense of stability, as well as an exceptional assortment of cookie jars.
The teen herself, a senior at the public Wesson Attendance Center, is affable and open. She instantly extended a handshake to the Jackson Free Press reporter, but then grabbed him up in a hug when he warned her that he still had grease from a recent catfish dinner on his hands.
The soccer goalie managed only a few seconds of conversation before jumping into a scheduled phone interview with a New York Times reporter, enduring what she said afterward were "the same dang questions," which she has apparently been asked "over a dozen times" by reporters from around the world. Thankfully, she said, none had so far visited her at her grandparents' Wesson home.
The openly gay student, whose winsome eyes peek out from under a curtain of light-brown bangs—inspired by a fleeting hairstyle of "Law & Order" actress Mariska Hargitay—is the center of a lot of attention these days.
Last month, she got word from her Wesson Attendance Center principal Ronald Greer that the school would not be using her photo in the school yearbook because it featured her dressed in a tuxedo.
Girls Don't Wear Tuxes
Sturgis' mother, Veronica Rodriguez, carried her daughter's protests to the Mississippi ACLU, which immediately launched a challenge to the Copiah County School District, demanding a legal basis for its decision to refuse Sturgis her spot in the book.
The district responded with a letter referencing a 2004 settlement of Youngblood v. School Board of Hillsborough County, Fla. In that case, former Robinson High School principal Kevin McCarthy refused to alter the school's senior photo dress code that required female students to wear a scoop-necked drape, which ruled out the possibility of student Nicole Youngblood wearing a suit.
Youngblood sued the Hillsborough County School Board, claiming the rule was discriminatory. The resulting settlement allowed seniors 14 days to appeal the dress code prior to photo shoots.
Mississippi ACLU legal director Kristy L. Bennett said the Youngblood case is a poor choice for legal reasoning because in contrast to the Sturgis case, it makes no reference to the plaintiff's sexuality. "There is no mention of a gay-rights issue in the (Youngblood) case. It was just a self-expression issue," Bennett said. "The law doesn't protect your individuality, but there are First Amendment protections for freedom of expression for gay rights, which is a political statement, as opposed to self-expression."
Shannon Minter, an attorney who represented Youngblood in the 2004 case, agreed that Copiah had chosen a poor foundation upon which to build an argument, considering the school settled with the plaintiff.
"The district court opinion in that case should offer virtually no precedential significance at all. We appealed that case to a higher court, and the school agreed to settle the case and changed their policy. That's the only reason we dropped our appeal," Minter said. "These policies are blatantly unlawful. Any court of appeal in this country would likely find such policy to be unlawful now."
This is the general argument of people backing Sturgis—that the U.S. population, and its laws, are moving into a new era of tolerance of sexual disposition, both in the courts and among its people.
And the younger the person, the more tolerant of homosexuality he or she tends to be.
A Different Age
Ambrose Tabb, 17, is an openly gay teen who attends Jim Hill High School in Jackson. Tabb said he became open about his sexuality during ninth grade. The adults in his life, he said, took the revelation much harder than his peers.
"The adults weren't comfortable with the things I wore. I still dress eccentric, but not as extreme as I did in my ninth-grade year. They would suggest I tone it down a little. Maybe they just didn't like the color," Tabb said.
Tabb, a tall, gregarious young man with wire-rim glasses, said the country is changing, and believes that his generation could not care less about what somebody does in their bedroom, providing it is, of course, consensual.
"They're very tolerant," Tabb said of his peers.
"Young people are really accepting of it, and I think it's awesome. Jim Hill, specifically, is growing more progressive. A lot of the students aren't hard-core (gay rights) advocates, but they recognize that some injustices exist, and they know what not to support. There's still a struggle every now and then. They can be judgmental at times, but on a daily basis people are more or less forced to get used to it. There's nothing they can do about it."
The way Tabb puts it, his altercations with the teachers at his school appear to be limited to the occasional flippant fashion tip. However, he said he thinks the ghost of adult disapproval might still be haunting the psyche of even his most tolerant peers.
"There's sometimes this battle going on in the minds of the young people because of their parents," Tabb said. "The parents want to put their ideals into their children, but the children are way more liberal, so there's always conflict in the young when it comes to dealing with my sexuality. There's sometimes a struggle."
Sturgis' mother, 47, agreed that her daughter's peers are taking her sexual preference much more gracefully than her own peers handled the prospect of homosexuality in the 1970s.
"When she first came out in ninth grade, there were some girls who shied away from her because they didn't want to be perceived as gay," Rodriguez said. "But the reaction didn't last long. Ceara has always had this 'take me as I am or don't take me at all' attitude. She went through a little anger and depression, but a lot of it was more because of the way my hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband treated her."
Sturgis had it easy in a way. Wesson Attendance Center is a school that hosts a wide spectrum of grade levels. Sturgis also attended kindergarten and elementary classes at the same building, and she has attended class with many of her friends since they were toddlers.
"Occasionally there would be some jerk kid who would call her names, but she would respond with 'well, duh, it's not like everybody doesn't know,' or "yeah, so I am a dyke. Are you just now catching on to this?' Those are painful things, but it still wasn't that easy for us back when I was a teen. My graduating class at Union Academy contained 19 people, and one of them was extremely gay, but he knew better than to admit it," she said. "It's a different time now."
One of Sturgis' classmates, questioned at a Nov. 10 Wesson soccer game, said nobody really talks about Sturgis' sexuality, unless prompted by situational conversation.
"It comes up sometimes, but we don't make it the center of what we talk about in the hallway. We really don't care. It's not exactly news these days," said the Wesson student, who sought to dismiss the issue with some mild apprehension. It was not the apprehension of addressing a cultural stigma, however. Sturgis' homosexuality appeared more to be an unfashionable topic that could make you look like a backwoods, banjo-playing dork if you talked about it for too long.
This isn't the attitude of many of the adults who run the school, though. The student, after all, remained anonymous at the pointed request of her principal.
The principal sold tickets at the soccer game, and had an awkward face-to-face moment with a Jackson Free Press photographer and reporter that night. Keeping his eyes low and his voice polite, Greer asked that the media not only avoid naming students, but avoid using pictures of the kids as well, at the behest of parents who do not want the media attention swarming around Sturgis to engulf their own kids.
Rodriguez agreed with Greer on that point.
"I'll respect Greer for that," Rodriguez said, staring out over the field at her daughter standing idle at her soccer goal. Her team was doing so well that the ball rarely had a chance to get to her side of the field. "Greer is a great principal. He's really done well for this school, but this is me and Ceara's fight, not the fight of the other kids at school. We've adopted this battle. Those kids, though, they never asked for it."
Bring A Fighter to a Fight
This was actually a rare moment of compliance for Sturgis' mother.
Rodriguez is a tall woman, with no small amount of upper-body muscle. She made a boast of strength minutes after meeting the Jackson Free Press reporter in person for the first time—a reporter who could not resist challenging her to an arm-wrestling match. It turned out that she had an impressive grip.
"That's what working at a sawmill and at a home construction store does for you," Rodriguez said as the reporter nursed his stinging hand.
Her hair is an explosion of blonde curls, and she looks younger than her age. Her face has a strong resemblance to that of a young Glenn Close, and her attitude is as reactionary as many of Close's more incendiary characters.
She had no problem responding to the comparison by pointing out that the JFP media team looked like a clumsy partnership of Jack Black and Bill Murray.
"I've always spoken my mind, and I've always needed to have strength in my life," she said, before recounting a series of careers requiring heavy manual labor. She served as a prison guard in Florida, and often as a club "smasher" (like a bouncer, but more brutal).
Rodriguez has had to use that strength several times against a husband or two, who she says had penchants for brutality in their own right.
"I'm a jerk magnet, all my life, for some reason," she said in the car on the way to Sturgis' Nov. 10 game in Wesson.
Sturgis' real father, for example, is a man Rodriguez will not even name, and describes him only as a man "best left out of Ceara's life." She also recounted an episode with her last husband, Mr. Rodriguez, from whom she is separated and seeking a divorce. He's living in another state, but she says he won't sign the divorce papers.
Mr. Rodriguez, according to his wife, was a drunk with a violent temper, and liked to take the occasional swing at her. He once clipped her on her chin and sent her backward onto the floor, she recounts. After she climbed to her feet, she grabbed the man and stuffed him into the wall of their Monroe, La., rental unit. He hung there briefly, she said, like a deer-head trophy before she wrenched him back out of his man-sized impression in the wall and vowed an extraordinary barrage of agony should he ever take another swing at her.
It took a combination of his stepdaughter's budding sexuality and his wife's impressive fists to eventually drive Rodriguez out of the house for good.
"He was mad one day and called her a 'faggot.' I got up close to him and said, 'what did you just call her?' And he said, 'I called her a faggot.' Man, I punched him like I had never hit him before," Rodriguez admits, making the gesture of a sledgehammer smacking a soufflé. "I don't know why he won't just sign those divorce papers."
Rodriguez said the only serious issues her daughter must contend with usually involve adults. Sturgis had a gay friend, Austin, who her soon-to-be-ex-stepdad would not let in the house. Before Austin moved out of the state, they had to bring chairs down to the sidewalk, just so the two could talk in the evenings without her stepfather's ranting.
The abuse didn't stop at the stepfather.
"There's one teacher there (at Wesson Attendance Center), and I'm not going to mention her name unless it comes up in the lawsuit, but that teacher has sent Ceara to the office for no reason whatsoever. Some boy made a smart-aleck remark in class, and this teacher said Ceara was laughing about it. Ceara said she wasn't, but the teacher waited until the next morning to tell her to go to the (principal's) office," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Greer ignored her daughter's denials that she had been laughing, and he threatened to kick her back to Terry High School, which Sturgis attended for about a month before going to live with her grandparents in Wesson. The bad economy had driven her mother to take a job in nearby Jackson—which had not been quite near enough to fund a daily commute.
"They suspended her because she refused to sign a paper saying she was being disrespectful," Rodriguez said. "After that, I told Ceara to be on her best Ps-and-Qs, because this teacher does not need to be teaching."
Rodriguez takes a highly defensive attitude about her daughter's sexuality, an attitude she didn't develop in some sudden majestic revelation. Instead, the realization "kind of grew on her" slowly over the course of years, she said. Her own parents, with whom Sturgis stays in order to continue attending school with her friends at Wesson, have always accepted their granddaughter.
"I have the best parents in the world," Rodriguez said with pride. "They told me from the very beginning that Ceara's their granddaughter, and they'll love her no matter what. I got that commitment out of both my parents, and from my stepdad living with my Mom. I can't get it better than that. I could not ask for more."
While Rodriguez describes Wesson as a loving, tightly knit community, she says not all Wesson adults are so accepting. Rodriguez said she no longer buys anything from a convenience store just down the street from her parents' home because the owners have expressed their displeasure with Sturgis' openness. Rodriguez added that they, and people like Greer, need to keep their opinions about anyone's sexuality strictly to themselves.
"Ronald Greer says he doesn't like or condone her gayness. I say that is none of your business. It has nothing to do with this school," Rodriguez said. "She's a straight-A student who is in band and soccer. At the time I was still working at the sawmill, I got up at 4 in the morning, went to work at 5, and I don't have to worry about Ceara going to school or doing her homework. I consider myself lucky.
"She's not a troublemaker; she's gay."
A Different World Then
Jackson resident Robin Webb, who helped organize a Nov. 16 White House Office National AIDS Policy town-hall meeting at the Jackson Medical Mall, agreed that Sturgis would suffer more at the hands of older adults than kids her own age, and envied the acceptance the girl is getting from her peers.
It wasn't that easy for him, he said.
"I'm the son of a Baptist preacher, and I would have never even considered coming out when I was in high school back in the 1960s," said Webb, who attended Pillow Academy in Greenwood, which began as a segregation school. "I caught enough trouble just being effeminate, without ever admitting that I was gay. The worst of the harassment was indirect. I was a cool guy in a cool set of people—a snotty little preacher's kid—but I always had to contend with that loud, make-sure-Robin's-in-earshot voice telling faggot jokes."
Webb described his youth as a time of idealistic racial healing, when young whites and blacks were reaching for unity in the years of the Civil Rights Movement.
But those civil rights clearly didn't extend to homosexuality: "The tone of the day was 'anything goes.' In fact, it was very hard to be a bigot in those days, it was so unfashionable, but there was no place for acceptance when it came to issues like me. We hadn't gotten that far."
Webb, who remained a safely closeted gay at the University of Southern Mississippi, was more a product of the age than he wanted to be, and was not above holding his tongue in the face of the discrimination that was still very much the norm.
"When I went to USM in 1976, there was this guy named Milton—a radical queer on campus—who was incredibly harassed. He was left out of our music club, even though everybody else in the club was gay. They didn't like the fact that he was out and making a scene of it on campus," Webb said. "I feel so conflicted about that now, looking back on it. I mean, these were my gay peers who I wanted to accept me."
"I just wouldn't have accepted that today," he added about the harassment.
Rodriguez said the more open attitudes of young people may be due to media and popular-culture influence.
"TV, nowadays, is so open about everything. Back when I was a kid, you didn't see any of this on TV that you see now. Everything is so open. The raunchier it is, the better the ratings," Rodriguez said.
"In the Dick Van Dyke Show, he and his wife had to sleep in separate beds. Nowadays, they're almost naked on TV, and it's nothing. It's amazing what two or three decades can do."
Those decades are certainly making a difference in the political scene, report authors Morley Winograd and Michael Hais in the book, "Millennial Makeover; MySpace, YouTube & the Future of American Politics" (2008, Rutgers University Press, $24.95). They write that today's youth are taking more tolerant attitudes to the voting booth, and giving modern-day pollsters a completely different set of numbers on some interesting political issues, compared to their parents.
Those differences are fairly blatant. Pew Research Center polls cited in the book show nearly half Americans now say they have a close friend or family member who is openly gay, and more than half believe that homosexuality is a "way of life that should be accepted by society."
Only 28 percent of those polled believe that school boards have the right to fire teachers who admit to being gay—a drop from 51 percent 20 years ago. In Reagan's 1987 America 43 percent believed that AIDS might be "God's punishment for immoral sexual behavior," although only 23 percent recorded that attitude in 2007.
This transformation is a long time coming. Generation X (those born between the early 1960s and mid-1970s) were already changing the political dynamic back in the 1990s. They came of age in the years marked by declines in marriage, and increases in divorce rates and out-of-wedlock births. People who had children during these years also tended to have them at an older age.
The change in family dynamics for Generation X children and from that of the baby boomers may have had some impact on the tolerant attitudes of Generation Xers—but the tolerance of Gen X would later prove to be nothing compared to the philosophical lenience of the Millennial Generation.
A Tolerance Revolution
The Millennial Generation, or Generation Y, is commonly described as the generation born between the late 1970s and the early 1990s. Gen X and Gen Y achieved adulthood under the liberal-thinking auspices of Sesame Street's veritable monsters like Big Bird, Grover and Cookie Monster, childhood staples since 1969.
Author Winograd agrees with Webb's assessment of the influential power of television. He sees a clear correlation between the attitudes of the parents of the Millennial Generation and the evolution of public television.
"We found an inclusive environment on shows like 'Sesame Street,'" Winograd said. "'Sesame Street' has less influence as other shows with Millennials, but 'Sesame Street' and many of the public television shows that came after it say that 'it's not nice to be mean to people who are different.'"
The dominant group of racial separatists in Mississippi instantly knew an enemy when they saw it. In early 1970, the State Commission for Educational Television banned "Sesame Street" from Mississippi's state educational TV system. The commission told The New York Times at the time that "Mississippi was not yet ready" for a program in which black, Latino and whites all played happily together. They reversed their ban after the decision made national news, but "Sesame Street" was only the first of segregationists' television problems.
Other public-television shows were even more obvious in their message of tolerance. The show "Vegetable Soup," which aired between 1975 and 1978, and voiced talents such as Bette Midler, carried a strong message of integration and the constructive aspects of human diversity. The lyrics in its theme song: "It takes all kinds of vegetables to make vegetable soup," had a good ring to it for 6-year-olds.
These were the shows that fostered the attitudes of Generation X parents, who then parroted the words of the racially tolerant Big Bird from their days of youth to their Millennial children, who were simultaneously hearing the incessant noise of a ubiquitous purple dancing dinosaur from which no toddler—or parent, obviously—could escape.
"Barney and Friends" produced rhymes that stabbed the ears of wailing parents for decades, and he wielded an equally vicious stake that he helped plunge into the heart of segregation, according to Winograd.
Barney was actually the culmination of a 40-year experiment in mass social integration, which all began with a signature on the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson—who was probably thinking at the time that he was only helping children learn how to count.
Johnson, the same guy who arguably signed away voters in the South for decades after approving the Civil Rights Act of 1964, had no way of knowing that he was also seeding the eventual destruction of today's primarily white Republican Party by 2020, according to current evolving poll numbers.
Republicans recognized that bigger monsters were coming out of public television than Elmo, however, and worked hard to beat back "the problem" during the administration of President George W. Bush.
In 2005, House Republicans attempted to cut $100 million in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which they claimed was pushing a left-leaning agenda. GOP leaders referenced the public television show "Postcards From Buster," which featured lesbian couples and their children with the audacity to live their lives as if they were normal.
Eighty-seven Republicans joined unanimous Democrats in stopping the move. But in June 2006, House Republicans revived an effort to slash funding for public broadcasting. The House Appropriations Committee approved a $115 million reduction in the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on a strictly party-line vote, potentially reducing the corporation's 2007 budget by 23 percent to $380 million. Republicans argued that they were making this decision in an effort to rein in government spending. The cuts never made it out of Congress. The House also rejected Bush's plan in July 2007 to eliminate the $420 million federal subsidy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with a 357-to-72 vote.
A number of philosophical hissy-fits followed in the wake of the attempted budget cuts, the most memorable being the supposed "outing" of purple Teletubby Tinkie Winkie by evangelical marvel Jerry Falwell.
"Remember that entire outcry over the Teletubbies? The Millennials wouldn't even have known what that discussion was about. They wouldn't have even recognized the stereotypes," Winograd said. "But the critics weren't trying to reach the Millennials with that argument. They were trying to reach their parents."
America's Changing Face
Of course, public television can't take all the blame. The daily inundation of Barney's insidious diversity-pushing agenda amounted to a preaching to the choir in later years. Teaching social tolerance toward minorities is easier when about half your audience qualifies as a minority.
"Millennials don't talk about diversity or tolerance of diversity. They don't even see these distinctions," Winograd said. "Just look at the generation. Forty percent of Millennials are non-white. Twenty percent have an immigrant parent. Their whole childhood and upbringing has been, for the most part, a very diverse situation. So when they think about homosexuality and the issue of gay rights, they think of it in those terms: as simply another way that people are, not something deviant or different."
As Winograd puts it, Millennials did what most kids do: They took an easy-to-follow message and applied it to every possible issue in their lives—rather like using a hammer to fix not only nail problems, but also sewer pipe problems, water heater problems, carburetor problems and the occasional problem of a box of sweaty dynamite.
Cultural tolerance, in essence, became an easily laid blanket that Millennials threw over almost every known version of philosophical and cultural difference and attitude, from workplace equality to interracial dating.
These generational changes in attitude may be a further reflection upon the changing face of America, according to a July Center for American Progress report, "The Coming End of the Culture Wars."
"The culturally conservative white working class has been declining rapidly as a proportion of the electorate for years," the report states.
Exit polls show that the proportion of white working-class voters with a low approval rating on a 10-item progressive cultural index (which covers topics ranging from religion, abortion, and homosexuality to race, immigration, and the family) is down 15 points since 1988. Meanwhile, the proportion of more culturally progressive white college graduate voters who showed a more progressive attitude on the same index is up 4 points. The proportion of minority voters, who also have a more progressive attitude, is up 11 points.
The report adds that since 1998, state after state has replicated this general pattern—a sharp decline in the share of white working-class voters accompanied by increases in the shares of minority voters and, in most cases, of increasingly progressive white college-graduate voters. Other demographic trends that will undermine culture battles centering on feminism, gay rights, race, guns and abortion include the growth of culturally progressive groups such as single women, college-educated women and professionals, as well as increasing religious diversity and progressivism.
"Unaffiliated or secular voters are hugely progressive on cultural issues and it is they—not white evangelical Protestants—who are the fastest-growing religious group in the United States," the report states.
President Barack Obama is seeing the value of conceding to the wishes of this vastly expanding new majority.
Last month, he signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, named after the unrelated 1998 murders of Matthew Shepard, tortured and killed in Wyoming for being gay, and James Byrd, who attackers decapitated in Texas by dragging him behind their truck for miles—because he was black—both crimes committed by young whites who were part of hate-filled cultures toward minority groups.
The bill expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. The fill failed to see the light of day in previous incarnations during the Bush administration.
But the Millennial Generation clearly isn't running things, yet. The American Civil Liberties Union demanded last week that the Franklin County School System in neighboring Alabama reverse its decision that a lesbian student could not attend the school prom with her girlfriend.
Like Sturgis, Tharptown High School junior Cynthia Stewart went to the ACLU for assistance after school officials rejected her request to bring her date to next spring's March 25 prom. "I can't believe my school is doing all of this just to keep me from bringing my girlfriend to the prom," Stewart said in an ACLU press release. "All I want is to be able to be myself and go to my prom with the person I love, just like any other student wants to do."
The Alabama ACLU reports that the school is tying itself into knots trying to avoid the issue. It canceled the prom earlier this month to put an end to the Stewart issue—a practice previously used in the South to discourage interracial prom dates—although the ACLU is also hearing that the prom is back on, but with no resolution to Stewart's demand to bring her girlfriend.
Franklin County School District did not return calls.
"It's just sad to see this school twisting itself in so many different directions to avoid its constitutional obligations to one student," Alabama attorney Henry Sherrod said. "Cynthia doesn't just deserve to be able to take her girlfriend with her to the prom like any other student, she has a federally protected right to do so."
The ACLU drew on case law from Alabama state court and federal court defending Stewart's First Amendment right to bring same-sex dates to school dances. They used the same argument to attack the Tharptown High School principal's violation of Stewart's First Amendment rights by demanding she remove a pin from her shirt proclaiming her to be a lesbian. The ACLU gave the school district until Nov. 20 to respond.
Evolving attitudes across the country appears to be as inevitable as hundreds of minority American babies reaching adulthood, although the Center For American Progress Report says the evolution is happening faster in the urban areas.
"These demographic trends are having their greatest effects in America's metropolitan areas, especially the largest ones, and it is here that the culture wars are dying down the fastest," the report says.
Cities Lead the Way
A clear example can be found in the comparatively progressive attitudes of the baby boomers running the cities. Last spring, officials at Jim Hill High School distributed their annual flyer announcing the April 25, 2009, prom. The same document contained a line that caught the attention of the Mississippi ACLU: "[A]ll dates must be of the opposite sex."
Jim Hill senior Brittany Crowell, who volunteered at the ACLU's Jackson office, took the flyer back to her co-workers, who then wrote a letter to the school principal and to then-Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, reminding officials of a citizen's First Amendment Rights to take just about anybody he or she wants to a prom.
The school didn't fight the issue. Two days later, a revised version of the flyer contained no reference whatsoever to any required specifications of a patron's partner.
"I don't remember that much about the issue," said Jackson Public Schools spokeswoman Peggy Hampton, "but that clearly was not a wide-scale policy adopted by the whole district. If it had been, it would not have been changed so fast."
Crowell said she wasn't surprised the school changed its the flyer: "I figured it was something that would get cleared up," she said. We had a lot of support from students on this issue, and it didn't seem to be a real big rule, just somebody's little preference there at the school."
ACLU Outreach Coordinator Sarah Young praised the school's abrupt about-face.
"We really don't want Jim Hill or Jackson Public Schools to be painted as any kind of enemy in this, because they did the right thing and changed their policy," Young said.
"We have nothing but respect for them."
Even the leader of one of the most successful (and most conservative) Christian-based private colleges, Belhaven College, is saying that his school welcomes gay students.
"Being a Christian institution, Belhaven upholds biblical guidelines concerning human sexuality," the handbook states.
"All relationships should reflect that of Christian character. The college upholds the institution of marriage between parties of the opposite sex as the only proper relationship for the sharing of activities of a sexual nature. Therefore, any sexual conduct not within these biblical guidelines is prohibited. … These standards apply to all Belhaven students, both on and off campus," the handbook cites.
But Belhaven College President Roger Parrott said the handbook addresses all sexual behavior, not just that of homosexuals, and has the same dim view of any pre-marital sex.
"We oppose the behavior and nothing more," Parrott said. "Even if somebody reports that one of our students is gay, we're not going to kick this person out of college. We have many openly gay students here, and we certainly don't remove them from campus for that. We're not trying to police the world."
Parrott added that homosexual sex merely falls in line with a myriad of other sins the college also bans, like gambling and foul language.
Belhaven may have to address the issue if the country eventually legalizes gay marriage, but in the meantime, its leaders surely know the campus is dependent upon appealing to Millennial Generation students.
Anti-homosexual college rules, even at religious schools like Belhaven, may be proving archaic to the latest generation of students, if not all of their parents.
"As the more socially tolerant Millennial Generation becomes a larger portion of the electorate, the power of social issues to drive our political debate will wane," Hais and Winograd wrote. "The result will surprise only those who don't pay attention to the historical pattern of civic realignments."
It's a future that Log Cabin Republicans Policy Director Jimmy LaSalvia is already planning for.
"[F]rankly, the country is moving very fast in favor of marriage and equal rights for gay people. If there are some members of the party who want to hold our party back over this issue, then they're doing our party a disservice," said LaSalvia, whose organization represents gay members of the party and supports civil marriage equality for same-sex couples.
LaSalvia reminded the Jackson Free Press that nearly half the Republican delegates at the 2008 Republican National Convention also reported supporting either marriage equality for gay couples or civil unions.
"Four years ago that number was in the 30s," LaSalvia said. "This world is changing fast."
Sturgis will be doing her part to change it, according to her mother. She made a great score on her American College Testing exam and received an acceptance notice from Mississippi State University this month. She wants to take the test a second time and will strive for a score of 29 on the ACT, according to her mother.
At this point, Sturgis does not know exactly what she wants to be when she graduates college, although she definitely has her mind on a purpose.
"She tells me that she wants to make a difference. She says she wants to 'change the world's attitude toward gays and lesbians,'" Rodriguez says, while staring out at the soccer grounds.
Out in the field, Sturgis is getting ready to smack the hell out of a ball that the opposing team is slowly winding toward her goal. It only got past her once that night earlier in the game. It wouldn't get by her a second time; the other team lost that night with a 6-to-1 score.
"She says she wants to make a difference," Rodriguez repeats, while watching her daughter.
"Well I always tell her, 'honey, you're off to a good start.'"
The Black Hollies' precise work at merging a number of iconic musical styles, from blues-influenced British rock to the cool and detached American psychedelic rockers of the mid-1960s, will convince you to trade your iPod for a record player and a stack of scratchy 45s.
The quartet from New Jersey City, N.J., has steadily accumulated praise for energetic live shows and meticulously crafted records since forming in 2004.
The band's third and latest album, "Softly Towards the Light" (Ernest Jenning Records), features all its known elements, including driving rhythms, energetic lead guitar breaks and breathy vocals. The group has also expanded the parameters of its sound on the record, crafting new types of arrangements and adding layers of instrumentation, including a variety of keyboard sounds.
Justin Angelo Morey, bass player and vocalist for the group, traces some of these changes to an organ a friend loaned him.
"We've always wanted to incorporate keyboards into our songs," he explains. "However, no one in the band could really play them." While they were beginning writing the songs for the new album, a friend of the band loaned them a Farfisa organ (the legendary quivery-sounding keyboard heard on many 1960s garage-rock records).
"I asked Jon (Gonnelli, one of the band's guitarists), 'You know a couple chords on the keyboard, right?'" Morey recalls.
The two bandmates experimented with the organ throughout the songwriting process. Once they were ready to record, the group chose a local studio with a collection of classic keyboards. These instruments (including a Hammond B-3 organ, a vibraphone, and a Mellotron, a rare, early synthesizer) are apparent throughout the record. To replicate the sound when they play live, Gonnelli switches between playing guitar and keyboard.
"Now we're not reduced to just being a guitar-based band," Morey says.
Morey's intense attachment to a group of obscure songs is another stormy influence on the album. While the Black Hollies were on tour last year, a friend gave the band members a compilation CD of 1960s soul music. Growing up, Morey's parents exposed him to soul through their Motown records collection, and he had always been a fan of the genre. However, four of the tracks on the CD, including songs by Luther Ingram (best known for "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right") and Chicago singer Darrow Fletcher drilled deep into the bass player's imagination. "They were a handful of songs I'd never heard before in my life, and I was absolutely obsessed with them," he says.
The Jersey-based station, WFMU, provides musical inspiration as well as support for the band. This hometown community radio station attracts a global audience with a unique mix of programming (including garage rock, classic soul and electronic music), and the use of a number of Web-based technologies allows listeners outside the New York metro area easy access to their programs. Morey notes that WFMU DJs (including Terre T, host of the well-regarded garage-rock show, "The Cherry Blossom Clinic") have played his band's recordings since he dropped off their first demo more than five years ago.
Feedback on the band's MySpace page and other Web sites tells Morey that the exposure through WFMU is a big boost.
"It has connected us to a lot of people that I don't think would have ever heard us otherwise," he says. "If this had been 10 or 15 years ago, we'd have had a much more difficult time getting our stuff out there."
Despite success attracting fans through the Internet, The Black Hollies still put a strong emphasis on live performances. The band is touring heavily this year to promote its new record. The schedule is filled with relatively few open dates, which sometimes results in smaller turnouts at unfamiliar venues. However, Morey and his bandmates vow to always give an energetic show, regardless of turnout.
"I've been at those shows where the band you've been dying to see is finally playing your town, but by the time they go on there are only four people in the audience, and they're clearly not happy about it," Morey says. "I would never do that to anybody."
Fill the house for the Black Hollies Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Ole Tavern on George Street. The Brooklyn-based pop quintet Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears will open the show. For more information on the band, visit http://www.myspace.com/theblackhollies.
Ben Rinehart engineers paper. He folds simple, familiar forms like hand-operated fortune tellers kids made in third grade. He creates modern folk art in the shape of pop-up books and three-dimensional blocks. The pieces are mainstream American artifacts.
But something deeper lurks. Questions about sexual identity and family relations pop out everywhere in Rinehart's exhibit, "Accepted," showing at the Lewis Art Gallery at Millsaps College through Dec. 2.
Rinehart is a man who has found acceptance. He grew up in Indiana and now teaches art at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He is raising a family with his male partner.
"I hate the term partner," he said. "It sounds like a cowboy."
Rinehart stood comfortably with his feet wide apart and his hands inside his black jeans pockets speaking to Millsaps art students last month. His bright pink-purple sweater made his blue eyes light up as he talked about creating handcrafted books and making woodcut prints.
"I am a planner and a problem solver," he said.
He's also an artist who challenges assumptions. The origami of the childlike fortune teller first poses the question, "Is he a girl?" The opened paper reveals the question, "Is she a boy?" Next, the inside folds out demanding, "Who decides?"
When Rinehart didn't cut his toddler's hair for his first 18 months of life, people called the baby a girl. "People seem so pent up on gender roles and around colors—pink for girls, blue for boys," he said.
His philosophy as an artist has grown and evolved over the years. The name he gave this exhibit—"Accepted"—sums up his universal observation of what all people desire. At the beginning of his career, his primary identity was as a gay man. Now that he's 37, with a 4-month-old and a 3-year-old, his identity is that of a father.
"My private life has become very public and not just in my art. It's about letting people know how normal my life is," he said. "I'm somewhat private, a little guarded."
Many of Rinehart's images have a touch of discomfort.
The slightly disturbing "Early Morning Rise" shows a dad waking up his son in an everyday, modern ranch house. In this movable reductive woodcut print, the dad with a creepy smile has a forearm that really bends at the elbow. The blinds in the window actually pull up. This cleverness almost overshadows the father's exposed privates.
Sandra Murchison, an art professor at Millsaps, went to graduate school with Rinehart at Louisiana State University. That relationship led to the current exhibit. Murchison said Rinehart's work is all about his relationships. His sister, his mother, his father, his son are all subjects in his art.
One of his oil paintings, "Lahoma," is a portrait of his older sister. She sits with her robe open, exposing her breasts (she didn't pose like this). In the background is a large, faint image of a hairbrush, the hairbrush she used to threaten him when he didn't behave.
"Art is the best form of therapy," he said. "I don't see this as a negative image. Maybe it's not flattering."
Using imagery of his family doesn't alter how Rinehart sees the world. He doesn't mind if people find his work disturbing. He wants to force interaction and provoke a response, positive or negative.
"If I have to push a few buttons along the way, I'm OK with that," Rinehart says.
He doesn't preach acceptance and has no desire to stand on a pulpit. He believes his job is to guide viewers.
"I use candy-like colors, light and airy, even when the subject matter is sad," he said. "Memories are very subjective, fuzzy and muted."
He crocheted the pages of his single-copy handcrafted book "Comforts of Home." It's sweet with images of children at bedtime stenciled on top of the crochet work. It's creepy with images of adult figures lurking in the doorway.
The handcrafted board book, "Corrupt," is constructed like a baby book built for wear and tear and teething. Inside are images such as a baby with a beer bottle. Rinehart says it comes from the question of who we let corrupt our children.
"Fragmented Relationships" is broken into six rotating cubes. "Three Little Pests" captures a moment of parental irritation with children. The woodcut, "Happy Pill," depicts a red Radio Flyer wagon, one of the big ones, full of oversized anti-depressants.
"All my work is narrative," he says. "My work can be something as simple as a raffle ticket."
Rinehart also creates his own reductive woodcut prints. He uses the same piece of wood to produce every color layer in his four-run print process. In one piece, he starts with yellow, moves to orange, then adds red and ends with brown. His method is called suicide printing, a process that allows only one color to be used at a time.
"I'm sort of selfish. I can make more than one. I'm drawn to the idea of making multiples," he said.
His work tends to be small in size, portable and intimate. It also has a fragile quality. Although much of it is movable and hand-operated, it's also hands-off. While most of the work hanging in the exhibit is original, several of his handmade books are presented with photographs. This way, more pages of the books can be shown. Rinehart said if actual pieces were displayed, they would be under a glass cabinet with only one view available. One can't get too close because of the fragility.
He created another book, one you can touch and handle and review. Barnes and Nobles publishes his how-to craft guide "Creating Books and Boxes" (2007, $24.99). The bookstore chain bundled copies with boxes of materials to engineer clever creations.
Just add your own scenes questioning modern family life.
"Ben Rinehart: Accepted," continues at the Lewis Art Gallery at Millsaps College through Dec. 2. For more information, call 601-947-1451.
Running isn't just a corporal experience. I lace up my New Balance trainers and hit the trails in the afternoon not just to keep my physical body sound, but also my mind. Some people knit or get creative in the kitchen or garden. Others find solace and escape in reading, playing Sudoku, or practicing yoga and meditation. None of these pursuits is better at calming one's spirit than another.
Ask yourself: What's the most effective way to nourish my soul and help me escape my hectic day-to-day existence? For me, nothing can compare to the cathartic release provided by running.
I'm not referring, mind you, to just any old running. I'm not hitting the pavement or blocking out the world by blasting fast-paced music through my iPod earbuds. I'm not trying to improve speed, or working toward a half-marathon. I confess: I'm not really training for anything. Not, at least, in the conventional runner's sense.
So what am I doing? I'm using running as a conduit. To what? Nature. And to my soul.
John Muir, legendary nature conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club, once said: "Most people are on the world, not in it—have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them—undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate."
In the modern world, we spend a good deal of time maintaining our separateness from nature. We seldom prepare meals at home, let alone grow and harvest our own food. Few of us make a living—or carve out an existence—based on working the land.
Instead, most of us climb into our cars and drive to work every morning without the company of others. We then sit at a desk for eight or more hours and stare at a computer. Sometimes, our only connection to the outside world is the mountain-range screensaver that pops up when we're idle, or razor-thin glimpses of green through mass-transit windows. We have, in short, lost much of our intimacy with the natural world.
Throughout history, nature has served as the ultimate teacher to some of our greatest thinkers: artists, writers, philosophers and prophets have spoken of the infinite wisdom found in its wild depths and the lessons they've learned.
I go trail running, then, to reconnect and transcend. Most times, I find myself going deeper into the heart of the hills and woods, where every creature is pulsating with life and singing its story. Every step offers up a new chance to hear and feel the world I inhabit, every breath I take into my lungs, another indulgence of the senses. And though the rush of adrenaline is a draw for many short-distance runners, the endorphin-stimulated peace that accompanies long-distance running can prove far more satisfying.
Best yet, I don't need a playlist for this: Crisp leaves underfoot, the hum of insects and chatter of squirrels, and the beat of my own heart pumping make a far superior soundtrack than anything I can find on iTunes.
This flurry of activity is a comforting reminder that we're all part of something greater, where even the seeming fragments of nature are, as Muir says, "hitched to everything else in the universe." In the great outdoors, nothing exists in isolation. When you take up the role of explorer, you become a part of nature's web-like systems, too.
I've managed to run through autumn and winter in regions of the country where snow and ice are regular fixtures. But in Jackson you have the advantage of being able to exercise outdoors more often than most. Now is the perfect time to get out and run, as the blazing heat of summer (and early fall) has all but subsided and made way for the pleasant winters we're accustomed to in the south. There are plenty of wild spots around the Jackson metro to explore and even a few right in the heart of the city.
When you find yourself yearning to re-establish that fundamental connection between your soul and the great, wide, world we inhabit, pull on your most comfy jogging sneakers and hit the trails—running.
Happy Trails To You
LeFleur's Bluff, Rocky Springs, Tupelo, Ridgeland—are among the trails to discover in and around the Natchez Trace and throughout Mississippi's national parks. Here are a few sites to help you find trails:
Great Outdoors Gear
Not all (running) shoes are created equal. Ill-fitting footwear can result in injury, and athletic shoes that aren't specifically made for the sport you're participating in can be detrimental. If you're only going to occasionally take your run off-road, you might actually be better off keeping your road shoes. But if you're planning to trail run on a regular basis, you'll find that trail shoes are well worth the investment.
by Neola Young and ShaWanda Jacome
November 18, 2009
On Thanksgiving you have two options: Do the cooking, or let someone else cook for you. Luckily, local restaurants and food distributors can fill in and make Thanksgiving easier. Either way, you can go all out or stay within a strict budget. For a smaller budget, consider purchasing frozen or heat-and-serve foods from the deli at local grocery stores.
Thanksgiving To-Go
Bon Ami (Maywood Mart, 1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 230, 601-982-0405) Catering menu includes seafood gumbo, corn and crab bisque, Grand Marnier ambrosia, herb-roasted turkey, apple-pecan stuffed pork lion, Aunt Mabel's cornbread dressing, sweet potato crunch, hot curry fruit, spinach Madeline, Mona's chocolate sheet cake and Bananas Foster pudding with rum sauce. Order by Nov. 20.
Broad Street Café (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601-362-2900) Full menu of meats, specialty bread, sides, salads and even dessert. Items include fried turkey breast, tomato basil soup, spinach and goat cheese salad, andouille dressing, pumpkin cheesecake, bread pudding, honey pecan tart, whole cakes and tarts, and mini dessert trays. They also offer brunch items, including biscuits, quiche and cheese grits. Order by Nov. 21.
Campbell's Bakery (3013 N. State St., 601-362-4628) Cobblers (peach, apple, blueberry and cherry) and pies (peach, apple and sweet potato). Order by Nov. 20.
Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142, 601-956-9562) Cornbread stuffing, creamed spinach, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry almond wild rice and whole pecan pies. Please order 24 hours in advance.
Crazy Cat Bakers (Highland Village, 4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 173, 601-362-7448) Desserts only. Choose from 10 different options, including sweet potato pie, spiced apple cake with caramel glaze and chocolate chip bourbon pie. They will continue to take orders until they can't take anymore.
Foodies (Deville Plaza, 5050 Interstate 55 N., Suite F, 601-978-7999) Thanksgiving fare includes turkey, ham, green beans and gravy. Foodies will also package the foods you order for family-size servings or for single servings depending on your needs. Order by Nov. 20.
Hickory Pit (1491 Canton Mart, 601-956-7079) and Haute Pig (1856 Main St., 601-853-8538) Offer barbecue pork, beef, ribs, chicken, ham and turkey by the pound and party packs.
Ida's Restaurant (4501 Raymond Road, 601-371-6481) Traditional Thanksgiving items. Order by Nov. 25.
Jammin Beignetz (111 N. Wheatley St., Ridgeland, 601-856-2112) Offering smoked turkey, prime rib, cranberry relish, Creole dressing and sweet potato praline soufflé. Order by Nov. 21.
Julep Restaurant and Bar (Highland Village, 4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601-362-1411) Offering a wide variety of meats, dressing, soups, salads, sides, bred, dips, spreads and desserts. Includes turkey, herb-crusted tenderloin, strawberry pecan salad, crawfish and corn bisque, Cajun caramelized carrots, chocolate ganache cake, Bailey's Irish cream cake, strawberry cake, key lime pie, derby pie and Banana's Foster bread pudding. They also offer items like breakfast casserole, quiche, smoked gouda grits and banana nut bread for a Thanksgiving brunch. Orders must be made in advance.
Lumpkin's BBQ (182 Raymond Road, 601-373-7707 or 601-373-7743) Fried or smoked turkey, smoked beef brisket and smoked pork roast. They also provide small and large dinner packages that include one meat, two vegetables, sweet potato or pecan pie, and rolls or corn muffins. Order by Nov. 23.
McDade's (Multiple locations, Woodland Hills, 653 Duling Ave., 601-366-5273) Bring in your own turkey, and the meat department will cook it for you. They also offer meat trays with two cheeses, dressing and vegetables like collards, turnips, green beans, lima beans and peas. Orders require 24- to 48- hour advance notice.
Paul Anthony's Butcher Market (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 100, 601-981-7559) Offers an array of steaks and seafood. Order as soon as possible for meats, but at least a week in advance. Hurry!
Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, 601-936-3398 or 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601-898-3600) A variety of traditional southern casseroles, including squash, creamed corn, cheesy potatoes, and broccoli gratin and desserts, like apple or blueberry sugar-free pie, and cakes like red velvet and Italian cream cakes. Don't forget the cheese straws. Order by Nov. 24. Rainbow Whole Foods Co-operative Grocery (2807 Old Canton Road, 601-366-1602). Organic, vegan and vegetarian options, including Tofurky. You can special order items, including turkey and bread, through customer service.
Rib Shack (932 J.R. Lynch St., 601-665-4952) Offers traditional Thanksgiving foods, including smoked turkey, vegetables, cornbread, stuffing, dessert and even barbecue ribs. Order by Nov. 20.
Strawberry Café (107 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-856-3822) Offers appetizers including baked brie, strawberries, salami, spinach and artichoke dip and hummus. They also have butternut squash and apple and Vidalia onion soup. Café sides, entrees and desserts include sweet potato smash, baked apples, café relish, pork tenderloin, smothered chicken, beef tenderloin, glazed boneless ham, pork shanks, key lime and caramel pie, strawberry mascarpone, German chocolate cake and bread pudding. Bread selections include pumpkin, Mississippi spice and cinnamon. Order by Nov. 23.
Sugar's Place (168 W. Griffith St., 601-352-2364) Roasted and fried turkey, ham, corn bread dressing, green beans, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, collard greens, yams, broccoli and cheese casserole, potato salad, giblet gravy, peach cobbler, lemon cake and chocolate cake. Order by Nov. 20.
Taste of the Island (436 E. Capitol St., 601-360-5900) Jerk chicken only. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance.
T'Beaux's (369 W. Northside Drive, 601-364-5000) Fried and smoked turkey and anything else you need. Order by Nov. 20.
VIP Grand Events (Highland Village, 4500 Interstate 55 N., 601-713-4040) Menu includes your choice of entree, vegetable and dessert. All menus comes with Ms. Bernice's famous cornbread dressing, southern style gravy, cranberry sauce and homemade yeast rolls. They will deliver and/or serve for you. Order by Nov. 23.
Restaurants Open Thanksgiving Day
Alumni House Sports Grill (Gas Lamp Village, 574 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601-605-9903) 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Hal & Mal's (200 S. Commerce St., 601-948-0888) No food, but will be open with live music.
Hilton Jackson (1001 E. County Line Road, 601-957-2800, ext. 1003) Will offer a Thanksgiving buffet by reservation only or a to-go package with 48-hour notice.
Marriott Jackson (200 E. Amite St., 601-969-5100) Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Petra Café (104 W. Leake St., Clinton, 601-925-0016) Home-cooked Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine. 11 a.m. to midnight.
Want to cook Thanksgiving dinner yourself, but don't know where to start? Tired of the same old recipes? Here are some new options, from my kitchen to yours.
Garlic Almond Green Beans
1 pound green beans, washed and ends snipped
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 chopped cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss green beans in oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic and place in shallow baking dish with 1 tablespoon water. Cover with lid or tightly wrapped foil and bake for 10 minutes until beans soften slightly. Uncover dish and toss almonds with beans. Serve immediately.
Roasted Turkey
9-to-10 pound turkey (thawed, if frozen)
1 cup olive oil (or other mild oil)
2 small golden delicious apples, sliced
2 navel oranges, peeled
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed
3 rutabagas, peeled and roughly cubed
1/2 cup honey
1 thumb of ginger, grated
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup melted butter
Other items:
thermometer
roasting pan
aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare roasting pan by lightly oiling sides and bottom. Remove bag of turkey pieces from inside of bird and any strings holding bird together. Stuff bird with apple slices, orange slices, chopped onion and rosemary sprigs. Thoroughly rub bird with oil, including between skin and meat. Drizzle honey over surface of bird. Salt and pepper all surfaces generously. Lay sweet potatoes and rutabagas evenly in pan and sprinkle grated ginger. Place bird on top of vegetables and cover with tin foil.
Cook bird at 325 degrees for two hours. Remove pan and foil; drizzle butter evenly and turn oven up to 500 degrees. Place bird back in oven uncovered and roast for 20 minutes until golden brown. Internal temperature of the bird should reach at least 161 degrees at its thickest parts. Bird should rest for 15 to 20 minutes before you attempt to carve it.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Casserole
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Candied pecan topping
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon butter/margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup pecan pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil sweet potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until fork slides easily into pieces. Drain water and mash potatoes in pan, stirring in milk, butter, egg, vanilla, salt, molasses and spices until smooth. Empty mashed sweet potatoes into casserole dish, smoothing until evenly distributed.
Melt butter in skillet on medium heat until melted and begin slowly adding flour, stirring constantly. If mixture is too stiff, add a little water. Add sugar slowly until mixture browns and add pecans. While mixture is still warm, pour over potatoes until covered. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until topping has crusted and set.
Thanksgiving is a time to relax, enjoy a good meal, and make new memories with family and friends. Alas, this warm and fuzzy feeling is soon dispelled once the guests have gone home, and you are left with enough leftover food to feed Santa and all the elves. Turning your leftovers into homemade soup may save you from eating a week's worth of turkey sandwiches.
Consider making a healthy vegetable soup and tossing in leftover green beans, carrots, okra or cabbage. Potatoes serve as an excellent thickener for soups without having to use a lot of cream. Enjoy making bread? Mix a cup of mashed potatoes into the dough for a crusty, chewy accompaniment to your soup. You can turn turkey meat and sweet potatoes into an excellent, hearty chili for cold nights. The sweet potatoes will thicken the mixture and won't add a lot of sweetness when mixed with chicken broth and other savory ingredients֖just be sure to leave out the marshmallows.
Even turkey bones can be recycled. Once the meat has been cleaned off, toss the bones in a large stockpot, add 3 to 4 quarts of water, a sliced onion, a couple bay leaves and a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning. After simmering for an hour, season with salt and pepper, and you have delicious homemade soup stock.
Turkey time is here. Hallelujah. Before you dive into your towering plate of gobbler, take a minute to get to know this fabulous poultry that wows dinner tables across the nation.
Did you know:
• Male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are called hens, and hatchling turkeys are called poults, and they all travel together in a flock.
• Wild turkeys were on the verge of extinction in the 1930s, with fewer than 30,000 birds in existence in North America.
• Turkeys are native to the Western Hemisphere, with historians dating domestication back to as early as A.D. 1000.
• Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and California are the largest turkey producing states.
• L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in turkey and other foods, is a sleep-inducer; doctors used to prescribe it to patients as an anti-depressant.
• Sesame Street's Big Bird costume is made of dyed turkey feathers.
• Wild turkeys can be found in every state (including Hawaii) except for Alaska.
• Turkeys can see color, have an excellent field of vision and can hear very well even though they have no external ears.
• Benjamin Franklin was a firm supporter of the wild turkey as America's national bird instead of the bald eagle.
• Originally thought to have initiated with Harry Truman, the first official presidential turkey pardon was granted by George Bush Sr. in 1989.
It is easy to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that we forget about those less fortunate. This year, before beginning your own holiday shopping, we urge you to reach into your kitchen cabinets for food items for one of the shelters below that feed the homeless and less fortunate families of Jackson. Or collect cans from neighbors, family and friends, and make a larger donation to a food bank. Basic needs include: canned soups, fruits, vegetables, beans, canned meat and tuna fish, pasta, rice, cereal, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, powdered milk and baby food. For specific donation requests, please contact the organizations at the numbers listed.
Many places that provided open lunch and dinner services in previous years are not able to do so this year, citing that their food pantry need was too great to be able to provide an open Thanksgiving meal. The following are places that will be serving Thanksgiving lunch and dinner this upcoming holiday.
Gateway Rescue Mission, 328 S. Gallatin St. Contact: Patricia Melvin, 601-353-5864 Serves meals 365 days a year, three times a day, lunch and dinner. Volunteers needed to serve.
Stewpot Community Services, 1100 W. Capitol St.; Contact: Tara Lindsey, 601-353-2759 Serves lunch every holiday noon-1 p.m.
The Salvation Army, 110 Presto Lane Contact: Jamie Leonard, 601-982-4881, ext. 116 Thanksgiving lunch served from noon to 1 p.m. Seeking volunteers for delivery routes.
Crestwood New Life Church, 1611 Bailey Ave. Contact: Janet Rayford, 601-353-7683 Thanksgiving lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers needed to help serve.
Places that are not serving Thanksgiving meals but need food donations:
Catholic Charities, Inc., 200 N. Congress St. Contact: Mike Thomas, 601-326-3714 or 601-355-8634 Canned baby formula, baby food, rice, potatoes, soup and turkeys.
Operation Shoestring, 1711 Bailey Ave. Contact: Miss Spann, 601-353-6336 Canned foods, cornmeal, flour, sugar and turkeys. Seeking volunteers as well.
Good Samaritan Center, 114 Millsaps Ave. Contact: Kathy Clem, 601-355-6276 Donate to the food pantry year-round. Also, the center is currently "extremely low" on men's and children's clothing and shoes. Call now for Christmas dinner reservations.
Mississippi Food Network, 440 Beatty St., 601-353-7215 Canned goods including chili, beef stew, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, vegetables, fruit, rice, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly. They can also use volunteers to help with their Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes each month.
For information on any of Mississippi's shelters, call Family Crisis Shelter at 601-713-4357, or the United Way Information line at 601-948-4725, ext. 211.
If you grew up feasting on a dry, chewy, tasteless bird every year, here's the good news: Turkey meat can be juicy and even flavorful, thanks in part to a technique known as brining.
Brining is the process of marinating meat for several hours in a saltwater solution. As the meat soaks, the cells absorb the solution, allowing the meat to stay hydrated as it cooks. It not only adds moisture and flavor, but water is also a great conductor of heat which reduces cooking time. Poultry, lean pork and seafood benefit the most from brining because of their low-fat content.
A basic brine consists of one cup of salt per one gallon of water. Use Kosher salt because it dissolves quickly and gives a more even brine. If kosher salt is not available, you can use non-iodized table salt. Other seasonings such as brown sugar, juices, onion, garlic, and spices can add a rich and unique flavor to your turkey.
Allow one hour of brine time per pound of meat. You will need a container large enough to completely cover the turkey with the brine solution. A large soup pot or bucket works well for smaller birds. However, if you are cooking a very large bird, consider using a cooler. During brining, keep the turkey below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent food-borne illness. Place the soup pot or bucket in the refrigerator or put a few bags of ice cubes in your cooler.
Once your turkey is done brining, rinse the outside with cold water. Allow your bird to air dry for 30 minutes before placing it in the oven to ensure the skin will turn brown and crispy.
Thanksgiving turkey wouldn't be the same without the peppery, somewhat astringent flavor of sage. It's used in poultry seasoning and stuffing for holiday meals, but plenty of good cooks don't know what to do with this velvet-leaf herb outside cornbread dressing and the roast turkey behemoth of the holiday season.
Sage is an evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean, where it was cultivated as a medicinal super-herb. Among many other uses, ancient civilizations believed the herb could ward off the plague, break fever, draw venom from snakebites and cure female infertility. Sage's botanical name stems from Latin's "salvare," to save, and its healing properties were so highly regarded, herbal compendiums sometimes refer to it as Salvia salvatrix, "sage the savior." As a culinary herb, sage is a workhorse. It is an assertive topnote in American breakfast sausage, a marinade staple for Middle Eastern mutton, and Italians deep fry the pungent sage leaves to top salads and pasta.
Sage leaves can withstand high heat and long cooking times, making it a perfect aromatic for stewing or braising tougher cuts of lamb and pork. A few fresh leaves of sage and a creamy havarti can turn your next grilled cheese into a sophisticated affair. Toss a plate of wilted greens and winter squash ravioli with sage-infused brown butter, and top with crispy leaves. Whatever you do, don't leave your pot of sage forlorn and unloved until next November.
We've had it all before: roast turkey, stuffing, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie. It is easy to get tired of the typical Thanksgiving meal, specifically when the post-turkey drowsiness sets in.
Get creative; try to center a Thanksgiving meal on an ethnic category of food. For Mexican food lovers, try cooking a batch of chorizo pumpkin soup for an appetizer. Onion and Mexican chorizo sausage add a warm flavor to this soup.
As a substitute for the usual green-bean casserole, consider chilled corn, which provides spice through roasted chilies and fresh serrano chilies. If you aren't a cranberry fan, substitute mango salsa for cranberry relish. Finally, replace the main dish—roast turkey—with a suckling pig, coated with a guajillo-chile marinade and stuffed with diced apples, pineapple, tomatoes, green olives and Mexican oregano.
For meatless Mexican dishes, Bryan Carrero, chef at High Noon Café in the Rainbow Plaza (2807 Old Canton Road, 601-366-1602) recommends seitan, tempeh and tofu as meat substitutes. Seitan is a "wheat meat" or "wheat gluten." He also recommends using nuts and beans as meat substitutions because they are high in protein.
"I found that seasoning with chile powder, cumin and jalapeños will make a dish taste Mexican," Carrero says. Rainbow Whole Foods, next to High Noon Café, carries vegan sour cream to accompany your Mexican meal.
Vegetarians can also enjoy a butternut squash and apple casserole, for example, or sweet potatoes. Try cooking a gravy using vegetable broth rather than pan drippings or animal fat.
Stuffing is also an option, and this dish is even more delicious when you add cranberries or whole wheat bread. For mashed potatoes, Carrero suggests using soymilk and vegan butter by Earthbound.
For recipes that call for eggs, you can use an egg replacement powder. Carrero likes to make macaroni and cheese with nutritional yeast, a cheese-like flavored powder, and tamari, a paste that is slightly thicker than soy sauce.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will smile on the person that chooses to cook a nut roast or a Tofurky rather than a capon. You can cook Tofurky in a variety of ways, including deep fried or roasted with a maple pecan glaze. Rainbow Whole Foods sells a Tofurky dinner roast that includes tofu roast, cranberry apple potato dumplings, and mushroom gravy.
Or, try stuffed acorn squash or a wild rice and cranberry pilaf as your centerpiece. For a dessert, whip up a chocolate pumpkin pie or a vegan pumpkin spice cake using egg replacer and vegan cream cheese frosting.
Gluten-free dieters have options, too. For your Thanksgiving meal, try maple-glazed roasted root vegetables or carrot cornbread. Prepare cornbread stuffing with vegetable broth. Or, try a vegetarian Thai pumpkin curry. Finally, cook cranberry orange rice pilaf as the main dish and serve a dairy-free, gluten-free apple tart.
Ivory Harris remembers the Northwest Jackson neighborhood of Presidential Hills where he grew up as a "living, breathing community." As a student, a teacher and a public servant, Harris has never strayed far.
Harris, 39, is now a patrol officer in Precinct 3, covering the area where he grew up. He also teaches capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, three days a week at Quest Fitness Club on Lakeover Drive
He graduated from Tougaloo College in 1994 with a degree in philosophy and religion, which may explain his speaking style—soft and deliberate, peppered with aphorisms.
The officer began studying martial arts in his early 20s. He started with hybrid self-defense styles like jeet kune do, but a revelation from his first teacher changed his course.
"When the student is ready, the master will appear," Harris says.
Harris studied with his first teacher, Bob Williams, for several years before Williams revealed movements from capoeira, a form that fuses martial-arts movements with songs and dance descended from African slave culture.
Williams introduced him to Curtis Pierre, a New Orleans-based master with whom Harris has studied since 1994. Harris still travels to New Orleans twice a month, for two or three days at a time, to learn songs, dances and movements from Pierre, which he then teaches to his own students.
"Once I'm back, I have to pass down how the movement goes and how the song goes," Harris says. "It's like the concept of ants: The soldiers will go out, come back and feed the colony."
Harris joined the Jackson Police Department a year after his graduation, but left JPD in 2001 to teach capoeira at the Farish Street YMCA. Although he left that program in 2004, he still runs into former students.
"It's heartwarming to know that the teachings of capoeira—not the techniques themselves, but the philosophy—carried them on into adulthood," Harris says.
Harris returned to JPD as a patrol officer in 2007. A recent tragic event gave Harris more perspective on his law enforcement job. On Sept. 15, Harris' apartment caught fire. He lost nearly all his possessions, including a beloved pet Chihuahua, a guinea pig and African artifacts.
"I believe I had to experience that in order to make me a better police officer, to make me more humble," Harris says. "Seeing grief or despair and experiencing it are two different things."
A month after his own fire, Harris was on patrol when he received a call about a house fire. Like him, the owner had lost everything, and Harris knew he had to comfort her.
"I arrived on scene—took a couple deep breaths—got out and did what I was trained to do," Harris says.
Call us suspicious, but we don't believe for one minute that Gov. Haley Barbour thinks the Mississippi Legislature will vote to merge the state's three historically black universities, while not touching Ole Miss or Southern. (We do believe they might merge Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State, though.)
It seems more likely that Barbour wants the cover of the inevitable firestorm such a proposal would cause in order that he might push an extreme partisan agenda while everyone else is arguing over something unlikely to pass.
Make no mistake: His budget proposal is blatantly, nakedly partisan. Barbour, a lame duck with his eye on Washington, probably thinks he has nothing to lose in doing everything he can to complete Mississippi's (unimpressive) metamorphosis into a guinea pig for his corporate-conservative ideas. Ever since he pushed damage caps through the Legislature based on faulty information, Barbour has tried to use the state to test ideas he has long pushed for nationally (and which are considered radical on that stage): shrinking public education, especially schools in majority-black districts, and shrinking needed transitional services such as pre-school and Headstart programs to help young people break their families' cycles of poverty. And, of course, opposing efforts to extend health care to every Mississippian or to get companies who cause harm to pay for it.
Tragically, Barbour has never seen the need to hide that his policies and attitudes aren't particularly friendly to women or to people of color of all agendas, and can be downright hostile. There is no other way to describe his effort to free and/or pardon a series of men who brutally murdered their wives and girlfriends in recent decades. There is no other way to describe his open use of the southern race strategy to get out the white racist vote for him and fellow Republicans.
This budget proposal continues his partisan theme. Although it allegedly cuts state agency budgets, including the Department of Human Services, 12 percent across the board, well, it doesn't. It makes fewer cuts to both the Department of Corrections (surprise, surprise) and the Department of Public Safety, even as it demands deeper cuts to the law-enforcement office of Barbour's political nemesis, Attorney General Jim Hood. And in stark contrast to Barbour's contempt for domestic-violence murder victims, Hood's office has worked admirably to help crime victims, and to make it easier to prosecute domestic abusers.
Adding insult to injury, Barbour's budget would simply cut out the Commission on the Status of Women in a state where women are arguably worse off than in any state in the U.S. Any of its work that's needed can, Barbour says, shift to the AG's office.
Barbour has inflicted enough gamesmanship on the state of Mississippi. We urge all citizens to plug in and talk back.
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced his picks for the Jackson School Board last night. The returning mayor fell back on the ward rotation method in making his selections. He re-appointed board member Jonathan Larkin to finish his term, which will last another year and a half, on behalf of Ward 1, and appointed retired JPS Deputy Superintendent for Elementary Schools Kisiah Nolan to fill the Ward 4 slot. Johnson appointed retired cardiologist George Schimmel for the Ward 7 slot.
"I have no doubt that these three individuals have a strong commitment to the Jackson Public School District," Johnson said in a statement. "I have confidence in their ability to work for the best interests of the administrators, teachers and students."
Council members had stepped over a Ward 4 appointment in 2007 to approve board member Ivory Phillips to replace former board member Maggie Benson-White. Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson had not argued against Phillips' appointment at the time. In fact, Bluntson and council members Kenneth Stokes and Charles Tillman had difficulty getting Phillips into the seat because a majority of council members repeatedly refused to attend the confirmation vote, stifling the possibility of a quorum. Legal fears, it turned out, fueled their hesitation.
Former Council members Marshand Crisler, Ben Allen, along with current Council-woman Margaret Barrett-Simon told the Jackson Free Press in 2007 that Marcus Ward, the chief of staff under then-mayor Frank Melton, had threatened Larkin's re-appointment to the board if he did not approve a bid for a contract by a company supported by the mayor's office.
Ward allegedly told Larkin that the mayor's office would not submit Larkin's name to the council for re-confirmation if he did not approve a contract bid by Jackson business Integrated Management Services PA, for work related to the $150 million bond project. Despite the alleged threat, Larkin voted against the IMS contract—and Melton asked council members to pull Larkin's name from consideration that year. But a majority of council members refused to take up a vote potentially removing Larkin, whose term expired in 2006, fearing an association to what could pan out to be an extortion attempt. Barrett-Simone openly said she withheld her vote due to anxiety over an ongoing federal investigation of Melton.
Johnson's choices this week keeps Larkin at the board for a little longer, however.
Nolan, for her part, is deeply embedded in Jackson Public Schools. Her son, Fred Nolan, heads the JPS program Dads for Destiny, which encourages participation of male role models in the lives of JPS students. The woman Nolan is replacing, Ann Jones—whose term expired in March 2008—said Nolan also served as a school principal for many years and will bring considerable experience to the board.
"She'll bring with her a wealth of knowledge on how schools work, and the work that principals do and the challenges they face," Jones told the Jackson Free Press. Jones added that she had not received any calls from Johnson regarding her removal, and had only heard about the changeover through a text message to the board last night.
"I had no idea about it until I was told during the board meeting. Somebody had notified Jonathan (Larkin), who then told me," Jones said, explaining that she has had no contact with the mayor for more than a month.
Also on the way out is Delmer Stamps, whose term ended March of this year.
The three appointments still face a confirmation vote by the council, which has been overwhelmingly supportive of Johnson's appointments since he returned to office this year. If confirmed, the new members could create a new majority voting bloc on the board, depending on the dispositions of Nolan and Schimmel. For the last two years, the board had moved away from a Larkin, Jones, Benson-White majority to a new majority consisting of Stamps, Phillips and board President Sollie Norwood, thanks to the arrival of Phillips.
The existing majority is partly to blame for the departure of former-Superintendent Dr. Earl Watkins, who left after a JPS court settlement with Michael Ellis, the former principal of Chastain Middle School (whom Watkins fired), and lingering tension with the board. Phillips, Stamps and Norwood had little love for Watkins and offered few regrets at his departure. They approved new Superintendent Lonnie Edwards after a hasty three-month job search, but today, the board is largely united in frequently opposing some of Edwards' decisions regarding JPS appointments, new hires and promotions.
Should Schimmel and Nolan side with Larkin on contentious issues, the new bloc could potentially leave Phillips and Norwood in the minority.
JPS Board Renews Music Program, Delays Bullying Policy
Ward Schaefer
by Ward Schaefer
November 18, 2009
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees renewed a popular music education program last night, after its failure to do so last month resulted in weeks of outcry from parents and education advocates. Board members voted 4-0 to approve the district's contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, which provides concerts to all JPS elementary schools and string instruction to over 400 students.
Board members Ivory Phillips and Delmer Stamps, both of whom originally voted against approval, joined program supporters H. Ann Jones and Jonathan Larkin for the unanimous vote. Board President Sollie Norwood was absent at yesterday's meeting and at the Oct. 20 meeting when a 2-2 vote on renewal put the program on hold.
Phillips and Stamps both cited the district's budget shortage as reasons for their original "no" votes. The district must make $6.1 million in cuts this year. At yesterday's meeting, Stamps urged Superintendent Lonnie Edwards to speed up a cost-benefit analysis of all district programs. Before voting in favor of the contract, Phillips said that he had felt insulted by the critical comments he received after his Oct. 20 vote.
"I was a little disappointed that some folks assumed that I didn't value the arts," Phillips said. "I just want to remind folks that it was myself, last year, that said that this program ought to be expanded so that the children in every school would have the opportunity. But people have short memories if it's something that they really want to attack you about."
Robert Blaine, director of the orchestral studies program at Jackson State University and the parent of a student in the music program, spoke in support of the contract at yesterday's meeting. He said he was "very, very pleased" with the board's decision. Blaine agreed with Phillips that the program should expand its reach in the district and pointed to a similar program in Memphis. The Memphis program grew from using out-of-district professionals to employing full-time music instructors who rotate through schools.
"They started exactly where we did and they have taken their program and moved to the next stage of implementation," Blaine said. "That's really what I think this program is going to have to move towards to serve the entire district."
Phillips also said that he wanted more specific information about the program, specifically how much of its total cost went to instruction as opposed to performances.
The music program's performance component, which includes concerts with the full Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and its smaller ensembles, accounts for less than half of the program's total cost, according to MSO Executive Director Michael Beattie. String instruction makes up roughly 57 percent of the program's cost, Beattie said. With the school year nearly a third over already, the contract that board members approved yesterday will cost JPS $211,000, rather than the original cost of $300,000 for the full school year.
"We're thrilled for all of the students who are affected by this program, and we're looking forward to continuing our partnership with JPS in making this program as vital as can be and in growing it," Beattie said. "We're glad to see it up and running."
Board members also tabled a vote on a proposed anti-bullying policy after hearing several points of concern during the meeting's public comment period. Sarah Young of the Mississippi ACLU told board members that the version of the proposed policy posted for public notice on the JPS Web site differed from the version that board members were considering.
"We don't believe that the public actually got to see the policy that you're voting on tonight," Young told the board.
John Yu, a JPS graduate and intern with the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, took issue with gaps in the proposed policy. Despite stating the district's disapproval of bullying, the policy did nothing to specify recourse for victims of bullying, Yu said, adding that a better anti-bullying policy would explain how to report bullying and list protected categories of students.
"Students don't know what to do when they're bullied," Yu said.
The Mississippi Appeals Court has reversed Cory Maye's murder conviction for the Dec. 26, 2001, killing of Ron Jones, a police officer in Prentiss, Miss., a tiny community of 1,000 residents in Jefferson Davis County. The court has remanded the case for a new trial.
Maye, 29, received a death sentence after his first trial in Marion County. Circuit Court Judge Michael Eubanks tossed out the death penalty in 2006, ruling Maye had inadequate counsel during the death penalty phase of his trial. The en-banc appeals court threw out the entire conviction in their Nov. 17 decision, however, saying that Maye should have been tried in Jefferson Davis County.
"Finding that the trial court abused its discretion in not allowing Maye to exercise the constitutional right to be tried in the county where the offense occurred, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and this case remanded for a new trial," states the court's conclusion.
Since his arrest immediately after the shooting, Maye has held that he acted in self-defense and in defense of his then-14-month-old daughter Tacorriana.
"Maye would testify that he awoke to a violent pounding at his front door, as if someone was trying to kick it down," wrote Radley Balko in "The Case of Cory Maye" in October 2006 in Reason magazine. "Frightened, he ran to his bedroom, where Tacorriana was sleeping. He retrieved the handgun he kept in a stand by the bed, loaded it, and chambered a bullet. He got down on the floor next to the bed, where he held the gun and waited in the dark next to his little girl, hoping the noises outside would subside."
When they didn't, Maye says he became frightened. According to his testimony, Maye fired the gun when he heard someone entering the house. Only then did he hear: "Police! Police! You just shot an officer!"
Maye immediately dropped his gun, slid it away and surrendered.
Testimony from the officers accompanying Jones that night, Stephen Jones, Darrel Cooley and Phillip Allday, dispute Maye's account. The officers say they announced themselves and the fact that they had a search warrant several times before they entered the house and the fatal shooting. Stephen Jones testified that someone looked out of a window at the front of the house, but would not open the door.
The two search warrants the officers held that night were for Jamie Smith, who lived on the left side of the duplex where Maye lived, and a second warrant for the right side naming "persons unknown." A police informant, Randy Gentry, had told Prentiss police that he had "seen a large amount of marijuana stored in the duplex." Ron Jones told Municipal Court Judge Donald Kruger that "various sources" told him they knew "drugs were being sold out of the duplex," and that he had personally witnessed "large amounts of traffic there at unusual hours," according to court documents.
Until that day, Maye had never been arrested, and police found no evidence in his home to support their suspicions of drug dealing. They found a little over a gram of marijuana, "most of it old and ashen," Balko wrote.
"Under any other circumstances, he'd have gotten a $50 ticket," Maye's attorney Bob Evans told Balko.
In all, Evans presented 12 alleged errors in the Maye trial to the Court of Appeals, including questioning the testimony of the controversial Dr. Stephen Hayne. The court reversed Maye's conviction solely on the venue issue.
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has approved a revised contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra to extend the strings program through the end of the current school year, reports WAPT. Board President Sollie Norwood was absent from the meeting and did not cast a vote, however, the rest of the board voted 4-to-0 to retain the program.
In a previous vote Oct. 21, the board split 2-to-2 on the program, effectively discontinuing the popular, 42-year collaboration between JPS and the MSO. Members Jonathan Larkin and Ann Jones voted for renewal, and Delmer Stamps and Ivory Phillips voted in opposition. Board President Sollie Norwood was also absent for the initial vote due to illness.
The board faced a firestorm of protests from parents of students in the program, which cost JPS $300,000 annually. Citing numerous studies linking music education to improved academic performance, parents came out for each subsequent board meeting to defend the program. Stamps and Phillips had previously voted against renewing the program in the face of the JPS' $6.1 million budget deficit.
Gov. Haley Barbour released a budget proposal yesterday calling for a 12 percent cut in the state budget for most agencies and the consolidation of the state's historically black colleges and universities. The proposal, which reflects the state's fiscal year 2011 revenue estimates of a $715 million shortfall, picks and chooses which agencies should receive the majority of cuts.
The Mississippi Development Authority, for which the governor selects the members, will only suffer a 5 percent cut, because Barbour says the agency "plays a crucial role in creating needed jobs by attracting new employers to Mississippi" and encourages existing businesses to stay in the state.
Barbour recommends a 6 percent cut to Republican-favored agencies like the Department of Corrections, and an 8 percent cut to the Department of Public Safety. However, the Republican governor suggests a cut of more than 12 percent to the attorney general's office, which also plays a huge role in crime reduction across the state. Attorney General Jim Hood is the only Democrat holding a statewide office in Mississippi, and has threatened to sue the governor over issues relating to the Department of Public Safety.
The governor said in his proposal that Hood's office needs more extensive cuts to "bring them into parity with the rest of state government." In the same document, however, the governor suggests the office should adopt the work of the Commission of the Status of Women—which the governor wants to see discontinued. Other entities that Barbour wants to do away with are the Mississippi Technology Alliance and the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, the work of which can be adopted by the MDA, he says.
But one of Barbour's most controversial suggestions in his 27-page proposal is his request to consolidate the state's three historically black colleges and universities—Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State University—into one. One other fusion candidate includes the Mississippi University for Women, which Barbour suggests merging with Mississippi State University. His proposal does not impact the state's other majority-white universities, including the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.
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Rep. Kelvin Buck, D-Holly Springs, who chairs the House Universities and Colleges Committee, said Barbour is using economic problems to push a personal agenda.
"It's really unbelievable how the governor has taken a few bad economic years and used them to create a platform of long-term education policy," said Buck, who is black. "It's the wrong approach. The primary problem is when you talk about consolidating, you're talking about eliminating programs, and I don't think the universities or the House will take that recommendation very seriously."
Barbour also recommends merging some state school districts, reducing the state's 152 school districts down to 100, and reducing funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program—which provides money for schools in low-revenue districts—by almost $240 million.
Nancy Loome of education lobbying group The Parents Campaign, said the true reduction amounts to about $300 million, considering that the Mississippi Department of Education actually requested a $61 million increase in MAEP funding for fiscal year 2011. She asked that legislators treat Barbour's proposal like a proposal and not law.
"It is important to remember that the governor's recommendation is just that: a recommendation. The Mississippi Legislature has constitutional authority over the state budget, and it is the Legislature that will make the final budget appropriations," Loome said in a statement.
Calhoun Questions Youth Detention Center Staffing, Transparency
File Photo
by Ward Schaefer
November 17, 2009
Hinds County's youth detention center is once again the target of criticism, despite the county's recent agreement with a watchdog group that has voiced concerns about the facility in the past. Supervisor Peggy Calhoun raised the possibility of overstaffing at the center, also known as Henley-Young, during a meeting of the county Board of Supervisors on Monday, Nov. 16.
Calhoun told supervisors that, for over a month, she has repeatedly asked County Administrator Vern Gavin for the facility's weekly staff schedules. Gavin only recently provided her with information, Calhoun said, which she called "woefully inaccurate" and incomplete.
"I don't know if the scheduling information is not being properly documented and the records kept, or if it was an attempt to conceal the information," Calhoun said. "Either way, that is a serious problem."
Calhoun added that the documents she received suggest that the staff-to-youth ratio at the center often exceeds the state-recommended figure of one officer for every eight youth detainees.
"On some of the shifts there are too many officers being assigned," Calhoun said. "When employees are not scheduled according to the workload, that results in unnecessary labor costs. I know that sometimes the number of youths housed at the center will fluctuate. That is why it is important for the director to understand how to handle staffing."
Calhoun suggested that the center director could better accommodate changes in detainee population by splitting shifts or extending them to 10 or 12 hours while granting more personal time.
Calhoun's statements contradict previous claims by Henley-Young Director Darron Farr that the center is understaffed. Farr did not return calls for comment.
In June, County Administrator Vern Gavin told the Jackson Free Press that the center was "understaffed for maximum capacity." However, he said that the average number of detainees at the center has dropped since the summer.
"As long as you've got peaks and valleys in the population, you're always going to be challenged with making sure that those (staff-to-youth) ratios are met," Gavin said today. "Of course we're going to have to do a much better job of projecting, but we can never predict when a foodfight might break out and a rash of kids are rushed over."
"I do not condone the lack of transparency, and at this point, I'd say that's not the intent," Gavin added.
Monday's criticism was not the first time Calhoun has denounced the center's lack of transparency. She raised similar concerns June 2, after a rash of suicide attempts at the facility went unreported, even to supervisors.
"It appears that there have been efforts to cover up these incidents," Calhoun said at the June 2 board meeting, adding that she had never difficulty getting information when Youth Court Judge Bill Skinner was over the center.
Skinner, whose rulings determine the number of detainees in the center, also had administrative authority over Henley-Young until January 2009, when the board voted 3-2 to revoke it. Calhoun and Supervisor Phil Fisher opposed that move.
On Monday, Calhoun said Farr has mistakenly blamed other parties for staffing issues that he could solve. "The director of the detention center has repeatedly stated that there is a staff shortage. He points the finger at the youth court judge for not releasing youths, and he also points a finger at the Board of Supervisors for not allocating the necessary funds to acquire employees," Calhoun said.
Also at Monday's meeting, supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding with the Mississippi Youth Justice Project concerning reforms at the youth detention center. The MYJP, an advocacy organization focused on juvenile justice, visited the facility in December 2008 and called for a series of reforms, among them that officers immediately stop using a restraint chair. The county complied with that demand, and
The memorandum, which supervisors have debated in executive session for the past three board meetings, stipulates an appropriate staff-to-youth ratio of eight officers for every one detainee. It also calls for improving staff training and reducing the amount of time detainees spend confined to their cells.
MYJP attorney Vanessa Carroll hailed the agreement as a positive sign of the county's concern for its youth.
"By approving this agreement, Hinds County has signaled its sincere commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of youth in its custody," Carroll said in a statement.
In 2006, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Grayson lined up more than 30 jailhouse informants to testify that they had sold drugs to Church Point, La., homemaker Ann Colomb and her three sons. (I wrote about the Colomb case in the May 2008 issue of Reason.) Grayson had used some of these snitches before, in the trial of a Houston drug kingpin. After the Houston trial, authorities informed Grayson that several of his informants had lied, and that there may have been an information sharing network and perjury ring inside the federal prison system. No matter. Grayson used them again to convict Colomb and her sons, and they spent three months in prison.
The Colombs were eventually freed, with all charges dismissed. Grayson's jailhouse snitches had lied again, and this time, federal judge Tucker Melancon ordered an investigation into new evidence that, somehow, portions of Grayson's case file were being distributed through federal prisons in Texas and Louisiana. The Colombs, meanwhile, spent their life savings on their defense, and were never compensated. According to defense attorneys, Grayson said at one point during the trial that it didn't matter if he personally believed his snitch witnesses, it only mattered what the jury believed, a notion he articulated again in his closing argument.
I thought about the Colomb case while reading the transcript of the oral arguments in Pottawattamie v. Maghee, heard last Wednesday before the U.S. Supreme Court (read my previous column on the case here). The case turns on whether prosecutors who knowingly fabricate evidence to convict an innocent person should be susceptible to lawsuits, or if prosecutors should always have absolute immunity from such suits, no matter how bad their behavior.
During the hearing, Deputy Solicitor General Neal Katyal argued that "if prosecutors have to worry at trial that every act they undertake will somehow open up the door to liability, then they will flinch in the performance of their duties and not introduce that evidence." Katyal made similar statements throughout the hearing: "When someone is introducing evidence at trial, you don't want to chill them in the performance of their duties in any way," and "the overriding interest is protecting the judicial process and not letting information be chilled and not come in." Chief Justice John Roberts underlined that formulation, twice inquiring as to the "chilling" effect of stripping immunity for prosecutors.
It took new Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor to make the obvious point: We want prosecutors to "flinch" before introducing evidence they suspect might not be true. In fact, we want them to not introduce that evidence at all. And there should be a chilling effect on misconduct as egregious as coaching witnesses to lie. If Brett Grayson had known he could be held liable for his parade of lying jailhouse snitches, perhaps he'd have vetted their stories a bit more carefully, or been more vigilant about ensuring that portions of his case file didn't somehow get passed around the prison system.
The amount of liability the would-be plaintiffs in Pottawattamie want prosecutors to shoulder is minimal. The Supreme Court has held for 30 years that even prosecutors who knowingly withhold exculpatory evidence in a case that results in the conviction of an innocent person can't be sued for damages. The wrongfully convicted men in Pottawattamie aren't even seeking to undo that. They're asking that prosecutors who knowingly fabricate evidence against an innocent person, then use that evidence at trial, be susceptible to a lawsuit. And even there, prosecutors would still be afforded the qualified immunity given to police officers, which means potential plaintiffs would still have a high hurdle to clear before getting into court. (It's worth noting that the prosecutors in Pottawattamie weren't sanctioned or disciplined in any way, which is about par for the course in the criminal justice system.)
The problem here is that the Supreme Court has painted itself into a corner. While the Court has always upheld absolute immunity for prosecutors while trying a case, it has ruled that prosecutors who help investigate a case—that is, who act as police officers—should receive the same, reduced qualified immunity given to cops. But here's where it gets messy. At what point is a prosecutor acting as a prosecutor, and at what point is he acting like a cop? The roles have been muddied over the years.
Consider snitch testimony. Under federal law, only a federal prosecutor, and not a federal police investigator, can gauge whether information offered by a jailhouse snitch is useful enough to offer time off the informant's sentence in exchange for his testimony. That means prosecutors are put in the role of interviewing potential informants to determine whether the stories are plausible (or, if they're less scrupulous, merely deciding whose stories are most damaging to the defendant). This is more the role of an investigator than the prosecutor of a case.
Solicitor General Katyal and the attorney for the prosecutors in Pottawattamie both made the absurd argument that the actual injury in Pottawattamie occurred when the defendants were wrongly convicted and jailed, not when the evidence against them was manufactured. Therefore, because the prosecutors were acting in their role as prosecutors of the case when the injury occurred, they should be immune to lawsuit, even though they were acting as investigators when they conjured up the perjured testimony in the first place. Had they passed the evidence off to another prosecutor for trial, they could still be sued. This led Justice Anthony Kennedy to ask: "So the law is (that) the more deeply you're involved in the wrong, the more likely you are to be immune? That's a strange proposition."
It certainly is. Katyal went so far as to argue that even police officers who manufacture evidence used to convict an innocent person may not be liable, so long as they tell the prosecutor ahead of time that the evidence has been faked—again because the actual injury occurs at the time of conviction, and at the time of conviction the state actor inflicting the damage is the prosecutor acting in his role as prosecutor, at which point he has immunity. Kennedy reiterated the problem: "Again, the more aggravated the tort, the greater the immunity."
Katyal went on to argue that there is no "free-standing due process right not to be framed," a striking line that made it around the Internet last week. If you're a constitutional originalist, that statement isn't quite as controversial as it first sounds: An originalist may believe that the Constitution protects us from government overreach, but it doesn't explicitly lay out a method of recovering damages for government violations of our rights; that's left up to Congress.
The problem with the originalist interpretation is that the Constitution's authors surely would have hoped for and expected at least some relief. The Bill of Rights both establishes a civil courts system to allow citizens to recover damages from one another, and lays out a clear set of rights that government officials aren't permitted to abrogate. It makes little sense to think, then, that the document would be consistent with the notion that government officials could systematically violate two citizens' rights in a way that resulted in significant injury (in this case, 26 years in prison), and yet be wholly immune from those citizens' efforts to collect damages, simply because Congress failed to legislate a path to relief.
One of the notable things about this case is that the pro-law enforcement position was argued by Katyal, an official in the Obama administration, while the pro-defense, anti-executive branch position was argued by Paul Clement, the former solicitor general for the Bush administration. The Obama administration has consistently taken the pro-prosecution side in criminal justice cases since Obama took office, confirming that where the rubber meets the road on issues related to police powers and the rights of the accused, what matters most is not political ideology but who holds the reins of power.
Clement's toughest questioning came from the Court's two Bush appointees, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. But Clement rather brilliantly concluded his time with a direct challenge to the two Bush-appointed justices that probably won't affect either's ruling, but at least ought to make them squirm. Keeping prosecutors immune from liability, he argued, is a classic case of judicial activism.
The phrase "absolute immunity" appears nowhere in the Constitution, nor does it appear in Section 1983, a part of the federal criminal code that provides a way for citizens to collect damages against the government. The Court read absolute immunity into the law in the 1976 case Imbler v. Pachtman because it feared the ramifications of prosecutors being susceptible to lawsuits. As Clement argued, there is "no common law support at all for absolute immunity. And I wouldn't think that this Court was particularly interested in coming up with implied immunities that aren't in the statute and had no basis at the common law, and that's why I think some of the Justices that have looked at this as an original matter have tended to be quite reluctant in recognizing absolute immunity because it lacks support in the text."
So while for most of the hearing the Court and litigants took absolute immunity as a given, and debated whether and how to carve exceptions into it, Clement concluded by pulling the sheet back on absolute immunity, period. In doing so, he cleared a path for the justices to revoke absolute immunity altogether, or at least severely limit the concept. That almost certainly won't happen. But it should (but probably won't) give the Court's conservative wing some cover to at least poke enough holes in prosecutorial immunity to discourage the more egregious examples of misconduct.
Radley Balko is senior editor of Reason magazine where this column originally appeared. The JFP Daily features his column every Tuesday.
Pat Chambliss, 52, is the volunteer executive director and one of the founding members of Dress for Success in Jackson. A national organization started in 1997 in New York, the organization's goal is to provide "suits to self sufficiency," Chambliss says.
The Greenville native graduated from Mississippi State University in 1980 with a business management degree, and she moved to Jackson the following year. Wanting to help other women, in 2002 Chambliss and few of her friends discovered Dress for Success.
"We not only provide you with a suit, but we follow you all the way through so that you can be a success, which in turn, can make your family a success," Chambliss says.
Dress for Success helps disadvantaged women—those who have experienced domestic violence, homelessness or other disabling circumstances—transition back into the work force. With the help of individual donors and women's clothing stores—Catherine's locally and Dress Barn and Ashley Stewart nationally—the nonprofit provides business attire to women in need. Michele Austin, proprietor of vintage and gently used clothing retailer Repeat Street in Ridgeland, is on the Dress for Success board, and she sells any clothing overflow in her shop, giving the proceeds to the organization.
Dress for Success does more than help women dress appropriately for interviews and the working world; it also teaches them computer skills, helps write resumes, and even trains them through mock interviews. The outcome, Chambliss says, is that the organization gives back to the community.
"I think of it not only in terms of helping the woman, but also in terms of helping the family, because if she's a whole person, she'll work to have a whole family," Chambliss says. "The result is better children and a better community."
Chambliss also has a full-time job as a technical analyst with the Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company. When she's not doing that job, she's working with women. In her scant free time, Chambliss loves to read, and occasionally she blogs about the women she encounters through Dress for Success. She also works diligently to get the word out and find additional corporate and individual donors.
"What we are doing is helping women to get back in the work force and change their destinies," she says.
Do you know a Jacksonian or Mississippian who should be the JFP Person of the Day? Briefly tell us his or her story, sending it to . Include contact information and a picture, if possible.
So, the Saints eek out a victory over the St. Louis Rams -- with a secondary that, while beat up, did not look good in this game, leading to some actual excitement from the weekly paper in St. Louis over their 1-8 team.
On Sunday, the Rams took on one of the best teams in all of football, the New Orleans Saints, who look like the reincarnation of the Greatest Show on Turf most weeks, and guess what? They gave the Saints everything they could handle and had a chance to win the game on the final drive. Maybe this thing really is headed in the right direction.
Those are not good notes to get on the game, but you've got to expect some ugly wins over a long season, and it's remarkable that we're talking about nine of those wins in a row for the Saints. Some random thoughts from the game:
1.) Reggie ran forward. Bless his heart. Two touchdowns and a few exciting runs caused me to reconsider my agreement with the piece Jack of All Trades, Master of None at Bleacher Report a few weeks ago about utility back-fielder Reggie Bush. They said:
He has had his flashes, returning 3 punts for touchdowns in 2007 and being a fixture in the Saints passing game (in his three and a half seasons he has had 88, 77, 52, and 27 receptions respectively). It is not as if Bush does not belong in the league, but his outrageously high salary seems to be inappropriate for a player of his caliber.
There's an argument there, but it occurred to me that one reason that Saints coach Sean Peyton might want to hold on to Bush is simply because of the threat that he represents for exciting and amazing plays. His presence keeps the other teams on their toes, keying him, since they literally don't know what to expect. If he can develop a little more vision and *really* focus on falling forward when he has no other options, it might be interesting to see him get more reps, more swing passes and more pitches in the flat. Peyton likes having a *lot* of talent to choose from, and he's got it, particularly on offense. Bush is just another dangerous weapon he can go to when he softens you up with his other backs, his tight-ends and receivers.
2.) Turnovers kept it too close. If receiver Marquis Colston (who had struggled and was trying like heck to make something happen) doesn't attempt an Olympic-style leap in the air at the goal line and get a fluke hit with the ball on the helmet of a defender, then he doesn't fumble the ball through the end zone for a touchback. Given that touchdown, the Saints would have pulled away in the 3rd quarter and probably demoralize a hapless St. Louis team.
Hopefully they'll check the tape on that and talk about ball protection and where and when to leap in their meetings -- being on the one yard line with all the time in the world is a fine result on that play.
3.) The D needs to tighten up. The defense seemed not only to miss safety Darren Sharper's penchant for interceptions, but also, perhaps, his leadership on the field, thanks to his being sidelined with an injury. Linebacker Scott Fujita is back, but looked a little rusty, and the secondary made mistakes that lead directly to points. The defense did do a good job of containing Ram's running back Steven Jackson, who was able, almost single-handedly, to keep the Rams in the game the first half.
4.) Thank you, special teams. Former Dallas Cowboy's coach Jimmy Johnson used to say that you need good performances from two of three teams -- defense, offense and special teams -- to win. In this case, thank special teams for stepping up with a better-than-average job of picking up the slack, including a 96-yard TD run-back that put the Saints immediately in the driver's seat for the second half.
5.) Lovin' the adjustments. The past four games have all seemed to have a First Half Funk for the Saints... and each game, so far, they come out blazing in the second half. The team seems to make extremely smart adjustments in the locker room. You also have to figure that they simply believe they can win moreso than in past years, and that sustains them even when they're behind.
6.) What a schedule. With injuries and mid-season blahs, it's possible that the Saints would not be 9-0 if they weren't playing the NFL's basement right now. And, yet, that's what they've been handed. Next up -- Tampa Bay, a 1-8 team that will also probably throw the kitchen sink at the Saints.
In some ways, I think this is a perfect storm. The Saints are winning against teams that having nothing to lose, and, therefore, throw the kitchen sink at them. They're racking up wins, working on different looks and adjustments and perhaps even healing some key guys -- it's almost like a preseason where the wins count and get you into the playoffs. The Patriots have to come to New Orleans in two weeks. That'll be a tester, a Monday night game, but the Saints have time to work toward it.
They're good enough to beat the New England Patriots -- and they've got tape to show them how, thanks to Indianapolis. Whether they do win that game will be a huge test of coaching and character. We know the Saints have the talent.
From there, we're talking some decent teams and conference games -- Washington (3-6 @ Washington, might be chilly), Atlanta (already beat 'em), Carolina (already beat 'em), Dallas in N.O. (with yrs truly and Ms. D in attendance), and Tampa again, this time in the Superdome. It's too early to say "undefeated" -- particularly since some of those games at the end of they year might matter a whole lot more for the opponents (Atlanta, Dallas and Carolina) than they will for the Saints, and there's no point in getting hurt going for 16-0.
But the Saints have a darned good chance at exactly that.
In his budget proposal today to the Mississippi Legislature, Gov. Haley Barbour proposed consolidating Jackson State University, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University. He also wants to roll Mississippi University for Women into Mississippi State University. He also called for most state agencies to cut their budgets 12 percent.
Why do men abuse? Why do women stay? How can the community stop the cycle of domestic abuse in a state that is among the most dangerous for women?
Across America, one out of every four women has been the victim of domestic violence during her lifetime—and the epidemic strikes at every segment of our community. Understanding how and why abuse occurs, and raising awareness of the issue play major roles in making Mississippi a safer place for women.
Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd will moderate a discussion about what we all can do to both help abuse victims, and stop the cycle of abuse. The free forum is at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Women at the forefront of the issue in the Jackson area will be among the panel members.
"Each of us has to deliberately get involved to stop domestic abuse. We each play a role. Our entire community must work toward teaching young men and women to break the cycles of abuse in their own families. The women on tonight's panel can help guide this change," Ladd said.
Tonight's panel members are: Regina Meadors, victim assistance coordinator with the Hinds County Sheriff's office; Sandy Middleton, director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl; Voncele Savage, author, speaker and domestic violence survivor; Heather Wagner, special assistant attorney general, domestic violence division; and Anna Walker-Crump, director of the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Join these experts and the Jackson Free Press for a frank discussion, which will include information on the new Duluth Model abuser intervention program. Everyone is welcome; please stay for refreshments afterward.
For additional information, call 601-362-6121, extension 16.
The Battle to Sell “Green” Power to Utilities Comes to Jackson
File Photo
by Adam Lynch
November 16, 2009
Mississippians who generate their own electricity through green technologies should be able to sell any excess back to power companies, Julia O'Neal told a legislative panel this morning. O'Neal said the process of net metering allows individuals to sell excess electricity generated through the use of solar panels or windmill generators, back to power companies at market rates. Net metering is necessary to offset customers' investment in personal power generation, she said.
"Solar panels are expensive to buy, though the price will drop as more people buy them and they are more mass-produced. But right now, the way Mississippi Power refuses to do net metering, it really isn't worth the customers investment to install solar panels or anything like that because they won't get a return on their investment," O'Neal said.
Mississippi lawmakers heard a variety of arguments between Mississippi Power Company and net metering advocates like O'Neal during a joint legislative hearing on energy efficient homes and buildings today. The legislative panel consisted solely of Democrats including Sens. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis and Debbie Dawkins, D-Pass Christian, along with Rep. Dirk Dedeaux, D-Perkinston. Dedeaux said he had invited numerous Republicans to participate.
Mississippi Power Company Manager Larry Vogt told the panel that Mississippi Power customers would be subsidizing their customers' investment in solar panels if they bought the power back from those customers at the same rate they charged.
"When customers buy power, they're using our whole power delivery infrastructure, including power production, transmission, distribution substations and service lines, and other things. That price we charge them includes charges for generation and delivery and maintenance, but the energy we buy from the customers only avoids our cost for fuel. We would have to transfer the costs for transmission onto our other customers who don't have solar panels," Vogt said.
Mississippi Power says a solar-panel equipped customer with a current monthly bill of $130 could see their bill reduced to about $25 with net metering. But the company also says that its $76 of fixed costs must then be transferred to customers who do not have solar panels or some form of personal power generation.
Instead, Mississippi Power advocated for a process known as "net billing," in which the power company inflates the cost of the power the solar-using customer buys from the power company. The company claims the higher rate essentially charges the customer for the fixed transmission and infrastructure costs. Under net billing, a $130 monthly bill would be reduced to $102 under Mississippi Power's net billing proposal.
Deveraux Galloway of Solar Power of Mississippi, which sells and installs solar panels, says that kind of cost offset is not enough to entice enough people to invest in solar installation.
"It's not enough to offset it because Mississippi does not offer any other incentives," Galloway told the Jackson Free Press. "Suppose we install $24,000 worth of solar panels to power a four-bedroom home, which uses 1200 kilowatts a month. You can write off 30 percent of the total cost thanks to a federal incentive, but with a savings of only $30 a month it would take about 30 years to see a return on your costs," Galloway said.
He added that other power companies are also trying to discourage solar investment by charging customers $50 a month for net metering services, virtually eliminating any savings customers would derive from installing solar panels.
"There's no question that they want to kill the effort to produce more power producers in the state, but I'm still confident that in the end, we will prevail," Galloway said.
Baria said he wished advocates and opposition to net metering could come to some form of agreement on the middle ground.
"This is the future for the country," Baria said. "We should get ahead on it."
Concert pianist, composer and activist Robin Webb, 52, has been living with HIV and AIDS for more than two decades. Diagnosed in 1988 as HIV positive, his doctor told him in 1990 that the virus had progressed. "You have AIDS," he told Webb. "... You need to put your house in order."
Facing death tends to quickly put a person's priorities in order. Through his own gradual acceptance of the disease and the advent of new therapies, Webb put his passion for music in the forefront of his life. He also became passionately committed to advocating for GLBT rights, and for the rights of those infected with the AIDS virus.
Tonight, the Mississippi State Department of Health and Webb's Jackson-based networking group, A Brave New Day, are hosting delegates from the White House Office of National AIDS Policy during a town-hall community meeting at the Jackson Medical Mall. It is one of 14 similar meetings held across the country to aid in developing a national HIV/AID strategy.
During the presidential campaigns, Webb and other activists asked the candidates to take on the issue of AIDS in America. Sen. John McCain declined to make fighting the epidemic part of his campaign platform, Webb said. Then-Sen. Barack Obama embraced the issue, and tonight's town-hall meeting is part of the administration's commitment to implementing policy changes toward the illness.
More than 30 years since HIV/AIDS became an issue, HIV infections continue their relentless rise. "We're not seeing any declines," Webb said. "We're still seeing the same number of infections every year: 56,000." The South has seen a disproportionate increase in cases, with nearly half of new infections in the region. In Mississippi today, more than 9,000 people are infected, yet fewer than half are getting any treatment, even the minimal care provided by nurse practitioners. Most at risk are African Americans, Webb said, especially men, with 70 percent of Mississippi's new cases in black men.
Health-care disparities in the rural South, particularly for people of color, are a big issue for AIDS advocates. States that are primarily rural, including Mississippi, have seen a marked inability to secure federal funding to counter the spread of the HIV/AIDS, Webb said. The complicated funding formula in the Ryan White Care Act, passed in 1990, heavily favors large metropolitan areas like New Orleans, Chicago and New York City.
"They probably get five to 10 times more funding (per capita) than rural areas," Webb said, a problem exacerbated by a shortage of doctors. "Life with HIV in Mississippi ... is profoundly different" than in big cities in terms of available medical, mental and social support systems, he added.
"Here, there's no support group, no case management. There's no daily reinforcement," Webb told the Associated Press. In contrast, when he lived in New York City, he not only got medical treatment from HIV specialists, he had access to mental health counseling and nutritional programs.
The HIV/AIDS town-hall meeting runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight, Nov. 16, at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). Most of the time is dedicated to open discussion. To register, sign up at http://www.cmpinc.net/ONAP. You can also register at the door.
6 p.m., Domestic Violence Awareness Forum at the Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). Moderated by Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press editor-in-chief, the panel will discuss how to make Mississippi a safer place for women. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16.
6 p.m. HIV/AIDS town-hall meeting at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The White House Office of National AIDS Policy leads a town-hall discussion about HIV/AIDS. Most of the time is dedicated to open discussion. To register, sign up at http://www.cmpinc.net/ONAP, or register at the door.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
5 p.m., Jackson Public School Board at Jackson Public Schools office (621 S. State St.). The JPS School Board meets for its regular session, open to the public. Free; call 601-960-8700.
5:30 p.m., Third Tuesday Nov 17, at Sal & Mookie's (565 Taylor St.). This business-networking event offers happy hour prices on beverages and a chance to meet and mingle with fellow professionals. Free admission; e-mail .
6 p.m., City Council Meeting at Jackson City Hall (200 S. President St.). The City Council holds its regular meeting, open to the public. Free; call 601-960-1033.
Thursday, Nov. 19
10 a.m. State Board of Education meets in the fourth floor boardroom, Central High School building (359 N. West St.). The state board holds a public meeting. Free; 601-359-3513.
5 p.m., Fondren Unwrapped. This special holiday edition of Fondren After 5 is your opportunity to find that special local find for your holiday shopping needs. Stop by the JFP's table at Swell-O to check out the official JFP "I Get It Once a Week" t-shirts on sale. Free; call 601-981-9606.
6 p.m., "Legal Rights and Planning for Persons with Mental Illness" at St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive). Richard A. Courtney, CELA, discusses healthcare decision-making rights and options, public benefits and family estate planning techniques that will provide healthcare and financial resources and security for persons living with mental illness and their families. Free; call 601-899-9058.
Friday, Nov. 20
8 a.m., Business E-Waste Day at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.). Businesses can bring unwanted electronics for proper, environmentally friendly disposal. Acceptable items include: computers, all computer components, desktop copiers, fax machines, radios, televisions, cell phones, desk phones, VCR players, DVD players, electronic games, monitors, keyboards, printers, laptops, scanners, stereos/radios, microwaves, vacuums, smoke alarms. (Note: $1 charge per monitor and $10 charge per television.) Free; call 601-948-7575 ext. 234.10 a.m. State Board of Education meets in the fourth floor boardroom, Central High School building (359 N. West St.). The state board holds a public meeting. Free; call 601-359-3513.
Saturday, Nov. 21
8 p.m., THEshow at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 Pascagoula St.). Local fashion designers showcase their work to raise money for Community Outreach Health Awareness, Inc. $20; call 228-324-2946.
Sunday, Nov. 22
10 a.m., Black Gay Pride Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton Jackson (1001 E. County Line Rd.). Author Terry Angel Mason will discuss his book "Love Won't Let Me Be Silent." Free; call 601-957-3625 ext. 121.
2 p.m., Friends and Family at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church (1638 Clinton-Raymond Road). The guest speaker for this special event is Rev. Larry Thompson of Mt. Hood Baptist Church, with the Mt. Olive Male Choir performing. Free; call 601-214-8283.
State Earns “F” from March of Dimes but Shows Improvement
File Photo
November 17, 2009
Mississippi received a failing grade from the second annual March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, but the organization states that it showed improvement on some criteria. The report, released yesterday on the seventh annual Prematurity Awareness Day, says as a whole, the United States gets a "D," with more than a half million newborns not getting the healthy start they deserve. No state received an "A" on the report card and only Vermont received a "B."
Mississippi earned showed improvement last year for reducing the percentage of women of child-bearing age who smoke, and lowering the late preterm birth rate.
"Here in Mississippi we are proud of our hard work to improve access to health care coverage, to help women quit smoking and to prevent unnecessary early c-sections. We hope that it will be the start of a decline in our preterm birth rate," said Sally Harrison, March of Dimes volunteer and concerned parent in a release. "We have a long way to go before all babies in America get a healthy start in life and we are committed to working with state health officials, hospitals and health care providers to continue to fight for preemies."
In Mississippi, the rate of late preterm births is 12.9 percent; the rate of women smoking is 22.5 percent, and the rate of uninsured women is 25.2 percent, according to the March of Dimes release.
In the US, more than 540,000 babies are born too soon each year. Preterm birth is a serious health problem that costs the United States more than $26 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine. It is the leading cause of newborn death and babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, such as breathing problems, mental retardation and others. A March of Dimes report released in October found that 13 million babies worldwide were born preterm and more than one million die each year.
JxnPro Benefit for Stewpot @ F. Jones Corner THURSDAY 7PM
Jackson Progressives will be holding it annual Benefit for Stewpot THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19 at 7pm. This years event will be held at F. Jones Corner, one of Jackson's newest, hottest spots.
ADMISSION IS A CANNED GOOD(S), CLOTHING, OR DONATION!
Last year, JxnPro collected hundreds of canned goods, clothing, and cash for our friends at Stewpot and we hope to do the same this year.
Come and sample some great food. Hear some great music from some surprise guests and a Live DJ! and most of all join the members of JxnPro and learn more about our movement to push a positive Jackson!
**DJ YOUNG VENOM SPINS THE SOUNDS**
**SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY OUR OWN SUPERGROUP: LAUREL ISBISTER, ANNA KLINE, AND LIZZIE WRIGHT!!**
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will provide the state with his recommendations for the budget today. With revenues lagging behind estimates for the last year, politicians and pundits expect the announced cuts to be deep and wide.
On Barbour's table are cuts to already lean agency budgets, public school district and state university consolidations, furloughs and layoffs. Experts do not expect Barbour to raise taxes to increase the state's revenue, however he will likely ask the Legislature to increase his power to make cuts without their approval.
