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DIY Bibles
Even the best of us need a good help book. The real problem is to find one that matches your style. Fortunately, we've already did the hard part for you.
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Person of the Day
Ryder Anderson
In Oxford, football players took part in a unity walk at the University of Mississippi. The walk started at the track and ended at the football practice fields. After the …
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Person of the Day
Dr. Michael V. Williams
When Dr. Michael Vinson Williams discusses his most recent book, "Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr," one can only wonder where he obtained the passion to write such an in-depth biography of …
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City & County
Zoo Wants City Help With Killer Dogs
Beth Poff, executive director of the Jackson Zoo, wants the City of Jackson to help beef up security around the park after six animals were killed in late December.
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Bryan's Rant
Basketball Is Our Soccer
The United States Men's National Soccer Team gave it their all in a 2-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup. While the USMNT didn't win, the team did improve.
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The Death of Cinderella?
The NCAA Division I board of directors voted to give the Power Five conferences plus the University of Notre Dame the ability to start making their own rules in regard …
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Person of the Day
Margaret Hoelzer
As a 5-year-old, Olympian Margaret Hoelzer didn't realize her best friend's father was sexually abusing her.
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Education
RePublic Schools Charter Network Gets $9.6M for Expansion
An operator of charter schools in Tennessee and Mississippi is in line to receive $9.6 million in federal funding, with plans to spend the money on expansion.
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Jackson City Council Approves Landmark LGBTQ-Inclusive Non-Discrimination, Hate Crimes Ordinance
By Donna LaddThe Human Rights Campaign just released this verbatim statement:
JACKSON, Miss. -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Mississippi hailed the Jackson, Mississippi City Council for voting to advance city-wide non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public accommodations and employment. Passed by a 7-0 vote, the measure also expands the city’s hate crimes statute to include tougher penalties for perpetrators who commit crimes motivated by the victim's real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
“As the LGBTQ community grapples with the horrific massacre in Orlando, it is truly encouraging to see the Jackson City Council taking decisive action to protect and affirm the rights of all their citizens,” said HRC Mississippi State Director Rob Hill. “Discrimination and hate have no place in Jackson, and everyone, regardless of who they are, should have the legal right to feel safe in their community. We thank Councilman Tyrone Hendrix for his continued leadership on issues of equality, and are confident that the Council’s actions will serve as an example to communities across the country.”
Today’s vote comes just days after a tragic shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, claimed the lives of 49 people and injured more than 50 others. While that crime has not yet been labeled a hate crime, according to the most recent FBI statistics available, more than 20 percent of hate crimes reported nationally in 2014 targeted people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a recent investigation by the Associated Press uncovered, this reporting dramatically undercounts LGBTQ data, as it is based on local, non-mandatory reporting. Strong, fully-inclusive hate crimes legislation at the local level plays an important role in improving data collection and ultimately saving lives.
Mississippi is one of 20 states that do not have hate crimes laws explicitly protecting sexual orientation and gender identity, and one of 32 without fully-inclusive LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.
Jackson his been leading on the issue of LGBTQ equality. Earlier this year, the Jackson Public School District’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend fully-inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity workplace protections to their employees. With almost 30,000 students, the district is the second largest in the state and one of the first in the Mississippi Public School system o grant employment protections to LGBTQ staff members.
In 2014, HRC launched Project One America, an initiative geared towards advancing social, institutional and legal equality in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. HRC Mississippi continues to work to advance equality for LGBT Mississippians who have no state level protections in housing, workplace, or public accommodations. Through HRC Mississippi, we are working toward a future of fairness every day—changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.
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Follow Lead of Powell, Barksdale
There are people who complain, seeing insurmountable problems everywhere, and there are people who take action infused by hope and informed by facts and evidence. We were thrilled to see …
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Of Contracts, Broken
Over the past few weeks, the Mississippi Legislature has bandied about a few anemic attempts at strengthening laws protecting victims of domestic violence. Among them is an addition to the …
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Hitched
Moon Made of Honey
Choosing the setting for your honeymoon is a dreamy affair. If you want to go overseas, make sure you have your passport and bank account ready. Spend time early fantasizing …
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McMillin Talks Jail, Firings
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said today that he rightfully fired nine county-jail employees.
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Mississippi Foreclosures Buck National Trend
New foreclosures in the Magnolia State remain relatively low despite other states reporting rates as high as one in every 55 homes. Mississippi foreclosures fell last month, in fact, by …
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Elvis, Beer and Thou
It was started in New Orleans by a guy named Elvis on Magazine Street in a bar called Brew Ha Ha. Beer fanatics Chris Crothers and Allen Tye of Jackson …
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Music
Halloween Happenings
It can’t be fall until football, the state fair and, of course, Halloween roll our way.
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South by Southwest - Day One
Today marks the official start to South by Southwest, the four day Austin music festival and conference that is one of the most exciting and stressful weeks of a music …
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The 'Jesus Christ' of Bar Mitzvahs
Some thingsparticularly adolescencenever change. One kid will always be picked last for the futbol team (even after the kid with polio), and siblings will always be rivals.
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[Drink] Mixin' It Up
Often, it's hard to decide on just one type of wine. Sure, if you're shopping for yourself, you can go for what you like or take a chance on something …
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Innovation: A Review of Tales of Symphonia
When someone thinks of a Role Playing Game, they picture a group of characters with gravity-defying hair standing in a row waiting to take potshots at an equally outrageous group …
