Jackson Free Press

[Balko] What No One Bothered to Ask Sotomayor

Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor included much of what we expected. Almost entirely left out of the discussion was a subject you might think has some relevance …

‘Thurgood's Coming:' Tale of a Hero Lawyer

When Thurgood Marshall hung out his shingle in 1933 as an attorney in his hometown of Baltimore, he immediately became a very popular attorney among fellow African Americans. One problem, …

[Collier] My Mother's Daughter

My senior year in college was the first time I knew my mother loved me. Of course I knew she loved me. But it wasn't until my senior year that …

AP Interview: Putin Warns West on Syria Action

President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia "doesn't exclude" supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proved …

How Can Americans Become More Proactive?

OPINION: Deepest Midnight Returns—Cedric Willis Taken Far Too Soon

We all failed Cedric (Willis) in life. Let us not fail him in death. I need you to insist on a better way, on a better life for all of …

Common Core Rollback Leads a Week of Capitol Politics

While the Mississippi Legislature advances several pieces of substantial legislation, some lawmakers appear to be gearing up to seek higher office. And voters this year will be subjected to new …

Mississippi’s ‘Seg Academies’ Creating National Dialogue

The Jackson Free Press' report that Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith attended one of Mississippi's first segregation academies and later sent her daughter to one has spurred a national conversation on schools …

Chip Pickering Leaving Congress

Rep. Chip Pickering, a Republican representing the Third District, announced today that he is not seeking re-election next year. One wonders if the Democratic Party will now go out on …

LADD: Hoofbeaters Make It Real

Remember the reception to honor the Murrah Hoofbeat staff Tuesday, March 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center (downtown at 528 Bloom …

The CofCC's 'One-Drop Rule'

This question elicited what was probably the most frightening comment of the meeting: "When a white woman has a black baby, baby's still black. Don't forget that," an elderly gentleman …

[The JFP Interview] Ross Olivier Comforts and Afflicts

Soft-voiced but thickly accented, Ross Olivier, 49, is a man of dedication. He was dedicated when he led 23 congregations in apartheid-ridden South Africa, and he's dedicated now as the …

[The JFP Interview] Deuce McAllister

Standing in line at the Reservoir Winn-Dixie's grand opening Saturday, Jan. 29, you could feel the excitement surging throughout the store from not only customers but store employees as well. …

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 …

[Kamikaze] Local Music Stands Up

Well, we've come to another music issue. I'm sure this one will prove to be bigger than the last. Each one in the future will be bigger than the one …

[Kamikaze] The War Outside

"There's a war going on outside no man is safe from." —Prodigy of Mobb Deep

[Lott] This Sacred Season

I urge everyone to remember our troops serving overseas during this holiday season, especially the many Mississippians who are deployed away from home and the 18 Mississippi families who have …

WJTV Defends Web Poll Focusing on Obama's Race

Two polls on the Web site of Jackson CBS affiliate WJTV reveal an inordinate focus on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's race. The first poll deals with Republican presidential nominee …

Jackson Diary

Edited by JoAnne Prichard Morris

Here's a great way to get into print in the Jackson Free Press. Just send us your true anecdotes, short tales and observations from your life in Jackson, or beyond …

House Of Lott

"I love your wrap," drawls a genteel lady from the veranda of her Victorian on State Street. "It's a Sami Lott," I say with a smile.