Jackson Free Press

It’s OK to Be Critical

Music is an art form, so it's entirely subjective. But it's also objective. The goal is to reach wider audiences, to evolve and become better over time.

Trump Celebrates GOP Gains, Threatens House Democrats

President Donald Trump on Wednesday celebrated Senate Republican gains in the midterm election but immediately threatened Democrats, who won back control of the House and with it the power to …

Cinematastic!: Crossroads Film Festival 2008

It's April again, and that means the Crossroads Film Festival is here. The perilous task of choosing films is over, and now all you have to do is sit back …

Can We Be In A Band?

<b>Jackson Chicks Want In On The Scene</b>

As a rapper, as a female, Rachel James has run into a few problems. In studios, she has tried to get serious about her rhymes. She's approached producers—looking sexy, or …

Heart: Finding Relevance in Ancient Teachings

Although American religious culture is often described as "Judeo-Christian," and random verses from the Old Testament are sometimes used as proof-texts to bolster whatever political argument a speaker might support.

[Kamikaze] Pump It Up

I've been an athlete all my life. Since I can remember, I've participated in organized sports, whether it was soccer in elementary school; baseball, basketball and track in junior high …

Happy Mother's Day

Arise, then, women of this day!

Here is the original, pre-Hallmark, Mother's Day Proclamation, penned in Boston by Julia Ward Howe in 1870:

Momentum Gaining Momentum?

Tempers flared for the first real time on the floor of the Mississippi House of Representatives May 26 as lawmakers argued over an amendment by Rep. Bennett Malone, D-Carthage, to …

Attack of the Orange Barrels

<b>City Revitalization Isn't Easy, But It's Under Way</b>

Humanity, in general, is like a germ. it comes along, consumes all that is consumable, makes more of itself, leaves a bad smell everywhere, then moves on to repeat the …

JFP Interview: Myrlie Evers-Williams

Myrlie Evers-Williams, 72, and I talked long distance last Saturday at noon, separated by distance but connected by more than the telephone—both Mississippians, both widows, albeit by excruciatingly different circumstances, …

Did Kerry Win the Debate?

A New York Times editorial today called Bush's performance "downright petulant": "George W. Bush is famous for fierce discipline when it comes to sticking to a carefully honed, simple message. …

DA Smith Trial: Tales of Affairs, Fighting, Hiding in the Closet

An all-white jury of eight women and six men settled in to listen to the state's case against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith on Tuesday, Sept. 11, in …

[Balko] Another Marylander Arrested for Recording the Police

The city of Annapolis, Md., recently received a Homeland Security grant for 20 new surveillance cameras in the downtown area. The city of Baltimore already has nearly 500.

Election 2012 Offers Two Visions for U.S.: Together v. On Your Own

It's the mantra we will hear endlessly in the coming weeks: Americans face a "stark choice" come November. It is a choice, as President Barack Obama has said repeatedly, "between …

The Best In Sports In 7 Days

Doctor S sez: South Panola High is back in town. The Tigers have turned Memorial Stadium into their home away from home.

Focus on Money in Mental Health Crisis a 'Red Herring,' Advocate Says

Disability Rights Mississippi praised a federal judge's ruling earlier this week that found the State violates the civil rights of those with mental illness, but a leading mental health advocate …

The Thin Line Between LGBT and Racist Hate

Echoes of Mississippi's discriminatory history continue to make themselves heard, sometimes in the form of so-called "religious liberty" laws that give businesses and organization wide berth to invoke their religion …

Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Black America's Promises and Perils

One of the most prominent transmitters of African American history and culture alive today—Henry Louis Gates Jr.—is more widely known for being arrested on suspicion of breaking into his own …

A Reading List for Following the Debt Ceiling Drama

Congress has until Aug. 2 to raise the debt ceiling, the cap on the amount of money the Treasury can borrow to pay the government's bills. As the clock keeps …

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

"Anxiety Disorders can be Debilitating." The headline, from The Clarion-Ledger a few weeks ago, speaks volumes about the way we live our lives. Fear stops us in our tracks, making …