Jackson Free Press

Obama, Allies Vow Firm Response to Islamic State

The United States stood firm Wednesday in its fight against Islamic State militants who beheaded a U.S. journalist in Iraq, pledging to continue attacking the group despite its threats to …

Egypt Sentences 529 Morsi Supporters to Death

An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced to death 529 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in connection to an attack on a police station that killed a policeman, convicting …

A Brief History of Oysters

Opening an oyster bar in Fondren has given me a great opportunity to get reacquainted with an old friend.

Combat Vehicles in East Ukraine Fly Russian Flag

A column of armored vehicles flying Russian flags drove into a Ukrainian city controlled by pro-Russia insurgents Wednesday, dampening the central government's hopes of re-establishing control over restive eastern Ukraine.

The Unbearable Heaviness of Adulthood

According to The Sentencing Project, black youth are twice as likely to be arrested than white youth, something that affected me even as a minor, and though 58 percent of …

The Next Fight: LGBT Workplace Rights

Lavell Brown filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued him a right-to-sue notice in February.

Oppression and the Power of Elections

University of Mississippi's decision to lower the state flag shows that there is power in symbols and a tremendous amount of power in people coming together to demand that symbols …

Conceiving a Smarter Future

We're on an arc of history where too many of our lawmakers (and voters) aren't willing to address the disparities that our racist history created—unequal school funding due to forced, …

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Mississippi: Clawing to the Top

As we've all been riding high in recent weeks over the Mississippi State football team's meteoric rise on the media radar, we've all seen those tweets. You know, the anti-Mississippi …

From Affleck to Baltimore: Sh*t Our Ancestors Did

Forget a "sagging feeling"—it's a gut-punch to discover you descend from a slave owner or plantation overseer, especially when your relatives have laughed off such a notion your whole life, …

Mother’s Day Meals

Your mother has probably spent her entire life taking care of you in one way or another. This Mother's Day, which is Sunday, May 10, treat her to brunch at …

B.B. King Dead at Age 89

B.B. King, whose scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of the Blues, died late …

Blackness, Leisure and an American Dream

Everyone was sold on the American Dream. The trouble is, when scenes like McKinney play out, it's hard to make a case that black people who bought into the dream …

The Music of Stray At Home

Arkansas traveler and troubadour Adam Faucett has an evocative, nearly operatic voice that is well-suited to the deep, passionate lyrics he pens.

A Look at Allegations of Cover-Ups at VA Hospitals

A team of federal investigators swept into Phoenix last month amid allegations of a disturbing cover-up at the veterans hospital.

Hatching a New Art Movement

The area between Woodrow Wilson Avenue, and Fortification, West and Mill streets is full of what looks like abandoned buildings and warehouses, some laced with graffiti and others just plain …

Iraq Fights Militants as Foreigners Feared Seized

Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said it had regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border Wednesday, trying to blunt a …

One Editor Convicted, One Cleared in UK Scandal

It was a simple trick—punching in passcodes to listen to messages left on other people's phones. For years the illegal technique, known as phone hacking, helped Britain's News of the …

Ukraine Cease-Fire Begins, but US Still Skeptical

Ukraine, Russia and the Kremlin-backed separatists signed a cease-fire deal Friday after five months of bloodshed, and Europe readied additional sanctions in case the truce fails. NATO leaders created a …

The Dollars and Sense of the Costco Fight

In looking to relocate to the Jackson area, Costco is not making an altruistic overture, bestowing a gift on the people of the capital city and expecting nothing in return.