Jackson Free Press

Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who Keyser Söze'd the hell out of all of eastern Washington State and parts of Idaho by passing herself off as a black woman, apparently went to undergrad in Jackson.

According to her LinkedIn, Dolezal, whom the homie Be Mock aptly noted "out Teena Marie'd Teena Marie", by convincing people she at least might have some black in her, received her bachelor's degree at Belhaven in 2006.

Dolezal claims to have graduated magna cum laude before obtaining Latin honors in what could go down as history's most famous case of racial identity theft. The jig was up for Dolezal, the head of the Spokane NAACP, yesterday, when a Spokane-area reporter confronted her and asked her flat-out about her cultural background.

"I don't understand the question....," responded Dolezal, who as a professor of Africana studies, likely understands that race is socially constructed and probably needs a whole PowerPoint to explain exactly what is going on with her.

While at Belhaven, Dolezal listed being involved with the following campus activities:

"Campus & community development through volunteerism and research. Petitioned for first annual celebration of MLK Day & led coordination for 250 student volunteers to work with Habitat for Humanity, Petitioned & developed first African American History course on campus with Dr. Ronald Potter as instructor, held first one-woman art show at Smith Robertson Museum with Black Poet's Society performing works inspired by my art. Tutored 25 kids ages 6-12 after school to help single moms in West Jackson. Taught Black History, Math & Art to students at Veremiah House summer camp. Taught drawing at Classical Christian Academy. Won Michelangelo Award (most prestigious art award given). Worked with the college president, Dr. Roger Parrot, for recruitment & retention of diverse student populations."

Dolezal is the second person with Jackson ties to become a viral Internet sensation in the past few days. Earlier this week, video of a young man named Courtney Barnes who purportedly witnessed a crash involving a JPD cruiser, also went viral. Barnes later turned himself into police in Ridgeland for warrants related to traffic tickets, according to media reports.

It is unclear whether talks are in the works for a reality show featuring Dolezal and Barnes. In the meantime, to borrow a phrase from Barnes, Lord be with them both. They need a blessing.

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UPDATED

I just ran into a Facebook post that hints that (a) Councilman Tony Yarber might be running for mayor and (b) that the hashtag #runtonyrun is trending.

After posting about it earlier, Yarber got back in touch with me via Facebook message, saying: "I'm heavily considering a run. I'm being encouraged by a lot of people. Most importantly, people I trust."

When asked when he would decide, he said: "There won't be an announcement right now. I'm going to watch my children do liturgical mime and dance tonight."

Meantime, here are the social-media posts, and a screenshot of the #runtonyrun tags on Twitter that seem associated with him (and I saw three on Facebook). My sense is that there may be more of an effort to take it trend.

And we're off.

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Today, Gov. Phil Bryant declared October "Racial Reconciliation Celebration Month," only six months after he declared April "Confederate Heritage Month" earlier this year.

Gov. Bryant's declaration is in coordination with Mission Mississippi, a religious racial reconciliation organization, that is hosting a series of events in October to promote "the unifying message of racial reconciliation and healing that can enhance and improve the lives of citizens, businesses and communities in Mississippi," the proclamation states.

Racial Reconciliation Celebration Month is "to encourage all of our citizens to collaboratively and faithfully join Mission Mississippi in the work of promoting racial reconciliation and healing and to bring about unity throughout Mississippi."

Read the full proclamation here.

Last year, the organizers of the boisterous and well-attended annual Mississippi Picnic in Central canceled it in the wake of House Bill 1523's passage.

"Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated, and therefore we have decided to stand up for all Mississippians by canceling the 2016 picnic in the park," organizers wrote in a statement last year.

Now, the picnic that started in 1980 seems to be gone forever. The New York Mississippi Society, which runs the picnic, posted this today on its website: "The 36 years of the Mississippi Picnics has been wonderful and a positive thing for all those involved but with the competition of funding sources and the rising costs and complexity of putting this event together, The New York Society regrets to announce that there are no plans for any future picnics."

Read more about HB 1523 and its effects here.

This week's regional picks and new releases...

The Mississippi State Supreme Court has denied Attorney General Jim Hood's request for an explanation of their March decision in the case of Michelle Byrom, Tom Freeland of the North Mississippi Commenter reports.

Byrom had been on a death row for participating in the murder of her abusive husband. However, evidence came to light that raised strong doubts about the extent of Byrom's participation in the crime and the state's high court declined to schedule her execution and ordered a new trial with a new judge.

Hood, a former prosecutor and the state's only statewide Democratic official, blew a gasket and demanded that justices explain their rationale.

Not only did justices not bend to Hood's request on the Byrom case, just for good measure they also threw out the death sentence of a man named Roger Lee Gillett and ordered him re-sentenced.

The Associated Press reports: "Gillett was convicted in 2007 in Forrest County on two counts of capital murder for his role in the deaths of a Hattiesburg couple and the transporting of their bodies to Kansas in a freezer. While in custody in Kansas, he attempted to escape. That crime was one of the aggravating factors prosecutors presented jurors to support the death penalty.

"The Supreme Court, in its 6-3 decision Thursday, says not every escape is considered a crime of violence under Kansas law. Therefore, wrote Justice Ann Lamar, the Kansas crime cannot be used to support a death sentence in Mississippi."

Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security John Kelly today regarding Daniela Vargas, the 22-year old undocumented immigrant detained in Jackson last week. Thompson's letter asks Sec. Kelly to ensure that his department "exercises available discretion and looks upon her case favorably."

Vargas is Thompson's constituent, and the congressman describes her story to Kelly, saying "Daniela is the kind of young person who, as President Trump put it, should be treated with 'great heart.'"

Thompson asks Kelly to release Vargas from detention while her case proceeds.

"I would also ask that any pending application for immigration benefits, including her DACA renewal, be expeditiously reviewed and favorably considered by your Department," Thompson's letter says. "Young people like Daniela are an important part of communities all over this country, and deserve a chance to pursue their American dream."

National law firms and advocacy groups filed a petition for Vargas' release on Monday, asking the U.S. District Court in Louisiana to stay her pending deportation so that the court can consider whether or not Vargas deserves a hearing before an immigration judge--or to be released from ICE's custody altogether.

Vargas is currently held in the LaSalle Immigration Detention Facility in Louisiana.

Read Congressman Thompson's letter here.

A season for the ages for the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team just keeps getting better and better. The program reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second year in a row, but these Bulldogs didn’t want to go home in the first game of the second weekend.

MSU’s task in the Sweet Sixteen was to find a way to slow down Kelsey Plum of the University of Washington, who happens to be the all-time leading scorer for women’s NCAA basketball and has set the single-season record for scoring.

The Huskies star ended up scoring 29 points, but on 10-of-25 shooting and 3-for-8 from the three-point line. MSU harassed Plum all game long with a suffocating defense that rarely gave the guard open looks at the basket.

Even with the stellar defense on Plum, Washington stayed in the game until the fourth quarter. That is when Bulldogs center Teaira McCowan put the team on her back and carried them.

In the first three quarters, McCowan scored six points before exploding for 20 points in the final quarter alone. No player was more dominant in the game than the Bulldogs center, who nabbed 12 rebounds and made a career-high six blocks.

Washington had no answer in the paint for McCowan, as she grabbed rebound after rebound and put missed shots back for easy buckets. A close game for three quarters saw the Bulldogs pull away in the 75-64 victory.

MSU used its depth to wear Huskies out, with 11 players getting into the game and seven playing double-digit minutes. Star guard Victoria Vivians came off the bench and scored 13 points, and rounds-one and -two leading scorer Blair Schaefer scored 10 points. Another impressive fact is that 10 of the 11 players who saw action scored at least two points.

The win propelled MSU to its first Elite Eight appearance in program history. But then Baylor University stood in the Bulldogs’ way of reach the Final Four, and the two teams put on a show on Sunday night.

During that game, each team seemed to battle back after the other made a run to either tie or take the lead. Just when it seemed like one team was about to put the other away, the game tightened up again.

It might not have been a masterpiece for every second, but it was two teams making big shot after big shot. The smallest Bulldog on the floor, Morgan William, ended up taking and making most of those big shots for MSU.

William entered the game after scoring 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting in the team’s other three games during the NCAA Tournament. She exploded for 41 points on 13-of-22 shooting, 6-of-8 from three, and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, with seven assists and zero turnovers.

William hit shots no matter which Bear tried to guard her, and even hit deep three-point shots when Baylor …

Read and enjoy info about previous Chick Ball, but see the top few posts at http://www.jfpchickball.com for current information!

If you ever want to break a drought in Mississippi, just hold a PGA golf tournament. No matter the location, time of year or name of the tournament. Rain seems to find its way into the storyline.

This year is no exception with rain interrupting play in the opening round of the True South Classic. The majority of the field was unable to finish their first round.

The leader in clubhouse was Jason Bohn who finished his opening round with 64 at 8-under. He was followed by Luke Guthrie who shot a 65 in the first round to come in at 7-under.

Defending champion was at 4-under through seven holes before weather halted play. Brandon native Jonathan Randolph was able to finish his open round carding a 67 for 5-under tied eighth.

The tournament will restart at 8:30a.m. Friday morning with players finishing their opening round. Tickets from Thursday’s tournament play will be honored on Friday.

According to weather.com there is a 40% chance of rain for Friday. Rain stays in the forecast through the weekend with a 30% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday.

Followers of Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber's social media accounts are no doubt familiar with his signature doodles and inspirational messages (and, oh, the subtweets!), scrawled onto disposable serviettes.

Reads one mouth-wiping device, posted about a week ago:

If You Love -Right- Eventually, it will hurt

Just Ask Jesus #Love #Longsuffer #Bye2014

Well, now someone apparently with downtown ties is taking aim at Jackson's resident napkiphile with an anonymous campaign and Twitter account called Jackson Napkin.

"You know what doesn't fix a pothole? A napkin," the inaugural photo tweet, on Jan. 6, says.

The following day, Jan. 7, a series of Capitol Street-themed napkins seemed to criticize the pace of the ongoing two-waying project.

"Wow, it sure is taking a long time," says the thought bubble of one of the stick-figure drawings.

The Capitol Street project is scheduled to be complete at the end of February. It is unclear if that timetable will be met or who's responsible for the campaign.

A #napkin seeking comment from the city's Department of Absorbency was not immediately Instagrammed.

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This afternoon is the deadline for general bills held on a motion to reconsider to pass through both the House and the Senate. The Senate calendar includes Jackson airport "takeover" bill and a bill that would prohibit "sanctuary cities" in the state, while the House could take up a bill that passed by one vote that would require the Attorney General to receive written approval from the Outside Counsel Oversight Commission for any lawsuit that would cost more than $250,000 in the amount sought.

The House passed the Attorney General oversight commission bill last Tuesday, but the bill was held on a motion to reconsider after it passed by a vote of 61-60. The Senate debated the airport "takeover" bill for over two hours last Thursday, and after it passed (mainly along party line votes), it was held on a motion to reconsider and not taken up on Friday. The House and the Senate both reconvene at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

We just received this announcement about a "clarion call" against suburban law enforcement agencies leading dangerous police chases into Jackson. Verbatim:

WHAT: The Capitol Street Coalition, made up of neighborhood association members along Capitol Street in West Jackson, will hold a news conference to address the Clinton Police Department pursuit of a shoplifter into West Jackson that resulted in the killing of Lonnie Blue, Jr. As a collective, we are sending out a clarion call to surrounding law enforcement agencies that police chases through our neighborhoods is a public safety issue and we will not stand for it. The Capitol Street Coalition is demanding that these police pursuits be handled in a much more strategic manner that keeps all of our neighbors safe. The Coalition will be standing in solidarity with Mr. Blue’s family during the press conference.

WHEN: Friday, March 25, 2016 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Near Tennessee Avenue and Capitol Street

Read more about dangerous police pursuits in the Jackson metro and nationally at jfp.ms/policechases.

A U.S. District Judge ruled Mississippi's adoption ban for same-sex couples unconstitutional today. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan released an order in the Campaign for Southern Equality v. Mississippi Department of Human Services preliminary enjoining MDHS from enforcing Mississippi's same-sex adoption ban.

Jordan dismissed the complaints against the governor and the attorney general in the case, but said that MDHS is involved in the adoption process and therefore responsible for enforcing Mississippi's ban on same-sex couples adopting in the state. Jordan ruled that the ban violates the Equal Protection Clause and ruled that the executive director of MDHS is not allowed to enforce the adoption ban, as of today.

Read the whole order here. Read more about the CSE v. MDHS case here.

Jackson celebrates Islamic Heritage Month this April.

Dan Aykroyd, best known for his work as a ghostbuster, Canadian vodka mogul, and supporter of outgoing Sheriff Tyrone Lewis, still wants to help end gun violence in Hinds County.

Aykroyd, whom Lewis deputized into the reserves last year and hit the campaign trail for Lewis earlier this year, made a plea on his Facebook page yesterday:

"Congratulations to the new Sheriff Elect for Hinds County Mississippi. When he persuades enough Supervisors to alter the by-laws so that 'Gas for Guns' can proceed then I'll free up my $10,000 but not until it's perfectly legal as per stipulations pointed out by state Representative Gibson (sic). I believe this initiative and more like it are essential in a state where gun violence exceeds most of that in the entire Western world. I believe in the future of Hinds County."

As a point of clarification, Victor Mason, who defeated Lewis in August still has to get by Les Tannehill to be the sheriff for real for real.

But the stipulations Aykroyd is referring to came a few months ago when Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, and chairman of a House judiciary committee, put the kibosh on a plan for Aykroyd to provide $10,000 in gasoline gift cards in exchange for guns. Gipson intervened, issuing a statement saying that gun buyback programs are illegal. In 2014, after a few years of trying, the Legislature passed a bill outlawing gun buyback programs.

"I think it's a dangerous thing," Gipson, who sponsored the 2014 bill, told WLBT last year. "As we have seen in other states, it has the potential for corruption, the potential to increase crimes with stolen guns to be brought in. That's the reason we have the law."

It was a bill that legislators like Gipson and Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, chairman on the House Insurance Committee, filed that the National Rifle Association has pushed for years. The JFP reported when the bill was going through the legislative process:

Doug Bowser, president of the Mississippi chapter of the NRA, told the JFP in 2012 that such programs are a "swindle" and "a feel-good thing" that do little to deter violent crime.

"I think the worst part is that people bring in unserviceable guns, and they get money for them," Bowser said. Bowser said he believes local governments should put more resources on imposing harsher penalties on criminals.

The 2010 report "Trace the Guns: The Link Between Gun Laws and Interstate Trafficking" determined that Mississippi supplied 50 out-of-state "crime guns" per 100,000 residents--triple the national average of 14.1.

In 2011, the NRA has also weighed in against a proposal for a pilot gun buyback program in Delaware in a statement at the time: "This legislation is nothing more then an expensive solution in search of a problem.

"While proponents of this bill claim it will reduce crime in Delaware, it will only serve as another drain on taxpayer money that could be better used by police to …

The idea of building a new tradition on New Year’s Eve happened just one year before college football playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock changed course. Now, the schedule has been changed in the four years that the semifinals were to be played on Dec. 31.

Hancock believed that the semifinals on New Year's Eve would create a new tradition of college football fans staying home to watch playoff football. Instead, the rating for the first game was 45 percent lower than 2015, and the second game’s rating was 34.4 percent lower than the previous year.

The ratings might have been lost due to the fact that the games in the 2016 playoffs weren’t very competitive. Clemson University bounced the University of Oklahoma 37-17 in a game that saw the Tigers pull away in the second half.

In the second game, the University of Alabama destroyed Michigan State University 38-0. Either way, both games gave football fans reason to leave the TV and ring in the New Year elsewhere.

In the 2015 playoffs, the University of Oregon pulled away from Florida State University in the second half, and Ohio State slipped past Alabama 42-35. The first year of the playoffs saw games with a little more sizzle.

Oregon featured 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, and FSU was the defending champion and featured 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. College football blue bloods Alabama and OSU were going to draw eyes from nearly all college-football fans.

While Oklahoma and Alabama are traditional college-football powers, Michigan State and Clemson have just recently become year-in and year-out conference-title contenders, meaning, to the average fan, the matchups weren’t as sexy as the year before.

Fans of the teams playing in the semifinals might want to stay home and watch, but fans of other teams more than likely wanted to celebrate the coming New Year. College football fans had been trained to watch the biggest games on New Year’s Day, not New Year’s Eve.

It was a tradition the college football playoff tried to break, but it failed. Fans still wanted their New Year’s Day games but didn’t want to stay at home or at least watch football at home on New Year’s Eve.

The schedule has been shifted in the four years (2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026) playoff games were scheduled to fall on New Year’s Eve. The games were moved to the preceding Saturday.

The 2016-2017 semifinals, which will be played after this season, were not changed. The 2021-2022 semifinals will still be played on New Year’s Eve, which is on a Friday, but it will be the federal New Year’s Day holiday.

ESPN is paying $7.3 billion over 12 years to broadcast the playoffs and wanted the semifinals moved off New Year’s Eve after the ratings drop. Hancock stood firm earlier this year before beginning to soften his stance.

Now, with a little over …

Most college football teams don’t want to feel like week two of the season is a must-win situation. That is exactly what it seemed like for Mississippi State University after a season-opening loss to South Alabama.

If the team was to have any hope of keeping its bowl streak alive, MSU badly needed a victory against the University of South Carolina in week two. With the Bulldogs’ six SEC West foes remaining, a loss and a 0-2 start may seem nearly impossible to overcome.

Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen turned to quarterback Nick Fitzgerald against the Gamecocks. Fitzgerald started against South Alabama but was pulled after a 0-3 start passing with two rushes for 11 yards and playing just seven snaps. MSU went with Damian Williams the rest of the way against the Jaguars.

Against the Gamecocks, Fitzgerald put together a breakout performance. He was 19 for 29, passing for 178 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. On the ground, Fitzgerald ripped the Gamecocks for 195 yards, rushing on 17 carries.

Fitzgerald’s 195 rushing yards broke the school record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game. Former Bulldog great John Bond set the old mark of 163 yards in the 1980 Egg Bowl against the University of Mississippi. And it’s one of the records at quarterback that former MSU star Dak Prescott does not own.

MSU jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead before a 32-minute lightning delay sucked most of the momentum from the Bulldogs. South Carolina scored two second-half touchdowns but couldn’t overcome its first-half deficit in the Bulldogs’ 27-14 win.

Fitzgerald stared at Richmond Hill High School, where he ended up a four-year letter winner. He led his team to a 10-2 record overall as a senior and to the second round of the Georgia High School Association Class 5A State Championship.

In high school, Fitzgerald was named Region 3-5A Player of the Year, honorable mention Georgia Sports Writers Association and Atlanta Journal Constitution 5A All-State selection. Fitzgerald rushed for 1,429 yards on 182 carries with 25 touchdowns as a senior.

He passed for 778 yards on 33 of 76 passing with 12 touchdowns in the triple-option offense he ran in high school. The quarterback was also on the basketball team for three years, where he scored 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds as a junior.

Fitzgerald earned scholarship offers from MSU and Middle Tennessee State University. The Bulldogs redshirted him as a freshman in 2014.

Last season, Fitzgerald served as Prescott’s primary backup. He saw action in eight games and went 11 of 14, passing for 235 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The quarterback rushed 23 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns.

Fitzgerald entered this season as the speculated favorite to be the starter for the Bulldogs but couldn’t completely pull away from his competition. His performance against South Carolina might have finally won …

Before this weekend’s games kickoff, let’s have some fun with numbers. What are the most important numbers in all of sports? The score.

You can’t have a winner or a loser without the score, and every game counts in college football, so the score means nearly everything. Let’s look at the numbers of the big four teams in this state before their games this weekend.

Mississippi State University plays Louisiana State University at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. The Bulldogs might want work on playing a full 60 minutes. In its two games, MSU has scored 41 points and has given up zero points in the first half. After the break, the Bulldogs have scored just six points and have given up 28.

MSU has the fast-start part down, but playing for four full quarters has eluded this team. Against LSU, the Bulldogs need to start fast and finish strong if they are going to pull off the upset.

The University of Mississippi faces the University of Alabama in what might be the most anticipated game in the SEC. The Rebels are looking to win three straight games against the Crimson Tide. Watch this clash at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.

In eight quarters of football, the Rebels have failed to score in only one. They also have the quick-start down by outscoring their opponents 52 to 16. But they did struggle in the second half against Florida State University in their first game of the season.

Against the Crimson Tide, UM will have a second chance to have a strong second half against a highly ranked foe. Just like MSU against LSU, the Rebels’ play in the second half will be worth watching.

Jackson State University is still looking for the first win of the Tony Hughes era. JSU will try to get that win against SWAC rival Grambling State University. Watch the game at 6 p.m. on ESPN3, and ESPNU will replay it at 9:30 p.m..

While the Rebels and Bulldogs have been great at the fast start, the Tigers need some work on their first half performance. JSU has been outscored 61 to 33 in the first half of the team's first two games. The second half hasn’t been much kinder to JSU. The Tigers have been outscored 42 to six after the break. Overall, JSU has been outscored 103 to 39 this season.

JSU is one of three SWAC teams that is still looking for their first win of the season. Mississippi Valley State University and Southern University are also looking theirs.

The Tigers are only averaging 19.5 points per game and are allowing an average of 51.5 points per game. Starting SWAC play is a great time for JSU to reverse those numbers.

No team in the country might be on more of a roll than the University of Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles will try to keep a couple of streaks alive against …

Last year, in the 2016 Senior Bowl, former Mississippi State University quarterback Dak Prescott shined. He even won MVP in the South squad’s 27-16 win over the North squad.

Scouts were impressed with his footwork and the fact that he could take snaps under center, an area in which quarterbacks from spread offenses often struggle. Prescott then carried over his solid practice and game from the Senior Bowl to the NFL Combine.

Even though he slid to the fourth round in the NFL Draft, all the evidence that Prescott could play in professionally started in the Senior Bowl. The meteoric rise of Prescott will have NFL scouts taking a harder look at the work of players in this all-star game.

There are a few players with ties to Mississippi universities or the state in this year’s Senior Bowl. All the players will be looking to show scouts that they are ready to make a Prescott-like step to the next level.

Mississippi State University has two players in the 2017 Senior Bowl: wide receiver Fred Ross and offensive tackle Justin Senior.

Ross ended his career at MSU as one of the most productive receivers in school history, although he dropped some passes that he should have caught this season.

Scouts are going to watch Ross’ route running and see if he drops easy passes in the Senior Bowl. He can help himself even more by showing that he is faster in person than he looks on tape.

Though Senior started most of his career at right tackle with the Bulldogs, scouts will likely watch his pass-blocking skills and see if he can play left tackle.

Being able to play left in the NFL is important for offensive tackles. Players who can play left tackle often rise higher in the ranks because they protect the quarterback’s blind side, which also means they can make more money than right tackles.

If Senior can’t play left tackle, another important thing to show is that he can slide inside and play guard. Being able to play more than one position on the offensive line would make him for more useful on an NFL roster.

University of Mississippi tight end Evan Engram will be one of the most watched players at this year’s Senior Bowl. He can stretch the field vertically in the passing game and could make for a red-zone threat at the next level.

Just like Ross, Engram had some head-scratching drops at times this season, and scouts will be watching that in practice this week. Teams might like to see how he blocks in the run game before deciding when to draft him.

Texas A&M University safety Justin Evans will try to show that he is the top player at his position in a year that is full of good safeties. Evans is from Wiggins, Miss., and played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to …