JAC K S O N
VOL 19 NO. 2 // SEPTEMBER 16 - 29, 2020 // SUBSCRIBE FREE FOR BREAKING NEWS AT JFPDAILY.COM
FREE PRESS MAGAZINE REPORTING TRUTH TO POWER IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 2002
COVID-19:
Fall Update, What We Know Judin, pp 6-7
Designs by Dij Hathorn, p 19
Happy Birthday, JFP!
Celebrating 18 Years pp, 4, 20
Mario Clark’s mother called JPD for help. Now he’s dead. What does his death teach us? Crown, pp 12-14
CELEBRATING 18 YEARS OF THE JFP
Policing Mental Illness
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JACKSONIAN
contents September 16 - 29, 2020 Vol. 19 No. 2
Derick Wright
ON THE COVER Mario Clark Photo courtesy Mario Clark family
4 Publisher’s Note 6 Talks
8 Creating Black Wealth Local professionals discuss the obstacles around Black communities acquiring wealth and the steps needed to overcome them.
10 Opinion courtesy Derick Wright
12 cover story
The JFP lists a number of professional caterers local to the metro who provide food for a number of occasions. and he felt drawn to pay it forward in some way. He founded Wright’s Foundation for Better Communities, or WFBC, in 2018 to revitalize predominantly Black communities often viewed as “failing.” Wright and the six-member board seek to create what he refers to as “postcode envy” by restoring area parks, helping neighborhoods add curb appeal to homes and churches, and providing necessities for area residents. The group has completed more than a dozen projects in the west Jackson area, including the restoration of a park on Robinson Road for the John and Vera Perkins Foundation. WFBC also hosted an Easter dinner for the Opportunity Center where supporters were asked to donate their favorite cooked dishes, which volunteers served restaurant-style by volunteers to homeless Jacksonians. All the proceeds from Wright’s book sales are used to help fund WFBC. The organization also receives funding and donations from local individuals and businesses. Still, a large part of the cost for the programs comes directly from Wright who feels that the sacrifice is necessary for cultivating the Jackson he wants to see. “I feel the more we show that we care and the more work we put in to make things more beautiful, the more it pushes negativity out,” the social entrepreneur says. —Torsheta Jackson To learn more, visit wfbc-inc.business.site.
17 Events
18 Latitude Unknown Jackson natives Spencer Nessel and Andrew Burke formed a bossa novainspired, indie-pop band in the wake of COVID.
19 Arts 20 JFP Birthday 21 Local List 22 Puzzle 22 Sorensen 23 astro 23 Classifieds
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s a child, author Derick Wright filled journals and notebooks with stories. The voracious reader enjoyed allowing his imagination to create detailed fictional tales sparked from the many books that he read. As an adult, Wright wondered if he could still produce imaginative characters and storylines as he did in his youth, so he decided to write again. Since then, he has published six books over the last two years. Wright completed and self-published his first book, “Life in Third Person,” in February 2019. He followed it with four other fictional tales and an autobiography called “Burning Ash,” which focuses on how he overcame childhood struggles to find success. “A lot of times, we tend to blame our surroundings and our upbringing on who we become as adults,” Wright says. “I wrote (‘Burning Ash’) to say there is somebody out here that has gone through these things, that grew up with nothing but was never led astray to a life of crime. It’s about just persevering, being patient and waiting on your moment to come out and be on top.” Wright understands better than most how difficult that road can be. At age 22, he found himself bankrupt and homeless. He spent several nights sleeping in his car and more on a friend’s couch. A year later, once he had a new job and home, he began reflecting on the generosity of those who had helped him get back on his feet,
16 Jackson Caterers
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publisher’s note
by Todd Stauffer, Publisher
T
he Jackson Free Press turns 18 years old this month—18 years since Donna and I founded the paper along with former advertising director Stephen Barnette—and every year about this time, I write a publisher’s note to look back on the previous year. This one has been a doozy. Over the nearly two decades I’ve lived and worked in Jackson, Miss., I’ve gotten involved in the “entrepreneur community.” The JFP isn’t a virtualreality company or a medical-devices firm, but we were once a startup, and we’ve always been an entrepreneurial venture. So, every once in a while, someone asks for the secret to our longevity. I usually say the same thing with a wry smile: “We’ve just never quit.” Local media, as I’m sure you know, has had its challenges in recent years. The
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
The JFP won 28 journalism awards this year—the most ever.
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rise of digital advertising options such as Facebook or Google—where a local business can spend thousands of dollars to chase likes and “interactions”—has affected us all, large and small. But not all our challenges have been in recent years. The truth is, running a media company is always tough when your primary goal is to tell the truth— and not just please or appease the powerful. Some publications go along to get along, sell their front cover to the highest bidder, or focus on party snaps in our community’s wealthier neighborhoods. That’s not why the JFP is here. We seek to hold all elected officials accountable, work to ensure that citizens are well-informed, and do our part to make democracy work in this city, state and country. Along the way, we also like to let our readers know about great events, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and uplifting stories about local folks making a difference. As for success and longevity—or even stability—the COVID-19 pandemic has made things a lot worse for most small businesses. Many of our core advertisers, including restaurants, museums, entertain-
ment venues and nonprofits that throw fundraisers have all been slowed down—or shut down completely. Some are clawing their way back now, and I applaud them for the effort. Just don’t quit. Despite being down well over 50% in advertising revenue from our local partners, three things have helped the Jackson Free Press this year. One is that we’ve taken advantage of the government programs offered and have been able to get both PPP and EIDL loans to help ease the pain of revenues that are well below 50% of normal. That has meant no layoffs and no drastic changes in our operations—except that we’ve all continued to work virtually. Second, both Facebook and Google awarded COVID-19 coverage grants to the Jackson Free Press earlier this summer. I believe that’s a testament to the quality of journalism we strive for and our readers’ support through this crisis. Third, our JFP VIPs haven’t just “shown support”—they’ve opened up their wallets. Via the voluntary JFP VIP subscription program, our readers and supporters have kept us going with well over 500 VIP subscriptions in the past six months, which we couldn’t have anticipated before the pandemic. So for me, 2020 has been a mixed bag. These times are incredibly uncertain, and the men in the governor’s mansion and White House are clearly not up to the task we face. So it’s a very troubling time to be a business owner or an American. On the other hand, this moment in time has seen the JFP’s team doing fantastic work, driving both unprecedented online readership and new direct reader support via the JFP VIP program this year. The editorial team—Donna Ladd, Kayode
Robiin Johnson
The Secret to JFP’s Longevity? You Just Don’t Quit
The Jackson Free Press celebrates 18 years in business this month, relying on an incredible staff, freelance team and reader support during a tumultuous 2020.
Crown, Nick Judin, Nate Schumman and Dustin Cardon—are directly responsible for reader enthusiasm. This past month we welcomed Shaye Smith to the team as an editorial assistant. She is doing great work with events and calendar coverage. Our graphics team—Kristin Brenemen and Zilpha Young—has always been the most organized in the building. Now that we’re all working outside the building, they’ve taken on the role of keeping things running with all the challenges that remote project management brings, with great-looking publications, ads and digital collateral for clients to show for it. On the business side, Executive Assistant Azia Wiggins keeps the trains running on time with invoicing, subscriptions, Azia’s Picks and the award for the most visits to our office most weeks. Lead Driver Ken Steere keeps the paper rolling out to you along with our reliable and dedicated
contributors
Kayode Crown
Nick Judin
Taylor McKay Hathorn
City Reporter Kayode Crown came to Mississippi from Nigeria where he earned a post-graduate diploma in Journalism and was a journalist for 10 years. He likes rock music and has fallen in love with the beautiful landscapes in Jackson. He wrote the cover story on policing alternatives.
State reporter Nick Judin grew up in Jackson and graduated from the University of Mississippi. He is covering this year’s legislative session. Try not to run him over when you see him crossing State Street. He wrote a Talk for the issue.
Taylor McKay Hathorn is an alumna of Mississippi College’s English program and a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. She enjoys binging TV shows, watching the sun set over the Mississippi River and tweeting her opinions @_youaremore_. She wrote the art story on Designs by Dij.
distribution team—Ruby Parks, Eddie Williams and Yvonne Champion. Special thanks go out to freelancers Montroe Headd (Best of Jackson website) and Kourtney Moncure (Let’s Talk Jackson producer) and all our contributors this year. Speaking of business, Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin has helped keep us in business by managing advertising leads and multiple Best of Jackson “popup” ballots this summer. (The “Business Services” nominations launch this week at bestofjackson.com/ballot). This COVID season has coincided with an unprecedented awards season for the Jackson Free Press, earning 28 total awards from four journalism organizations, including five from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for which we don’t know the placement, yet. (Their virtual award ceremony is this Friday.) See list of all JFP awards at jfp.ms/awards. We’re also incredibly proud of Donna Ladd’s achievement this year as a Distinguished Alum of the Columbia University School of Journalism for her career. They postponed their ceremony until spring 2021, when hopefully she’ll head to New York City to accept that honor. So many people and businesses are struggling right now. We at the JFP know that we’re blessed to have made it another year, especially this one. We’d love your support as a reader and, if you’re so moved, as a JFP VIP (jfp.ms/vip/) subscriber. As always, let us know how we’re doing—and how we can help—at jfp.ms or write me at todd@jacksonfreepress.com. But most of all: Stay safe and always remember: don’t quit!
Sometimes Join us for only BBQ Valentine’s Day will do. because nothing says love like BBQ offering curbside pick up or to go orders. Order online or give us a call.
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Trust usnow We are
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news,
cu l
storytelling & re, ir tu
“You can say it is not my job, it is not my responsibility, or you can find a way to address that in the right manner, that might mean doing things beyond what you normally do to provide an answer.”
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@jacksonfreepress
— Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze on the need for police to work with social-service agencies
ce eren rev September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
@jxnfreepress
Fall Update COVID-19: What We Know Now By Nick Judin
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@jxnfreepress
fter months of COVID-19 growth, Mississippi is in the middle of a stable decline in viral spread, lessening the stress placed on the health-care system and reducing the deaths that follow every new cluster of cases. By Wednesday, Sept. 9, the seven-day rolling average of new cases had dropped to 491, the first time that number had declined below 500 since June 21, 2020. State health leadership attributes the drop in transmission to widespread acceptance of the same principles of infection control known to protect public health at the peak of the pandemic in Mississippi. But success can be fleeting in the fight against coronavirus. While Mississippi’s numbers are on a markedly positive trend, the state is now mostly open, with students in schools and colleges and many businesses back to work on premises. The close proximity provides the tinder for the rampant spread of the virus if the measures are abandoned. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs highlighted on Sept. 10 the progress being made with the help of masking and social distancing. “We can see that our efforts have been fruitful, even in context of outbreaks in college towns, (and) transmission in K-12, which has really gone better than we anticipated,” he said. In the first month of full in-person classes, which have become the norm for the 2020 fall semester in Mississippi, more than 17,000 students, teachers and staff members have been reported quarantined as a result of exposure to COVID-19. At least 1,700 have tested positive, though the Mississippi State Department of Health’s contact-tracing efforts have shown that it is large-scale social gatherings, like block parties and sorority and fraternity life events, that have led to the most dramatic amounts of transmission around schools. With months of research, testing and tracing to draw from, the Jackson Free Press reached out to experts including Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION Fomites
Fomites are contaminated objects and surfaces that transmit coronavirus from your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth. Fomite spread is more likely on hard, non-porous materials like metals and plastics. Regular use of hand sanitizer and vigorous hand-washing can prevent fomite spread.
Droplets
Droplets are moist particles expelled from speaking, breathing, coughing and sneezing. They are considered to be the primary vector of COVID-19 infection. Virusbearing droplets can spread coronavirus through your eyes, nose or mouth. Droplets do not remain airborne long: 6 feet of distance limits exposure, but masks covering the mouth and nose are the best prevention.
Hand washing
Mask wearing
Aerosols
Aerosols are tiny particulates that infected carriers exhale, especially when shouting, singing, or speaking. Aerosols are mostly inhaled as a means of transmitting the virus. Unlike droplets, aerosols can remain airborne for several hours, can travel further than 6 feet, and may accumulate, especially in poorly ventilated, closed spaces. Masks, worn snugly and properly, are extremely effective at containing aerosols. Remaining outdoors, where aerosols cannot accumulate, also prevents transmission
Eye protection Mask wearing Staying outdoors
Hand sanitization Social distancing
Staying outdoors
Social distancing
Ventilation
Source: CDC / UMMC
The most up-to-date information on COVID-19 confirms many of the baseline infection-control standards—like masks and social distancing—but also reveals a more complete understanding of what makes the virus dangerous.
in Jackson as well as state health leadership from MSDH, to provide an update on COVID-19 prevention and control standards and where they now stand.
E
Detecting Coronavirus Coronavirus disease often outwardly presents as a respiratory ailment similar to the flu, with common symptoms of cough-
ing, sore throats, nasal congestion, muscle fatigue and shortness of breath. A valuable early-warning sign of COVID-19 for even mild, but still highly infectious, cases
2020 Elections Calendar, Abbreviated
lection season is upon us. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office Elections Division maintains a 2020 Elections Calendar that Mississippians can use to plan out how they participate in elections this year. Browse the following significant dates as they may relate to you. View the full calendar at sos. ms.gov. • Sept. 21—Absentee Ballots Available: Earliest day to vote by an absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk’s Office in the November General Election.
• Sept. 21—Required Issuance of TVIC: Circuit Clerk Offices issue a Temporary Missississippi Voter ID card (TVIC) to voters who apply and are eligible for the Mississippi Voter ID card through the date of the General Election. • Sept. 24—Permanently Disabled Absentee Voters: Circuit Clerk Offices mail absentee ballots to voters on the permanently disabled list. • Sept. 29-Oct. 3—Voter Registration: Circuit Clerk Offices may remain open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., including the noon hour.
General election
vot e r O ct. 5 registration deadline
• Oct. 5—General Election Voter Registration Deadline: Applicants who register in-person in a Circuit Clerk’s office today and those who mail registration applications postmarked no later than today are eligible to vote in the General Election. • Oct. 31—In-Person Absentee
Voting Deadline, 5:00 p.m.: Circuit Clerk Offices are open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. • Nov. 3—General Election and Regular Special Election Day: Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. • Dec. 3—Absentee Ballot by Mail, UOCAVA Absentee by Mail Ballot, Receipt Deadline, 5 p.m.: Circuit Clerk Offices must be in actual receipt of absentee ballots returned by mail for ballots to be timely. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on/before election day to be timely.
covid-19
Fomites, Aerosols, Droplets One of the ongoing debates in the world’s growing understanding of coronavirus is the method of transmission: how the virus travels from host to host. There are three primary vectors behind the spread of coronavirus, and medical experts are increasingly certain that all three play some role in the pandemic. A fomite is an inanimate object which has become contaminated with viral particles. Virtually anything can become a fomite, and thus transmit coronavirus, but current research suggests that hard, nonporous surfaces, such as plastic and stainless steel, are more likely to retain a potentially infectious reservoir of the virus for an extended period of time. Droplets are, as one might expect, small, moist particles that contain infectious viral contaminants. Droplets are most easily spread through coughing and sneezing, although talking, singing and breathing are also capable of spreading droplets up to 6 feet away. The present consensus on COVID19 holds droplet transmission to be the single largest source of new infections. “Most of the data we have so far still suggests that droplet transmission is the most common mode of transmission for the virus,” Navalkele said. An aerosol is a light, extremely tiny particle that emerges from the lungs when an individual exhales. Aerosols travel much further than droplets. When one hears the term “airborne” transmission in the context
of coronavirus, aerosols are the culprit. The danger of aerosols is that they can linger in the air longer and farther than the heavier droplets, which can only remain in the air for a matter of seconds. courtesy UMMC
is a loss of smell or taste. Experiencing this symptom in particular is a critical warning sign that an individual likely carries coronavirus. MSDH has strenuously encouraged Mississippians to immediately quarantine and seek testing the moment they notice the absence of smell or taste. Mississippi’s testing regime has greatly improved since the early days of the virus. Individuals may seek tests at health clinics, as well as regularly scheduled mobile testing sites, a list of which is at healthyms.com. But asymptomatic transmission— meaning contracting the disease from exposure to a person displaying absolutely no symptoms—is absolutely possible. The CDC has confirmed the presence of asymptomatic carriers among schoolchildren, long-term care facility residents, and others, as well as asymptomatic transmission of the virus. This means that testing and quarantining of individuals exposed to known cases is critical; preventing only symptomatic transmission cannot prevent the virus from spreading.
Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, spoke to the Jackson Free Press to help update Mississippians on the current research into the COVID-19 pandemic.
This makes poorly ventilated spaces especially dangerous. Researchers have confirmed that unmasked individuals in closed spaces without proper ventilation have spread COVID-19 to others. Navalkele agrees that aerosol transmission is possible in tight spaces, but stressed that droplet transmission is the critical danger. “Airborne transmission is still limited to certain settings, for example, if you’re sitting in a closed space,” she said. All of the various vectors that transmit coronavirus infect new hosts by traveling into their mucus membranes. This includes both the mouth and the nose, but also the eyes. Masks effectively contain both aerosols and droplets, and vigorous handwashing, supported by use of hand-sanitizer when soap is not available, is very effective at preventing fomite spread. Dr. Jose-Luis Jimenez, a fellow of the American Association for Aerosol Research, proposed a mnemonic for preventing aerosol spread in particular: “Avoid Crowding, Indoors, low Ventilation, Close proximity, long Duration, Unmasked, Talking/singing/Yelling, (A CIViC DUTY)” Jimenez wrote in an article in Time Magazine. Preventing Infection The key elements of preventing transmission of COVID-19 remain, with masks critical in preventing all forms of
transmission, especially in indoor settings and in large groups. Mask usage cannot decrease with cases. Relaxing mask use can even reverse a downward trend in new cases. Full adherence to correct mask usage—covering both the nose and the mouth—prevents the exhaling of droplets and aerosols, which prevents the creation of virus-transmitting fomites. Social distancing, too, is a key part of preventing new cases of COVID-19. While masks are the most effective measure, combining them with proper social distancing means limiting the damage if masks are improperly worn or not used at all. Capacity limitations are key public-health measures to avoid a single super-spreader infecting a large mass of people, experts explain. Because there are so many routes of infection, like the eyes, masks are not entirely effective at protecting yourself from others, experts say, but they are unmatched at protecting others from you. This is why mandates are necessary. A single unmasked individual can transmit the virus to many others who are wearing masks, especially in enclosed spaces. “If we follow the precautions— masking, maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet, washing hands, that would reduce the risk of transmission of the virus from one person to another,” Navalkele explained to the Jackson Free Press. Viral Load Another open question in the transmission of COVID-19 is the danger of viral load, meaning the amount of infectious particulates to which an individual is exposed. Ongoing research seeks to understand how increased exposure makes infection more likely—and how severe it makes the illness that follows. “There’s still a little bit of debate going on … We don’t completely know,” Navalkele said. Navalkele explains that an increased amount of viral exposure might cause a stronger immune response—an excessive bodily reaction that causes some of the serious organ damage known to afflict COVID-19 patients. “It is possible that if you have a higher viral load, you could have a (stronger) immune response, but it is not yet proven,” she said. As of now, MSDH considers 15 minutes of close exposure to an unmasked individual a significant risk factor, even without the presence of symptoms such as coughing or sneezing. “With symptomatic patients and asymptomatic patients,” Navalkele said, “there really seems to be no difference in the viral load that they shed.”
Influenza Season Flu season in Mississippi generally occurs between November and March, and in the time of COVID-19, it presents an especially dangerous threat. The flu is not as deadly as the coronavirus at the heart of the global pandemic, but it still hospitalizes and kills many Mississippians every year. Navalkele explained the danger of the 2020-2021 flu season as threefold. First, the flu alone is capable of harming and killing those it infects, even children. Second, hospitalizations from flu season will crowd the state’s hospitals and intensive-care units, making any future spikes in COVID-19 cases even more dangerous and burdensome. Because influenza and coronavirus share many symptoms, individuals who have the flu will present similarly to COVID19 patients, demanding the same isolation and extra care before they are tested. Third, Navalkele confirmed instances of individuals suffering both coronavirus and influenza at the same time, a devastating one-two punch that can easily maim or kill. The solution is simple, according to all public-health experts contacted for this story: get a flu shot even if you usually do not. Flu shots are available at clinics, hospitals, and even many retail and pharmacy outlets. Navalkele stressed how critically important flu shots will be in reducing emergencyroom visits for influenza at a time when the hospital system is already stressed. Vaccines As of mid-September, pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions across the globe are working on potential vaccines for COVID-19. These vaccines require large-scale testing efforts to insure their safety, split into phases, first testing their safety, then testing their large-scale efficacy. The New York Times reports that 38 vaccines are currently in some form of clinical testing. These tests are not without their challenges. Most recently, a promising AstraZeneca trial was put on hold after a serious side effect emerged in one participant. Navalkele expressed the importance of a full testing period for any COVID19 vaccine, and made it clear that she did not anticipate a vaccine to become globally available in 2020. When asked if she would take a fasttracked vaccine, Navalkele answered quickly. “I would not, until I have seen the safety and efficacy study,” she said. Email state reporter Nick Judin at nick@ jacksonfreepress.com.
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Creating Wealth While Black by Kayode Crown
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
Shante Crockett, the executive director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, seeks to transform west Jackson by creating opportunities for wealth creation.
Crockett and her team are designing a plan of action for the neighborhoods to help move the residents move themselves up the economic ladder. She has clearly defined opinions about what has led to poverty inside Jackson’s Black communities. “The problem in our neighborhood is that unemployment is high, education is low, and residents and infrastructure continuously age. Business development has suffered due to a low percentage of skilled and certified workforce,” Crockett said in a statement on the Kellogg grant application made available to the Jackson Free Press. “It’s time to reverse the trend.” Her plan will involve technical assistance for micro-businesses, entrepreneurs and residents’ workforce development. “When you are trying to start a business, you need resources,” Crockett said. “You don’t need just financial resources, you need human resources, you need people to guide you and help you along the way.” Challenges in Growing Business Crockett says the challenges of development for Black businesses is more about financial management and marketing than the excellence of their delivery of goods and services. She realized that those deficiencies hinder wealth creation in Black families and that without a business plan, success is elusive. “The Black-owned businesses do an excellent job,” she said. “If they are cooking, if they have a restaurant, they do a
great job, they cook great food. If they are a service person, they are barbers, they do a great job of cutting hair. They are good at what they do.” “(Many new entrepreneurs) are not so good in the business aspect of it, meaning having financial bookkeeping in place, having a marketing plan, those kinds of things,” Crockett added. “They are not great at that. As a result, a lot of businesses fall to the wayside because they are not sure of how to do the ‘business’ side of the business.” Crockett emphasized the need to grow a business by obtaining a loan from a bank. A business needs a plan, capital to put up a marketing plan, she noted. “Most Black-owned businesses in our area are one- or two-man shops,” she said. “They need financial resources to grow the business.”
nomic development of iVillage will be done by Jan. 31, 2021. “The goal is to get an implementation grant once we finish the research,” she said. “If we are so lucky to get it.” $10 million Investment In Hope Netflix’s investment of $10 million in Hope Credit Union in June 2020 marked the largest single deposit since its founding in 1995, Hope’s Chief Operating Officer Pearl Wicks told the Jackson Free Press in an interview. Wick said the foreseeable impact of the money in Black communities is helping close the wealth gap. She defined the racial wealth gap in terms of the disparities in liquid assets, saying the difference between Black and white people in Jackson is larger than the national average. “In Jackson, 61% of Black households do not have enough savings to cover three months of expenses to live above the poverty line,” she said. “In
Intergenerational Wealth “Our ultimate goal is to increase the intergenerational wealth for young families through entrepreneurship and workforce development, technical training and financial literacy,” Crockett said. “And so from the entrepreneurship side, we will be doing research to find out what services are needed in our area and who can provide those services, and once we find out who can provide the services that are needed, we will help them start their business.” Those who don’t want to start businesses will get help to improve their employment potential and increase their earning power and climb Hope Credit Union Chief Operating Officer Pearl the workplace ladder Wicks says a relationship with financial institutions protects from exposure to predatory lenders. through skills training. “We have underskilled labor or unskilled labor,” she said. “We want to help in- contrast, this rate is only 25% for white crease their marketability, help increase households.” skill on how to get a better job, or get a Black-owned banks, credit unions job—period.” and community-development finan The planning process for the eco- cial institutions have been much
courtesy Hope Credit Union
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A Plan of Action A $56,841 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in May is helping CSE support work in racial equity, community engagement and leadership development to transform communities. With a focus on west Jackson,
courtesy Shante Crockett
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t was a rude shock when Shante Crockett moved to west Jackson with her family in 2014. The infrastructure of the area is crumbling with many abandoned buildings, and crime is a concern. Businesses followed white flight from that previously thriving part of the city, hollowing it out, and poverty is high. “I was a little nervous about moving to this part of town because I lived in a place where it did not look like this, where you can call suburbia,” she said in a phone interview with the Jackson Free Press. “And so when I moved to west Jackson, I complained about a lot of the problems that were going on here: the mental health issues, the homelessness.” Over time, Crockett overcame her initial reaction to the problems. She is now the executive director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit organization that adopted an area in west Jackson, now named iVillage, as a laboratory for its transformation efforts. “I transitioned from complaining to being an advocate,” Crockett said. “You know I have always been taught that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” “This community in west Jackson is overlooked and underserved,” she added. The Center for Social Entrepreneurship is focused on bridging the gap with government resources and from philanthropists in order to enhance the quality of life of the people. The iVillage consists of 43 blocks in west Jackson. “The perimeters are Jackson State University Parkway to Roach Street to Capitol Street to Prentiss Street, and those are our boundaries,” she said. The “i,” she said, stands for five things: international, internet, interconnected, individualism and innovation. The Center for Social Entrepreneurship prioritizes education, housing improvement, community engagement and economic development in the iVillage.
ECONOMICS
Need For Financial Education Wicks said the credit union helps Black households improve their participation in the mainstream financial system by building a relationship and providing financial education. “So when they are able to have a relationship, an account with an institution like Hope, we are going to be working to help strengthen their financial position, help them to build wealth, and some of that is also done through financial education,” she said. “Financial education is helping people understand the basic financial measurement such as understanding credit, understanding how to build credit, how to maintain credit and how to use credit; it’s understanding how to budget.” Wick said financial education also involves managing income and staying away from predatory lenders by keeping more of their money in their bank account and wallet and not paying the high fees they charge. “In each Deep South state served by Hope (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee), for every dollar in net worth held by white households, Black households hold between 10 and 20 cents,” Hope Credit Union Enterprise Vice President (Communications) Shelia Byrd said in a statement on the Netflix-deposit initiative, made available to the Jackson Free Press. “Over the next two years, Hope estimates the Netflix deposit will support financing to more than 2,500 entrepre-
neurs, homebuyers and consumers of color,” Byrd added. Netflix officials want this effort to be an example for other corporations. “If every company in the S&P 500 allocated a modest amount of their cash holdings into efforts like (this), each 1 percent of their cash would represent $20 billion to $30 billion of new capital,” Netflix Talent Acquisition Director Aaron Mitchell and Treasury Director Shannon Alwyn wrote in June in a piece titled ‘Building economic opportunity for Black communities.’” “And that would help build stronger communities, offering more Black families pathways to prosperity and a more equitable future.”
num added. Local Initiatives Support Corporation President Maurice James, at the same webinar, pointed out the means of building wealth: homeownership and entrepreneurship. LISC, headquartered COURTESY HOPE CREDIT UNION
more effective in leveraging their power to close the racial wealth gap than have traditional financial institutions, Wick explained. “Six out of 10 of the commercial loans that we do are to minority and women-owned businesses, and eight out of 10 of the mortgages we make are to Black fathers and some female heads of households,” she added about the operation of Hope Credit Union. “(That is) how we are serving our mission and helping to create wealth and serve communities of color.” “(The Netflix) investment is a strong example for other corporations, larger banks and holders of wealth in the U.S. to make similar investments in financial institutions that are serving communities of color,” she said. “They allow Hope to grow and to deepen impact, make loans, mortgage loans, car loans, and be able to strengthen the work that we are doing in those communities.”
Undercapitalization in Black Institutions Netflix’s deposit is meant to expand economic opportunity for Hope Credit Union CEO Bill Byrum says 85 percent of the financial institution’s mortgages go to firstthe communities that time home buyers. Hope Credit Union serves, even as undercapitalization plagues many Black-owned financial in New York City, supports communiinstitutions. “The largest white-owned banks ty-development initiatives. It also got have billions or trillions of dollars in $25 million from Netflix to funnel to assets,” said Stephone Coward II, who Black-owned financial institutions. “We see the opportunity again to founded BlackBankUSA in 2016 to drive move investments in Black-owned work with organizations in these combanks. “But not a single Black-owned fi- munities who are helping our Black resinancial institution has reached a billion dents and residents in communities of color get credit scores, helping them to dollars in assets.” In a webinar posted on Youtube, understand what they need to do when Netflix’s Mitchell explained that the it comes to getting insurance and those initiative to move money into Black kinds of things,” James said about the financial institutions is to fuel economic Netflix fund. “This is the kind of fund that can development in Black communities. “You have petty lenders and finan- invest in enterprises, for-profit and noncial predators, and fewer banks … in the profit frankly, that are actually working Deep South, particularly communities on the totality of disciplines that you of color,” Hope Credit Union CEO Bill have to be working in to help people creBynum said at the webinar, explaining ate and maintain wealth.” the financial landscape that the organization operates. “We capture the amount Intergenerational Wealth: of saving that is realized by low-income How to Create Based on her findings, Crockett families as a result of having an alternative to payday lenders that inject them said a hindrance to development in west Jackson is poor internet access. into debt traps.” “We live in a day and age where we “Eighty-five percent of our mortgages go to first-time home buyers,” By- do a lot through technology and emails;
we do things through Zoom,” she explained. “We found out that is one of our barriers, that first of all, we need better internet service in our area. That is one of our tenets—the internet, that is one of the things that we are working on—to get our area better internet accessibility for the people who live there, for our young people.” Crockett explained that helping to increase the income of a household member will significantly impact other family members, creating intergenerational wealth, which is the focus on the Kellogg grant her organization received. “If you have the parents living in the house and you have the children living in the house, if we can increase their wages or help them start a business, then what happens is that the child sees his parents or grandparents increasing their wealth or getting a better job or starting a business,” Crockett said. “It shows that child, that you know I see my mum and dad working at wherever, they are getting more money, and that’s bringing in an increase in their finances, there is more income to live, and not only that, but for disposable income.” “Of course, when you earn more, then you spend more, and so it creates economic development. So it’s generational,” Crockett added. Email story tips to city and county reporter Kayode Crown at kayode@jacksonfreepress. com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @kayodecrown.
MOST VIRAL STORIES AT JFP.MS: 1. “Greg Goldman” by Michele D. Baker 2. “OPINION: Southern Evangelical: Trump ‘Fits the Scriptural Definition of a Fool’” by Fred Rand 3. “Experts Fear The Worst As School Districts Return to Classrooms” by Nick Judin 4. “EDITOR’S NOTE: No More ‘Lynching Logic’ to Excuse Brutality Against Black People” by Donna Ladd 5. “Jackson’s Murder Rate May Break Record, U.S. Attorney Touts ‘Operation Legend’” by Kayode Crown
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TALK JXN
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Duvalier J. Malone
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lections have consequences. I believe the American public is more aware of this fact now than we’ve been since perhaps the start of the Union. We have spent the last four years watching the consequences that have come from the decision that we as a nation made in 2016. I will grant you that a lot of people didn’t take part in that decision. In 2016, there was a large effort to suppress the vote by convincing Americans that they shouldn’t participate in the voting process. I don’t understand why people would even consider the thought of not voting, but I believe it’s a very dangerous train of thought for anyone to perpetuate. You see, the person that lives in the White House is going to affect each and every one of us, whether we engage in the electoral process or not. I’ve heard many people say, “If you’re not going to get engaged, then don’t complain after the election.” I disagree with that statement. I’ll never tell anyone in America that they don’t have the right to peacefully protest. If you want to complain about who serves in office, then you have every right to do so, a right granted by our Constitution. That brings me to my next point: our constitutional rights. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that whoever is elected president on Nov. 3 will
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
This is a life-anddeath election. Literally.
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most certainly have the opportunity to make at least one U.S. Supreme Court appointment. A lot of people were very enthusiastic about a Black woman being vice president, and I wholeheartedly support that movement. But I must admit that I’m more particular about a Black woman serving on the Supreme Court. It would be a historic move. There has never been a Black woman on the Supreme Court, and I believe that it would give Black women long-due representation on issues that matter to them. And not only that, but I believe that this appointee would
Photo by ElEmEnt5 Digital on UnsPlash
We Must Vote Like Our Lives Depend On It— Because They Do
Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher & President Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin Creative Director Kristin Brenemen REPORTERS AND WRITERS City Reporter Kayode Crown State Reporter Nick Judin State Intern Julian Mills Contributing Writers Dustin Cardon, Bryan Flynn, Alex Forbes, Jenna Gibson, Tunga Otis Torsheta Jackson, Mike McDonald, Anne B. Mckee, EDITORS AND OPERATIONS Deputy Editor Nate Schumann JFPDaily.com Editor Dustin Cardon Executive Assistant Azia Wiggins Editorial Assistant Shaye Smith Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Designer Zilpha Young Contributing Photographers Seyma Bayram, Acacia Clark, Nick Judin, Imani Khayyam, Ashton Pittman, Brandon Smith
Duvalier Malone warns about a concerted effort to disenfranchise voters, whether it’s by closing voting locations in Black communities or the attack on the postal service to slow it down to a crawl to delay absentee ballots.
also be a person who would stand against those who try to erode the constitutional rights of American citizens—even our right to peacefully protest. Our rights are under attack. There’s a dire need for a Supreme Court that will side with the Constitution and the American people, regardless of politics or who the president is. There are many qualified and experienced Black women who would be able to effectively ensure that our rights as Americans are protected. But of course, that’s just one of the issues that we should consider as voters in advance of Nov. 3. Our educational system is under attack. During this pandemic that has killed over 160,000 people, we are being told that we must reopen schools and send our children into danger. This is unacceptable. At a time when we are facing our worst health crisis in a century, we are being told that the Affordable Care Act needs to be repealed, even though there is no replacement. Unacceptable. There is a concerted effort to disenfranchise voters, whether it’s by closing voting locations in Black communities or the attack on the postal service to slow it down to a crawl so that voters who are rightly worried about exposure to COVID-19 can’t mail in their ballots. Unacceptable. Police reform isn’t being pushed as strongly as it should be, because our current leaders are instead demonizing unarmed
Black people that continue to be murdered in American streets. Unacceptable. All of this is simply unacceptable. When you say that you won’t vote, then you are saying that you are putting your life in the hands of someone else—and the sad fact is, someone else may not have your best interests at heart. So I’m imploring all of us: Let’s not put our lives in the hands of others. We have the power to choose our elected leaders. America isn’t a dictatorship. We’re not a country struggling to find democracy. No, we are the champions of the democratic experiment. We are the champions of democracy all over the world. People, not politicians, are what matter in America. We have the constitutional right, and even duty, to cast our vote for the person that we feel is best qualified to lead this nation into a brighter future. We have to stop letting ourselves become mired in minor controversies and instead stay focused on what the real issues are. This is a life-and-death election—literally. How we cast our votes on Nov. 3 just might be the determining factor in our very existence. I hope that we choose wisely. Duvalier J. Malone, a native of Fayette, Miss., lives in Washington, D.C. He is the author of “Those Who Give A Damn: A Manual for Making a Difference” and is the chief executive officer and founder of Duvalier Malone Enterprises. This column does not necessarily reflect the views of the JFP.
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Not Law Enforcement-Related “Yes, there are some things that we need to respond to that are not law-enforcement-related,” Wade told the committee. “We must be able to look at the system, probably vet those calls and have another additional resource for that individual.” “Maybe some calls don’t require a response,” he noted. “Where there is no threat of injury to the person, maybe that is handled by a civilian to keep that officer free for patrol operation or for those situations where his or her response is needed.” The discussion covered the challenges of dealing with homelessness, drug addiction and mental-illness issues in the city, all of which the police get calls to attend to. “Across the city, you see the homeless population increase across the city, drug abuse—we are seeing increasing numbers of those issues,” JPD Chief James Davis said at the special meeting. He said people with mental illness are indiscriminately dropped off in the city. “I met with the state (government), I cried out for some help,” Davis said. “What I am hearing is that the state hospital shut down, so the streets and the citizens (are) plagued with this problem.” He is referring to Mississippi State Hospital that treats mentally ill patients, some of whom are
Alternatives to Policing Mental Illness by Kayode Crown courtesy Mario clark family
ario Clark’s mother, Sheila Ragland, regrets calling 911 on Valentine’s Day, 2019. She wanted Jackson Police Department officers to transport her son to the hospital because he was having a psychotic episode. Doctors had diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia when he was 13. The police handcuffed and shackled Clark, she said, then beat and kicked him on the head. He died six days later. He was 31 and left behind a daughter. One in four killings in police officers’ hands involved someone with mentalhealth issues, the Treatment Advocacy Center, based in Arlington, Va., reports. For an eight-hour shift in Jackson, a police officer receives an average of 20 calls, JPD Deputy Chief for Administration Joseph Wade said Aug. 6 at the maiden meeting of the Jackson City Council’s lawenforcement ad-hoc committee. About half of those calls have no direct bearing on law enforcement, such as Mario Clark’s case. “Are there ways that we could bring in different civilians to respond to some of these calls so that we can have officers more focused on the really important investigative work, the real important work?” Ward 2 Councilman Melvin V. Priester Jr. asked. Wade, a 25-year veteran of the force, agreed with the suggestion, saying the City needs an alternative avenue to respond to the community’s needs. The police, he said, are ill-equipped to respond to every issue.
On Feb. 14, 2019, Mario Clark’s mother called Jackson police to transport him to the hospital due to a psychotic episode. Jackson police officers are now accused of killing him instead.
indigent and homeless. MSH’s Public Relations Director Kathy Denton denied the allegation. “We have responded to these rumors many times over the years,” she said. “It wasn’t true, and it’s not true now.” Downtown Mayhem City Council President Aaron Banks of Ward 6 said at the special meeting that, after getting a tip, he watched on Aug. 19, 2020, as someone he believed to be mentally ill was dropped on High Street . “I watched a black unmarked car with tinted windows, and (someone) got out and opened the back door, and a guy got out of the car that was talking to himself,” he said. Within 30 minutes, the same scene
repeated thrice, Banks added. “Someone said, ‘just watch’; they are literally taking them out of the state hospital, out of whatever, and dropping them off right here in Jackson,” Banks said. “And the first person to respond, and I was just watching, was a capitol or state police person, and the guy was just talking to himself.” Capitol Police, however, could not confirm if this is true, with two of the officers telling the Jackson Free Press that they have no knowledge of such an event. Banks, however, lamented that the State of Mississippi has long engaged in this practice, which is an ongoing discussion issue. “There are some things that we have to address with the State,” he said.
“But it is always an ongoing fight.” In 2017, U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett said the Mississippi Department of Corrections had dropped off a former inmate on Highway 25. A vehicle that was supposed to pick him up and drive him 153 miles to Columbus never showed up. Savannah Willies, who has spent 25 years in Jackson, made a presentation at the recent council meeting. “I work downtown, and we are seeing an increase of people with mental disorders being let loose on downtown,” she said. The Mississippi Department of Human Services later told this reporter she had no comment about the alleged practice. Dealing with Mental Illness Families as Allies Executive Director Joy Hogge, who is an expert on children with mental-health challenges, warns that when a police officer interacts with persons with mental illness, it creates the false notion that they are prone to violence. She faulted the system in which the police are the primary response in such situations. “One thing that is important to keep in mind is that most people with mental illness are not going to break the law and are not going to be violent,” she said in an interview. “So when the police, because we don’t have everything else set up the right way, have to respond to situations when someone has a mental illness, then it starts reinforcing that stereotype that mental illness is associated with violence and crime.” Mississippi does not have the full complement of services needed to attend to mental-health challenges, Hogge said. Resources put into institutionalizing people who are mentally ill could be put into community support, creating a more robust mental-health system and taking the stress off the police, Hogge added. “In Mississippi, there is a lawsuit that the State lost about different components of the mental-health system not working well enough together for us to have the right kinds of services in the community for people with mental illness,” she said. “We don’t have the range and depth of services that are needed; it’s more likely that the police will end up being called into a situation where it is really not their area of expertise.” She said more police and sheriff departments committing to crisis-intervention training would bring progress. “This is definitely an issue and a whole lot to look at, but there are some promising practices, and one of the most helpful programs for law-enforcement training is the crisis-intervention training,” she said. “It is the kind of program developed specifically for law enforcement for them to know how to interact with people with mental illness.” “The more that we can turn to programs like that, the better, and our state has
ple in particular, calls for strong leadership to arise to address these problems with the needed time and money to build strong relationships, as well as police training in deescalation techniques. courtesy City of Jackson
JPD Chief James Davis said Jackson police are increasingly called to attend to issues that have nothing to do with law enforcement.
Hogge, however, said only a small number of police departments had undergone the training. “It’s just been in spots. It’s not widespread,” she said.
courtesy Joy Hogge
Under The Bridge Chief Davis said it is now common for a person with a mental illness to claim to own a house that is not theirs and run the real owners out. And with no provision for a medical personnel to attend to such people, they are left on the streets. “Same thing (with) drug abuse,” he said. “Up there in north Jackson and I-55 corridor, (we have) a lot of the homeless population.” “The locations where they are at are the locations that are governed—under the bridge—by the State of Mississippi, the Department of Transportation,” the chief continued. “They are the ones that govern that location.” Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, who served as the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services last year, calls for partnerships to help homeless people living under bridges. He wants police working with behavioral health centers, the Department of Mental Health and the community: “Let’s just assume that if JPD is correct, and there are two different agencies who have some responsibility. That just goes back to the emphasis on partnership.” “You can say it is not my job, it is not my responsibility, or you can find a way to address that in the right manner, that might mean doing things beyond what you normally do to provide an answer,” he added. Freeze, who now writes and consults about the effects of trauma on young peo-
“How much money are we going to invest in mental-health training, working with our social partners and the community on these issues versus just doing what we’ve always done?” Freeze asked. “To some extent, you cannot replicate or replace the police. You are going to have a police presence. The question is, what are the expectations of the police, and what do we want them to be engaged in?” Jackson’s former FBI leader calls for a change in paradigm from putting forth the police as the main responders to having more social workers involved. “The society has decided that police as first responders are going to have to deal with mental illness,” he said. “Until we change that paradigm to where we have more social workers involved and a better structure, yes, the po-
Joy Hogge, an expert on children with mental illnesses, says Mississippi lacks the full complement of services needed to attend to mental-health challenges.
lice are going to have to be prepared to train to go out and address it.” Without the proper training in trauma-informed policing and how negative childhood experience and trauma influence behavior and adequate connection with community partners, the options the police have dealing with different situations are severely limited, Freeze asserted. “If you don’t have training in being trauma-informed, in understanding what your resources are and how you can get help from the community partners, with social working with mental health, it’s either you don’t do anything, which is not an option, or arrest somebody, taking them away,” Freeze said in the interview. “That is generally not the best help for someone who has a mental-health challenge.” Issues with homelessness, Freeze emphasized, is beyond not having somewhere to stay. “It’s been shown that a number of the homeless individuals have mentalhealth challenges; a number of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders,” he said. “That adds to the issues.” This, he argues, makes it compulsory for the police to be better equipped. “Police have to deal with the issues,” Freeze said. “When somebody is homeless and living in front of a store, when somebody is homeless and sleeping on a park’s bench, when someone is engaged in petty theft or other thefts as they are homeless, who gets called? The police, whether they are the right person or not, get called.” Freeze said there is an urgent need for the City to invest in alternatives to the current traditional policing practices. “You can invest in addressing it appropriately, even with limited resources that we all have, or you can say we (are) going on this path we have been going, and I think we all agree that is a recipe for disaster,” he said. Having society better address mental illness, Freeze said, would be beneficial to the police because people with mental illness have an increased chance of being armed when involved with a confrontation with the police. “Research shows that when officers are responding to individuals that have been diagnosed with mental-health issues, the chances that that individual has a weapon with them go from 4 percent to just over 40 percent,” he said. “So all of a sudden, the mental illness itself contributes to a potentially violent situation.” Freeze said it is better to figure out how to help someone with mental-health issues long before it leads to a violent confrontation between them and the police. Like many, Freeze has also heard stories about persons with mental illness dropped off in downtown Jackson. “I have heard that rumor before. I don’t know for a fact if that happens,” he said.
What San Francisco Did In June, on the heels of the killing of George Floyd in police custody, San Francisco Mayor London Breed decided that police in her California city would stop responding to non-criminal calls. If such a measure were in place in Jackson, Miss., it would mean about half of the police’s time would be freed, based on Wade’s comment that about the 10-in-20 calls they get have nothing to do with traditional law enforcement. “San Francisco police will stop responding to neighbor disputes, reports on homeless people, school-discipline interventions and other non-criminal activities as part of a police-reform plan,” the Associated Press reported. “Mayor London Breed said in a news release that on calls that don’t involve a threat to public safety, police would be replaced by trained, unarmed professionals to limit unnecessary confrontation between the police department and the community.” The San Francisco mayor said poverty is the cause of many different issues leading to police calls. “We know that a lack of equity in our society overall leads to a lot of the problems that police are being asked to solve,” she said in the release. “We are going to keep going with these additional reforms and continuing to find ways to reinvest in communities that have historically been underserved and harmed by systemic racism.” Breed said her city will develop a plan in the next year to involve social workers and mental-health workers to respond to disturbances that are not criminal in nature as part of a community-based crisis program, following the model practiced in Eugene, Ore., called Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets program. An Alternative To Police Response “You call 911, you generally get the police. It’s a one-size-fits-all solution to a broad spectrum of problems from homelessness to mental illness to addiction,” NPR said in a report in June, highlighting the Eugene, Ore., program. “Protesters are urging cities to redirect some of their police budget to groups that specialize in treating those kinds of problems.” Ebony Morgan, part of a non-police crisis response team working from White Bird Clinic in Eugene, told NPR that she believes the police are over-used as an immediate response. “I came into this work passionate about being part of an alternative to police response because my father died during a police encounter,” Morgan told NPR. “So it matters to me very much.” That city directs 17% of 911 calls to the program, estimated to save $8.5 milmore Policing MENTAL ILLNESS p 14
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in some ways prioritized that,” Hogge said. “The Mississippi Department of Mental Health has put a lot of effort into making sure that is made available to law enforcement officers in Mississippi.”
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policing mental illness lion per year because they replace the police and emergency medical response services in those situations. Eugene’s yearly police budget is $70 million. Still, the total cost of CAHOOTS—$1.2 million—is a fraction of that and covers both Eugene and Springfield, Ore., which has a $90-million
from p 13
to respond, the city dispatches “crisis responders” to diffuse the situation and connect the individual with services—a model now being considered by a growing number of cities across the U.S.” The report said this approach helps to prevent the incidents of police brutality. courtesy Sheila Ragland
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police budget. Jackson, in comparison, has a police budget of $38 million for 2020. The CAHOOTS program fielded 24,000 calls in 2019, and it called for police backup in only 150. “You know, in 30 years, we’ve never had a serious injury or a death that our team was responsible for,” Morgan said. “And I think that’s important to note.” “(I) try to acknowledge where I believe there is room for improvement,” she said. “And I think that models like this can help people have support in their community and feel safer within their community.” The most frequent types of calls in Eugene are for various forms of assistance. “The most common types of calls diverted to CAHOOTS from the police are welfare checks (32.5% of all CAHOOTS calls), public assistance (66.3%), and transportation to services (34.8%). Some of these crisis responses involve more than one call type,” a document explaining the program said. “By diverting crisis calls that can be more appropriately handled by a CAHOOTS team, the CAHOOTS program takes a substantial load off of Eugene Police Department (EPD).” Olympia, Wash., is following the same route as Eugene. “(Over) a year ago, Olympia started taking a different approach to nonviolent incidents caused by someone experiencing mental illness, addiction or homelessness,” themarshallreport.org reported. “Instead of sending armed officers
“Using civilian first responders instead, advocates of this approach say, keeps interactions from escalating into violence, and diverts people from jail and toward social services. It also frees up police resources to focus on more serious crime,” the Marshall Project report explained. Albuquerque, N. M., set up a similar initiative in June 2020, creating a community-safety department to deal with nonviolent 911 calls. Police: Part of Intervention Urban Peace Institute Senior Consultant on Conflict and Violence Ron Noblet said social workers are better at handling issues relating to mental illness, homelessness, drug addiction and domestic violence. But police have increasingly been saddled with those issues in the past few decades in the United States, he added. Interpersonal violence, as opposed to crime between strangers, is especially sticky. In a phone interview last week, the Los Angeles-based violence and policing expert told the Jackson Free Press that based on his 50 years of experience in violence mitigation, he judged police as ineffective in deescalating domestic violence, for instance. “Domestic violence is extremely tricky,” Noblet warned. He was a lead researcher on the Legislature-funded BOTEC Analysis Corp. study of Jackson violence released in January 2016. “Police, more often than not, can
courtesy Christopher Freeze
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
Mario Clark’s mother Sheila Ragland regrets calling Jackson police to help with her son suffering from mental illness. She says they killed him instead.
make a domestic-violence situation worse because they have not been trained to handle the situation properly.” “Often, a combination of a policeman with a social worker is far more effective in a domestic-violence situation,” he added. Noblet lamented that such situations are “explosive,” and the police training to come in and “exert control” is the wrong approach. “A social worker is trained to deescalate a situation through words; a police officer is trained to control the situation, not to de-escalate the situation,” he said. “My concern is that police more often than not will escalate a domestic-violence situation, rather than de-escalate.” Drug addiction and mental illness sometimes go together, Noblet observed. Making the police the face of resolving this issue is not appropriate. “Many mentally ill people use drugs as a way to self-medicate,” he said. “A combination of mental illness and drug use is huge in this country. The police are not trained to deal with it.” Noblet observed that cities and counties have, “in the last two generations,” stepped back from social services and heaped more responsibilities on the police. “The recommendation will be to shore up social-service delivery systems, shore up drug-treatment systems, shore up job-development systems,” Noblet said. “But it is something that the government almost always says ‘oh no, we can’t afford that,’ but they put the money more and more into (the) police.” Noblet recommends having the police be part of an intervention system, however—rather than shutting them out. “An intervention system in which a policeman might be part of a team is by far the most effective and the most cost-efficient,” he said. “What it will call for is the instant recognition of the type of problem
Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze presses on the need for the police to work with behavioral health centers, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and the community.
there is and then responding to it with the person who is trained to deal most substantively with the situation.” The violence expert accused public officials of taking the easy way out in merely building up, and funding, the police system as Jackson and Hinds County are doing. The Jackson City Council voted this week to allocate $500,000 to rent more jail space for those committing misdemeanors. “I think this is a result of two different things,” Noblet said. “One: the elected officials are terrified of being accused of being soft on crime, and so rather than doing what they think is right, they do the easy thing and give money to the police.” “Two: In a good part of the country, police are used as a repressive arm of a racist system,” Noblet said. “Police are used to repress, to keep people in their area, wherever the area is and to control and are not used to deal with law-breaking.” Need To Act Now On March 23, Daniel Prude, 41, ran naked out of the house in Rochester, N.Y., in an apparent display of mental illness. Similar to the alleged story of Mario Clark in Jackson, police handling after they found him led to his death. They handcuffed Prude, put a mesh bag over his head, knelt on his back and pushed his face into the ground. The trauma of that event left him brain-dead. His family decided to take him off life support one week later, and he was pronounced dead. The late Mario Clark, 31, is a poster child of the need for alternatives to policing in Jackson. While he needed mentalhealth assistance, the police “assisted him” in a different way, by handcuffing and kicking him, his family says. Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart ruled his death a homicide linked with strangulation and suffocation in the autopsy report. Prude’s brother, Joe, like Clark’s mother’s, called the police when his brother left the house naked. He now has a name for Prude’s experience that led to his death in the hands of the police—lynching. It has been close to two years since Clark died, and little has happened in Jackson and Hinds County to align crisis calls to the appropriate responder. Shereake Elder, Clark’s sister, expressed deep dismay at those officers’ actions at the time of her brother’s death, WLBT reports. “When you go to people’s houses, don’t be so aggressive,” she said. “When you get called to another domestic or a mentalillness call ... handle the situation way better than you did. Because now I’m about to bury my brother next Saturday, that I will never see again.” Also see jfp.ms/preventingviolence. Email Kayode Crown at kayode@jacksonfreepress. com. Follow @kayodecrown on Twitter.
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food&drink
Local Jackson Caterers: A List by Nate schumann
2019 Autoritas Sauvignon Blanc 90 points - Descorchados | $10.99 This fresh, crisp Sauvignon Blanc has an abundance of citrus and melon flavors with a hint of herbs and a long finish.
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September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
921 East Fortification Street (601) 983-5287 www.katswine.com/tasting-team @KatsWine
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• Godfrey’s Carribean Restaurant (2460 Terry Road, 601-398-3602) • 4Top Catering (4500 Interstate 55 N., 601-942-4999, 4topcatering.com) • Basil’s (2906 N. State St., Suite 104, 601982-2100; 120 N. Congress St., Suite L1, 601-944-9888) • Fresh Cut Catering & Floral (108 Cypress Cove, Flowood, 601-939-4518, freshcutcateringandfloral.com) • Local 463 Urban Kitchen (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 5002, Ridgeland, 601-707-7684, local463.com) • Mangia Bene Catering (4465 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road, 601-362-2900, mangiabene-catering.com) • Mama Hamil’s Southern Cookin’ & BBQ (751 Highway 51, Madison, 601856-4407, hamils.com) • Yum Yum’s Kitchen & Catering (1815 Hospital Drive, 601-398-1880) • The Pig & Pint (3139 N. State St., 601326-6070, pigandpint.com) • Jefferson’s Grill Restaurant & Catering (5612 Old Canton Road. 601-863-5227) • T’Beaux’s Crawfish and Catering (941 Highway 80 E., Clinton, 601-926-4793; 5752 Terry Road, Byram, 769-230-3855) • Room Service (4659 McWillie Drive, 601-362-4617; 1010 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 104, 601-707-3600, roomservicejackson.com) • Catering by Andrew (1255 E. County Line Road, 601-351-5389) • Nuttin Butt Smoke Catering (601-9064954) • Shajar’s Catering (601-957-2616) • Tybre Stylistic Catering (601-918-6856, find it on Facebook) • Stick a Fork in It Personal Chef & Catering (601-813-7327) • Washington’s Catering Creations (601906-7067) • The Cookie Net (1053 Pecan Park Circle, 601-506-7439 or 601-863-9300) • Catering by George’s (140 Madison Landing Circle, Ridgeland, 601-898-1934, cateringbygeorges.com) • For Heaven’s Cakes & Catering (4950 Old Canton Road, 601-991-253, find it on Facebook) • Amerigo Italian Restaurant (6592 Old Canton Road, 601-977-0563; 155 Market St., Flowood, 601-992-1550, amerigo.net)
• Olivia’s Food Emporium (637 Highway 51, Suite K, Ridgeland; 601-898-8333; oliviasfoodemporium.com) • The Hungry Goat (671 Grants Ferry Road, Suite A2, Brandon; 769-233-8539; thehungrygoatcarryout.com) • Nick Wallace Culinary (601-919-6328, nickwallaceculinary.com) • International Food & Catering (4711 Interstate 55, 601-982-0890) • Mildred’s VIP Caterers (4620 McWillie Drive, 601-713-4040) courtesy Godfreys
and have social distancing plans in place.
W
hether you are presently searching for a caterer for an upcoming occasion or you are just browsing to learn of the catering options local to the Jackson metro, know that you have a number of caterers who could potentially fulfill your food-supply needs.
Godfrey’s Carribean Restaurant won Best Caterer in Best of Jackson 2020.
• Fantasy Foods (168 W. Government St., Brandon, 601-543-2522, fantasyfoodscatering.com) • Magnolia’s Catering (321 Clinton Blvd., Clinton, 601-924-0111) • Sanjo Food & Catering Services (1615 S. Gallatin St., 601-969-7205) • Fresh from the Flame (5446 River Thames Road, 601-957-6123, find it on Facebook) • Taste Bud Magic (5420 Interstate 55, 601-260-1542) • T-Ray’s BBQ (655 Highway 49, Richland, 601-655-4814, find it on Facebook) • Nostalgia Catering Company (601385-3733) • It’s Happening (100 District Blvd. E., 601-202-5123, itshappeningjxn.com) Do you know of other local catering services we can add to our list, or would you like to send us updated information for those already listed? Send the tips to nate@jacksonfreepress. com.
Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.
COMMUNITY Holiday Market of Jackson Sept. 18-20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Mississippi Trademart Center (1200 Mississippi St.). More than 100 merchants gather to showcase gourmet foods, beauty products, gifts, fashion, home decor and more. $10 one-day pass, $18 three-day pass, free for kids 12 & under; call 662-890-3359; email kristi@midsouthmediagroup.com; find it on Facebook. Virtual MS Science Fest 2020 Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Facebook Live. The four museums of Jackson’s LeFleur Museum District host the 5th annual Mississippi Science Fest, an online event showcasing Mississippi’s innovative STEM industries and organizations. The museums offer a supplemental kit full of science-based activities to be completed at home in conjunction with the Science Fest. Each kit includes eight activities, supplies and instructions, and access to online content to assist in each activity. Kits may be picked up from the Museum of Natural Science on Sept. 12-17 during normal business hours. All kits must be picked up by Sept. 30. Limited quantity. Free admission, $15 supplemental activity kit; call 601-576-6000; email info@ mssciencefest.org; mdwfp.com. Jackson Zoo Soft Re-opening Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 20, 1-4 p.m., Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 27, 1-4 p.m., at The Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St.). The Jackson Zoo launches a “soft” re-opening with restricted hours and health-conscious precautions. Visitors, including Jackson Zoo members, are required to reserve admission tickets online in advance. Only open on weekends for now, the zoo presents rotational family-friendly events from Terry Vandeventer’s Living Reptile Museum and Freedom Ranch Outreach Birds of Prey each day at 2 p.m. Face masks required. Only 500 visitors admitted at one time. Social distancing enforced. $8 adult, $5 child, free for children ages 2 and below; call 601-352-2580; email admissions@ jacksonzoo.org; jacksonzoo.org. Sip, Shop and RELAX Grand Opening for Krowned by Kristy Sept. 19, 2-4 p.m., at Krowned by Kristy, LLC (135 Bounds St.). The boutique, which features pageant-related clothing and accessories, invites the community to come meet the staff and browse the shop as it celebrates its grand opening. As part of the celebration, two additional treats are being offered for purchase: “Emotional Baggage,” the handbag collection of The Fashion Therapist, and mini facials with 5Star Beauty Bar and Contouring. Snacks and giveaways also offered. Masks required. Social distancing practiced. Free admission, item prices vary; call 601-664-8520; email krownedbykristyllc@gmail.com; krownedkloset.storenvy.com. Tulip Tuesday at 10am Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Zoom. The Flower Growers of Mississippi invite fellow gardeners to a Zoom webinar with the goal of educating Mississippi growers in how to grow cut flowers for business-to-business or business-to-consumer sales. Experience in commercial flower growing not required. Free registration; call 601-672-0755; email dyowell@aol. com; find it on Facebook. Table Topics: UMMC’s Asylum Hill Project Sept. 25, noon-1 p.m., at Mississippi Library Commission (3881 Eastwood Drive). The Mississippi Library Commission’s Table Topics series continues with Dr. Ralph Didlake—UMMC professor of surgery, vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of the Center for Bioethics and the Medical Humanities—speaking about
SPORTS & WELLNESS Fondren Fitness Fun Run Sept. 17, 6-8 p.m., at Fondren Fitness (2807 Old Canton Road). Runners meet up every third Thursday outside of Fondren Fitness to run three miles around the neighborhood. The run ends at a different local business each month. Free admission; call 601540-0338; find it on Facebook. Shoot Like A Girl® Coast to Coast Tour Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Bass Pro Shops (100 Bass Pro Drive, Pearl). The organization dedicated to empowering women in the hunting and shooting industries visits Bass Pro Shops in Pearl on its nationwide tour, with its state-of-the-art mobile range, certified female instructors and the latest gear to instruct participants ages 16 and up to handle and use firearms inside the range. Archery coaches are onsite to assist with shooting bows. Outside the range, visitors have the opportunity to compare a variety of disabled firearms, including revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and rifles. COVID-19 protocols in accordance with the CDC observed. Free admission, items may be available for purchase; email marketing@shootlikeagirl.com; shootlikeagirl.com. the Asylum Hill Project. The project seeks to study and memorialize the over 7,000 patients who were buried in the cemetery of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum between 1855-1935, when it was housed on what is now part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Free admission; call 601-432-4111; email mlcref@ mlc.lib.ms.us; mlc.lib.ms.us. “The Blakk Market” Shop Blakk-Owned Businesses Sept. 27, 1-8 p.m., at UIG Complex, The Breake Room & Sankofa Kitchen (911 Palmyra St.). The community expo and flea market invites attendees to meet and browse Blackowned businesses. Includes music and entertainment. Participants encouraged to bring lawn chairs and socialize. Vendor reservations available. Free admission, donations encouraged, vendor prices vary; call 601-366-6100; email tooblakktoostrong@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.
STAGE & SCREEN Thursday Nights Virtual Plays, Conversations, and Cocktails with New Stage Theatre Sept. 17, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Virtual. The local theater group presents a series of virtual play-readings and discussions with New Stage artists and community partners on a variety of topics relating to the theater’s productions. Hosts share a signature cocktail recipe. Direct link provided upon registration. Free registration, donations accepted; call 601-948-3533 ext. 226,; email mtillman@ newstagetheatre.com; newstagetheatre.com.
FOOD & DRINK Fertile Ground Fermentation Workshop Sept. 16, 6 p.m., Facebook Live. The Mississippi Museum of Art, in partnership with The Fertile Ground Project, offers the live, interactive Q&A with DJ Baker on creating fermented, valuedadded goods. This workshop, along with the previously recorded workshop, “Fermentation 101,” where Baker introduces the basics of fermentation, are the first two of a three-part series on the subject. Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org. Downtown Winery Wine Tasting Sept. 24, 7-9 p.m., at 201Capitol (201 W. Capitol St.). Downtown Winery hosts a wine-tasting event. Participants are invited to evaluate hand-picked wines from around the world. Also includes appetizers and entertainment. $27 ticket, $3 fee; call 601-954-4657; email downtownwinery@yahoo.com; find it on Facebook.
Events at Chuckles Comedy House Jackson (6379 Ridgewood Court Drive) JJ Williamson Live Sept. 18-19, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The Mississippi-native comedian returns to Jackson to perform. Two-item minimum purchase. $20 General admission, $40 VIP; call 769-257-5467; email chucklescomedyhouse7@ gmail.com; jackson.chucklescomedyhouse.com. Lil Duval Live Sept. 25-26, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The comedian, actor and recording artist performs. Two-item minimum food or beverage purchase with admission. Masks required. $32.50 general admission, $55 VIP; call 769257-5467; jackson.chucklescomedyhouse.com.
CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Chamber I - Joy of Baroque Sept. 19, 7:30-8:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra presents its season opener, a chamber orchestra of strings led by Conductor Beck through a collection of German, Austrian and Italian Baroque music. Masks and temperature check required at door. No intermission or concessions. $20 general admission (advance); call 601-960-1565; email rroberts@msorchestra.com; msorchestra.com.
LITERARY “The Lion’s Den” Book Discussion Sept. 17, noon, Facebook Live. Author Katherine St. John discusses her new book with fellow author Lisa Patton on Facebook Live. Free discussion, $28 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com. “You Want More” Book Discussion Sept. 22, noon, Faebook Live. Author George Singleton discusses his new book with fellow author, Chris Offutt. Free discussion, $27 first edition book, signed on bookplate; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.
ARTS & EXHIBITS Creative Healing Studio Sept. 16, Sept. 30, 12:30-2 p.m., Zoom. Licensed art therapist Susan Anand leads a weekly art therapy gathering via Zoom for adults being treated for cancer or with a cancer diagnosis in their past. To register contact Susan Anand at the email address provided. Free online; call 601-960-1515; email smainlay@aol.com; find it on Facebook. Museum After Hours | Synergy Nights Open Mic Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Instagram Live. The museum welcomes Synergy Nights open mic, broadcasting live from the museum. Maranda Joiner selects singers, musicians and spoken-word artists who present performances based on artwork on exhibit at the museum. The recipe for
the evening’s cocktail, the Giner Snap, is available on the museum’s website. Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org. “Figa” by Kara Walker Sept. 18-19, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sept. 20, noon-5 p.m., Sept. 25-26, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sept. 27, noon- 5 p.m., at AND Gallery (133 Millsaps Ave.). The room-sized sculpture is the work of New York based artist, Kara Walker, whose art, which explores race, gender, sexuality and violence, has appeared in exhibitions worldwide. Free admission; email andgalleryart@gmail.com; andgallery.org. Opening Day: City in the Grass Sept. 25, 5-8 p.m., Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at The Art Garden (380 S. Lamar St.). The art museum celebrates the opening of its new installation, “City in the Grass,” by Leonardo Drew. Over 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, Drew’s creation incorporates aluminum panels and vividly colored sand, along with wood, metal and canvas he distresses by hand. Friday’s event is for members and features light refreshments and live music.MMA chief curator Ryan Dennis and the featured artist (over live video) speak about the installation. Light refreshments are served. Live music. RSVP for Saturday. Teaching fellows provide detailed tours of “City in the Grass” for all ages. Complimentary beverages. Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org. Wood Center Art Show Sept. 28-30, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m., at Wood Activity Center (111 Clinton Blvd., Clinton). The activity and therapeutic center features an exhibit of original art created by members of its Living Young program. The exhibit consists of works ranging from paintings in oils and acrylics to handcrafted quilts and cross-stitched samplers. Free admission; call 601-924-6387; find it on Facebook. Art in Mind Sept. 30, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Zoom. Licensed art therapist Susan Anand and Victoria Meek, associate curator of studio and family programs at the art museum, lead a experiential art program for older adults experiencing memory loss or mild cognitive impairment. Participants explore and discuss a work of art and engage in an art inspired activity to stimulate observation, recall and recognition at home with basic art supplies. Free online; call 601-4962; email mindclinic@umc.edu; find it on Facebook.
PROFESSIONAL & BIZ Next-Level Branding Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at Virtual (1701 N. State St.). The MS Alliance, in partnership with the Millsaps Else School of Management, presents the class focusing on finetuning branding and marketing strategy to current business climates, audiences and other key stakeholders. $395 fee; call 601-968-0061; email connect@alliancems.org; find it on Facebook. Digital Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Jackson Downtown Convention Center Hotel (9009 S.E. Adams St., Suite 1911). The workshop covers current trends in small-business web design and marketing, including how any small business can harness free tools to increase leads and drive web traffic to their company website. Admission TBA; call 503-451-6675; email deb@sharptackmedia.com; sharptackmedia.com.
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
EVENTS
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. 17
Music
Latitude Unknown: Pop with a Bossa Nova Twist by Nate Schumann
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cover art by typfy art
pencer Nessel, a Jackson native relation to the pandemic and to other who describes himself as a mustruggles they may be facing, such as sic fanboy, has known he secretly making life changes, for example. wanted to perform himself ever Working remotely from each other, since he started attending the live shows Burke and Nessel each recorded porof his schoolmate Andrew Burke’s pop tions of their contributions at home. band, The DaVincis, during his junior The latter recorded his vocals at a New year at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. Orleans-based studio with the help of “Going to see live music back then a friend and fellow musician, Matthew was so impactful for me. I definitely fell Sefarian, who leads his own band, Matt in love with music more by going to see Surfin’ and Friends. them play live,” Nessel says. “The (song-creation) process in “I was 16 and didn’t have any rovolved a lot of us sending voice memos mantic interests, so seeing music was back-and-forth to each other to get the pretty much the coolest thing I could ideas off the ground,” Nessel says. do with my time.” Nessel accredits the support he has Nessel and Burke connected received from his friends as instrumenthrough mutual friends and further tal to the album’s release. bonded through music. “This EP was, in many ways, a Both graduated from St. Andrew’s, dream-come-true for me in being able the former in 2008 and the latter in to release music. It’s definitely the prod2010, and enrolled in Millsaps College. uct of a lot of friendship,” he says. “I Nessel graduated with a bachelor’s dewas very insecure as a young musician, gree in English, and Burke transferred [but] having someone like Andrew to Haverford College in Pennsylvania, believe in me enough to work with me where he earned a bachelor’s degree in really helped me keep going. … It really music. Burke is presently working togave me the courage to create.” Indie-pop band Latitude Unknown, which Jackson natives Spencer Nessel and ward a master’s degree in music from Listen to Latitude Unknown on SpoAndrew Burke formed in March 2020, released a self-titled album on Sept. 4. John Hopkins University. tify, YouTube, iTunes and other music The onset of COVID-19 and the streaming services. subsequent quarantines provided the free time that led Nessel, who began playing guitar in college, to send an instrumental recording to Burke. As someone who works in freelance music composition and production, Burke then used his skills in sound editing and mixing to transform the recording into a produced track, “Pez De Spencer.” Banking off the momentum of their first collaboration, the twosome decided to solidify as a music group in March, adopting the name Latitude Unknown. Their indie-pop band largely takes inspiration from the bossa nova style of music, with influences from Brazilian jazz, electronic and pop. “Latitude Unknown is really a project born out of the pandemic in a lot of ways. Both of us (were quarantining), and we really needed an outlet for our creative energies,” Nessel says. In the six months since forming, Latitude Unknown has developed a self-titled, six-track EP, which released on Sept. 4. Burke produced the music for the tracks, while he and Nessel wrote the songs together. New Orleans artist TYPFY Art (typfy.com) created the cover art for the album. The EP explores themes of anxiety. A lot of the lyrical work, Nessel says, came from conversations he For the album, Spencer Nessel provides vocals as has had with others since the band formed—both in In addition to vocals, Andrew Burke plays keyboard,
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
courtesy Andrew Burke
courtesy Spencer Nessel
18 well as guitar and ukulele instrumentals.
bass and other instruments for the album.
artIsans
Designs by Dij, Custom Cards & More by taylor McKay hathorn
cards and explosion cards. Muhammad creates each one by hand, noting that her line allows a sender to “say exactly what they want to convey to their loved ones.” The importance of her business, which she dubbed “Designs by Dij,” has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I promote my business to let customers know that greeting cards are necessary. Even if you can’t be physically present with someone, you can still send them a greeting card of love to let them know that we are all in this together,” Muhammad says. The Vicksburg resident’s message of solidarity has now grown to include other products, such as pillows, umbrellas and tote bags focused on self-love, natural-hair love and Black love. Her work in uplifting her community led the Black Women’s Business Expo in Pearl, Miss., to recognize
We now have a touchless menu! Order from our extensive menu with no contact. Don’t forget to bring your mask.
Muhammad’s art is also represented in the face masks her business offers, which embody messages of Black love and other themes.
of her transition, hoping that it will enable to better serve her customers. Her dreams stretch beyond the limits of a building, though, as she hopes to continue improving her craft itself. “Most of my growth has come from researching and trying new techniques and not being afraid to fail. I built my business from the ground up, and I hope to continue doing that by learning what’s needed and hearing what the public wants” she says. To order a one-of-a-kind Designs by Dij product, reach out to the artist on Instagram at designsbydij, on Facebook at Designs by Dij, or on her website, designsbydij.com.
MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 730 Lakeland Dr. Jackson, MS | 601-366-6033 | Sun-Thurs: 11am - 10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm We Deliver For Catering Orders Fondren / Belhaven / UMC area
Best of Jackson 2018 Best Place For Hummus-Winner Best Vegetarian-Winner Best Meal Under $10-Finalist Best Place For Healthy Food-Finalist
September 16 - 29, 2020 • jfp.ms
K
hadijah Muhammad had always loved to sing, but bad news silenced the songbird inside the Detroit, Mich., native when a doctor put her on complete vocal rest. “That’s when I got a chance to nurture another art form,” she says. Muhammad had always loved “anything creative,” so when she was stripped of her primary medium, she turned a watchful eye to the artistic needs of others. “I’d go to the store and see people in greeting-card aisles, agonizing over what cards to buy their loved ones, but the cards didn’t say what people wanted them to say,” Muhammad recalls. Recognizing a gap in the market, she started creating her own line of threedimensional greeting cards, which has now expanded to include pop-up cards, box
courtesy Khadijah MuhaMMad
courtesy Khadijah MuhaMMad
Besides custom cards, Designs by Dij creates products such as pillows, umbrellas, tote bags and more—as (from left) Madisyn Lush, Micah Lush, Harmonie Lush, Vanise Lush and Mckaylynn Lush model here.
her as one of the top 50 Black women in business in Mississippi. She is not satisfied by the accolade alone, however, noting that in her Muslim community, “We have a saying that ‘Perfect practice makes perfect.’” Muhammad strives toward that perfection by making sure each item she sells is customized and handmade to suit the customer’s tastes. “They’re literal, structural works of art,” she says of her unique offerings, adding that her goal for each order is to create something that can be displayed as art in the home of the buyer or the recipient. Muhammad says her clients appreciate her effort, giving her a substantial amount of positive feedback on the intricacy of her work. Some of her buyers place orders by messaging the artist on Instagram or Facebook, but many of her purchases come through her website, which has a special section devoted to helping customers design custom orders. “I work to make their vision come alive,” Muhammad says of her relationship with her clients. Because each custom order is unique to the customer, Muhammad says that it often takes her around a week to complete an order. “There’s really a lot that goes into it,” she says. “I put my heart into it.” Muhammad’s heart, too, is deeply rooted in her community. Raised in southwestern Mississippi, she attended Muhammad’s University of the New Islam in Lorman from kindergarten until college. Her rootedness in her community has contributed to her dreams for Designs by Dij, and she is currently decorating her new studio-office space to do even more work. “I’ll be able to handle bigger projects with a bigger workspace,” Muhammad says
19
JFP BIRTHDAY
Who’s Who?
Even in the face of a global pandemic and transitioning to working from home, the Jackson Free Press has continually sought to provide responsible, vital reporting online and in print and to showcase the people who make Jackson and Mississippi a wonderful home. We thank our incredible team members, as depicted below, for their efforts as we enter our 19th year.
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1. Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief & CEO 2. Todd Stauffer, Publisher & President 3. Kimberly Griffin, Associate Publisher 4. Kristin Brenemen, Creative Director 5. Nate Schumann, Deputy Editor 6. JoAnne Prichard Morris, Consulting Editor 7. Dustin Cardon, Web Editor
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8. Kayode Crown, City Reporter 9. Nick Judin, State Reporter 10. Julian Mills, State Intern 11. Zilpha Young, Senior Designer 12. Azia Wiggins, Executive Assistant 13. Shaye Smith, Editorial Assistant 14. Robin Johnson, Social Media Assistant 15. Ken Steere, Distribution Coordinator
16. Yvonne Champion, Distribution 17. Ruby Parks, Distribution 18. Eddie Williams, Distribution 19. Bryan Flynn, Sports Writer 20. Montroe Headd, Web Contributor 21. Kourtney Moncure, Let’s Talk Jackson Podcast Editor
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1. Saltine (622 Duling Ave., 601-9822899, jackson.saltinerestaurant.com) I must admit, Saltine is a staple on my list because my fiancé and I had our first date there. Even if we hadn’t, the restaurant has fabulous brunch and dinner menus. 2. Rooster’s (2906 N. State St., Suite 104, 601-982-2001, glennfoods.com) My favorite dish is the Stupid Burger on a jalapeño and cheese bun with a side of their fries and ranch. 3. Kristo’s (971 Madison Ave., Madison, 601-605-2266, kristosmadison.com) My favorite Greek restaurant in the area, Kristo’s features impeccable service. They
Krista Brown
have a great craft-beer menu and fantastic fries, pita mozz and shrimp gyros. 4. Green Ghost Tacos (2820 N. State St., 601-487-6082; 1290 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland, 601-957-7436, greenghosttacos.com) I frequently order to-go from Green Ghost, and each time has been met with wonderful service. My standard order is a fish taco and a steak taco with chips, salsa and guacamole. 5. The Bank by Pizza Shack (200 W. Leake St., Clinton, 601-708-1708, pizzashackpizza.com) Pizza is my main food-centered guilty pleasure. My favorite from The Bank is The Kitchen Sink,
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I grew up visiting the Jackson area, and I completed my undergraduate degree at Mississippi College. I am currently in physical-therapy school and am still drawn to the metro. One year, each Sunday my friends and I would try a new restaurant for lunch. Jackson has a special charm and so many restaurants and businesses to support, with new ones popping up every time I blink, it seems!
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shoes for your feet, selecting a few pairs and allowing you to try each out and give feedback until you find the right fit. 8. Amerigo (6592 Old Canton Road, 601-977-0563; 155 Market St., Flowood, 601-992-1550, amerigo.net) Three words: Three. Cheese. Tortellini. If you are looking for a more contemporary vibe, visit the Flowood location. For a more intimate feel, visit Ridgeland. 9. M7 Coffee House (111 N. Wheatley St., Ridgeland, 601-790-7971, facebook. com/M7coffee) I love a good cup of coffee, but I love a good atmosphere even more. M7 has both indoor and outdoor seating.
although their cheesy bread is also a musthave. Inside, the bar is made out of money, and the kitchen is in the old bank vault. 6. Stewpot (1100 W. Capitol St., 601353-2759, stewpot.org) Working to make a difference for people day in and day out, Stewpot has various ministries you can support including a soup kitchen, shelter, children’s programs and counseling. 7. Fleet Feet (500 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601-899-9696; 153 Ridge Way, Flowood, 769-235-4786; fleetfeet. com) Unlike many shoe stores, Fleet Feet does a detailed assessment of your feet and your gait in order to help choose the best
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courtesy Krista Brown; courtesy saltine; nicK Judin; courtesy Kristos; courtesy Green Ghost tacos; courtesy the BanK By Pizza shacK; File Photo; courtesy Fleet Feet; courtesy americo; Photo By immo weGmann on unsPlash
LOCAL LIST
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43 “Thank U, ___� (Grande album) 45 Office note 46 Reason to use sunscreen 48 Perks (up) 50 Network that revived the CBS show “Press Your Luck� 51 Salad that traditionally has anchovies 53 French automaker that turned 100 in March 57 Alex’s “Jeopardy!� predecessor 58 Ingredient in some margaritas 61 Voting “aye� 62 Bit of dust 64 Magnifying glass component 66 One with a laptop 67 Additive in some tissues 68 Blunt 69 It comes twice after “Que� in a song 70 “Monstrous� loch 71 Theater capacity
BY MATT JONES
30 Cedar Point’s location 31 Frying need 32 “What ___ you thinking?� 33 Like none of the words in this clue, uncharacteristically 34 Beasts of burden 36 “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road� label 37 “Animal Farm� setting 40 Cheese in a wrapper 41 Underlying themes 44 “Whether ___ nobler in the mind ...� 47 DVD player predecessor 49 “Batman Forever� actor Kilmer 50 Senator’s assistant
Last Week’s Answers
51 “L’Etranger� novelist 52 Got up 53 Some areas in “The Legend of Zelda� 54 “Nixon in China,� for one 55 Dadaist painter Max 56 Mr. Potato Head parts 59 Underground burrower 60 Space chimp of 1961 63 Major time period 65 “Go Set a Watchman� author
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1 What “x� may mean 6 Web presence? 10 Hunk of granite 14 “___ It Goes� 15 “Mighty Bruins� is their fight song 16 Lake Titicaca neighbor 17 Meals provided at meetings, sometimes 19 Z, on some graphs 20 “The Lord of the Rings� actress Tyler 21 Comprehended 23 Allowed
24 Touches down 26 Interstellar dust cloud 28 2004 Google event, briefly 29 “Casablanca� star 31 Tagliatelle, e.g. 34 Hawaii’s “Gathering Place� 35 Current measurements 38 “All Things Considered� host Shapiro 39 Oversized candy that includes paraffin 42 Mo. with National Pulled Pork and Cinnamon Roll Days (not at the same time, ew)
1 Small Indian hand drum 2 How doughnuts are often prepared 3 Year that Mary Tudor was born, in Roman numerals 4 Adult ed. course 5 Left-hander 6 Penguin projectiles? 7 Have a hankering 8 Remote valley 9 Relaxing 10 Massage place 11 Comic book villain introduced in 1940 12 Flounder’s friend 13 “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check� rapper Rhymes 18 Treaty that turns 70 in 2019 22 “Big Read� gp. 25 “Vamoose, varmint!� 27 Frat guy, probably 29 Soothing ointments
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Christian author Frederick Buechner writes, “We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves, and I believe that to love ourselves means to extend to those various selves that we have been along the way the same degree of compassion and concern that we would extend to anyone else.” Let’s make his thought your keynote for the next two weeks. Now is an excellent time to take a journey through your past to visit all the other people you have been. As you do attend to this poignant work, be generous with each of your old selves. Forgive them for their errors and praise their beauty. Tell them how much you love them. Thank them for how they have made possible the life you’re living now.
Seventy-nine-year-old Libran poet Robert Pinsky has had a triumphant life. He has published 19 books, including his own poems and essays, as well as translations of Italian and Polish poetry. For four years he served as the United States Poet Laureate. To what factors does he attribute his success? Here’s one: “Whatever makes a child want to glue macaroni on a paper has always been strong in me,” he testifies. He’s referring to the primitive arts-and-crafts projects he enjoyed while growing up. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you, too, to get in touch and commune with the primal roots of the things you love to do. Reconnect with the original expressions of your passion for life.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“A single ego is an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world,” wrote occultist Aleister Crowley. Author Gore Vidal agreed, saying, “Since no one can ever know for certain whether or not his own view of life is the correct one, it is absolutely impossible for him to know if someone else’s is the wrong one.” All of us can perpetually benefit from this counsel. And it will be especially healthy for you to heed during the next four weeks. Humility will be a superpower. Blessings will flow your way if you don’t need to be right all the time. As you refrain from regarding your own opinions as God’s holy decrees, you will generate good fortune for yourself.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“It’s a rare gift, to know where you need to be, before you’ve been to all the places you don’t need to be.” Author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote that. I’m passing it on to you because I suspect you now possess the power to claim this rare gift. In the coming days, you don’t have to engage in endless evaluations of the numerous possibilities. You don’t have to risk falling victim to overthinking. Your clear, strong gut hunches will tell you exactly where you need to be and how to get there.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Novelist Henry Miller was in many ways a quintessential Capricorn. He described himself as being “in love with love, always in search of the absolute, always seeking the unattainable.” Feelings like those are why your astrological symbol is the mountain goat that’s always climbing higher, questing toward the next pinnacle. At your best, you’re determined to keep striving for the brightest, the strongest, the truest. Sometimes you overdo this admirable imperative, but mostly it’s a beautiful quality. You are hereby authorized to express it with maximum wisdom and eagerness in the coming weeks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
“Go catch a falling star,” wrote poet John Donne (1572–1631) in his poem “Song.” “Tell me who cleft the Devil’s foot,” he went on to say. “Teach me to hear the mermaids singing.” He wasn’t being literal, but rather was indulging in poetic fancy to stretch his readers’ imaginations. I’m offering you the spirit of Donne’s poem, Aquarius, because you’re ripe to transcend your limited notions about what’s plausible and implausible. If you allow yourself to get extravagant and unruly in your fantasies, you may crack through shrunken expectations and break into a spacious realm of novel possibilities.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
I don’t suggest you indulge daringly in sensual pleasures, cathartic exchanges of energy, and intoxicating pursuits of relief and release. The pandemic mandates us to be cautious about engaging in unmitigated bliss—even though the astrological omens suggest that if now were a normal time, such activities would be well worth focusing on. How can you
resolve this dilemma? Possibilities: 1. Experiment zestfully with your live-in steady or spouse. 2. Get a COVID-19 test with a potential playmate, and if you both test negative, celebrate boisterously. 2. Round up a dazzler with whom you can generate rapture via Zoom. 3. Fantasize about delightfully gracious debauchery. 4. Go solo.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“It takes a lot of courage to be the same person on the outside that you are on the inside.” Author Barbara De Angelis made that observation. I offer it up to you as a fun challenge. During the coming weeks, you may be strongly tempted to be different on the outside than you are on the inside. On the other hand, you’ll have the necessary insight and valor to remain unified. In fact, you may ultimately create more congruence between your inside and outside than you have in a long time.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
“People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.” Fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin made that observation, and now I’m conveying it to you just in time for the season when you’ll need it most. Please note that I am not predicting you’ll be devoured by dragons from within. In offering you this oracle, my hope is that you will: 1. acknowledge the existence of metaphorical dragons; 2. locate where they hang out in your inner realms; 3. study them and get to know them better; 4. devise a strategy for dealing with them safely.
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“Don’t let them tame you,” advised flamboyant Gemini dancer Isadora Duncan. Who did she mean by “them”? The mainstream critics, who might have wished she cultivated a less maverick style? Her managers and handlers, who may have wanted her to tone herself down so she could earn maximum amounts of money? Her friends, who cringed when she did things like dancing on a table wearing an evening dress at a party? In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to take a survey of what influences might wish you were more docile, mild, or manageable. And then meditate on how you could consistently express the healthiest kind of wildness.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In the Yoruba religion of Ifà, the English word “heart” has two different meanings and words. So says Yoruba C priest Awó Falokun Fatunmbi. The first heart is the organ M that pumps blood through our bodies. It’s called okàn. Within the okàn is the second heart: a power center thatY regulates the flow of emotions. It’s called ègbè. I believe your ègbè will be exceptionally strong and clear and CM generous in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Your capacity to MY feel deeply and truly will be a gift to all those with whom you share it. It will also have the potential to enhance your CY appreciation for your own mysterious life. Wield your ègbè CMY with glee and panache!
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
K
Ancient Greek philosopher Plato observed, “Do not train children to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” The same principle applies to all of us adults who are committed to the goal of life-long learning. And according to my astrological analysis, it will be especially useful for you Leos to keep in mind during the coming weeks. It’s time to energize your education! And here’s the best way to gather the new teachings that are important for you to know: Follow what amuses your mind.
Homework: In your fantasy, create an alternate version of yourself with a different name and a different life. FreeWillAstrology.com
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
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