Jackson Free Press

Fishes of Many Colors

Samuel Jalapeno-Pepperoni Finn is a fish—a beta, to be exact—and he's about to start his first day at the Crystal Coral Fins Academy. Sam is the star in Shaydrienne N. …

People of the Mounds

If your description of Native Americans includes "primitive" or "savages," listening to retired archeologist and Jackson resident Sam Brookes will blow your mind.

Clay Hardwick Turns Up the Arts

Clay Hardwick doesn't name his canvas creations. Instead, each piece carries the year, a season and a sequential number: "2012-fall-08," for example.

The Magic of ‘Peter Pan’

Even with its G-rated '50s songs and eternally optimistic story line, people of all ages get caught up in "Peter Pan"—even the cynics.

Laurin Stennis: Art of Consciousness

For Laurin Stennis, art is about refuge and full self-expression.

‘One Man, Two Guvnors’: Controlled Mayhem

Before the actors hit the boards for an early "stumble-through" rehearsal of "One Man, Two Guvnors" at New Stage Theatre, Joe Frost straps on knee and elbow pads and uses …

Felandus Thames: Creating Questions

Felandus Thames' work, which ranges from small to wall-sized paintings to dimensional installations, invites viewers to take a deeper, often jarring look at the easy, automatic views of African Americans.

Stop Dieting, Be Healthy

Diet is a four-letter word. For people who struggle with weight, the word conjures images of hardship and long lists of what we shouldn't be eating and doing.

Where Voter ID Stands in Mississippi

After years of unsuccessfully trying to get the Mississippi Legislature to pass a voter ID law, last November, state conservatives put the issue of voter ID to the state's voters.

Lessons in Abstraction

For every abstraction that leaves you cold, another may set your imagination afire. The viewer's experience is essential to abstract art, says Jackson artist Jonathan Berry, even though it was …

Will Byrom Be Tortured to Death?

Mississippi's pending executions of Michelle Byrom and Charles Crawford—which are not yet scheduled—have mired the state in a controversy over what constitutes "cruel and unusual" in executions.

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The Tangled Web of Hate

The Southern Poverty Law Center counts the Council of Conservative Citizens as a "Neo-Confederate" hate group, which, like the more radical League of the South, fights for the rights of …

Dems: Reprioritize to Fund Schools

The Mississippi Legislature does not lack the money to fully fund education; it lacks political will, Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, says.

Engage to Change

Given what most black youth face—from lack of opportunity to lack of self-esteem—they have an uphill climb with little mainstream support.

Notes from the Fishbowl

Waking up to our biases is like popping the red pill—suddenly, the matrix is everywhere.

Health-Care Navigators Fight Misinformation

Jarvis Dortch, program manager for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Group and a marketplace navigator for the Affordable Care Act, says many people don’t know that the ACA is the same …

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The Lumumba Legacy: What Happens Now?

Chokwe Lumumba was the first to admit that he was a radical. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He became a lawyer for the express purpose of defending …

Batterer’s Intervention: Changing Minds, Saving Lives

Early on in Ben Ellard's career as the program manager of the Batterer's Intervention Program at Pearl's Center for Violence Prevention, he had a profound experience while processing a new …

Start Up, Minority Business Registry, Accelerator, More

Entrepreneurs in the capital city will get a chance to pitch their ideas to fellow aspiring business owners and business leaders, and possibly find the connections they need to get …

Battle of the Boxes

If there's one thing Mississippians love, it's their discount stores.