vol. 15 no.52
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g U n i p w f o o h r S
Childhood Literacy i nM
i p ississip
Smith, Helsel, pp 14 - 17 Your Metro Events Calendar is at
JFPEVENTS.COM
Meet Lumumba’s New Captains Kelly, pp 6-7
Fighting an Old War Atkins, p 13
Creating a Heart Society Morrow, p 22
2017
Sept 7. 2017 Lake Caroline Golf Club
Join us for some FUN & FELLOWSHIP as we renew old friendships and build new relationships while working together to improve race relations and the promotion of frank and open discussion on all issues of public concern. We invite and urge you to participate in and support the 2017 Friendship Golf Outing. (The outing will be a scramble format.) Teams still forming and hole sponsorships are available!
Shotgun format | “Best ball” tournament Great for all skill levels 8:30 a.m. start | 1:00 p.m. lunch
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Call Hibbett Neel at 601.948.3071, Todd Stauffer 601.362.6121 x17 TODAY (or as soon as possible!) to express your intent to participate.
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JACKSONIAN Mary Evelyn Brown Imani Khayyam
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icensed psychologist Mary Evelyn Brown says she was a sophomore in college when she took her first psychology course and realized her deep love of both science and the relationships between people. “The combination of those things that psychology offered seemed so rational to me that I knew it was what I wanted to do,” she says. “I also wanted to go into a field where I could provide a valuable service to a lot of people.” Brown was born in LaGrange, Ga., and attended Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1972. She then attended University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a master’s degree in psychology in 1974 and a doctorate in the same subject in 1976. Brown also met her husband, Jesse Dees, at USM. Dees graduated from Millsaps College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1971 and went on to USM, where he received his master’s degree and doctorate in psychology in 1975 and 1977, respectively. The couple married in 1978. “It helps to be married to someone in the profession who understands the stresses of dealing with clinical services,” Brown says. Brown did her internship at the Smo-
contents
lian Psychiatric Clinic in the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., and took her first job as a clinical psychologist at the Jackson Mental Health Center in 1975. She went into private practice in 1980. Brown currently operates Mary Evelyn Brown Psychology (1818 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite 101) together with her husband, Jesse Dees, who is also a clinical psychologist. Mary Evelyn Brown Psychology is part of Jackson Psychological Group, the Browns’ private clinical practice that the couple founded together in 1980. “My favorite part of my profession is when I can say that I’ve helped someone change their behavior, their thinking about themselves or a situation that has been giving them difficulty,” Brown says. “It’s been a great honor to be able to service my community for over 40 years.” Brown’s practice primarily focuses on individual, couples and family therapy. Individual therapy mainly deals with issues such as anxiety and stress as well as major ones such as bipolar depression. Mary Evelyn Brown Psychology also offers services for post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy, grieving and loss, trauma and more. —Dustin Cardon
cover photo of children at Operation Shoestring by Imani Khayyam
6 ............................ Talks 12 ................... editorial 13 ...................... opinion 14 ............ Cover Story 18 ........... food & Drink 20 ......................... 8 Days 21 ........................ Events 21 ....................... sports 22 .......................... music 22 ........ music listings 24 ...................... Puzzles 25 ......................... astro 25 ............... Classifieds
6 Meet the City Staff
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has started to fill his administration; meet the newest additions.
13 Reflections on Mississippi Heritage
“Our history is one of beauty and blood; music and malevolence; literature and lamentation. We can’t ignore the ugly parts; those stains don’t wash out.” —Brent Hearn, “Leave My Heritage Alone!”
22 Two-Heart Society
Read about Heart Society (formerly Teneia) ahead of the release of its sixth studio album, “Wake the Queens.”
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
4 ............ Editor’s Note
Tom Beck; courtesy Brent Hearn; Imani Khayyam
August 30 - September 5, 2017 | Vol. 15 No. 52
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editor’s note
by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief
America, We Sink or Swim Together
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he picture ought to become a statue to replace those other ones, one Twitter user quipped. It was the one of the black deputy in yellow protective gear, waist-deep in Houston floodwaters carrying two white toddlers to safety. The girl and boy held onto to their savior tightly as he waded through the water in front of their brick home. The man was just doing his job, but I cried at that photo Sunday as I did at the videos of journalists saving the stranded truck driver and then a CNN crew helping an elderly man out of chest-high water, along with his two little dogs and then his wife with Alzheimer’s. Then there were the dudes from a Dallas bar who brought their truck on down to Houston and were helping an elderly lady into its cab as one of them stood holding her white puffy dog. There was the black man floating his two babies out in an old refrigerator and the jubilant retweets about the #CajunNavy headed to Houston to help rescue people with their personal boats—something we could all see that no government or led by any political party was prepared to do. It was the best of humanity, and it was exhilarating in desperate times to share the images. I was retweeting folks with “deplorable” in their Twitter handles, and someone called Happy Trumpster retweeted me. They might have been clashing out in Berkeley, but if there has ever been a week for a temporary ceasefire and all-hands-ondeck, it is this one, as America’s fourth-largest city drowns in a natural disaster. It’s not braggadocio to say I saw this flood coming. Not the specifics, of course, but it was apparent leading up to Hurricane Harvey making landfall that the floodwaters would be his lingering curse. Last Saturday
morning, when I saw tweets relieved that Harvey had dropped several category levels, and memes about not messing with Texas, I had an impending sense of dread. But, but, the flood waters. What if they come? Part of being American seems to be a requirement that we never believe the worst can happen to us. We seem to think we can wish, or barbecue, or drink, or tweet, or blame it away. That goes for everything from logical effects of our dark racial his-
Harvey did not see race, economic status or anything else. tory and embedded wealth divides to the scientific evidence that weather patterns are getting worse. It doesn’t matter enough that science shows why and what we must do to lessen the potential of losing one or another great American city. Too many just shrug. In some ways, our country was founded on PollyAnnish notions. It started with everything it took to justify what our “founders” wanted to do, from conquering Native Americans (and their land) to enslaving people to farm that new breed of lucrative tobacco they stumbled on. A certain naiveté has undergirded who we are to the present. It’ll all be OK if we kick the can on down the road and maybe pray about it, we’re told and too often believe as a nation.
As a result, we’re too easily divided by demagoguery such as that displayed by the president just since Harvey started bearing down on Texas. Donald Trump is like that bizarre and never-quite-explained smoke monster that kept swirling around in the TV show “Lost.” He shows up at the worst times, and then does outrageous things and makes Americans think they have to take sides between “us” and “them” out of fear. As the hurricane rushed toward landfall, Trump pardoned a hideous thug of a sheriff, telegraphing that anything goes when it comes to treatment of immigrants, women and anybody else not like him. Trump also decided under the cover of a clearly huge weather event to officially bar transgender soldiers from the military, even though LGBT people were plucking people out of the water. And he announced a rollback of DACA immigrant protections. On Sunday morning, knowing that many Texans were underwater, Trump tweeted about a different crazy sheriff, who seriously might be his only black friend, and then announced that he was reversing the ban on selling military equipment to law enforcement—meaning arming U.S. cities against all those dark people who are the troublemakers, you know. Trump also slammed Mexico, saying he would build the wall and make them pay for it even as they prepared to send help to Texas. Meantime, the “fake” media he abhors and libels were then putting down their mics and lifting people out of water poisoned with God-knows-what where they would have drowned otherwise. As Houston and surrounding cities drowned, Trump was pushing the bigotry that fueled his rise to power. Meantime, America was proving our inherent great-
ness, despite the incessant efforts by certain leaders to trump it and force us to distrust and despise each other. No, said the best of America, at least for now. There was that tall, handsome white SWAT officer who carried the Asian mother with her sleeping 13-month-old son to dry land. The teenage boys who took their flat-bottom boats and motored door to door looking for people needing a lift to safety. The men lifting soaked people of all races back into their wheelchairs. What Trump and his political creators expect is that we come together in a temporary disaster, as so many did during Katrina, Sandy and the Baton Rouge floods, and then retreat to our corners and resume the punching match that serves their greed. But here’s the thing. When they use these devices of division to keep us separate and, thus, enough voters blocking regulations that can lessen the severity and frequency of 500-year storms, they are selling out their own families and future progeny to the hunger for power and tax cuts for the wealthy. Harvey did not see race, economic status or anything else. Those heroes had to remove babies, mamas and daddies, and grandparents from micro-mansions just as they did from enclaves of working poor. Trump is the embodiment of the worst of us. Maybe the universe sent him as a test to see what temptations we Americans can resist—and if we can hold our democracy together. We must together resist the pull and glitz and empty promises of division. The lesson of this storm must be that we really do sink or swim together as a nation. Just like the Cajun Navy, we have to hitch up our gear, open our hearts and do this our own damn selves. We must save our nation together.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
contributors
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Dr. Clinton Smith
Arielle Dreher
William H. Kelly III
Imani Khayyam
Dustin Cardon
Zilpha Young
Malcolm Morrow
Kristin Brenemen
Dr. Clinton Smith is a retired pediatrician in Jackson, a member of the North Jackson Rotary Club and a Provine High School graduate. This is his first cover story for the Jackson Free Press.
News Reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies and adopting an otter from the Jackson Zoo. Email her story ideas at arielle@jacksonfreepress. com. She wrote about Senate infrastructure funding.
City Reporting Intern William H. Kelly III is a student at Jackson State University and is originally from Houston, Texas. Send him city news tips at william@jacksonfreepress. com. He wrote about new city leaders.
Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam is an art lover and a native of Jackson. He loves to be behind the camera and capture the true essence of his subjects. He took photos for the issue.
Web Editor Dustin Cardon is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and wants to write them himself one day. He wrote about Jacksonian Mary Evelyn Brown.
Zilpha Young is an ad designer by day, painter, illustrator, seamstress and freelance designer by night. Check out her design portfolio at zilphacreates.com. She designed ads for the issue.
Freelancer Malcolm Morrow has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is the founder of Jackson-based entertainment blog The Hood Hippie. He wrote about Heart Society.
Art Director Kristin Brenemen is a meganekko with a penchant for dystopianism. She’s debuting two new space heroines costumes at DragonCon this week. She designed much of the issue.
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August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
“The most important thing parents can do is provide their child with a pre-K education … (so) that they’ve been engaged in some kind of developmentally appropriate program.” -Davis IB Elementary School Principal Kathleen Grigsby on what parents can do to prepare their children for kindergarten
Lumumba Administration Growing by William H. Kelly III
Imani Khayyam
Wednesday, August 23 Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves introduce the inaugural Mississippi Science Festival at the Mississippi Children’s Museum.
Senate Transportation Committee starts work on funding proposals p 10
Thursday, August 24 Jackson Public Schools interim Superintendent Freddrick Murray announces that more than 2,000 students in the district’s system have not registered for the 2017-2018 school year at a meeting of the JPS Board of Trustees. Friday, August 25 Donald Trump directs the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military and pardons former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio over a conviction for intentionally disobeying a judge’s order to stop immigration patrols that racially profiled Latinos. Saturday, August 26 More than 500,000 peace marchers flood the heart of Barcelona, Spain, shouting “I’m not afraid” in a public rejection of violence following extremist attacks that killed 15 people.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Sunday, August 27 Hundreds of Charlottesville residents tell city leaders they were traumatized by a white nationalist rally and dissatisfied with the way officials handled the event a “community recovery town hall” hosted in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service. ... Many Texas residents wake up to devastating flooding.
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Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has extended his administration with the addition of Mukesh Kumar as the interim director of planning (awaiting confirmation), Charles Hatcher as the director of finance, Safiya Omari as chief of staff and Robert Blaine as the chief administrative officer (pictured left to right).
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new mayor of the capital city took office on July 3, along with the slightly reconfigured Jackson City Council. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, 34, announced his first wave of appointees three days later at his first city council meeting as mayor. The first appointees included Dr. Safiya Omari as chief of staff, Dr. Robert Blaine as chief administrative officer, Charles Hatcher as chief financial officer and Keyshia Sanders as constituent services director. Two weeks ago, Yvetta “Kai” Williams joined the Lumumba administration as communications director. Mukesh Kumar, a Jackson State professor in urban and regional planning, is the interim director of planning and is expected to be confirmed
Dr. Safiya Omari, Chief of Staff As the chief of staff, Safiya Omari is the executive liaison for the mayor. Part of Omari’s job is communicating with the mayor to discuss his ideas and assisting his executive assistant with his calendar. “First and foremost, my job is to make sure that the mayor’s vision is disseminated throughout the city and that it is implemented by city employees,” she said. “The meetings that we take are meetings that are germane to moving his agenda forward. However, that he never loses sight of serving the citizens who actually put him there.”
In some instances, Omari serves in the place of the mayor when he is unavailable or if she can solve the situation without involving the mayor. She works with and helps manage constituent services, the business community and communications. “I’m kind of like the political person as well. I’m supposed to know what the council is thinking. I’m supposed to be able to tell him whether what’s on the agenda is going to get voted up or get voted down,” Omari said. “Also, I’m supposed to help with strategies to make sure the council fully understands our position and try to sway them to our side if they, for some reason, don’t want to vote for it.” The 63-year-old is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., but was raised in
Six Degrees of Separation
Monday, August 28 Auditors working in the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the attorney general’s office announce they have recovered more than $11 million in improper payments and claims for fiscal-year 2017 after analyzing medical claims paid out to health-care providers across the state. Tuesday, August 29 North Korea fires a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean. Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.
Thursday. The confirmation of Bob Miller, proposed director of public works, was not scheduled at press time.
From Queen Cersei to Steve Bannon
Actress Lena Headey, who appeared as a guest judge on season six of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” plays Cersei Lannister in “Game of Thrones.”
RuPaul has often collaborated with YouTube and Broadway star Todrick Hall.
Todrick Hall appeared as a dancer in Taylor Swift’s most recent music video for her song “Look What You Made Me Do.”
In 2012 Taylor Swift appeared and performed on “The View.” One of the hosts is Joy Behar.
“The View” host Joy Behar appeared in footage in the Sarah Palin documentary “The Undefeated.”
None other than former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon produced “The Undefeated.”
wwPrimetime Emmy awards; david Shankbone; courtesy Todrick Hall; Jana Zills; Nick Step; Gage Skidmore; Gage Skidmore
“All we have to do is come in here next year and stop that nonsense, just freeze the 3 percent bracket … and we’ll have about as much money as we will with a 7-percent increase in gas tax.”
“Crime is not unique to Jackson; crime is not unique to majority-black populations. Wherever you find high poverty, you find high crime.”
-Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, on why he believes lawmakers should repeal part of the Taxpayer Pay Raise Act in order to help funds roads and bridges.
-Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba at a press conference about the recent homicides in the city.
Davis IB Program Helps Kindergartners Shine on Exam by Arielle Dreher
Kathleen Grigsby is the principal at David IB Elementary School, where kindergarteners scored in the top 10 of all Mississippi schools on their literacy assessments.
MDE’s early education standards, too. Jackson Public Schools also offers 24 pre-K programs in several elementary schools, which the school board has applauded and continued to push for this past summer. On average, students in JPS pre-K programs scored above the state’s average score on pre-K assessments. IB: A Leg Up Students in Jackson must apply for the International Baccalaureate program, and they are eligible to do so as early as kindergarten. The program is in Davis IB Elementary, Northwest Jackson IB Middle School and then Jim Hill High School. Children in the schools are considered transfer students in the district, meaning they must abide by transfer policies including keeping good attendance, behavior and academic performance. Every student who applies to Davis has an opportunity to test for IB—but that is only part of the application.
information systems under me, and I have telecommunications, publications and municipal court systems.” Hatcher is originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., and is married to Elizabeth Hatcher and has a 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Hatcher attended Cornell University where he received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorates degree in consumer economics. After college, he spent 10 years as a professor at University of Georgia, Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin where he taught financial planning and investment management. Hatcher then
Students have to submit three letters of recommendation, Grigsby said, so she looks at the applicant’s entire portfolio. “One test doesn’t define the student; we are looking at a variety of performance-based skills, (like) their writing,” Grigsby told the Jackson Free Press. Davis IB Elementary only has 50 kindergarten slots, in two classrooms. The school accepts applicants in other grades as openings become available, but once a child is accepted into the program, he or she can continue all the way through high school. Grigsby has 266 students currently— and normally has a wait list. The IB program functions like a framework for teachers, who teach six trans-disciplinary units a school year, Grigsby said. Those units help students connect ideas and think about the same concept in different subject areas. Grigsby said her teachers collaborate to ensure students learn and reinforce the same concepts across classrooms and grade levels. ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ Grigsby is entering her fourth year as principal of Davis this year, and while the students improved on their kindergarten readiness assessments and state testing, she is still working toward improvement. “Everybody knows that my motto is ‘work hard, play hard,’” the principal said. “No matter how much the perception may be and is that we’re a thriving school, there’s always work to do, and because of that, our school has grown even from last year’s data.” Using data, teachers can identify a student who needs extra help quickly. The IB program helps Davis teachers see where students need to grow, as it includes assessments and projects graded on rubrics that students can help create. While Davis IB Elementary is an “A”-rated school, Grigsby said she is not satisfied with that alone. “We’re not just satisfied with being an A-level school and coasting along,” she said. “Wherever we are; we’re moving that target and striving (for more).”
worked as an independent financial consultant where he handled higher education finances and met Robert Blaine. The 45-year-old moved to Jackson to become the CFO, arriving July 10. Hatcher says that the biggest challenges involved starting his job during the City’s fiscal year budgeting process, which he says is over 400 pages. He described the document as a “firehose drink.” “That’s been the biggest challenges. Trying to get up to speed on the budget as we begin to insert some of the mayor’s priorities into it,” Hatcher said. “It’s a lot
to digest. At the same time, you’re trying to figure out how to reflect the priorities into that huge document that you don’t understand completely at the beginning.” Hatcher added that the fiscal-year budget will be completed for the September deadline. Read more bios of department heads at jfp. ms/lumumbastaff, including that of new communications director Yvetta “Kai” Williams, a Jackson native. We will update this post as more staffers are named. Email reporter William Kelly at william@jacksonfreepress.com.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Shreveport, La., and eventually moved to Jackson from Los Angeles. Omari is a mother of three: Kimberly Nilaja Smith, Jabari Omari and Kuwasi Omari. Omari also was the late Mayor Lumumba Sr.’s chief of staff. Charles Hatcher, Director of Finance and Administration As the director of finance and administration, Charles Hatcher is responsible for the City’s finances and oversees several divisions. “The divisions I oversee are finance. That entails the budget, controller, treasurer and purchasing,” Hatcher said. “I also have
Imani Khayyam
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rincipal Kathleen Grigsby has a reason to be proud: Kindergarteners at Davis IB Elementary in downtown Jackson scored in the top 10 of all schools in the state on the kindergarten readiness assessment for the second year in a row. All kindergartners in public schools in the state must take the STAR Early Literacy exam, which tests their literacy and numeracy skills. Students are tested at the beginning and then the end of the school year. Student scores indicate their reading levels and abilities—and how much they’ve improved over the course of the school year. While Davis students were a bright spot in the statewide results, all Jackson Public Schools kindergartners increased their scores from fall to spring last school year, with the exception of one school, Barr Elementary. Grigsby attributes her students’ success to several factors: her teaching staff, differentiated instruction and the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Teachers at Davis teach using differentiated instruction, which caters to a student’s individual learning style and their proficiency in a subject, using data to target where students need to improve. The majority of kindergarteners at Davis IB Elementary enter their classrooms knowing how to read. The principal said that while the kindergarteners in her school can read at different levels—some barely know all the pre-primer words, while others are reading second and third grade-level chapter books—the fact that they are literate when they arrive is vital. “The most important thing parents can do is provide their child with a pre-K education, … that they’ve been engaged in some kind of developmentally appropriate program,” Grigsby said in an interview. “So that usually gives students a leg up, so to speak.” The Mississippi Department of Education rolled out public pre-K collaboratives in some school districts in recent years, and data show they appear to be working. Early childhood centers throughout the state have to meet
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TALK | crime
DJP ‘Whistleblower’ Now Faces Five Felonies by Donna Ladd
IMANI KHAYYAM
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he former Downtown Jackson Partners secretary who blew the proverbial whistle on her boss, Ben Allen, may end up guilty of more felonies than her former employer for “intentionally” methodically forging checks on DJP’s account, the indictment says. Twenty-seven months after Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith refused to prosecute Linda Brune because she was a witness in his own case against Allen, a Madison County grand jury indicted Brune on five counts of uttering forgery, all felonies, on Aug. 10, 2017. She ended up not testifying against Allen, however, in his trial earlier this year—perhaps because DJP had, by then, filed a civil suit against her for forging more than three dozen checks written on its account. A jury returned a guilty verdict on one of the 10 counts against Allen, for including his wife on $1,737.38 in DJP cellphone bills, which he is appealing. He says he planned to reimburse the organization for her use of the organization’s phone. To make her case against Allen, Brune
The former executive assistant of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen (pictured) now faces five felonies. He is appealing his own conviction.
had used Jerry Mitchell of The ClarionLedger to make her accusations public, providing the reporter boxes of files she had taken from DJP to prove that her boss had mishandled nonprofit funds there. Mitchell published a story on July 26, 2014, laying out Brune’s case against Allen based on the material. She also registered as a whistle-
blower with the state auditor’s office. Allen wrote in a statement to Jackson police that he had discovered Brune’s alleged forged-check trail after learning that she had removed the boxes of files from the DJP office to give to Mitchell. As a result, DJP submitted canceled checks and other documents to Hinds authorities to prove that she had falsified 38 checks on DJP’s accounts for a total of $40,439.43. Allen’s statement requested that “a bench warrant be issued for the arrest of Linda Brune on the charge of Embezzlement.” The Hinds DA’s office, however, refused to prosecute Brune’s case, scribbling on a “Recommendation for No-Bill” dated
Most viral stories at jfp.ms:
1. “White America’s Overdue Leap of Faith” by Donna Ladd 2. “Republican Party Dismantling Mississippi’s Public Health System” by Getty Israel 3. “Charlottesville and the Mississippi Flag,” Robert Luckett and Otis W. Pickett 4. “Confederates Speak: Yes, We Fought the Civil War Over Slavery” by Donna Ladd 5. “Malik Heath” by Bryan Flynn
May 29, 2015, that DJP’s case against her was “retaliation for whistle-blowing.” DJP filed a civil suit in Madison County court in 2014 against Brune over the checks. Brune regularly attended Allen’s trial. The judge allowed documents about her alleged forgery into the trial, but The Clarion-Ledger did not report DJP’s allegations against the whistleblower at the time. The accused forger declined to speak to the Jackson Free Press during Allen’s trial, but posted a comment on the JFP website saying the charges against her were “bogus.” See jfp.ms/brune to comment and to view PDF of all related court documents including the allegedly forced checks.
Most viral events at jfpevents.com:
1. Higher Learning: Sex-Ed for Grown Folks, Aug. 31 2. Fondren After 5, Sept. 7 3. Glucklich Fest, Sept. 9 4. “And Then There Were None,” Sept. 12-16 5. “Finding the Melody” exhibit, Sept. 1-30 Find more events at jfpevents.com.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
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TALK | state
Infrastructure Funding Could Include Tax Increases by Arielle Dreher
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August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
which took effect in July. Lt. Gov. Reeves had a large part in passing the tax cut, which is likely part of the reason he is opposed to increasing taxes on the other end. Reeves was not present for the transportation meetings last week, but his Communications Director Laura Hipp said his stance on raising the gas tax has not changed. “Since 2011, the Legislature has appropriated more than $7 billion for Mississippi roads and bridges. Lt. Gov. Reeves
Hinds County has the most timberbased bridges in the state. In FHA’s initial inspection, officials looked at six bridges in Hinds and Madison counties, closing four of the six. Lawmakers still expressed concerns that federal engineers closed 64 bridges, despite county engineers thinking the bridges were fine to operate on. Not all timber-based bridges need to be completely replaced, but Dungan said it is a “sooner versus later problem.” “Later would obviously be better for Imani Khayyam
ississippi senators met in Jackson last week to explore ways to raise more money for the state’s deteriorating infrastructure, The move seemed to contradict their leader, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and his insistence that he will not raise taxes. The Senate Transportation Committee heard from several agency directors and engineers on how bad the state’s infrastructure is, why the feds came down to close several bridges earlier this summer and how much money they could raise by increasing taxes on everything from gas to liquor. The August meeting is a long time coming for the Senate compared to House Speaker Philip Gunn’s continued persistence all year long that the two chambers work on transportation funding issues together. Gunn proposed myriad ways to raise more funds before the special session in June—all to no avail. Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, and he asked Kathy Waterbury, with the Department of Revenue, to prepare estimates for several tax increases. Mississippi has not increased its gas tax since the 1980s, and consequently, the state’s gas tax is flatter and lower than all neighboring states. “If you raise the (gas) tax 10 cents a gallon, we collect an additional $224 million,” Waterbury told senators last week at the Capitol. “We have the cheapest gas tax in the neighborhood.” Waterbury presented several proposals that showed how increasing gaming, tobacco and liquor taxes could increase revenue for roads and bridges. Waterbury said the Department of Revenue does not take a position on any of the tax-increase estimates she presented. She said the proposals came from Simmons and other lawmakers in past years. Most of the taxes Waterbury discussed were user-based taxes, meaning the tax is directly on the consumer using a specific product. Tax revenues are close to meeting projections so far this year, but lagging a bit. Waterbury said revenues are within a percentage point or so of where they were at this time last year. “The sales tax is not growing like it did in the past,” she said. “There are a lot of people who have lots of ideas about why— the Internet, the economy and compliance is a huge part of it.” The Legislature also passed the largest tax cut in Mississippi history in 2016, 10
Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, and held a meeting to discuss proposals to improve and repair the state’s roads and bridges last week.
believes we should direct more money to maintenance and repairs, and he believes we can do so without raising the gas tax and without implementing an illegal tax on Internet sales,” Hipp said in an emailed statement. “One initial step is the state must do a better job prioritizing current spending while targeting inefficiencies in what has become a large bureaucracy.” How Bad Are the Bridges? Earlier this summer, the Federal Highway Administration closed 64 of 120 bridges they inspected in Mississippi, and Republican senators wanted to know why. County engineer Jeff Dungan told lawmakers that FHA focused on Mississippi’s bridges because of our current “timber bridge crisis.” “Mississippi has more bridges with timber substructure in critical condition that are still open to traffic than any other state in the nation,” Dungan said. “...There are 2,338 to my count bridges that have timber components.”
everybody, but some of them are deteriorating to the point where it wouldn’t be economically wise and where we shouldn’t spend money (on repairs),” he said. The bridge closures were a result of professional opinions, less based on quantified measures, but all of the timber-based bridges were at Category 2. Bridges are ranked on a scale of 1 through 5, worst to best. A Category 2 has advanced deterioration with cracks in the concrete, State Aid Road Construction Director Carey Webb told senators last week. Many Category 2 bridges are posted at the lowest point, meaning they have a 6,000pound weight limit, and many only have one house on the other side of the bridge. Webb said some of the bridges that federal workers closed are already repaired and back open—but it largely depends on county funding. “Some counties are getting out there and doing their repairs, and some remained closed,” Webb said.
Pavement Problems Beyond bridge infrastructure woes, the state’s pavement is deteriorating at a rapid pace. James Williams, an engineer at the Mississippi Department of Transportation, told senators that the state’s road woes are in part due to the state’s geography. “Mississippi is blessed with a lot of things, but what we’re not blessed with is the ideal existing soils to build roads,” Williams said. “Our soils and our embankments are built out of materials that a lot of states would not allow… importing materials is cost-prohibitive, so we have to design and build roads with the things we have here in Mississippi.” Using those materials has consequences, and once pavement cracks and water gets in, the cost of repair goes up. The cost of maintenance is cheaper than replacing and reconstructing roads, Williams said. “(Some of) our system is in poor or very poor category so to fix those roads, it will cost six to 14 times the amount it would have cost us then if we’d just overlaid them,” he said. The Mississippi Department of Transportation estimates that it needs an additional $400 million a year to repair the state’s roads and bridges, Director Linda McGrath told lawmakers. The state system of roads supports 90 percent of commerce traffic, needed to support business across the state. With current funding shortages, MDOT has put all of its capacity projects on hold to make necessary repairs to roads and bridges that are deemed public safety concerns. Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory said that while some Republicans appeared to be okay with a tax increase, lawmakers could instead repeal parts of the Taxpayer Pay Raise Act, which will divert millions of dollars from the state’s treasury in the next 15 years. Part of the tax cut included eliminating the 3 percent income tax bracket, which Bryan said would equal about the same amount of money annually that raising the gas tax by 7 cents would. “All we have to do is come in here next year and stop that nonsense, just freeze the 3 percent bracket (tax cut),” Bryan said. “And the fact that we’re not doing that clearly shows that what’s going on is yet another attempt to have tax policies which reward the wealthy and the most fortunate ….and to make life as miserable as we possibly can for the average, working (person).” Comment at jfp.ms/state.
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Leave my Heritage Alone!
I
’m sick and tired of people stomping all over my heritage. There are those who are bent on negating the things that make this state great, and I won’t stand for it anymore. Who’s with me? I’m talking about you, supporters of our state flag. I’m talking about you, defenders of Confederate monuments. I’m talking about you, standard bearers of a treasonous cause. Now who’s with me? (If you were at first and aren’t now, keep reading: There’s plenty more to get you riled up!) Mississippi’s history is one of beauty and blood; music and malevolence; literature and lamentation. We can’t ignore the ugly parts; those stains don’t wash out. But we sure as hell don’t have to build monuments to them—literal or ideological. You want to honor our heritage? So do I! I want to honor the amazing singers, songwriters and instrumentalists who made Mississippi the cradle of American music. I want to honor the novelists, poets and storytellers who have made Mississippi a literary powerhouse, despite our perennially dismal literacy rankings. I want to honor those who have worked to better our state by improving access to education, bettering race relations and reminding us that—across the board—all Mississippians deserve better. Let’s rename our schools for people who didn’t fight for slavery. If you mistakenly believe that wasn’t what they were fighting for, read the Declaration of Secession. Let’s take down those statues of Confederate war heroes. There are plenty of other worthy Mississippians to memorialize. Let’s rename the Ross Barnett Reservoir. How about the James Meredith Reservoir? Wouldn’t that be poetic justice? And for the love of all that’s decent, let’s get rid of our accursed state flag. Since I can already hear those keyboards clacking to argue opposing viewpoints, I’ve compiled a handy-dandy list of counter-arguments for a few of the greatest hits. “You’re trying to erase our history!” I’m not for a moment suggesting that we forget our past. It’s imperative that our schools teach a complete, unflinching history of the state. But when you build a monument to a person, you’re not just remembering them, you’re honoring them. When you name a street or school after someone, you’re honoring them. When you say, “This is a symbol that represents me,” you’re taking on its baggage. “Isn’t Mississippi strapped enough for cash? Why spend a bunch of money on something that’s strictly symbolic?” Well, first off, it’s not strictly symbolic. It’s an economic investment. Mississippi is surrounded by a giant, magnolia-shaped fart cloud of stigma that tends to overshadow her beautiful and admirable things. When we claim to be “The Hospitality State,” but we’ve gone out of our way to honor folks who were anything but hospitable to those without the right amount of melanin in their skin, there’s some serious cognitive dissonance there. Secondly, it’s the right thing to do. That should be enough. “This is just going to cause more division. Don’t we have enough of that already?” What I really hear when people make this argument: “It upsets the status quo and makes me uncomfortable, so I want it to go away.” Just because something is divisive doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Standing up for what’s right tends to cause a ruckus. “It’s not going to change anything.” It’s not going to change everything, to be sure. But it’s a good start. It shows that though our past will always inform us, we refuse to be defined by it. We can’t change history, but we can—at least to some degree—choose our heritage. Let’s choose wisely. Follow freelance writer Brent Hearn on Twitter and Instagram at @sydekix or email him at sydekix@gmail.com. 12 August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Our history is one of beauty and blood.
Prison Beds Not Based on Reading Scores, But …
Y
ou’ll hear it often dropped in conversation or blog posts: Prisons use fourth-grade reading scores to determine the number of prison beds they’ll need in the future. Nope, that is an urban myth. Education academics and prison operators alike will tell you that it is “nonsense” if you ask them. Prisons do not use reading test scores to plan the number of future prison beds. Period. Pass it on. Still, the myth touches on a vital fact: Educational deficiencies, especially when coupled with poverty or trauma, do increase the risk of crime later. It’s important, though, to break down the various pieces of the puzzle to find solutions and not put all effort, and blame, into the reading basket. Research does show that poor reading skills lead to drop-outs later on for rather obvious reasons. If a child cannot read well, he cannot keep up in classes, and frustration sets in. He feels that it’s easier to stay home or hang out with other dropouts. And dropping out of school, or a high number of absences, is a top precursor for a young person later going to adult prison, as is being treated or stereotyped as a young criminal or “thug” for even minor offenses. The BOTEC Analysis Corp. reported in its 2016 study of Jackson crime that dropouts and absences are a primary precursor of going to prison later; so is any contact with the criminal-justice system, such as juvenile detention or being detained by police officers, which even happens often at school for minor offenses. And suspensions and expulsions feed the same school-to-prison cycle.
BOTEC found that 225 children in Jackson Public Schools are at highest risk of committing serious crime based on the top precursors. It recommended educational programs that accept children at high risk as a primary way to lower the likelihood of crime later, as well as smart alternative programs for children who get in trouble. Sadly, the young people who need such help often don’t get it due to what BOTEC called “stereotyping.” The report warned that “providers of youth activities sometimes deliberately exclude children perceived to be dangerous or likely to be a bad influence on other children.” That is, the ones who need it most are pushed aside, which is often the result of the school “choice” options that are putting even more financial pressure on public schools. So, yes, early reading is vital for young people, as is learning skills such as math and critical thinking. Arts and history are vital, too. Public schools that serve children in poverty need the most resources to help them serve children who often live in poverty or traumatic circumstances—and must not be penalized for having additional needs. These children deserve the same chance to succeed as Dr. Clinton Smith points out in this week’s cover story. Likewise, Operation Shoestring is an afterschool program supplementing what is missing from a child’s education and environment—and helps keep young Jacksonians out of those high-risk groups. The reality is that not every child can get enough support at home, so organizations, programs and individuals must fill that void.
Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.
JOE ATKINS
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Fighting an Old War
O
XFORD—My young self must have killed thousands of imaginary Yankees in the woods next to our house in North Carolina. Inspired by Civil War-themed television shows like “The Gray Ghost,” I put on the nearest gray cap, armed myself with my toy rifle and went to war to defend the South. Even then, however, I knew that hanging over my TV heroes, Confederate Major John Singleton “The Gray Ghost” Mosby and crusty old Sergeant Myles Magruder, was the ugly specter of slavery. Sadly, we’re still fighting that war. With the events in Charlottesville and protests against Confederate monuments in Memphis, Durham and Baltimore, the nation is going through what folks here in the Confederate-laden culture of Oxford and the University of Mississippi wrestle with all the time: What do you do with all the Confederate reminders that are everywhere in the South? I grew up in Robert E. Lee County, N.C. I live near Robert E. Lee County, Miss. I live in a town with two Confederate statues, one of them dedicated to those who “gave their lives for a just and holy cause.” They attract countless literary scholars who come here to see William Faulkner’s inspiration in writing, “the Confederate soldier … his musket at order arms, shading his carven eyes with his stone hand.” Like most Confederate statues, they appeared long after the Civil War at a time when the white South was celebrating the rise of Jim Crow. The neo-Nazis and white supremacists came to Charlottesville ostensibly to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. I’m sure they didn’t know about Lee’s own disdain for Confederate statues. Business Insider writer Daniel Brown said Lee once wrote that the statues “would have the effect of retarding rather than accelerating (the nation’s) accomplishment.” President Trump is facing a political firestorm for his reaction to those white supremacists in Charlottesville. The chief executive officers on his Strategic and Policy Forum and Manufacturing Council walked out in protest. The corporate media are so enraged that they’ve even stopped talking about Russian influence in the 2016 election. While Russia and Confederate statues deserve media coverage, they are also
easy targets that don’t challenge the corporate state. Less easy are the Trumpand-GOP-led military buildup in this country and the systematic dismantling of the nation’s social safety net and environmental protections. CNN health producer John Bonifield said this summer that CNN CEO Jeff Zucker actually told staff members to drop their climate-accord reporting and “let’s get back to Russia.” Prior to Charlottesville, you couldn’t turn on CNN and MSNBC without hearing endless chatter about Russia, a neo-McCarthyite obsession that is manna from heaven for military contractors. Money compromises everything in this country, including the media. In the late 1990s, CBS actually killed investigative reporter Roberta Baskin’s story about Nike’s connection to Vietnamese sweatshops after the two companies formed an Olympics partnership that made Nike a CBS sponsor. Money even compromises civil-rights organizations like the NAACP, the recipient of such Nissan largesse over the years that one of its Tennessee branches named the company’s North American operations “Organization of the Year” in 2016. Is this why the NAACP avoided boycotts or other pressure tactics to get Nissan to act fairly in the recent union election for the largely black workforce at Nissan’s Canton plant? Yes, take down and replace the Mississippi flag with its embarrassing Confederate insignia. Take those statues of Jefferson Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest in Memphis and put them in a military park or a cemetery. Still, for the adult version of that Yankee-fighting youth back in North Carolina, many of those statues deserve a place, even if it’s just in a museum or a cemetery. Many of them depict a simple, country-boy soldier who fought a war not of his own making, upholding an evil, profit-obsessed institution of which he had no part, a soldier whose “carven eyes” and “stone hand” are the South’s most searing reminder of the horror and tragic waste of war, particularly one fought to enslave fellow human beings. Joe Atkins is a veteran journalist, columnist and professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi.
Sadly, we’re still fighting that war.
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All Hands on Deck: Showing Up for Childhood Literacy in Mississippi by Clinton Smith
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Clinton Smith
“C
riss-cross, apple sauce. I said criss-cross, apple sauce. What part of that do you not understand?” Like a symphony conductor, Angela Sandifer deftly had her pre-K class of 18 African American children quickly sit in their designated squares on the classroom floor, cross their legs and put their hands over their mouths so they couldn’t talk. “Randall, you go stand in the corner. Dr. Smith is here to read to you, and we need to show him some respect,” she said. Poor Randall. It was my fault, not his. I had snuck into the back of the room while the kids were gyrating to a tune on the “Between the Lions” video, and was doing the Twist with them. They thought an old white man doing the Twist was great fun. But the music slowly faded, and the children took their places and crossed their legs. “Good morning, everybody.” “Good morning, Dr. Smith.” “Does everybody remember the pledge we took last week?” I knew that they would. “Yes,” in unison. “Dr. Smith, I can be anything that I want to be. Amen.” Then I picked up a book that Angela had given me, and began to read. I felt two hands tapping on my knee. “I can’t see the pictures.” So I held the book higher, and craned my neck to read while I held it to the side. About every three minutes, I stopped to ask the students if they knew the meaning of a word. “What does ‘family’ mean?” All hands reached for the ceiling, and I pointed to Cecelia. “Family means who you live with,” she told the class. Raising My Hand What was I doing on this frosty morning at Walton Elementary School 14 on Bailey Avenue reading to this class of
North Jackson Rotary Club Member and “Between the Lions” coordinator Jenny Price (back) reads to kids at Walton Elementary School for the project.
exuberant children? The short answer is that I raised my hand to volunteer and become part of this family. The longer answer is that someone had decided to try to do something about an ugly problem: Almost two-thirds of American children cannot read proficiently at the beginning of the fourth grade, the benchmark used in most public schools. That means that those children are unable to interpret and apply what they read. WGBH, the Public Broadcasting System affiliate in Boston, had conceived of a one-hour weekday video series featuring a family of cartoon lions living in a library filled with musical and adventurous books. The lions’ friends introduced new words and sounds to children. Benefits of learning to read were dramatized, using wellgrounded principles of early education. In 2000, Mississippi Public Broadcasting stepped up to organize and oversee volunteers from selected Rotary Clubs in Jackson to read regularly to children in
pre-K classes with the Barksdale Reading Institute providing leadership and funding. Clubs also agreed to purchase video equipment and books for participating pre-K classes. The program launched that year in Rotary District 6820, which includes Jackson, and ran continuously until 2011. MPB also hired and paid salaries of classroom monitors who assisted teachers in showing the videos and selecting books. Rotarians agreed to provide money for an annual Thanksgiving party, where they would meet the children’s parents. So that’s why I was in the classroom at the Walton School. I am a member of the North Jackson Rotary Club, and I had volunteered to make sure that Rotarians read to the kids three times a week. Since I had practiced pediatrics before retirement, I was especially aware of the importance of reading to children from birth. Mississippi pediatricians participate in “Reach Out and Read,” which Batson Children’s Hospital at the University of
Mississippi Medical Center facilitates. Parents receive donated books at the time of clinic visits to encourage them to turn the television off, and instead sit and read to their children. But I volunteered for a more compelling reason that began with my own life in elementary school. ‘Colored School’: Near But Unequal I lived with my parents and younger brother on the south side of Jackson, and attended the Byram Consolidated school. I took the same yellow school bus every morning to school and rode the same one home. It was Number 57, and the driver was Jimmy Applewhite, a high-school student. The bus picked me up and let me off in front of my house. In the first grade I learned the alphabet, how to print my name and how to more LITERACY, see page 16
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LITERACY from page 14 An outdoor toilet stood on each side of the school building. “Girls” was painted on the door of one and “Boys” on the other. Jimmy told us this was the “colored school.” I passed that school every school day for six years, but never had a meaningful conversation with my parents or anyone else about the children who went to school there. It was simply a fact of life. It did not occur to me whether they were getting a good education. They surely had no football team. No cafeteria. No indoor plumbing. No water fountains in the hallway. I was unaware. But I have never forgotten that school. Only years later did I realize that education for black children was not only neglected in most of Mississippi: It was actively suppressed. Our white society was unaware of the consequences of denying good education to all its children—
consequences that can affect generations of children. In his well-researched and excellent Clinton Smith
count. It was easy. I could read well by the second grade, and in the third grade Mrs. Davis let me help some children who were slow readers. The school was made of bricks, had water fountains in the halls, clean indoor toilets and a cafeteria where we eagerly went for a hot meal every day. We boys played football at recess, built forts out of sticks, and played army and cowboys. In the fifth grade, I played football for the Pee Wee team. About a mile down Highway 51 from my house toward Byram, our bus passed Caney Creek School. It sat on a hill about 100 yards from the highway. To get to the front door, you had to go down a narrow dirt road filled with ruts, cross a muddy place at the bottom, then go up a little hill. The unpainted school had several windows; I could usually see people inside. Some old cars lay rusting in the front and side yards.
Kids in a private daycare, some of whom participated in “Between the Lions,” perform a concert for their parents.
book, “Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow” (University of Illinois Press, 1989), Neil McMillen details
the reasons why the Caney Creek School was not at all an exception in Mississippi. Most white people, prompted by state government leaders, considered education of black children a waste of time because, for one thing, no jobs were waiting for them when they finished school. More compelling was the fear of the white majority that education of black people would enable them to vote, and thereby threaten the status quo that they had long enjoyed. While physical facilities in urban communities such as Jackson, Meridian, Vicksburg and Hattiesburg included brick and mortar at the time that I was in elementary school, the vast majority of rural black schools could hardly be called schools. “A great many,” a former state superintendent of education told McMillen, “were four blank, unpainted walls, a few old rickety benches, an old stove propped up on brickbats, and two or three boards
Making Afterschool Programs Work by Amber Helsel
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ing the summer. May says that members of the league come in during the summer and help pre-kindergarten through second-grade students with reading. The organization targets students in pre-kindergarten and third grade to assist them with kindergarten readiness and literacy-based promotion. Operation Imani KHayyam
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
O
peration Shoestring Program Director Amber May says that an equitable education is a basic right for everyone. “It’s a basic right, and … as duty-bearers in the community, it’s our responsibility to make sure that happens. This is not just about the prosperity of what’s happening in our current generation but with the future generation,” she says. The local nonprofit serves primarily pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students at partner elementary schools, Brown and Galloway, in its afterschool and summer programming that the organization calls Project Rise. May says the programs at Operation Shoestring focus on both academic intervention and enrichment. “We’ve been very privileged to have some of the interventionists and some of the tutors from JPS to work with students on specific skills and objectives they need to know in order to show and demonstrate academic growth, but then we also have the academic enrichment, which are very much hands-on experiential-type learning where they’re able to apply what they learned during the school day,” May says. Though Operation Shoestring covers subjects such as math, science and social studies, the organization puts a special emphasis on reading. “We know how important reading is to prevent summer learning loss and summer slide, and so we make sure that we have components with that within our summer programs,” May says. She says that Operation Shoestring partners with community organizations such as Junior League of Jackson to help with the reading programs, especially dur-
Children read during Operation Shoestring’s afterschool programming, which the organization calls Project Rise.
Shoestring also works with any students that are in the schools’ lower 25th percentile. “We try and be very responsive to the schools’ needs,” she says. This year Operation Shoestring wanted to have as
many third-grade students in its afterschool program as possible so they could pass the third-grade gate test, May says. “We’ve had, over the past three years, a very high percentage of students that are enrolled in our program and also receiving quality education during the school day to pass the third-grade literacy test on the first goround,” she says. She says that last year, 94 percent to 100 percent of students enrolled in Project Rise passed the third-grade gate on the first try. May says that when it comes to an equitable education, Operation Shoestring looks at how it can provide opportunities and resources to disadvantaged students. “We understand the challenges that the students face during the school day; we understand the challenges that our parents face,” she says. “… It’s about making sure the children are safe, first off. It’s about helping working families (so) they’re able to work with the peace of mind of knowing that child is not only safe but that the child is getting the assistance they need on their homework assignments, they’re getting any other type of academic help they need, a nutritious snack. And then also it’s about inspiring children to learn.” Operation Shoestring is working with the Mississippi Statewide Afterschool Network to look into creating more high-quality afterschool programs statewide. “It’s really just about providing the opportunities to those who are in disadvantaged communities who normally do not get those opportunities within the regular school year,” May says. For more information on Operation Shoestring, call 601-353-6336 or visit operationshoestring.org.
sponges,” able to recall far more than he would have thought possible. He will readily volunteer for the
A class of Jackson pre-K kids who had participated in the “Between the Lions” program graduate in 2014.
children is fraught with bias. Each student takes a “Between the Lions” test before the school year begins, consisting of letter recognition, distinguishing between letters and numbers, and especially recognizing “phonemes,” sounds at the beginning of a word, such as “k” or “b.” The same test is administered at the end of the school year, and scores compared. The result is invariably significant improvement. But the true value of the effort may go beyond test scores to the intangibles. Does a child learn to be comfortable in a classroom setting? Does classroom discipline help channel the chaotic world of the pre-schooler into productive thinking? Is the teacher reassured that people in the community care about the education of all of the children? Does participation sharpen awareness of low literacy rates among Mississippi children? Would the volunteer have the opportunity to mingle with black pre-schoolers in any other aspect of his or her life? I asked two fellow Rotarians who have served as readers for two years why they volunteered for the program. After retiring from a career in engineering, Bill Osborne was property director of Habitat for Humanity in Jackson for more than 12 years. He told me that he had met many low-income families and children, primarily black, and was aware of the challenges they faced. “Quite simply,” he said, “reading is fundamental to learning and life.” He has found the children to be “information
next year, he told me. Lee Jenkins is the CEO of the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi, and has witnessed the tragic circumstances and outcomes of brain-injured people. She also taught in the Junior Achievement Program for 10 years, primarily at Peeples Middle School in south Jackson. Jenkins recalls the metal detectors and armed guards at the school, and how she had to patiently explain why she drove a Mercedes-Benz to school. But she requested Peeples “because they needed me the most.” “I went to Jackson Prep a couple of times and felt that every student there wanted to show me he was smarter than me,” Jenkins told me. “So I knew a little about the landscape and what to expect in the reading program.” Has the experience changed her in any way? “No, I don’t think so. Maybe in one way: I think every person in our Rotary Club should visit the class at least once. So many people are frightened at the school’s location and about the predominance of black kids there,” Jenkins said. It would do them good to see how some disadvantaged kids live. As a matter of fact, I’m going to suspend my participation in ‘Between the Lions’ this year. I’m chair of the Membership Committee. It’s time for somebody else to have the experience ‘Service Above Self’ Attorney Paul Harris founded the first
Rotary Club in 1905 in Chicago, along with three of his friends. The civic organization, often with top community leaders as members, rapidly spread across the United States, and soon became international in scope. Most Rotary Clubs meet weekly, and until recently, members were required to make up missed meetings. Rotary admitted its first female members in the 1990s. The four guiding principles of Rotary are: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? The motto is “Service above self. He profits most who serves best.” Many clubs now say “One profits” instead, however. Each club has its own meeting times and service projects, just as do other service organizations, such as Lions, Kiwanis and Exchange clubs. A portion of the dues goes to the Rotary Foundation, which serves as a resource for clubs, including a monthly magazine, and coordinates funding for its chief project since 1988: “eradication of polio from the face of the earth.” This may have seemed like an undoable project for some at the time, with more than 350,000 cases of polio a year worldwide. But because of partnerships with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only a handful of cases were reported last year and even fewer so far in 2017. India was declared polio-free in 2016. Only Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria continue to report cases. Rotarians do not say so often, but most are probably attracted to the organization because it does good in the world without the cloak of religion. A “Between the Lions” project can work in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cameroon and beyond. As with the goal of eliminating polio, educating children stuck in generations of poverty and societal neglect can seem daunting. But it really just takes showing up—again and again. At the end of that reading session to the kids at Walton Elementary, I once again asked my closing question: “OK, who knows what time it is?” “Exercise!” they yelled in unison. So the children and I spent a final two minutes doing jumping jacks, deep knee bends, toe touches, marching in place and their favorite, push-ups. The children always wanted a hug or a high-five when I left, and I wanted the same.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
‘Information Sponges’ Today’s Mississippi does not suffer from the same school segregation required by law—that officially ended in early 1970—but many majority-black public schools still suffer from inequitable funding issues. And the children within their walls are products of earlier discrimination against their parents and grandparents including under-funded schools that often educated them more poorly than their white counterparts, putting them on an unequal path from an early age. That means that the children participating in the “Between the Lions” program may have parents who cannot read well, or
maybe cannot read at all. Has the effort been successful? Maybe. Evaluating outcomes in pre-school
Clinton Smith
nailed together and painted black for a black board.” More than 90 percent had no outhouses. When there were erasers, maps, pictures, chalk or even fuel, they were supplied privately. A black schoolmaster told McMillen that a typical rural school was “little better than teaching out of doors. When it rained the water not only came through the top, but through the sides as well.” He may have been dry, but his pupils were not. “The little fellows would be standing in the water below like little ducks. ... Many of them were not protected with overshoes or any shoes, but they came to school each day much as if they had been properly clad,” the schoolmaster said. McMillen documents the historic disparities in per-pupil expenditures by the State of Mississippi. In 1913-1914 $8.20 went to white children and $1.53 to black. By 1949-1950, expenditures were $122.93 for white children and $32.55 for black students. The plight of Mississippi’s black children did not go unnoticed outside the state. The Rosenwald Foundation, founded by New York businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and black educator Booker T. Washington, provided matching funds for the construction of school buildings in the southern states for black children. School boards had to agree to operate and maintain the segregated schools. But private donations had to provide much of the match, which amounted to a “second tax,” as black people had already paid taxes to the state to support schools. In many, if not most cases, their tax money was diverted to support white schooling. Whites less resented initiatives by the Jeanes Fund, also known as the “Negro Rural School Fund.” Founded by Quaker Anna T. Jeanes, monies were made available in the southern states to train African American teachers, because so many had only minimal education in the inadequate system. By 1952, there were more than 500 of them in the South.
Dr. Clinton Smith is a retired pediatrician in Jackson, a member of the North Jackson Rotary Club and a Provine High School graduate. This is his first cover story for the Jackson Free Press. 17
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BARS, PUBS & BURGERS
More Cuisine in Jackson by Dustin Cardon
courtesy Yiayia
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August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
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New Greek restaurant Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen had its grand opening in Ridgeland on Aug. 1.
Aplos The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen General Manager Steven O’Neill and Executive Chef Alex Eaton are gearing up to open Mediterranean “fast fine diningâ€? restaurant Aplos in Highland Village. “Aplos is the Greek word for simple, and we plan to offer good, simple Mediterranean food,â€? O’Neill told the Jackson Free Press. “We’re going to have salad, pizza, wraps and more, and all the meat will be slow-cooked on a rotisserie every day where people walking in can see it cooking. The menu will be Greek, Lebanese and Italian-influenced, much like The Manship, with a casual style and price point that’ll make it great for weeknight dinners.â€? The restaurant will be in Highland Village’s center court next to Deep South Pops. The restaurant will have 2,000 square feet of space with seating for 50 inside and additional seating outside. For more information, find Aplos on Facebook. Mother’s Kitchen and Catering Soul food is a southern (and Jackson) staple, and soon, the city will have another soul-food restaurant. Charles Richardson, who is the pastor at Nu Vision Worship Center and a retired firefighter, held a soft opening for Mother’s Kitchen and Catering (1207 Neal St., Clinton) on Aug. 25 and 26. Mother’s has southern dishes such as fried or baked chicken, pork chops, turkey necks, chicken Alfredo, and more. The restaurant posts the current menu on Facebook each day. Its daily lunch-plate special includes an entrĂŠe, three sides and a drink for $9.99.
Currently, the restaurant is open for lunch every day from 11 a.m .to 2 p.m. After Mother’s grand opening on Sept. 9, the restaurant will be open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner. The restaurant will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 601-7084834 or find the restaurant on Facebook. Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen Following a soft opening on July 15, Stefano and Despina “Daisy� Mangafakis held a grand opening for Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen on Aug. 1. “All the food here is authentic Greek cuisine rather than Americanized, and is prepared on-site in traditional fashion,� Yiayia’s Manager Chris Tselepis told the Jackson Free Press. “Everything is made at time of order and nothing is precooked. (The Mangafakis) are very warm and friendly people who treat their customers like family.� The menu includes gyros, chicken or pork souvlaki, roasted lamb, porterhouse pork chops, stuffed peppers or cabbage rolls, seafood dishes such as scallops, redfish and baked cod, spinach pie, fried Greek meatballs, stuffed cabbage or grape leaves, and more. Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen (587 Highway 51, Ridgeland) is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 601-8531110 or find the restaurant on Facebook. Send business tips to dustin@jacksonfreepress.com See more news at jfp.ms.
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August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
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19
WEDNESDAY 8/30
THURSDAY 8/31
FRIDAY 9/1
The Something Blue Soirée Wedding Show is at Fairview Inn.
“Bark for Biscuits” Dog Treat Cooking Class is at The Everyday Gourmet.
Jax-Zen Songwriter Series is at Jax-Zen Float.
BEST BETS Aug. 30 Sept. 6, 2017
Cassie Beasley signs copies and reads from “Tumble & Blue” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N.). $17.99 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com. … The Farm to Table 100 Dinner is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood). The meal is a celebration local Mississippi farmers and purveyors. Proceeds benefit Farm Families of Mississippi. $95; call 601-420-4202; find it on Facebook.
Grammy Award-nominated gospel artist and evangelist Jekalyn Carr performs for the Inspiration Celebration of Gospel at the Jackson Convention Complex on Friday, Sept. 1.
Octavius Holmes
WEDNESDAY 8/30
THURSDAY 8/31
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
courtesy Cassie Beasley
Anne Gisleson signs copies of “The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N.). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $27 book; lemuriabooks.com. … Black August Film Night is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Cooperation Jackson (939 W. Capitol St.). The film night and potluck barbeque features screenings of “George Jackson: Releasing the Dragon” and “The Murder of Fred Hampton.” Free;
Chattanooga. Admission TBA; call 601-968-5940; find more information on Facebook.
FRIDAY 9/1
The Inspiration Celebration of Gospel is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). Features performances from music director and songwriter Donald Lawrence, Bishop Paul S. Morton, singer-songwriter Brian Courtney Wilson, Anita Wilson, Jekalyn Carr and Paul Porter. RSVP. Free; 365black.com.
SATURDAY 9/2 The Alabama vs. FSU Watch Party is from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Cathead Distillery (422 S. Farish St.). Features beers on draft, games throughout the distillery, as well as drink specials. Kid and pet friendly. Fans of all teams are welcome. Free admission; call 601667-3038; find it on Facebook.
SUNDAY 9/3 New York Times best-selling author Cassie Beasley signs copies of her book, “Tumble & Blue,” at Lemuria Books on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
find it on Facebook. … “Higher Learning: Sex-Ed for Grown Folks” is at 6:45 p.m. at the Kundi Compound (256 E. Fortification St.). The workshop covers topics of family planning, STIs, trauma, consent, sexual orientation 20 and more. Food provided. Free; find it on Facebook.
by TYLER EDWARDS
events@
jacksonfreepress.com Fax: 601-510-9019 Daily updates at jfpevents.com
Dinner & Magic Show is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N.). Master magician Joe Presto performs “magical appetizers” right at guest’s tables. Dinner features more magical entertainment, and after dinner, guests experience magic with coins, playing cards and objects borrowed from the audience. $85; call 601-550-3242; find it on Facebook. … Drakeford performs at 7 p.m. at Belhaven University (1500 Peachtree St.). The husband-and-wife singer-songwriter duo is from
MONDAY 9/4
Labor of Love 10K/5K Run & Walk is from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at AXA Advisors (1052 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland). The 10K and 5K run or walk benefits The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, specifically for women in situations of domestic violence. $30 pre-registration, $40 day of event; call 601-982-4881; raceroster.com. … The Labor Day Block Party is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Ridge (1229 Springridge Road, Clinton). Features free food, waterslides, obstacle courses and more. Free; call 601953-9349; find it on Facebook.
TUESDAY 9/5
“Prothonotary Warblers: A Swamp Canary in the Coal Mine” is from noon to 1 p.m. at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Erik Johnson, the director of bird conservation at Audubon Louisiana, is the speaker. $6 for adults, $4 for ages 3 and up; mdwfp.com.
WEDNESDAY 9/6
The Lunch Bunch Community Forum is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.) in the community room. The luncheon recognizes five local elementary-school educators who are working to increase student engagement. RSVP. $8 lunch; find it on Facebook.
Something Blue Soirée Wedding Show Aug. 30, 5:30 p.m., at Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.). The expo features one-on-one interactions with wedding industry professionals and other brides. Free admission; find it on Facebook. Ovarian Cancer Lunch and Learn Aug. 31, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). Includes information on ovarian cancer treatments and lunch from Newk’s Eatery. Limited space. Free; email newkscares@newks.com. Summer Party Festival Aug. 31, 4-7 p.m., at The Meridian at Fondren (802 Lakeland Drive). Features grilled food, music from the Patrick Harkins Band, and more. Free; call 601-376-9874; find it on Facebook. Higher Learning: Sex-Ed for Grown Folks Aug. 31, 6:45 p.m., at Kundi Compound (256 E. Fortification St.). The sex education workshop covers topics such as family planning, STIs, trauma, consent, sexual orientation and more. Includes food. Free; email mississippireprofreedomfund@gmail.com; find it on Facebook. Frozen Treat Animal Enrichment Weekend Sept. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). Features specialty frozen treats available and zoo keeper chats throughout the day. Free with admission; find it on Facebook. Dinner & Magic Show Sept. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N.). Master magician Joe Presto performs “magical appetizers” at guest’s tables, as well as dinner and afterdinner entertainment. $85; call 601-550-3242; email joe@joepresto.com; find it on Facebook. Prothonotary Warblers: A Swamp Canary in the Coal Mine Sept. 5, noon-1 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Erik Johnson, director of bird conservation at Audubon Louisiana, is the speaker. $6 for adults, $4 for ages 3 and up; mdwfp.com.
FOOD & DRINK Events at The Everyday Gourmet (1270 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland) • “Let Them Eat Cake!” Aug. 30, 10 a.m. Participants learn to make butter-pecan toffee layer cake with brown butter rum frosting, chocolate sheet cake and orange pound cake. $45; theeverydaygourmet.com.
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• “Bark for Biscuits” Dog Treat Cooking Class Aug. 31, 6 p.m. Participants learn to make dog treats such as biscuits, doggie donuts and more. $45; theeverydaygourmet.com. Farm to Ferment Series: Part 3 Aug. 30, 5-7 p.m., at The Hatch (126 Keener Ave.). Participants learn how to make hearty, flavorful and nutritionally dense sourdough breads with local baker and sourdough expert Robert Raymond. $40; call 601-354-5373; find it on Facebook. Farm to Table 100 Dinner Aug. 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood). The dinner is a celebration of local Mississippi
SLATE
farmers and purveyors. Includes live music, cocktails and more. Proceeds go to Farm Families of Mississippi. $95 per person, including tax and gratuity; call 601-420-4202; find it on Facebook.
SPORTS & WELLNESS Labor of Love 10K/5K Run & Walk Sept. 4, 7-11 a.m., at AXA Advisors (1052 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland). The 10K and 5K run or walk benefits The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. $30 pre-registration, $40 day of event; call 601-982-4881; raceroster.com.
the best in sports over the next seven days
by Bryan Flynn, follow at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports
Finally, college football returns all around the country this week. It is also the final week of the NFL preseason, and most teams will be cutting their rosters from 90 players to 53 players. Thursday, Aug. 31
NFL (7-10:30 p.m., NBC): The New Orleans Saints look to close the preseason with three straight wins as they host the Baltimore Ravens in the final exhibition game. Friday, Sept. 1
College football (7-10:30 p.m., ESPNU): The Lane Kiffin era begins at Florida Atlantic, who will be up against the triple-option offense of the Navy. Saturday, Sept. 2
College football (3-6:30 p.m., SECN): Mississippi State University hosts Charleston Southern to start the season. … College football (3-6:30 p.m., CBS Sports): Southern Miss hosts SEC foe Kentucky in game one. … College football (6:30-10 p.m., ESPNU): The University of Mississippi hosts South Alabama in the Rebels’ first post-Hugh Freeze game. … College football (7-10:30 p.m., Fox Sports): If the weather permits, Jackson State will travel to take on TCU.
I NT E N S E
Sunday, Sept. 3
College football (6:30-10 p.m., ABC): West Virginia faces Virginia Tech in a battle of ranked teams. … College football (6:30-10 p.m., Fox): Texas A&M travels west to face UCLA. Monday, Sept. 4
College football (7-10:30 p.m., ESPN): The opening week of college football officially ends with Tennessee battling Georgia Tech. Tuesday, Sept. 5
College football (1-1:30 p.m., SECN+): Bulldog fans can check out Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen’s weekly press conference live. Wednesday, Sept. 6
College football (6-9 p.m., ESPNU): Tune in for a rebroadcast of Alabama against FSU, one of the biggest collegefootball games of opening weekend. College football gets going this week, and the NFL season kicks off next week. Football is back, and we get to drink it in until February.
STAGE & SCREEN Black August Film Night Aug. 31, 6-10 p.m., at Cooperation Jackson (939 W. Capitol St.). The film night and potluck barbeque features screenings of “George Jackson: Releasing the Dragon” and “The Murder of Fred Hampton.” Free; call 601-208-0090; find it on Facebook.
CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Inspiration Celebration of Gospel Sept. 1, 7-10 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). Features music from Donald Lawrence, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Brian Courtney Wilson, Anita Wilson, Jekalyn Carr and Paul Porter. Must RSVP. Free; 365black.com. Jax-Zen Songwriter Series Sept. 1, 8-11 p.m., at Jax-Zen Float (155 Wesley Ave.). Local singersongwriter Jason Daniels co-hosts and performs along with Nashville singer-songwriter Mike Younger. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; call 601-691-1697; find it on Facebook.
LITERARY & SIGNINGS Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202) • “Tumble & Blue” Aug. 30, 5 p.m. Cassie Beasley signs copies and reads an excerpt. $17.99 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com. • “The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading” Aug. 31, 5 p.m. Anne Gisleson signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $27 book; lemuriabooks.com. • “All’s Faire in Middle School” Sept. 5, 5 p.m. Victoria Jamieson signs copies. $15; call 601366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.
EXHIBIT OPENINGS Gordon Parks Exhibition Aug. 31, 6 p.m., at Gallery1 (1100 John R. Lynch St.). In Johnson Hall. The exhibit features work from Gordon Parks, an iconic documentary photographer and filmmaker who worked from the 1940s through the 1970s. Free; call 601-979-0879. Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.
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ITALIAN C U P S E S P R E S S O C A F E.C O M
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
COMMUNITY
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Music listings are due noon Monday to be included in print and online listings: music@jacksonfreepress.com.
Aug. 30 - Wednesday
AUG. 31 - Thursday Bonny Blair’s - Josh Journeay 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Capitol Grill - Jesse Robinson & Friends 7:30-10:30 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. County Seat - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6-10 p.m. Cups, Clinton - Codetta South 7 p.m. free F. Jones Corner - Raul Valinti & the F. Jones Challenge Band 10 p.m. $5 Fenian’s - Spirits of the House 8 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Chad Wesley Georgia Blue, Madison - Acoustic Crossroads Iron Horse Grill - Brint Anderson 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - Scott Turner Trio 6:30-9:30 p.m. free Meridian at Fondren - Summer Party Festival feat. Patrick Harkins Band 4-7 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Chris Gill 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Sofa Kings 7:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. Underground 119 - Lady L & the River City Band
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
SEPT. 1 - Friday
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Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Nashville South 8 p.m. Bonny Blair’s - Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Capitol Grill - Hotstop 8 p.m. Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m. Drago’s - Robin Blakeney 6-9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon & the Amazin’ Lazy Boi midnight $10 Fenian’s - Cast of Comics 10 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Phil & Trace
Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 3:30 p.m. free; Hunter & the Gators 8 p.m. $5; Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 10 p.m. free Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. WonderLust - Drag Performance & Dance Party feat. DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-3 a.m. free before 10 p.m.
Sept. 2 - Saturday Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Voyage 8 p.m. Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m. Drago’s - Robin Blakeney 6-9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Big Money Mel & Small Change Wayne 10 p.m. $1; Sherman Lee Dillon & the Amazin’ Lazy Boi midnight $10 Fenian’s - Strider Georgia Blue, Flowood - Andy Tanas Hal & Mal’s - Cary Hudson free The Hideaway - Rack It Up Labor Day Bash feat. Rasta B, Kay Hawk, Swazy, IPod da DJ, Keefyman, AG & more 9 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Deeb’s Blues 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Faze 4 7-10:30 p.m. free Kemistry - Karaoke Contest 9 p.m. Pelican Cove - Shaun Patterson 2 p.m.; Georgetown 7 p.m. Pop’s Saloon - Radio Romance 9 p.m.
A Two-Heart Society by Malcolm Morrow
Sept. 3 - Sunday Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Khai Dang, Ngo Nhu Thuy & The Heatz 7 p.m. $10 1908 Provisions - Knight Bruce 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. ISH Grill & Bar - Kerry Thomas, DJ Finesse & DJ Phingaprint 8 p.m. Kathryn’s - Jay & the Roundup Band w/ Sonny Brooks & Kevin Lewis 6-9 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Richard Lee Davis noon; Fannin Landin’ 5 p.m. Shucker’s - The Chill 3:307:30 p.m. Table 100 - Jazz Brunch feat. Raphael Semmes Trio 11 a.m.2 p.m.; Dan Michael Colbert 6-9 p.m. Wellington - Jazz Brunch feat. Andy Hardwick 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 4 - Monday
Brian Jones
DIVERSIONS | music
Tom Beck
Alumni House - Pearl Jamz 5:30-7:30 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. First Baptist Jackson - Worship Choir & Orchestra’s “When Love Was Born” Carols Kickoff 6-7:30 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6:30-9:30 p.m. Kemistry - DJ Trigger 7 p.m. Pelican Cove - Brian Jones 6:30 p.m. Shucker’s - Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 7:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.
Hal & Mal’s - Swing de Paris 6 p.m. free The Hideaway - All DJ Dance Night 9 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Chris Gill 9 p.m. Jackson Convention Complex - Inspiration Celebration of Gospel feat. Donald Lawrence, Paul S. Morton, Brian Courtney Wilson, Anita Wilson, Jekalyn Carr & Paul Porter 7-10 p.m. free (must RSVP) Jax-Zen Float - Jason Daniels & Mike Younger 8-11 p.m. $10 advance $15 door Kathryn’s - Shadz of Grey 7-10:30 p.m. free M Bar - Flirt Fridays feat. DJ 901 free Pelican Cove - Noize Below 6 p.m. Pop’s Saloon - Hairicane 9 p.m. Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 5:30 p.m. free; Hunter & the Gators 8 p.m. $5; Chad Perry 10 p.m. free Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Underground 119 - Good Paper of the Rev. Robert Mortimer WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.2 a.m. Courtesy Brian Jones
MUSIC | live
Hal & Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society (rest) 7 p.m. Pelican Cove - Road Hogs noon; Acoustic Crossroads 5 p.m. Shucker’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 3:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5 - Tuesday Bonny Blair’s - Sid Thompson 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Fenian’s - Open Mic Kathryn’s - Stace & Cassie 6:30-9:30 p.m. free Last Call Sports Grill - Top-Shelf Tuesdays feat. DJ Spoon 9 p.m. Pelican Cove - Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m. Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.
Sept. 6 - Wednesday Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:308:30 p.m. Hal & Mal’s - Mark Roemer & Jamie Weems free Kathryn’s - Gator Trio 6:309:30 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Chris Gill 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Lovin Ledbetter 7:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.
8/30 - Social Distortion - House of Blues, New Orleans 8/31 - Afroman - Zydeco, Birmingham 9/1 - Cherubs - Growler’s, Memphis 9/2 - Charlie Daniels Band - IP Casino, Resort & Spa, Biloxi 9/6 - Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Tipitina’s, New Orleans
With their upcoming album, “Wake the Queens,” Teneia Sanders-Eichelberger and Ben Eichelberger are making big changes to their sound and their name.
H
usband-and-wife music duo Teneia Sanders-Eichelberger and Ben Eichelberger have kept themselves busy over the past few years, between making Jackson their new base of operations in late 2015 and performing around the country. Now, the band, which recently changed its name to Heart Society, is preparing to release its sixth album, “Wake the Queens,” later this fall. With this new project, SandersEichelberger says they are taking a different approach and a bringing a bit of an edge to their sound to accompany their message and theme. In part, the album is a response to the presidential election and its fallout. “This is an album about female empowerment,” she says. “It’s dedicated to women speaking their unfiltered truth and being unapologetically awesome.” While the band’s 2015 album, “No Fakes,” was more acoustic-based fare, the new record’s lead single, “What’s on Your Mind, Kid?,” which came out in February, features grungy guitar and sharp drums. In the song, Sanders-Eichelberger sings about the ills of the world, which she says was a way to vent on her current feelings. “I felt like I had so much more to say,” she says, “and I had a genuine sense of urgency about getting it out.” With the exception of “What’s on Your Mind, Kid?,” the couple wrote together on every song for “Wake the Queens,” which played a part in the decision to change the band name from Teneia to Heart Society. Eichelberger says the new name also reflects their outlook and mission to help people connect on a heart level. Although they’re married, the two musicians had fairly different origins. “I first began singing in the church and school choir, so I am a classically
trained vocalist,” she says. “And I was a guitar player in punk and hard-rock bands during my years in middle and high school,” her husband adds. On this album, the duo decided to let its hard-rock and singer-songwriter sensibilities come together, and “created a different kind of vibe for the overall album,” Eichelberger says. Even with the occasional creative differences, he says that being married actually helps the songwriting process flow more smoothly for the band, as they already know most everything about each other and their methods of creating art. “(It’s about) not taking things personally as artists, such as not liking each other’s ideas about song directions,” he says. The move toward a full-band sound for their first record as Heart Society also allowed them to bring in collaborators. Drummer Cherita Brent, multi-instrumentalist Judson Wright, percussionist Rufus Mapp and keyboardist Marcus Singleton all contributed to the album, as well as engineer Kent Bruce of Malaco Studios. Another big contribution to the album, however, came not from an individual but from an organization. This summer, the band received an artist fellowship grant of $5,000 from the Mississippi Arts Commission, which Eichelberger says helped the band to pay for significant portions of “Wake the Queens,” including mixing. The band plans to launch a crowd-funding campaign within the next few weeks to help finish the album. “We applied a while back, and we were very excited to be the recipients,” he says. “It’s great to have these kinds of resources available for creatives in the state.” For more information, find Heart Society on Instagram and Facebook.
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JFPmenus.com Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant
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August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Eat. Energize. That’s our motto. Serving up made to-order burritos, soups, fresh salads and much more.
23
itself to a word meaning “hint”) 53 Cookbook instruction 54 “The House at Pooh Corner” author 56 “Running on Empty” singer 61 “Shine On ___ Crazy Diamond” 63 Beryl ___, head cook on “Downton Abbey” 64 Nibble on 65 Nightmarish street 66 Park, Fifth, and Q, e.g. 67 Coldplay’s label 68 Rally feature 69 Santa ___, Calif. 70 Barbie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend
BY MATT JONES
38 Rue Morgue chronicler 39 Economic start 40 Halftime fodder 41 “Everything ___ the kitchen sink” 42 Winter Olympics structure 45 Frequently over an extended time, maybe 46 Robert Galbraith, e.g. 47 Jodie of “Full House” 49 “It’s the end of an ___!” 50 Expired 51 California’s ___ Tar Pits 55 G.I. rations
57 H&R Block worker 58 Intoxicating Polynesian beverage that rhymes with something flowing out of a volcano 59 WWII submachine gun 60 Defunct sci-fi magazine 61 Nope’s opposite 62 “Bravissimo!” ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com)
Last Week’s Answers
For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #839.
Down
“Bo Knows” —so, do you know five Bos? Across
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
1 Std. tee size 4 Mild cheddar cheese 9 “Cheers” and “The Good Place” network 12 Uru. neighbor 13 When some night owls go to bed 15 Dove noise 16 Overly 17 First Family of the 1980s 18 Tails do it 19 Musical subgenre for Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard 22 German magazine, with “Der”
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23 Restaurant reviewer’s website 26 “___ la vie” 27 2000 World Series MVP 32 Pianist Rubenstein 34 Gillette razor brand 35 “That can’t be right!” 36 Exhibitions seen through a small hole 40 “Washboard” muscles 43 Conspire 44 Daytime programming, once 48 Gene Chandler doo-wop hit that starts with a solo bass voice 52 Ball of thread (whose name lent
1 Sardou drama on which a Puccini opera is based 2 Another word for sea bass 3 Self-absorbed person 4 Sank your teeth into 5 Divine counselor 6 Company that’s built brick by brick? 7 Jeff Bridges’s brother 8 “Life of Pi” author Martel 9 “Treasure Island” illustrator, 1911 10 Flamboyant scarf 11 Gear tooth 13 “Hamlet” genre, for short 14 Clock setting in most of AZ 20 Abate 21 Swirly bread variety 24 Spider-Man co-creator Stan 25 Get leverage, in a way 28 Reggae Sunsplash attendee, maybe 29 Numerical suffix 30 Marvel shapeshifting supervillain, leader of the Deviants 31 1975 Spielberg hit 33 Defaulter’s risk 37 Middle Earth being
BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers
“Greater-Than Sudoku”
For this “Greater-Than Sudoku,” I’m not giving you ANY numbers to start off with! Adjoining squares in the grid’s 3x3 boxes have a greater-than sign (>) telling you which of the two numbers in those squares is larger. Fill in every square with a number from 1-9 using the greater-than signs as a guide. When you’re done, as in a normal Sudoku, every row, column and 3x3 box will contain the numbers 1-9 exactly one time. (Solving hint: try to look for the 1s and 9s in each box first, then move on to the 2s and 8s, and so on). psychosudoku@gmail.com
BULLE TIN BOARD: Classifieds As low as $25!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the miraculous communication system that we know as the World Wide Web. When asked if he had any regrets about his pioneering work, he named just one. There was no need for him to have inserted the double slash—“//”—after the “http:” in web addresses. He’s sorry that Internet users have had to type those irrelevant extra characters so many billions of times. Let this serve as a teaching story for you, Virgo. As you create innovations in the coming weeks, be mindful of how you shape the basic features. The details you include in the beginning may endure.
The sadness you feel might be the most fertile sadness you have felt in a long time. At least potentially, it has tremendous motivating power. You could respond to it by mobilizing changes that would dramatically diminish the sadness you feel in the coming years, and also make it less likely that sadness-provoking events will come your way. So I invite you to express gratitude for your current sadness. That’s the crucial first step if you want to harness it to work wonders.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“Don’t hoot with the owls at night if you want to crow with the rooster in the morning,” advised Miss Georgia during the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Although that’s usually good counsel, it may not apply to you in the coming weeks. Why? Because your capacity for revelry will be at an alltime high, as will your ability to be energized rather than drained by your revelry. It seems you have a special temporary superpower that enables you both to have maximum fun and get a lot of work done.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
During this phase of your astrological cycle, it makes sense to express more leadership. If you’re already a pretty good guide or role model, you will have the power to boost your benevolent influence to an even higher level. For inspiration, listen to educator Peter Drucker: “Leadership is not magnetic personality. That can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not ‘making friends and influencing people.’ That is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, raising a person’s performance to a higher standard, building a personality beyond its normal limitations.”
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“One should always be a little improbable,” said Oscar Wilde. That’s advice I wouldn’t normally give a Capricorn. You thrive on being grounded and straightforward. But I’m making an exception now. The astrological omens compel me. So what does it mean, exactly? How might you be “improbable”? Here are suggestions to get you started. 1. Be on the lookout for inspiring ways to surprise yourself. 2. Elude any warped expectations that people have of you. 3. Be willing to change your mind. Open yourself up to evidence that contradicts your theories and beliefs. 4. Use telepathy to contact Oscar Wilde in your dreams, and ask him to help you stir up some benevolent mischief or compassionate trouble.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
A modern Israeli woman named Shoshana Hadad got into trouble because of an event that occurred long before she was born. In 580 B.C., one of her male ancestors married a divorced woman, which at that time was regarded as a sin. Religious authorities decreed that as punishment, none of his descendants could ever wed a member of the Cohen tribe. But Hadad did just that, which prompted rabbis to declare her union with Masoud Cohen illegal. I bring this tale to your attention as a way to illustrate the possibility that you, too, may soon have to deal with the consequences of past events. But now that I have forewarned you, I expect you will act wisely, not rashly. You will pass a tricky test and resolve the old matter for good.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Want to live to be 100? Then be as boring as possible. That’s the conclusion of longevity researchers, as reported by the Weekly World News. To ensure a maximum life span, you should do nothing that excites you. You should cultivate a neutral, blah personality, and never travel far from home. JUST KIDDING! I lied. The Weekly World News is in fact a famous purveyor of fake news. The truth, according
to my analysis of the astrological omens, is that you should be less boring in the next seven weeks than you have ever been in your life. To do so will be superb for your health, your wealth and your future.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems,” said businessman Lee Iacocca. You are currently wrestling with an example of this phenomenon, Aries. The camouflage is well-rendered. To expose the opportunity hidden beneath the apparent dilemma, you may have to be more strategic and less straightforward than you usually are—cagier and not as blunt. Can you manage that? I think so. Once you crack the riddle, taking advantage of the opportunity should be interesting.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Close your eyes and imagine this: You and a beloved ally get lost in an enchanted forest, discover a mysterious treasure and find your way back to civilization just before dark. Now visualize this: You give a dear companion a photo of your face taken on every one of your birthdays, and the two of you spend hours talking about your evolution. Picture this: You and an exciting accomplice luxuriate in a sun-lit sanctuary surrounded by gourmet snacks as you listen to ecstatic music and bestow compliments on each other. These are examples of the kinds of experiments I invite you to try in the coming weeks. Dream up some more! Here’s a keynote to inspire you: sacred fun.
PERSONALS
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TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:
Post an ad, call 601-362-6121, ext. 11 or fax to 601-510-9019. Deadline: Mondays at Noon.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
On its album Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty, Jefferson Starship plays a song I co-wrote, “In a Crisis.” On its album Deeper Space/Virgin Sky, the band covers another tune I co-wrote, “Dark Ages.” Have I received a share of the record sales? Not a penny. Am I upset? Not at all. I’m glad the songs are being heard and enjoyed. I’m gratified that a world-famous, multi-platinum band chose to record them. I’m pleased my musical creations are appreciated. Now here’s my question for you, Gemini: Has some good thing of yours been “borrowed”? Have you wielded a benevolent influence that hasn’t been fully acknowledged? I suggest you consider adopting an approach like mine. It’s prime time to adjust your thinking about how your gifts and talents have been used, applied or translated.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Author Roger von Oech tells us that creativity often involves “the ability to take something out of one context and put it into another so that it takes on new meanings.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this strategy could and should be your specialty in the coming weeks. “The first person to look at an oyster and think ‘food’ had this ability,” says von Oech. “So did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think ‘guitar strings.’ And so did the first person to look at a perfume vaporizer and think gasoline carburetor.” Be on the lookout, Cancerian, for inventive substitutions and ingenious replacements.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
When famous socialite Nan Kempner was young, her mother took her shopping at Yves Saint Laurent’s salon. Nan got fixated on a certain white satin suit, but her mean old mother refused to buy it for her. “You’ve already spent too much of your monthly allowance,” mom said. But the resourceful girl came up with a successful gambit. She broke into sobs, and continued to cry nonstop until the store’s clerks lowered the price to an amount she could afford. You know me, Leo: I don’t usually recommend resorting to such extreme measures to get what you want. But now is one time when I am giving you a go-ahead to do just that.
Homework: Send news of your favorite mystery—an enigma that is both maddening and delightful. Freewillastrology.com
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---------------------- AUTOMOTIVE ----------------------J & J Wholesale Service & Repair
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3246 Hwy 80 W., Jackson, (601) 360-2444 Certified Technician, David Rucker, has 40+ years of experience. Mr. Rucker specializes in a/c, front end, part replacement, brakes, select services and repairs. Appointments only.
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Members Exchange
107 Marketridge Dr. Ridgeland, 5640 I-55 South Frontage Rd. Byram 101 MetroPlex Blvd. Pearl, (601)922-3250 Members Exchange takes the bank out of banking. You will know right away that you are not just a customer, you are a member.
Mississippi Federal Credit Union
2500 North State Street, Jackson, (601) 351-9200 For over 50 years, Mississippi Federal Credit Union has successfully served its members.
------------------- FOOD/DRINK/GIFTS ------------------McDade’s Wine & Spirits
Maywood Mart, 1220 E Northside Dr #320, Jackson, (601)366-5676 McDade’s Wine and Spirits offers Northeast Jackson’s largest showroom of fine wine and spirits. Visit to learn about the latest offerings and get professional tips from the friendly staff!
-------------------- ENTERTAINMENT ----------------------Mississippi Museum of Art
380 South Lamar St. Jackson, (601) 960-1515 MMA strives to be a fountainhead attracting people from all walks to discuss the issues and glories of the past and present, while continuing to inspire progress in the future.
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
SERVICES
25
AMERICAN HISTORY
Visit the site of America’s defining war. Learn about the defense and siege of Vicksburg in our unique collection of museums and historic tour homes. Surrender yourself to the luxury of our bed and breakfast inns.
~
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
Mississippi Music ~ Southern Charm
26
Come by the Hickory Pit
Scan this QR to visit our mobile site and get your keys to Vicksburg.
/VisitVicksburg
VisitVicksburg.com
and let John hook you up for football parties, tailgating and just plain fall fun.
Ask about our party packs, rib packs and catering. 1491 Canton Mart Rd. Jackson s
Thai, Sushi and Hibachi Favorites Drive in or Carry Out
8/31
OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL
Dine In and Carry Out
Open Every Day 11:00 am - 9:00 pm 118 Service Dr Suite 17 Brandon, MS 601-591-7211
E TH G
O RO M
E RE N
-Pool Is Cool-
We’re still #1! Best Place to Play Pool Best of Jackson 2017
INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR Daily 11pm -2am
DAILY 12pm BEER- 7pm SPECIALS
POOL LEAGUE Mon - Fri Night
DRINK SPECIALS "52'%23 s 7).'3 s &5,, "!2 GATED PARKING BIG SCREEN TV’S LEAGUE AND TEAM PLAY B EGINNERS TO A DVANCED I NSTRUCTORS A VAILABLE
444 Bounds St. Jackson MS
601-718-7665
FRIDAY 9/1
5-9 P.M.
SATURDAY
9/2
EPIC FUNK BRASS BAND 10 P.M. MONDAY
9/4
OPEN MIC NIGHT $5 APPETIZERS (Dine in Only) TUESDAY
COMING UP
_________________________
9/5
SHRIMP BOIL
SWING DE PARIS
Dining Room - Free _________________________
SATURDAY 9/2
CARY HUDSON
Dining Room - Free _________________________
MONDAY 9/4
CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY
$3 Members $5 Non-Members _________________________
TUESDAY 9/5
UPCOMING SHOWS 9/8 - Flow Tribe w/ Stoop Kids 9/9 - The Workshy 9/15 - Montu 9/16 - CBDB 9/22 - TESHEVA 9/23 - Zoogma 9/28 - Cordovas 9/29 - The Ron Holloway Band 10/6 - Motel Radio w/Shake It Like A Caveman 10/7 - Space Jesus “Morphed Tour” 10/13 - The Interstellar Boys 10/27 - Andrew Duhon Trio 10/28 - Halloween Bash w/ Backup Planet 11/3 - The Nth Power w/ Ghost Note
9/6 - Mark & Jamie 9/7 - Sherman Dillon Lee 9/8 - Deltaphonics 7-10pm 9/9 - Crooked Creek 9/11 - Blue Monday 9/12 - Dinner, Drinks & Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends Returns 9/13 - New Bourbon Street Jazz Band 9/14 - D’ Lo Trio 9/15 - The Hustlers 7-10 9/16 - Anita Sayago 9/18 - Blue Monday 9/19 - Mississippi Storytellers: ‘You’re So Mississippi’ Red Room Doors: 6pm Stories:7 to 8:30 p.m. $10, $8 for seniors, active military and college students (must show ID at door) 9/20 - Twisted Grass 9/21 Stonewalls 9/22 Barry Leach 9/23 Andy Tanas 9/25 Blue Monday 9/27 New Bourbon Street Jazz band 9/28 D/ Lo Trio 9/29 ZZQ’s DR FRR | ART SOUP 9/30 Seth Powers the Part Timer _________________________
DOWNTOWN JACKSON
601.354.9712
Friday, September 29
BLUE MONDAY Dining Room - 7 - 10pm
KARAOKE
214 S. STATE ST.
OH JEREMIAH
hattiesburg folk rock duo coming to town! come on over after fondren after 5!
CENTRAL MS BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS:
RAPHAEL SEMMES TO RETURN SEPTEMBER 12 _________________________
WWW.MARTINSLOUNGE.NET
Thursday, September 7
UPCOMING: _________________________
OFFICIAL
HOUSE VODKA
Visit HalandMals.com for a full menu and concert schedule
601.948.0888 200 S. Commerce St. Downtown Jackson, MS
REV. PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND okay, they’re only a three piece, but they make some big damn noise
Saturday, September 30
CHRIS KNIGHT
country rocker bringing the heat to duling
Monday, October 2 RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE no rainbows. no kittens. yes good music.
Wednesday, October 4 J RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS make it your business to come rock out at this show!
JX//RX COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS & TICKETS
dulinghall.com
August 30 - September 5, 2017 • jfp.ms
THURSDAY
27
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A One-of-a-Kind Interactive Experience
Open now through December 31, 2017 at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ museum of natural science MDWFP.com/museum Be the Dinosaur: Life in the Cretaceous is produced by Eureka Exhibits.
Trained and CertiďŹ ed Care Providers In Home Care for Senior and Disabled Persons
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ANNOUNCING: LATIN SATURDAYS AT ESLAVA’S Groove to live latin music while Chef Jairo serves up the best latin food in town: Arroz con Pollo, Bandeja Paisa, Caldo de Res, Empanadas, Paella, Pastelon, Papa Rellenas, Tostones, and more!
5pm to 2am every Saturday 2481 Lakeland Drive Flowood | 601.932.4070
2SHQ VHYHQ GD\V D ZHHN 1030-A Hwy 51 • Madison Behind the McDonalds in Madison Station
601.790.7999
1002 Treetops Blvd • Flowood Behind the Applebee’s on Lakeland
601.664.7588
Dependable Source Corp of MS Home Health Dependable, Compassionate and Individualized Service
840 River Place Suite 605, Jackson MS 39202 601-355-3889 888-933-7363
www.dependablesourcehomehealth.com