Jackson Free Press

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.

‘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 …

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.

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 …

Stephen Cole's Ephemeral Permanence

Sculptor Stephen Coles will exhibit his work in “B+ (new work and investigations)” at Millsaps College Nov. 5-Dec. 17.

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.

Universal Earth

Kristen Tordella-Williams has an affinity for dirt. Not the stuff that gathers under the couch, but the blacky-brown soil that gets under your nails, and the mound scraped away to …

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.

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.

Laurin Stennis: Art of Consciousness

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

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 …

Tom Thomsen's Heart for the Arts

Tom Thomsen's artistic career is long and varied. The Nebraska native—and former farm boy—began playing piano at age 4.

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. …

Building Jackson Strong, One Person at a Time

Shoppers looking for organic and locally sourced food are familiar with the unassuming little grocery on Old Canton Road in Fondren. Mostly, they just call it Rainbow.

A Beautiful, Brutal Reality

Gwendolyn Magee, who died in 2011, drew international acclaim for her striking quilts, which elevated an African and African American folk tradition to fine art.

A Creepy Christie Mystery

"And Then There Were None," a play based on the best-selling 1939 Agatha Christie novel "Ten Little Indians," is the newest offering from Brandon's Black Rose Theatre.

How The Clarion-Ledger Got It Wrong: The Importance of Context

As part of its coverage of Mississippi's proposed execution of Michelle Byrom, The Clarion-Ledger's Therese Apel wrote a puff piece that ostensibly explored whether the United States reserves its harshest …

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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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An Innocent Woman? Michelle Byrom vs. Mississippi

If Mississippi executes Michelle Byrom, now 57, she will be the first woman the state has put to death in 70 years. It may also be a horrible injustice.

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Steve Hendrix: Lost in the Art

Steve Hendrix's long, slender hands might indicate that he has psychic abilities, if you believe in that sort of thing.