Jackson Free Press

Sweet Home Paradox

"Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South." You can tell by the title of this book what it's going to be about, right? …

Symbiotic

Green is en vogue, and I don't mean the color. Sporting purses and jewelry made from recycled materials, celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Christina Applegate, Sienna Miller and Katherine Heigl are …

OPINION: An Open Letter to Christians of Good Conscience: We Are Not 'Ridiculous'

Mississippi is a state steeped and stained with a dark history of racial prejudice and violence towards African Americans.

No. 14, December 22-28

<b><u>Boot Camps Won't Work</b></u>

I have to give the mayor credit for identifying a problem and then attempting to deal with it, even if it is in the mode of Don Quixote slaying windmill …

[Road to Wellness] Skating into Health, Weeks 9 and 10

Can you believe we're almost done with our 12 weeks? After this one, there's only one more installment. I don't know about y'all, but I actually feel better, both mentally …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Christmas Wish List Drive at Jackson Street Gallery (500 Highway 51, Suite E, Ridgeland). The gallery is collecting donated items for The Home Place, a senior citizens home in Madison …

Where are the Rock Stars?

When Judy Coleman was 16, she watched MTV's "Rock the Vote" special "Choose or Lose" religiously. The rock stars sucked her in.

Is Jackson a [Good] College Town?

Image by Ken Patterson

Forget Boston, it's too far away. Baton Rouge, too. Hell, forget Oxford and Starkville while you're at it. Home to five major colleges (Belhaven, Jackson State, Millsaps, Mississippi College and …

Emmerich Weighs Pros and Cons of Johnson and Melton

As a newspaperman and an American, I don't think there's anything more exciting and fulfilling than having a front-row seat to a no-holds-barred, tough, vigorous political race. The Jackson mayoral …

Farish Street Blues: Rebuilding A ‘Music Town," by Scott Barretta

I wouldn't have a gal on Farish Street, I wouldn't speak to one that lived on Mill

— Doodleville Blues, by John Henry "Bubba" Brown & Cary Lee Simmons

Mr. Washington Comes To Mississippi

Photos by Jaro Vacek and Roy Adkins

When Democrats speak of Gov. Haley Barbour, it's usually either with some degree of admiration or a great deal of venom.

CBS Poll: Obama Won Undecided Voters in Debate

Per Mark Ambinder at The Atlantic:

Community Events and Public Meetings

• L.E.A.D. Conference Oct 17-20. Four one-day conferences teach youth the importance of preventing tobacco use in their communities. Shaun Derik is the keynote speaker. Sessions are from 9 a.m.-2 …

The Cost of ‘Tough on Crime'

Jackson resident Almona Fleming is a placid woman, prone to introspective stares and thoughtful contemplation during interviews. Her calm demeanor says nothing about the writhing coil of hunger that for …

The Blind Giant: Insurance Companies Play By Their Own Rules

Hurricane Katrina was a nasty surprise for Mississippi Gulf Coast resident Mike Perronne when it slammed into Mississippi Aug. 29, 2005. Perronne left his Diamondhead, Miss., home that Sunday before …

Fishermen Uncertain About BP Claims; Hood Demands Action

Biloxi charter boat captain Tom Becker said he filed a $40,000 claim with BP due to a drop in business following the April sinking of the BP offshore oil rig, …

Embrace the Pale

I don't think skin cancer would flatter me. I'm using sunscreen.

My grandmother died of skin cancer before I was old enough to remember her. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had smooth milky skin, green eyes, and beautiful curly black hair. …

More Ledger Illiteracy

OK, folks, check out The Clarion-Ledger's editorial about Melton today—for the way it is written. Here are some money quotes:

Did He Do It?

Did grocery delivery driver Willie McGee crawl through a window, wake mother of three Willette Hawkins from her sleep as she held her infant daughter and rape her? Or did …

OPINION: Mississippians Can’t Breathe if Gov. Tate Reeves Keeps Validating Symbols of Hate

Columnist Duvalier Malone writes that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves news to immediately take down all symbols of hate, including the state flag, so Mississippi can begin the process of racial …