Jackson Free Press

Gifts of the Spirit

Looking to seek the inner within? Or perhaps a journey to Nirvana? Each of us seek to to find the peace within ourselves. Or at least enjoy the road trip. …

Church Lady

In times past, tradition dictated that a woman of a certain age cover her head when entering a church on Sunday mornings. It all started with the biblical apostle Paul. …

The Best In Sports In 7 Days

Doctor S sez: Last year, Mississippi State ruined the Rebels' holidays with an Egg Bowl upset. Can the Rebels return the favor this year?

JSU Presidential Pick Named

The board of trustees for Mississippi's universities announced Nov. 22 that it had selected Carolyn W. Meyers to serves as the next president of Jackson State University. Meyers is the …

Not a Ghost Town

As Betty Lyons rode through neighborhoods in west Jackson during a recent tour, she envisioned the boarded-up homes along Grand Avenue and Rose Street occupied with residents and creating a …

Private Youth Prison Under Fire

By corporate standards, the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility has been a success. Since opening in 2001, the private prison has generated roughly $100 million for the companies that have …

Downtown Arena, Anyone?

It's become a rite of passage: The rebounding city builds a sports-and-entertainment arena, a shiny mark of maturity and status, like a 16-year-old's new car.

Fix the Earmarks Process

Mississippi's U.S. Sens. Cochran and Wicker, whipped to a fury by Republican deficit hawks, have committed themselves to the idea of no longer sending earmark money back to their home …

[Stiggers] Unemployed and Broke

"You took my dignity and gone. My children are depressed because I cannot provide for them. My wife is annoyed, and I am desperate and frustrated. And I don't have …

[Kamikaze] Race, Again

My late mother always encouraged me to face problems head on. To this day, I've never let issues fester. Problem? You're going to know about it immediately, and I'm going …

[Collier] Don't Give Up on God

Natalie A. Collier

Much of who I am can be attributed to not only my family but to the people at the church I grew up in. While there is a strange one …

It Just Is: Nurturing A Child's Spirituality

When children are born, human parents experience something spiritual just by being in the child's presence—their fingers and toes and eyelashes, the smell of their skin, and the way their …

Circle of the Sun

I went for a walk through Belhaven with a friend one afternoon a few weeks ago. We passed people walking their dogs and some joggers. And suddenly, it was dark …

Things Worth Saving

Recently, my life went completely down the flusher. My wife, with whom I was blissfully in love, texted me to say she wanted a divorce.

Dancing for God

Church isn't something that pops into my head when I think about dance. However, today's society has changed its views on dance and church, and many churches integrate dance into …

A View From the Broom Closet

I am a witch. No, not the fairy-tale type with green skin and a huge crooked nose or the sexy, raven-haired teenager with dark make-up from the latest thriller.

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.

Right Here, Right Now

I've always wanted change. At 13, I declared to my parents that I was moving to the Caymans where I would support myself as a watercolorist. That didn't quite work …

Egg Bowl 2010 Has Reverse 2009 Deja Vu

The next couple of weeks are probably my favorite time to be a college football fan. Starting Thursday (Thanksgiving) and ending next Saturday it is rivalry week in college football.

Beyond Hair

I need more black friends. That was the first thing I thought as I walked into the Regency Hotel Saturday evening, Nov. 13, for the third annual Mississippi Hair Battle. …