Jackson Free Press

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Big Changes for Jackson Free Press in January 2021

Along with changes on the national level, I've got several changes to report on the local JFP front, effective with this issue.

OPINION: Making Government Surveillance Great Again in America’s ‘Radical City’

"Virtual policing means that 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, an all-seeing eye will be fixed on Jackson's majority poor and working-class residents."

Hayden Boyd

During his preteen days attending live-music shows with his father and older brother, Hayden Boyd decided he wanted to be a musician himself. Nowadays, Boyd comprises one half of the …

Jackson State Band to Perform in Biden Inauguration Event

Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South marching band is set to participate in an official event celebrating diversity ahead of the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden and …

City Partners with Mobile Lab for COVID-19 Testing as State Faces Vaccine Shortage

Only 18% of those who have been vaccinated in Mississippi are African Americans, though they account for about 40% of the population, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said at a media …

US Surgeon General Acknowledges Black Skepticism of Vaccines

The U.S. surgeon general on Thursday urged Black leaders in Mississippi to get COVID-19 vaccinations and to ask others in their communities to do the same.

Iverson Molinar

One could argue that few players have enjoyed a jump from one season to the next like Mississippi State University guard Iverson Molinar. The sophomore basketball player is enjoying a …

Mississippi Vaccine Appointments Fill Up as Demand Surges

The Mississippi Health Department said Wednesday that the state cannot take any more appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations because of a “monumental surge” in demand after Gov. Tate Reeves announced that …

Mississippi Lottery Leader: Don't Fall Victim to Scams

The president of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation is warning people not to fall victim to scams. Tom Shaheen said in a news release Wednesday that fake communications about lottery winnings …

A line of cars waits at one of the drive-thru clinics available throughout the state. …

• January 13, 2021

Delays Hinder COVID Vaccinations As Requirements, Access Loosen

More Mississippians than ever now qualify for COVID-19 vaccinations, but only one-quarter of the total doses in the state so far have been administered—62,744 out of 249,100.

EDITORIAL: Elected Leaders of the Mississippi 'Sedition Caucus' Must Recant or Resign

Mississippi and the nation must hold U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Reps. Trent Kelly, Steven Palazzo and Michael Guest accountable for their complicity in the lies that Donald Trump has …

OPINION: Mississippi’s Republican Cats Up Trump’s Authoritarian Tree

One of Mississippi’s senators and three of its congressmen chose to jump on the Trump bandwagon, objecting last week to final certification of the Biden-Harris presidential victory.

City Prepares Shelter for Homeless as Temperature Dips Below Freezing

The dip in temperature creates the need to provide shelters for the homeless population in Jackson. The City is prepared to open Champion Gymnasium at 1355 Hattiesburg St. as an …

Murder Charge Dismissed After Debunked Bite-Mark Testimony

A Mississippi judge has dismissed a murder charge against Eddie Lee Howard, a Black man who spent more than a quarter-century on death row in the 1992 killing of a …

Black Doctors Work to Reduce Skepticism of COVID-19 Vaccine

As many Black residents in Mississippi remain doubtful about the benefits of taking a COVID-19 vaccine when available, more Black doctors are pushing for them to reconsider by getting immunized …

Analysis: Health Care, Education, Incentives on 2021 Agendas

With the Mississippi legislative session just beginning, officials are starting to reveal their public policy wish lists, including proposals to increase teacher pay and improve the availability of health care …

Governor Tate Reeves Makes Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine

Today, Governor Tate Reeves made a statement in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine plan.

'Zombie Law' Cited in Court Fight Over Mississippi Marijuana

Attorneys trying to block a Mississippi medical marijuana program say the state is using a “zombie law” about old congressional districts to defend how an initiative landed on the ballot.

Ameshya Williams

Ameshya Williams is delivering on the lofty preseason awards she received as the senior began her final season at Jackson State University. Jackson was named SWAC Preseason Play of the …