Jackson Free Press

McCain Camp Suddenly Upset About Professor He Helped Fund

The absurdity du jour is that the desperate McCain campaign and right-wing media are suddenly demanding the release of a video of a party Obama attending with Palestinian studies expert …

Amazing Teens

We asked the community to suggest young people who have overcome challenges or who are working to make a difference and, thus, influencing other kids as well as adults. Readers …

Racism, sexism… "hairism"?

A Vicksburg High School student was told by the principal that he could not be a homecoming escort unless he cut off his dreadlocks. From WAPT:

What's In A Label?

Photos by Katrina Hercules, Jaro Vacek, Darren Schwindaman, and Nate Glenn

It's a Thursday evening in late August. For some reason, the AC's on the fritz, but who cares? Hal & Mal's Red Room is slammed. Through open doors, overflow—sound and …

Eight Simple Rules

I might as well go on and say it: I don't really see the point of the men's movement.

It seems to consist of a bunch of guys looking at what men are already stereotyped as being, as wanting, as desiring, and then trying to figure out how to …

Bush's Version of Iraq Ignores Facts

Mark Seibel, the head of international coverage for McClatchy news service, published a detailed piece this weekend dissecting how the Bush administration—especially Bush, Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice and National …

ABC Poll: Voters say U.S. on ‘Wrong Track'; Kerry Ahead

ABC News is reporting: "Skepticism about the nation's direction is boosting John Kerry's campaign for president: Fifty-five percent of likely voters say the country is on the wrong track, and …

Crime Perception Hurts Jackson Economy

Jackson misses out on booking conventions because of a false perception that the city has a high crime rate, Rickey Thigpen says. Thigpen, executive vice president of the Jackson Convention …

Pelosi Be Damned: House Votes to Up Minimum Wage

The House passed an ambitious minimum-wage bill before adjourning on Tuesday. HB 237, which passed 68-to-50, calls for every state employer to raise minimum wage to $6.25 by July 1, …

Seattle's Former Top Cop Says End Drug War

In an op ed this weekend in the Seattle Times (and, it seems, the LA Times, since he's bylined as "Special to the Los Angeles Times"), Norm Stamper, former chief …

JFP Chick Ball - Saturday Night!

Click here for more details on the Chick Ball.

The JFP Chick Ball is finally here. Join us from 6 to midnight Saturday night at Hal & Mal's Red Room to raise money to buy a Freedom Van for …

MAC Doles Out $1.5 Million for the Arts

Artists and programs in 45 counties across the state received $1.5 million in grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission, the agency announced late Monday.

Community Events and Public Meetings

The W.I.N.E. (Women Inquiring, Networking and Engaging) Meeting is tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., at the home of deborah Rae Wright on 135 Grand Ave.

Melton, Resolve to Be Mayor

The recent dust-up over the Jackson Public School Board is yet another reminder that Mayor Frank Melton remains focused on petty political maneuvering at the expense of a business-like approach …

BREAKING: Michele Purvis Endorses D.A. Faye Peterson

Former Hinds County District Attorney candidate Michele Purvis endorsed incumbent Faye Peterson over the weekend. "When looking at the remaining two candidates, based upon experience I feel she is the …

‘Not a Dungeon’: The Evolving Approach to Juvenile Detention

Across the pod, from inside the darkness of a cell, two shining circles stared out: the still and steady eyes of a black boy, locked up before he is even …

[Kamikaze] Hamster On A Treadmill

I've been intrigued reading some of the posts on the JFP Web site in response to the New York Times story "Plight Worsens for Black Men." Although I didn't need …

Legislators on a Tight Rope, Walking a Fine Line

Officials and advocates don't expect this legislative session to be much different than any other. It's a state-wide election year, which is the perfect time for emphasizing wedge issues and …

UPDATED: Mayor Frank Melton ‘Still Alive,' Spokeswoman Says

UPDATE 12:10 P.M.: City spokeswoman Goldia Revies has released the following statement: "Mayor Frank E. Melton is still resting and will undergo tests today at St. Dominic Hospital. More information …

Turnabout: Melton Changes Story About Leak

When he was head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton leaked a memo containing accusations that would later be disproved about agency personnel to The Clarion-Ledger. …