Small is Beautiful
When Peter Vandorn laid out downtown Jackson's streets in 1822, he designed a checkerboard of alternating green squares. His plan created a public park on every other block. Stores or …
[Stiggers] Law of Self-Preservation
During our morning staff meeting, Jojo went into a philosophical mode to address why companies, small businesses and corporations are slow on hiring.
Light a Candle
The killing of Mr. James Craig Anderson in Jackson in June seems to have precipitated a number of questions that can, in my opinion, be answered by revisiting our state's …
[Outlaw] The Act of Creativity
I found myself neck deep in a community serious about its art.
Be Our Guest
One of the most famous love stories ever told comes to Jackson in October: Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." W. Kessler Ltd. brings the musical, based on a French fairy …
An Open Letter to the Greater Jackson Community
We, the members of the board of Jackson 2000, extend our hearts and thoughts to the family and friends of James Craig Anderson, and we join the rest of the …
[Stiggers] Throw Up Your Hands
From my perspective, the world is a ghetto dealing with the inner city blues. It makes you want to holler, weep, wail, scream and throw up both your hands, right?
[Kamikaze] I'm Angry
I try not to write when I'm angry. They say some of the best writing comes out of emotion. But some of the most regrettable pieces have come when penned …
[Head] One Mississippi, Two Mississippi
This is not a new disease. This is an acute symptom of a very old chronic disease.
Of Anger and Alternative Endings
When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a civil-rights attorney. I had visions of righting the kinds of wrongs done in my hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. …
Think First, Bark Later
Fights about election results in tight races aren't unusual, but the committee's public-relations errors cast a negative image on Hinds County.
[Stiggers] Hustle Mode
If you're mad as hell and not going to take it any more, come to the east wing of the Clubb Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Complex and join the Hustle family, …
[Mott] Shine On
In his classic work on creativity, "The Gift," Lewis Hyde likens artistic output to the gift giving of indigenous people. Creativity is a sacred thing to be shared and passed …
[Mamoon] We Are Jackson
Living in Jackson, we have the power to touch lives and change things, and I don't think there is anything more interesting than that.
Stop Being a Regular
Everywhere I go, I see people who are not satisfied with where they are. My friends in New Orleans can't wait until they can move to New York or Japan, …
Time for Justice
"The wheels of justice grind very slowly, but sometimes they grind in the right direction." Hinds County Circuit Court Tomie Green spoke those words to Cedric Willis March 6, 2006, …
[Stiggers] Loosen the Screws
Sometimes events in life force you to make adjustments, just like that company did when it laid you off. It's time for you to loosen those screws. Rise up and …
[Kamikaze] What We've Learned
It's frustrating. Those of us who preach progression, who practice tolerance, see it daily. Despite the Herculean efforts of most of us, we still have some among us who are …
[Purvis] Dealing with the Devil
DeeDee didn't attend church much, but he was a man who believed in a day of judgment.
Second Best Ideas
I vividly remember the day when Ward 1 City Councilman Ben Allen bounded into my office at the Jackson Free Press. During the Frank Melton mayoral administration, it wasn't unusual …
