V14n26 LGBT Youth on the Move, Without a Home

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IMANI KHAYYAM

JACKSONIAN KRYSTAL JACKSON

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rt and music flow through Krystal Jackson’s veins.

She started taking singing lessons at age 7 and has been painting almost as long. Born and raised in west Jackson, she went to Murrah High School and then chose to stay in town for college.

She is now a sophomore at Millsaps College double majoring in art and music.

Jackson started selling her paintings in middle school to teachers and students.

Doing that has allowed her to travel, including doing a study-abroad excursion last summer in Italy to study classical voice.

She describes her art as a part of the grieving process. Her art is beautiful, raw and, Jackson says, weird. For example, she says she has painted a happy black lady with six arms, but she also paints little slave children.

“It’s a grieving process for who I am or what I want to be with my culture or my history or my experiences and my friends’ experiences,” she says. “And it all kind of focuses on identity and the greatness that can come with that but also the hardships that can come with that.”

While art has sustained her and enabled her to go on several trips, she says music is her favorite. It has been a part of her life since her parents put her in private

CONTENTS

voice lessons. She was in several different choirs at Murrah High School, and now, she is one of the vocalists in the Millsaps Jazz Ensemble and participates in a cappella group Major Harmony on campus.

Jackson says artistic ability and talent runs in her family. Her mother, Christie Jackson, played the trumpet for years; her aunt, Marjorie Alexander was a sculptor; and her grandmother, Joyce M. Jackson, sings. They all pursued careers as teachers or nurses, but Jackson says that’s not her plan. After she graduates, she plans to pursue music.

“It doesn’t sound right to just go get a job,” she says. “I want to go to Julliard and study voice.”

Jackson initially thought of leaving Jackson for college to begin with, but she decided to stay with the scholarship she received at Millsaps. Jackson, now 19, says she is grateful that she stayed close to home, as she gets to see her family once a week. Even though Jackson grew up here, she has rediscovered the city ever since going to college.

“Jackson is a city just like anything else, and has a lot to offer as far as the arts are concerned,” she says.

“It has a lot of potential.”

—Arielle Dreher

cover illustration by Kristin Brenemen

10 i} Ã >Ì ÛiÊ, Õ `Õ« After a tense week at the Capitol, legislators make a move toward progress.

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This couple met on the game “Everquest” and developed a relationship—even though they were thousands of miles apart.

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“People know what modern art is, and some know the names of artists, but often times they are not familiar with the stories. We want to bring our visitors into the story. The Leon Kroll exhibit (at the Mississippi Museum of Art) will tell the beginning of those stories.”

—Julian Rankin, “A Window Into Modern Art”

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4 ............................. EDITOR’S NOTE 6 ............................................ TALKS 12 ................................ EDITORIAL 13 .................................... OPINION 15 ............................ COVER STORY 24 .................................... HITCHED 25 .......................... FOOD & DRINK 26 ....................................... 8 DAYS 27 ...................................... EVENTS 27 ..................................... SPORTS 28 ....................................... MUSIC 29 ....................... MUSIC LISTINGS 30 .......................................... ARTS 31 .................................... PUZZLES 33 ....................................... ASTRO

LEON KROLL COURTESY MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART; COURTESY RICHARD COUPE; IMANI KHAYYAM

MARCH 2 - 8, 2016 | VOL. 14 NO. 26

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EDITOR’S note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

Dear Gov. Bryant: Stop Pandering to Racism

I

was sitting with a Jackson business owner five days after I told the world that Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant had taken the time during Black History Month to sign a proclamation honoring “Confederate Heritage Month” in April. Suddenly, a jovial conversation turned serious, and pain crunched up her face. “He doesn’t know how this hurts people,” she said. “I don’t get it.”

My businesswoman friend, who is black, is clear-headed and pragmatic, mixing straight talk about race and racism with talk of personal responsibility. She knows the fear of encountering a police officer in a nation where many unarmed black people are hurt by them and then blamed for it. And like many black women, she enjoys hip-hop, but violent, misogynistic lyrics anger her.

My friend is also a successful business owner in the state she grew up in—with leaders who are routinely willing to put the feelings and fears of most of its black citizens aside in order to pander to a romantic, sanitized version of Confederate history that lets their ancestors off the hook. She shakes her head with disgust and clear befuddlement at how the governor of the state could decide, in the 21st century and during Black History Month to boot, to dedicate an entire month to the “heritage” of the Confederacy.

She knows, like many of us, that Confederate leaders made it crystal-clear in speeches and documents that they formed a new nation and then started the Civil War not only to maintain slavery in Mississippi— they had recently passed laws making it illegal to free slaves here—but to force new states to allow slavery and to return fugitive slaves.

(New states in the now-midwest, by then, were becoming stops on the Underground Railroad to help southern slaves flee.)

“They just don’t care,” my friend says of Bryant and the other white Mississippi leaders who pander to people determined to rewrite Confederate history.

Bryant’s proclamation about “Confederate Heritage” (not “history” about that brutal four-year war, but “heritage,” meaning a proud celebration) is worse than his tacit embrace of the Mississippi flag and his refusal to lead the last state to shed itself of the symbol of a war fought for bad, white supremacist reasons. (Read Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens’ racist “Cornerstone Speech” about the motives).

At least with the flag, Bryant can pre-

All these men are selling out Mississippi right now. tend his refusal to change it really is about the will of “the people” to keep the flag. It’s a bad argument, of course: The April 2001 vote to change split along race lines, thus proving that a huge segment of our society is hurt, and even threatened, by the flag that the Ku Klux Klan used as a symbol of their terrorism, while most of the other race doesn’t care. The fact that a majority of black people voted to change the flag should send a strong message to leaders about what the flag stands for, but our leaders since then haven’t cared or responded. It seems they are too afraid of losing the Confederate vote—which an official proclamation like this only bolsters.

This proclamation is blatant pandering in multiple ways. Bryant signed it at the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that fights to keep the emblem in the state flag and downplays the documented

reasons for the Civil War at every turn. The truth is, that is their right to try—but why is it so vital that the government take their side?

That sure makes it look like more of an intimidation tactic by the state to remind black people who is still in control rather than free expression. SCV folks can own and fly all the flags they want on their own property.

Knowing the proclamation could ignite a firestorm, Bryant did this one quietly, as other governors before him have done. Up in Virginia in 2010, Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, issued a similar proclamation, causing a major outcry. In response, McDonnell issued an apology: “The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War. Slavery was an evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property, and it has left a stain on the soul of this state and nation.”

Bryant, though, can’t be bothered to mention slavery in the same proclamation as “Confederate.” The day after my piece went up, his office released a statement, making the circular argument that other governors had done such proclamations, too, you know.

Somehow, that doesn’t make my friend, the business owner, feel better.

The truth is that Bryant and other white “leaders” who pander to a fake, glorious history are holding our state back and running many of our best and brightest off.

Like I did back in 1983, young people leave because they refuse to be a part of this cabal.

Our people need the chance to turn this corner and be kinder to each other.

Bryant could see the April 2001 flag vote as an “ask” on what our black population thinks of this symbol. Real leaders would’ve come out of that vote thinking: “Oh, we have

a problem. This has been my blind spot. Let me adjust.” They could work to spread more education on real Confederate and race history to more people. When almost all black people want the flag changed, and more than a third of all 2001 voters, we need to ask why and actively listen, then form a plan for change and growth, not just dismiss so many citizens’ concerns out of hand. You know, like a good business owner might do.

A Civil War History Month, if done correctly with real facts and with open hearts and minds, could do that. Mississippi should lead the nation in facing this history because, frankly, we were the heart of its worst parts, as an outlet for cotton and thus slaves, when the war started, and the immense wealth it brought. Mississippi leaders then, in our state’s Declaration of Secession, made it clear why slavery was vital for crops like cotton: “These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun.”

Leaders like Bryant must stop holding white Mississippians down to the bigotry of low expectations for fellow white people.

They expect us to be racist, to hold onto the ideals of the Confederacy, to vote for them (and their corporate donors) if they fan the flames of our assumed need—that is, that we white residents still want to be feel superior to non-whites and celebrate racist history.

This pandering, of course, plants even more of those seeds and prolongs the cycle.

Sadly, I don’t expect Bryant or Tate Reeves to step out and lead. I’d hoped Speaker Philip Gunn might, but he chose politics instead of what might be in his heart and his Christian teaching. All these men are selling out Mississippi right now, and keeping us last, when they can’t find the moral courage to help lead us out of the past. Somehow we have to do it ourselves, despite them.

Read more at jfp.ms/slavery.

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CONTRIBUTORS

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Arielle Dreher

Sierra Mannie

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News Reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies and adopting an otter from the Jackson Zoo. Email her ideas at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

She wrote about homeless LGBT youth and the state flag.

Education Reporting Fellow Sierra Mannie is a University of Mississippi student whose opinions of the Ancient Greeks can’t be trusted nearly as well as her opinions of Beyoncé. She wrote about state Senate education bills.

Web Editor Dustin Cardon is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and wants to write them himself one day. He wrote about food news and posted about a million breaking stories.

Music Editor Micah Smith is married to a great lady, has two dog-children named Kirby and Zelda, and plays in the band Empty Atlas. Send gig info to music@jacksonfreepress.com.

He wrote about The Banner Studios.

Freelance writer Danie Matthews is Mississippi College graduate. She’s a fan of conscious hip-hop, neo-soul and classic R&B, and hopes to one day become a full-time music writer. She wrote about the Leon Kroll art exhibit.

Sales Assistant Mary Osborne is a Lanier Bulldog by birthright and a JSU Tiger by choice. She is the mother of Lindon “Joc” Dixon. Her hobbies include hosting and producing “The Freeda Love Show,” which airs on PEG 18.

Serial hobbyist Zilpha Young enjoys all kinds of arts and crafts as well as getting overly excited about trivial things like mortars and pestles and french press coffee makers.

She designed many ads.

Sales and Marketing Consultant Myron Cathey is from Senatobia. He is a graduate of Jackson State University and enjoys traveling, music and spending time with family and friends.

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Thursday, February 25 Jackson Public Schools Board President Beneta Burt says JPS will test the water at area schools, beginning with the elementary schools, and encouraged parents to send water with their kids if they are concerned about lead in the water.

Friday, February 26 House Speaker Philip Gunn and Legislative Black Caucus leader Rep. Earl Banks say theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve agreed to resume work after partisan tensions stalled business for most of Thursday and Friday.

Saturday, February 27 Virginia police officer Ashley Guindon is fatally shot a day after being sworn in, and two of her colleagues are also wounded while responding to a reported domestic dispute. The shooter, Army Sgt. Ronald Hamilton, had also allegedly shot and killed his wife, Crystal Hamilton, before police arrived.

Sunday, February 28 Donald Trump draws sharp criticism from his rivals in both parties for refusing to denounce an endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. â&#x20AC;Ś The 88th Academy Awards ceremony awarded a journalism movie, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spotlightâ&#x20AC;? best picture.

Lawsuit to Change Flag An â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Uphill Battle,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But It Could Work

by Arielle Dreher

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black Mississippi lawyer suing Gov. Phil Bryant for flying the state flag could be successful if he can prove that the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original intent for putting the Confederate battle emblem on the flagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canton was racist and discriminatory back in 1894. But it will be a difficult, uphill battle, legal experts say.

Carlos Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawsuit says Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flag is unconstitutional and causes racial violence. Moore, a lawyer based in Grenada, filed the suit Monday, arguing that flying the state flag on state and public property is tantamount to hateful government speech against himself and other African American residents of Mississippi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are happy to give it (the lawsuit option) a try; we think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth the fight,â&#x20AC;?

Moore told the Jackson Free Press Monday.

Moore believes that his constitutional rights have been violatedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;along with all African American citizens of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because the current state flag contains a Confederate emblem â&#x20AC;&#x153;with a racial discriminatory purpose to subjugate African-Americans to second-class status and promote the notion of white supremacy.â&#x20AC;?

The lawsuit was filed in the Southern Mississippi U.S. District Court, and Moore said that he used some of the same language from the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which the U.S. Supreme Court solidified last June to legalize same-sex marriage nationally.

Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawsuit claims that the Mississippi state flag, with the Confederate emblem

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Monday, February 29 The U.S. Supreme Court leaves in place the suspension of Taylor Bell, a Mississippi high school student who posted a rap song online that criticized two coaches over allegations they behaved inappropriately toward female students.

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Tuesday, March 1 Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Alaska and Wyoming hold presidential caucuses on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Super Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;SEC Tuesday,â&#x20AC;? the date the greatest number of states hold primaries.

Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

COURTESY MOORE LAW OFFICE

Wednesday, February 24 The State Senate unanimously passes Senate Bill 2418, which would add domestic abuse as a 13th ground for divorce. â&#x20AC;Ś The Mississippi State Department of Health announces that pregnant women and young children should not consume Jackson water straight from the tap because of concerns about lead levels.

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in its canton, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If (Obergefell v. Hodges) applies to same-sex couples, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the right to be respected, surely African Americans have the right to be respected too,â&#x20AC;? Moore said.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Gov. Bryantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communications director, Clay Chandler, responded to the lawsuit:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a frivolous attempt to use the federal court system to usurp the will of the people.

The governor hopes Attorney General Jim Hood will seek attorneysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fees to reimburse taxpayers the cost of defending against this needless drain on state resources.â&#x20AC;?

Hoping that one of the 12 bills filed this session to change the state flag would go through last week, Moore had held off on submitting his lawsuit. Last week,

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After revealing last week that Gov. Phil Bryant had proclaimed that April is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Confederate Heritage Month,â&#x20AC;? we asked readers what else he should proclaim.

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BIG STORY OF THE WEEK:

April Is #ConfederateHeritageMonth

by Donna Ladd

however, all flag bills died in committee, and the JFP reported that Gov. Bryant had declared April â&#x20AC;&#x153;Confederate Heritage Monthâ&#x20AC;? two weeks earlier during Black History Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for Moore, that was enough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was the straw that broke the camelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back. I could not wait another day to file this lawsuit,â&#x20AC;? he said Monday.

out that even neighbor states like Alabama that the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original purpose for have taken the Confederate flag down from choosing the state flag was racist or distheir Capitol following the South Carolina criminatory back in 1894 because then the mass shooting last year. burden of proof would shift to the governMatt Steffey, a constitutional law pro- mentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not Moore. Either way, Steffey said fessor at Mississippi Colthe lawsuit would be lege, said the lawsuit an â&#x20AC;&#x153;uphill battle,â&#x20AC;? but would need to break signoted that big cases nificant new ground for it that lead to change are to work because constitunever easy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If this were tional free speech (for ineasy to accomplish, it dividuals) does not apply would have been done to government speechâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; already,â&#x20AC;? Steffey said. which includes the state flag. Steffey said Moore Not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Free Speechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; would have to prove that Last summer, the the flag has caused people U.S. Supreme Court Marshall Leonard, 61, was to commit hate crimes in ruled against the Texas accused of trying to bomb Mississippi on account of division of the Sons of a Walmart in Tupelo for stopping selling Confederate their race as well as show Confederate Veterans merchandise last fall. that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely to happen who wanted a stateagain. issued license plate deâ&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to show that Mississippi flies sign (which Mississippi offers). The Court the flag because it wants to promote racial ruled that the state was not required to issue violence, not because of the fact,â&#x20AC;? Steffey told special Confederate license plates because the Jackson Free Press.. they are considered government speech. This The lawsuit could have a better avenue decision actually hurts Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, Steffey of success, Steffey said, if Moore can prove says, because it made clear that government

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Significant, New Groundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Other states have dealt with lawsuits regarding their state flags, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tough legal road. Moore researched the failed 1990s-era lawsuit in a Georgia county court to change that state flag, in order to avoid the same legal mistakes.â&#x20AC;&#x153;The plaintiff, an African American in that case, did not point out specific instances where the state flag was the cause of racial violence or disparate treatment of African Americans,â&#x20AC;? Moore said.

Moore said he mentions the mass killing of nine African Americans in South Carolina as well as instances specifically in Mississippi in his lawsuit, including a man who had photographed himself wrapped in the state flag before bombing a Walmart store in Tupelo that stopped selling Confederate merchandise last November. Moore points

spokesman Clay Chandler has not returned our messages on the topic.

Our story about the proclamation quickly went viral, bringing more traffic than any story in the JFPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, and thousands TRIP BURNS / FILE PHOTO

The Confederate group apparently requested the proclamation from Bryant, as it done routinely for years, including from governors before Barbour. We are still trying to get a full list of those governors, but his

of comments and shares, both in support of the proclamation and from those outraged against it. Perhaps our favorite was from a young white woman in the state: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why Mississippi canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have nice things.â&#x20AC;?

Many media outlets, from ABC News to FOX News, Jezebel.com to the Drudgereport.com picked up the JFPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. Chandler soon posted a link on his Twitter feed to the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proclamations page, which had been updated to include Confederate Heritage Month. It also included Irish Heritage Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but no Black History Month.

The proclamation states that April â&#x20AC;&#x153;is the month in which the Confederate States began and ended a four-year struggle.â&#x20AC;? It adds that the state celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on April 25 to â&#x20AC;&#x153;recognize those who served in the Confederacy.â&#x20AC;? It then explains that it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;important for all Americans to reflect upon our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pastâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;to gain insight from our mistakes and successes,â&#x20AC;? adding that we must â&#x20AC;&#x153;earnestly strive to understand and appreciate our heritage and our opportunities which lie before us.â&#x20AC;?

expression is free from First Amendment free-speech rules.

In the majority opinion in the case, Walker v. Sons of Confederate Veterans, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government statements do not normally trigger the First Amendment rules designed to protect the marketplace of ideas.â&#x20AC;?

In Texas this meant that the government could bar Confederate symbols; in Mississippi this could mean it can keep them. Justice Breyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion did reiterate, however: â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is not to say that a governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to express itself is without restriction. Constitutional and statutory provisions outside of the Free Speech Clause may limit government speech.â&#x20AC;?

Moore is ready and willing to fight and says he expects justice at the end of the day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the other southern states have seen the lightâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mississippi canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to get it, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to help them see and understand that thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not acceptable,â&#x20AC;? Moore said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No civil rights have been advanced in Mississippi without federal intervention, so we expect the federal government to protect us in this instance.â&#x20AC;?

For more visit jfp.ms/slavery.

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n Wednesday, Feb. 24, the day after the Mississippi Legislature let 19 state flag bills die without action, the Jackson Free Press confirmed a rumor we had heard: Gov. Phil Bryant had, in fact, signed an official governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proclamation, declaring the month of April â&#x20AC;&#x153;Confederate Heritage Month.â&#x20AC;? The proclamation, signed early in Black History Month, wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t posted on the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website along with other proclamations, but we found a copy on the website of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization that teaches a much more romantic notion about the Confederacy and the Civil War than the leaders themselves preached at the time (that they were seceding and fighting for the write to maintain and extend slavery to new states).

The SCV, for instances, runs Beauvoir, a Jefferson Davis museum on the Coast; its exhibits about the president of the Confederate States of America donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mention the reason it formed: slavery. The bookstore also sells booked filled with revisionist history about the war and its causes.

7

TALK | city

Lead in Water Devastating to Children, Their Development, Their Futures

by Tim Summers Jr. and Sierra Mannie

W

Lead: What to Do

S

tate-approved Micro-Methods Laboratories Inc. and the Mississippi Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory provide testing to detect lead in water. If the amount of lead in the water exceeds 15 parts per billion, or ppb, the City of Jackson suggests the following methods to prevent exposure.

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Only use cold water, as lead may dissolve more easily in hot water; boiling water won’t reduce lead levels.

Flush your system by letting cold water run for one to two minutes before using it for drinking or to cook.

Collect this “first flush” water and use it to wash dishes or water plants.

More tips on how to identify the source of lead and have professionals identify and replace potentially dangerous items in your home can be read here: jfp.ms/leadtips.

homes and drinking lead-tainted water.

The report also suggests that this number might not reveal the true number of children actually affected by lead poisoning, as only Medicaid-eligible children are screened, and of those, only 17 percent of them.

This lead, often due to corrosive pipes, can be devastating to children, their families and the community as a whole.

A recent National Center for Healthy Housing study reported that “there is no safe level of lead exposure for children” and that “lead affects intelligence even at very low levels.”

Researchers estimate that it would cost nearly $40,000 more to educate a child with lead poisoning. In addition to lowered IQ levels, lead-poisoned children are more than likely to suffer from ADHD, antisocial disorder, criminal activity and drug abuse—all of which have the ability to severely negatively impact a child’s school performance.

The report also speaks to lead’s impact on test scores—the higher the child’s blood-lead level, the lower the child’s performance on standardized tests. Lead poisoning thus, in turn, leads to widened achievement gaps and generational inequities, as health and educational achievement are closely related, researchers found.

That means that unhealthy children would ultimately grow up to become unhealthy parents of likely unhealthy children.

‘Urgent Investments’ Needed Hinds County is one of 16 in the state that the Mississippi Department of Health designates a high-risk area for lead poisoning; even Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has highlighted Jackson’s elevated levels of lead in drinking water in a statement last month: “I’m heartened that Jackson city officials are taking the right steps to fix the problem, including repeated testing and openness with the results, so families can stay informed. … And we as a nation must make urgent investments to modernize our utilities and infrastructure, to keep families and communities safe and healthy.”

Jackson Public Schools will test the water at area schools, beginning with the elementary schools and encourage parents to send water with their children if they are concerned about possible lead in the water.

“We are going to follow the recommendation from the Mississippi State

Department of Health and the city officials so we are particularly interested in the elementary schools,” Jackson Public Schools Board President Beneta Burt said at a press conference on Feb. 25.

“So yes, we will determine which

“I don’t know what the city will do, but we understand that it is our responsibility to make sure that our students have safe water,” Burt said.

“We will do whatever is required to make sure that it happens.”

IMANI KHAYYAM

hen Flint, Mich., Mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency in her city due to the increasingly desolate water crisis, she spoke about the children first.

Weaver’s Dec. 14, 2015, declaration indicates that increased blood-lead levels in children are irreversible and detrimental to a child’s IQ, resulting in learning disabilities, the need for special education and mental-health services, as well as more young people in the juvenilejustice system.

Concerns about lead poisoning in Jackson increased in recent weeks since the Mississippi Department of Health notified the city in January that it found lead in some of the city’s households last summer.

The National Center for Health Housing in conjunction with the state Department of Health also reported that approximately 208 Mississippi children are newly diagnosed with lead poisoning each year, with lead exposure attributed to the presence of lead-based paint in older

Jackson Public Schools Board President Beneta Burt announced the plan to test XLI [EXIV EX EVIE IPIQIRXEV] WGLSSPW ßVWX

schools need that testing and use every precaution we can to remedy the situation,” she added.

Burt echoed the statements Mayor Tony Yarber made in the last couple of weeks concerning the city’s water.

“We understand that the mayor and city officials have said the city water has not been deemed unsafe,” Burt said. “There have been no reports of unsafe water in the Jackson Public Schools district, nor has there been a disruption in the water supply or usage of the Jackson public schools.”

‘It Is Our Responsibility’ Although the schools will not turn off the water, they are allowing parents to send water with their children.

“We clearly want the kids to be able to have water during the course of the day. Parents may send water with their children,” Burt said.

“And for children who come to school whose parents may not send water with them, then we will make sure we will try to secure water for those that may not bring water with them.”

Burt did not explicitly state that the schools would provide bottled water to children.

Burt said that the school-board administration is currently determining which schools to test first, beginning with the elementary schools.

“What we will try to do is first identify those schools,” Burt said. “And we are specifically looking at the elementary schools because that is what the Department of Health identified first. So we want to look at those elementary schools and try and test them to see if there are high levels of lead in those schools. Which we will then move to the next step based on the results of those tests.”

“We want the parents to know that their children’s safety is our primary concern. Regardless of what they may hear, we are concerned about their children, and we want to make sure that they are safe everyday.”

Burt said that the state department of health would be performing the tests but did not know how long the tests would take.

“I understand that it doesn’t take that long.”

Read more about the lead issue at jfp. ms/jxnwater. Email city reporter Tim Summers Jr. at tim@jacksonfreepress.com and education fellow Sierra Mannie at sierra@ jacksonfreepress.com.

TALK | city

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by Tim Summers Jr. and Maya Miller

“(The accreditation) builds credibility with us to other departments … credibility with our citizens. … The standards that we changed were to move us forward with policies and becoming more progressive. It helps us move this department forward.”

The same day, however, the JMAA did send out a press release touting a 200-plus acreage of land east and west of the East Metro Corridor classified as “ad valorem tax-free” with the site described as “shovel-ready.”

The Coalition for Economic Justice, a community action group, Who Will Control hand-delivered a “sumthe Airport? mons” to members of the As the bill to hand Hinds County delegation control of the Jackson and the City Council Municipal Airport awaits leadership for a meeting its next step through the on March 7 at 7 p.m. at House, the City awaits furthe Lumumba Center on ther word from the board Capitol Street. that governs the airport.

“The Coalition and the The Jackson Mucommunity at large will Police Chief Lee Vance nicipal Airport Authority expect the Hinds County held a special meeting on delegation to inform them Monday, Feb. 29, where its discussed and not only about the aforementioned Senate passed a “Strategic Plan” before quickly mov- bills,” the letter states, “but also any and all ing into an executive session that lasted for other potentially damaging bills of which over two hours to discuss “potential litigation they should be made aware.” matters.” The Jackson Free Press was unable Read more on these stories and other to secure a copy of the “Strategic Plan,” even breaking Jackson news at jfp.ms/localnews. though it was entered into the public record, Email city reporter Tim Summers Jr. at tim@ and are still asking for it as we go to press. jacksonfreepress.com with story tips.

IMANI KHAYYAM

JPD Makes History, Earns Accreditation For the first time since its formation, on Feb. 17, The Jackson Police Department met all requirements for accreditation from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. Since 1882, JPD hasn’t been accredited, and the process to revamp JPD’s policies and practices took a little over the year. JPD is the largest of the 27 agencies to be accredited in Mississippi. “(JPD) been validated by a police standards board independent of the police department and shows that we are up to par and are the standard as far as our policies,” Chief Lee Vance told the Jackson Free Press.

“Everything that we do, everything we practiced has been recognized of being state of the art.”

Deputy Chief Joseph Wade said the accreditation builds credibility with other police departments as well as citizens. JPD updated multiple polices and met all 140 standards set in various areas, such as ways to provide adequate training for officers, control crime and provide more services to the community.

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he second attempt at declaring a civil state of emergency failed at a special meeting of the city council Tuesday, March 1, with Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps as the only vote supporting it. The failed declaration would have requested assistance from several federal and state agencies.

The City spent the week addressing concerns by citizens in the wake of a press release from the Mississippi Department of Health warning expectant mothers and small children away from the tap water. The City’s Communications Director Shelia Byrd held meetings with media and community stakeholders to reiterate the administration’s position: The water is safe to drink.

Jackson Public Schools District President Beneta Burt in a press conference reassured parents that the board would be testing their water, encouraging them to send bottled water with their children if they wanted.

It also caused concern in the local business community, with restaurateur Jeff Good announcing that his restaurants will all start filtering their water.

See jfp.ms/jxnwater for more.

9

LEGISLATURE: Week 8

Child Protection, Pro-Women Bills Pass Senate; House Roiled in Race Tension

by Arielle Dreher

H

Women, Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Senate Week Domestic abuse could be added as the 13th grounds for divorce in the state if the House makes Sen. Sally Dotyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bill law.

In a previous interview with the Jackson Free Press, the Brookhaven Republican said she worried that the bill would spark a lot of debate on the floor, but she met no resistance last week, and the legislation passed through the Senate last Wednesday.

The Senate also passed a bill that changes the definition of an â&#x20AC;&#x153;abused childâ&#x20AC;? to include a child who has been trafficked or sold.

Doty told the Senate that the bill strengthens the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s human-trafficking laws by making procuring or promoting prostitution of

IMANI KHAYYAM

uman trafficking, domestic-abuse and breastfeeding bills easily passed through the Mississippi Senate last week. The House of Representatives, however, focused on legislation that caused uproars and stalls, including re-districting and superintendent salary bills, leading to heightened race tension.

Left to right: Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, Rep. Linda Coleman, D-Mound Bayou, and Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, (right) talk at the front of the Mississippi House of Representatives during recess as leaders from both political parties meet to address tension in the House on Feb. 26.

youth under age 18 a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sex offenseâ&#x20AC;? as defined by state law. The bill will have to pass the House to become law.

The stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foster-care system could

become its own departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;out from under the Mississippi Department of Human Services if a bill authored originally by Sen. Dean Kirby, R-Pearl, becomes law. Sen.

Hob Bryan, D-Amory, spoke on the bill last week, encouraging senators to vote in favor of establishing the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services.

Bryan told the Senate about the Olivia Y lawsuit that has â&#x20AC;&#x153;dragged on and on.â&#x20AC;?

The bill would set up study committees and make recommendations about how to establish the new department, as well as allowing Gov. Phil Bryant to appoint a leader of the new department with a three-year tenure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The agency needs a head thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be there a while,â&#x20AC;? Bryan told the Senate.

The 65-page bill has a reverse repealer in it, which allows lawmakers to kill the bill easily, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will have to decide how much money to allot the new department.

Dr. David Chandler, who runs the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foster-care system as a division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, said in January that the division needs $34 million in funding to get started and hire the appropriate amount of social workers to serve the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children who are in custody.

A bill to protect and promote

Stayinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alive: House, Senate Education Bills to Watch

by Sierra Mannie

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he webpages for Senate and House Education Committee legislation resemble a text-heavy graveyard of the bodies of bills snuffed out prematurely. Only 24 Senate education bills survived of the original 109; in the House, 40 are still alive at press time. Here are a few for consideration.

Rep. Gregory Hollowayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HB 4 would grade parents on their involvement in their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education in lowerperforming school districts.

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TALK | state breastfeeding practices passed through the Senate last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but not without some changes from the original bill. The bill that passed would give the Mississippi Department of Health several responsibilities including developing programs for employers to educate them on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;benefit of reasonable paid or unpaid break time for an employee who needs to express breast milk for her childâ&#x20AC;? and the benefit of private, secure and sanitary rooms close to the work area where employees can express milk. An earlier version of the bill would have mandated that all employers provide those break times and have a room for employees to express milk.

The bill that passed through the Senate does instate a fine of $25 to $250 for any corporation, manager, agency or person who tries to stop a mother from publicly breastfeeding her child.

Re-Districting, Superintendent Bills Roadblock House The House made little progress last week, largely due to the Legislative Black Caucusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s displeasure with a bill that would change the Supreme Court districts by adding Simpson County into the first district with Hinds and Madison counties.

Caucus members believed that this bill would eliminate the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only black Supreme Court justice.

Rep. Edward Blackmon, D-Canton, criticized the move, advocating instead for nine districts because there are nine Supreme Court justices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no good reason to be here talking about re-districting six years after the census,â&#x20AC;? Blackmon told the House last week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That Supreme Court does not represent this state, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not good for this state either.â&#x20AC;?

Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, who authored House Bill 868, said his bill made sure that everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice was heard in the state. He said given population numbers, including Simpson County in that first district equalizes the districts in a reasonable matter and does â&#x20AC;&#x153;no violence to the districts.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve fought long and hard to make sure everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice is heard,â&#x20AC;? he told the House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a reasonable change, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a pretext, and it makes sure that everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vote is heard in the state.â&#x20AC;?

After four failed amendments, offered by members of the Legislative Black Caucus, the re-districting bill passed by a vote of 7150 in the majority-Republican House.

Then on Thursday, Rep. Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, presented House Bill 14, to create a moratorium for superintendent salary increases for the next three yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but only apply to C-, D- and F-graded school districts, which tend to be majority black.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bâ&#x20AC;? level, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take you out from under it,â&#x20AC;? Frierson told the House on Thursday.

While some Democrats were in favor of House Bill 14 (Rep. Stephen Holland, D-Plantersville, spoke in support of it), the Black Legislative Caucus was not.

Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, said the bill was putting the cart before the horse on education issues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not micromanage our local school districts and put all of the

pressure on superintendents,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said.

The Legislative Black Caucus did not have a change of heart and asked that the bill be read, which they knew would stall progress on the over 200 item calendar.

Five hours later, House Bill 14 passed anyway on a vote of 84-38.

House Republican leaders then passed a rules change that bars House members from asking questions of privilege, which are ones about their rights as House membersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not questions about bills.

After an icy beginning on Friday and the Legislative Black Caucus asking that a 22-page SNAP/TANF bill be read, House Speaker Philip Gunn and other Republicans on the House Rules Committee met with Democratic and Legislative Black Caucus leaders for several hours.

Eventually, the House adjourned until 2 p.m. on Monday. Speaker Gunn told the House, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have made some progress.â&#x20AC;?

Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, agreed and told reporters Legislative Black Caucus leaders and Republican House leaders had good, open dialogue.

The peace treaty appears to be working, the House passed more than 70 bills on Monday alone.

Read more at jfp.ms/msleg; email reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

Get daily legislative coverage at jfpdaily.com.

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11

Chaining Mississippi to Its Despicable Past

M

ississippi territory has existed since 1798, but the legislative and executive branches of our state government have repeatedly decided that 1861-1865 were the single most important four years in the state’s 218-year history.

Like he has every year since at least 2013, Gov. Phil Bryant has declared April “Confederate Heritage Month,” carrying on a tradition that started before be became governor.

During this month, Mississippi will officially “reflect upon our nation’s past, to gain insight from our mistakes and successes, and to come to a full understanding that the lessons learned yesterday and today will carry us through tomorrow if we carefully and earnestly strive to understand and appreciate our heritage and our opportunities which lie before us,” his proclamation states.

Even if the Confederacy had been a utopian paradise—other than its having slavery—it would still be a despicable place.

I don’t need a day to remember the Confederacy. The dead nation haunts me. As I walk around my campus at Ole Miss, I see relics of moral decay, because tradition is held at a higher value than human dignity. I am constantly bombarded by the same bogus lines about how heritage is important, how we mustn’t forget our past.

I don’t mind honoring the dead. I mind that our country has dozens of museums on the Confederacy and one—unfunded—museum on slavery.

I mind that the Confederate dead are treated like ghostly icons while the bones of slaves are trampled upon because we don’t know where their owners dumped their broken bodies.

Oh, I know about the Confederacy. In every U.S. history class I’ve taken since third grade I’ve learned about the war. Until I went to high school at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, not a single teacher would dare say the Civil War was about slavery. Instead, I was told how good men killed good men in a misguided attempt at liberty.

No. I refuse to watch silently as we continue to degrade ourselves with infested wounds of our past, a past that has not been made just.

Slaves first came to the U.S. in 1619. Slavery was abolished in 1865. The Civil Rights Act wasn’t passed until 1964.

Want to talk about heritage? Instead of dwelling on our four years as hate-mongering hillbillies—because if they couldn’t be a rich plantation owner, at least they were white— who died in the defense of cruelty, let’s talk about the 345 years where the U.S. utterly trampled on the dignity of those they made disadvantaged.

Let’s talk about the 52 years since in which we’ve made some progress, but our black brothers and sisters are still suffering disproportionately from economic, social and educational hardships.

Our heritage is creating a society that has labeled black people lazy since the day they stopped working for free. Our heritage is judging those in poverty, questioning why they don’t just go to college when we’ve spent centuries blocking their access to education, when people died because one man, Mr. James Meredith, chose to integrate what students here like to call the “Harvard of the South.”

I’ll honor my Confederate heritage when we’ve done anything substantial to right hundreds of years of wrongs.

Holly Baer is a senior religious-studies major from Flowood. This column originally appeared in the Daily Mississippian at the University of Mississippi.

See jfp.ms/slavery to read the original story about Gov. Phil Bryant declaring 12 April “Confederate Heritage Month,” and other related coverage. >ÀV ÊÓÊ Ên]ÊÓä£ÈÊÊUÊÊ v«° Ã

Our heritage is creating a society that has labeled black people lazy since the day they stopped working for free.

Mississippi’s ‘Frivolous’ Lawsuit Conundrum

T

he week after the Jackson Free Press reported that Gov. Phil Bryant had declared April “Confederate Heritage Month,” his office condemned a lawsuit brought against the governor in federal court this week that seeks to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the Mississippi state flag. Bryant’s communications director, Clay Chandler, called the lawsuit “a frivolous attempt … to usurp the will of the people.” The second part of his statement said, “The governor hopes Attorney General Jim Hood will seek attorneys fees to reimburse taxpayers the cost of defending against this needless drain on state resources.”

The governor’s response is almost laughable, especially in a state that has spent massive time and taxpayer money litigating cases they instigate in the first place or defending themselves in cases that are clearly their fault, like the state’s mental healthcare and foster-care systems.

The attorney general has to defend the state regardless of how ridiculous or level-headed a lawsuit brought against the state is—but the attorney general does not choose to not comply with lawsuits or to follow federal law, costing taxpayers money left and right. Currently, the state is embroiled in several lawsuits draining taxpayer coffers, most in response to, yes, frivolous attempts by state government to subvert federal law.

In one of the poorest states in the nation, litigating cases in the name of religious freedom or conservative idealism is costly. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the Whole Woman’s Health v.

Hellerstedt case this week, which could affect the

Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that the state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state, which instigated that lawsuit, has been litigating against its only abortion clinic since 2013 to force it to adopt admitting privileges with a local hospital as a way to try to close the clinic, even though abortion is a legal, constitutional right.

Mississippi is notoriously playing the role of defendant in several cases when the federal government or people whose rights have been violated sue the state. Both the Olivia Y and Troupe v. Barbour cases are long, ongoing lawsuits—but these cases are about the state’s own children and issues that matter to real Mississippians every day.

Lawsuits are often necessary as a last-ditch effort to get the state to honor the rights of its citizens.

Carlos Moore’s lawsuit against Bryant and the state over dangers white citizens believe the state flag presents may not ultimately be successful. But the lawsuit is anything but “frivolous.” It is a serious effort to try to get the majority of white citizens in the state to face and acknowledge what the flag has long stood for, and how that hurts black citizens.

State Republicans love to use the phrase “frivolous lawsuits” to refer to any filed that they don’t agree with, even while they use lawsuits themselves to try to enforce their own beliefs.

Still, they are right that the state pays far too many legal fees, as taxpayers will be forced to do if the state keeps up its airport “takeover” attempt.

One way to save that money would be for the state’s leaders to work with all of Mississippi’s people rather than constantly trying to divide into us and them.

Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

Mississippi Racism Alive and Thriving

Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer EDITORIAL Assistant Editor Amber Helsel Deputy News Editor Maya Miller Reporters Arielle Dreher,Tim Summers Jr. Education Reporting Fellow Sierra Mannie JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Music Editor Micah Smith Events Listings Editor Latasha Willis Editorial Assistant Adria Walker Writers Bryan Flynn, Genevieve Legacy, Danie Matthews, LaTonya Miller, Greg Pigott, Julie Skipper Editorial Interns Kendall Hardy, Onelia Hawa Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam ADVERTISING SALES Advertising Director Kimberly Griffin Sales and Marketing Consultant Myron Cathey Sales Assistant Mary Osborne BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Distribution Manager Richard Laswell Distribution Raymond Carmeans, Clint Dear, Michael McDonald, Ruby Parks Bookkeeper Melanie Collins Assistant to the CEO Inga-Lill Sjostrom Operations Consultant David Joseph ONLINE Web Editor Dustin Cardon Web Designer Montroe Headd

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I

tend to believe that because we are not hanging from trees regularly or picking cotton that some Mississippians choose to embrace the idea that we are free from racism in this state. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just mean white people, either. Whether they are the type to admit it or not, white people know that racism is still very alive. It has shifted its core and changed its face, but it lives and breathes. One could argue that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as bad today than it has ever been. In Mississippi, it is thriving.

The idea is so rampant in this state that it can be called by its proper name, Mississippi Racism. It breathes a different air than other racist places. Mississippi is like the Michael Jordan of racist states in the union.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so normal that it has become expected and accepted all over the state.

Those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept it elect to make signs and march through the streets. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong, protests have a place. But I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen them accomplish much for black people in this state, yet.

Mississippi Racism flows through our government like a raging river. Black people who work in government are being continuously oppressed. The idea of hand-picking the least combative and most unthreatening black person to calm the flow of racism does not mean there is diversity or that the black community is being represented. A person who lives in the suburbs, sends children to private school and shops in the outskirts of townâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even if blackâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;has little exposure to inner-city struggles. Poverty, mental enslavement and other remnants of being inferior to the powerful are all lost on that person.

Someone without this understanding, regardless of race, simply does not represent the body of black Mississippians. If they are treading the path without using their position to create a real change, they are therefore an ally to the oppression of the community.

One mission is currently swaying through these Mississippi streets, and that mission is to keep black people controllable and needy. Keep black people poor and destitute so they have to accept the discrimination on their jobs. Many are too mentally broken to believe that they can do better or even work for themselves and prosper. Keep black people angry. So angry that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t unify and make plans that will correct the dependent mentality that haunts the black community.

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an Edward Jones IRA, dreds of years, black folk prayed. Our children are call or visit today. !iinnddeeee MM HHeerrlloocckkeerr taught to justâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pray. !iiinnnaaannnccciiiaaalll AAAdddvvviiisssooorrr !iinnddeeee MM HHeerrlloocckkeerr I pray. Understand !iinnddeeee MM HHHHHeerrlloocckkeerr 111000111 iiiggghhh PPPoooiiinnnttteee CCCttt SSSuuuiiittteee AAA !iiinnnaaannnccciiiaaalll AAAdddvvviiisssooorrr !iiinnnaaannnccciiiBBBrrraaannndddooonnn,,, aaalll AAAdddvvviiisssooorrr MMMSSS 333999000444222 though, prayer has to be 111000111 HHHiiiggghhh PPPoooiiinnnttteee CCCttt SSSuuuiiittteee AAA 666000111-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?888222444-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?111000111 HHHiiiggg hhh MMM PPPoooiii ttteee CCC222ttt 444888777 SSSuuuiiittteee AAA accompanied by action BBBrrraaannndddooonnn,,, SSS nnn333 999000444222 BBBrrraaannndddooonnn,,, MMM444888777 SSS 333999000444222 666000111-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?888222444-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?- 222 to spark change. While 666000111-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?-888222444-â&#x20AC;?-â&#x20AC;?-222444888777 we are praying, oppressors are making laws.

They are teaching their children to hunt. Today, they hunt game. Tomorrow, they may be cops % )

% ) hunting black children in the streets. % ) They are being promoted, at a highly Member SIPC alarming rate, into decision-making positions in governmental offices and in other areas that affect the lives of all Mississippians. They are running for offices that actually decide what our rights are.

Now, how can we expect that lawmakers who have been raised by oppres

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š sors will actually give a damn about a bv moÂ&#x2030; -11;rŕŚ&#x17E;m] -rrŃ´b1-ŕŚ&#x17E;omv black life just because they take office?

They will simply bring their racist views for

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 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š8am-­â&#x20AC;?5pm our betterment.

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 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š monplaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from the head of this state 601-­â&#x20AC;?362-­â&#x20AC;?2621

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š down to your supervisor who refuses to

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š allow you to advance in a company you probably built for him.

Some lawmakers today are the grandchildren of men/women who slashed the backs of slaves who tried to learn to read.

They are the children of men who hanged black folk for fighting for freedom. They are the living legacy of people who refused water and food to those who worked their land and raised their children.

For Voting Us Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not emotional; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systematic. It is a well-thought-out plan that has been working since the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coloredâ&#x20AC;? sign came down off the bathrooms.

Mississippi Racism hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t evolved or died. It has adjusted.

Funmi â&#x20AC;&#x153;Queenâ&#x20AC;? Franklin is a word 707 N Congress St., Jackson | 601-353-1180 lover, poet and advocate for sisterhood. She .PO UISV 'SJ BN QN t 4VO BN QN 13 has a weakness for reality shows.

Prayer has to be accompanied by action to spark change.

...

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14

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Nowhere to Go:

LGBT Youth on the Move, Without a Home

by Arielle Dreher

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The King will reply, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Matthew 25:40

C

and Johnson found one another in 2014. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I met Sonia, and we clicked completely, and she was willing to allow me to use one of her houses that she had for the LGBT youth home,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said, smiling.

Carter nodded in agreement. They were sitting in Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, which smells of incense. Johnson runs Rise Above For Youth, an LGBT youth advocacy nonprofit, the Metta Buddhist Center and Engaged Recovery Services out of the same office space off Interstate 55 in a quiet complex.

Carter owns her own real-estate company, which helps fund Divine Restoration Community Ministries, as well as Fondren Hair Studio and Hair Gallery. She owns 10 homes as a part of her ministry, and five of them are currently used as homeless shelters for men, women and children.

Young people from outside Hinds County come into

â&#x20AC;&#x153;pupil placementâ&#x20AC;? when they were homeless.

Johnson is partnering with Carter to open an LGBT shelter for young people ages 18 to 24. Johnson, whose family is originally from Mississippi, moved back to her home state in 2009. Johnson, her partner and her daughter were living in California previously, and Johnson said her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transition to the climate in Mississippi has taken some time.

Johnson changed career gears and moved into the nonprofit sector after years in the for-profit business world.

For her, the work has been slow, especially because the climate for LGBT youth in Mississippi is stifled; finding youth to come to support groups is a lot like being in the woods without a flashlight, she says.

Johnson is white, a lesbian and originally from Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;part of the reason she moved back to the state

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IMANI KHAYYAM

helsea* was asleep on the bathroom floor.

She would sleep there because it was warmer with the heater. Her anemia makes her constantly cold, and she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind sacrificing some comfort for warmth. She woke up in the middle of the night when her mother crashed the bathroom door open against her head. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get up.â&#x20AC;? Chelsea could tell something was not right; she had left her purse open on the bathroom counter, a mistake that would cost her.

When she realized her error, it was too late; her mother was holding a letter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keisha*?â&#x20AC;?

Chelsea, then 15, knew she was in trouble, and she really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to answer the question her mother likely knew the answer to.

Her mother went into hysterics, found a Bible and started to yell at Chelsea about living that â&#x20AC;&#x153;kind of lifestyleâ&#x20AC;? that was wrong.

Chelsea defended herself by pointing to boys she â&#x20AC;&#x153;likedâ&#x20AC;? and from then on had to keep boyfriends as covers to keep her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suspicions at bay as she finished high school.

Two years later, after she graduated from high school and started college courses, Chelsea and her mother Shelley Johnson (left) runs Rise Above for Youth, an organization that works with LGBT youth, especially those that who been got into a heated argument about her kicked out or run away from home. Sonia Harris Carter (right) runs her own real-estate agency to help fund her multiple homeless shelters she runs and is looking to renovate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendâ&#x20AC;? who came over constantly (she was Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girlfriend), and while her mom never said the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;lesbian,â&#x20AC;? Chelsea knew she had Jackson and find her, Carter said, when they need a place to was to be closer to her parents. had enough this time. She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want another sermon, and stay. Carter began to notice that a lot of these out-of-county Since meeting and partnering with Johnson, Carter as their fight escalated, she realized that this time she would youth were lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. has realized how important it is to be able to reach LGBT probably have to leave for good. A few minutes later, Chelâ&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discriminate if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re straight or gay or youth beyond just providing housing for them. sea was standing in her front yard with a black trash bag and whatever; we just help all people,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Many of them become homeless because their fama clothesbasket with nowhere to go.

Divine Restoration Ministries did not start overnight, ily kicks them out.

It was the winter of 2009, and Chelsea would be home- and Carter has been patient through the development of A 2015 Williams Institute survey of homeless-youth less off and on for the next six years. her houses. Five of the homes and properties she owns are service providers found that the most widely selected reason not developedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;yet. She trusts that her real-estate business for homelessness among LGBT youth (as reported to serA LACK OF RESOURCES and donors, both private and public, as well as financial sup- vice providers) was â&#x20AC;&#x153;forced out of their homes or running Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sunny October afternoon, and Shelley Johnson port from her husband will continue to fund her shelters, as away from home because of their sexual orientation.â&#x20AC;? The and Sonia Harris Carter sound like lifelong friends. Their they have been for 12 years; she says that God will support study also found that youth of color were disproportionenergies are different but compatible. and provide her work. ately among LGBT youth accessing services.

Johnson talks a mile a minute with a refreshing Carter is African American and understands youth Soon Kyu Choi, a policy analyst for the Williams Incandor about the intricate challenges LGBT youth face homelessness because she used to worked in Jackson Public stitute who worked on the study, said that LGBT youth coming into or out of foster care. Carter is pensive and Schools (as well as her part-time real estate job) as an inPRUH 21 7+( 029( VHH SDJH 15 speaks slowly and calmly about her work and how she structional interventionist, watching students cycle through

on the move IURP SDJH

running away or being kicked out for their sexual orientation is a common factor contributing to homelessness, but to what extent has not been explored with research. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looked at that factor in relation to poverty or gender or family or relationships,â&#x20AC;? Choi said.

BUILDING A SAFE HAVEN

young people they work with. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had folks say, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stepping out wrong supporting (the shelter project), but I believe in a higher power, and if He can support me in my ugliness and allow me to help then why will he not look down and help me support the LGBTQ community?â&#x20AC;?

Carter said.

Working with LGBT youth, both women have found, earns one a lot of sympathetic and empathetic support but not a lot of tangible help in reality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(In) the Bible belt, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re told from a very young age that they are sinners and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to hell; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this whole mentality of how wrong you are,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said.

surfing among friends. When she finally returned home, she walked into an accusatory, screaming fitâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;her mom was furious.

Jamie was her only daughter, and not wearing makeup had been a problem for Jamie growing up, so being a lesbian set off serious discontent. Jamie had planned to move out, and had secured an apartment, but now leaving became a matter of urgency.

She couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave before her parents took away her brand-new car, which was a graduation gift. Her parents threatened to take her phone, which she told her parents they could do and that would not faze her.

Her parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; adverse reaction shocked Jamie because when one of her best

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IMANI KHAYYAM

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a house on Hooker Street in downtown Jackson thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abandoned but not without promise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 117-year-old antebellum-style home, which Carter purchased from a nonprofit organization that used to run a drug and counseling rehabilitation home there. Recently, the City of Jackson was about to put it on the demolition list, but Carter found out in time and is working with AmeriCorps groups who can come paint it out and board it up until she can get the renovation done.

The Hooker Street house is the future home of Carter and Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s joint LGBT youth shelter project.

Johnson helped run mentor meetup groups for LGBT youth back in 2009 when the nonprofit began, but things were slow to start. Johnson then created a thick manual of all the LGBT-friendly doctors, businesses and resources for young people throughout the state.

Both women are now working on raising funds to renovate the inside. Carter is applying for several grants for all her not-yet-renovated houses, and progress on the Hooker Street house stalled back in October Sonia Carter owns this house on Hooker Street that she will use in partnership with Rise when it caught fire, for reasons that Above for Youth to shelter LGBT young people ages 18-24 years old. the Jackson Fire Department has still not shared with Carter by press time.

The fire happened a week after Johnson â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part of the message I want to share with friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who was gayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;came to their announced the partnership with Carter on these kids is that this label is not all that house in high school when he was kicked Facebook and with a GoFundMe Page. you are, it is a thread in an entire tapestry of out, her parents welcomed him in and let â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kids that we serve are put through things that you are.â&#x20AC;? him stay. The 180-degree switch rocked hell, and we expect them to pick it up and Jamie into several years of processing and keep moving forward,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So if â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;SOMETHING LIKE PTSDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vocalizing bottled emotions to therapists. weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to let a fire stop us from moving Jamie* was pacing outside a Chik-Fil-A The first year after she came out, her forward, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not walking the walk.â&#x20AC;? restaurant, on her phone, an ironic place to mother would call her screaming or leave Rise Above for Youth is courting na- come out to her father. Her best friend and messages crying on Jamieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone. She said tional foundations and the U.S. Depart- her girlfriend watched her with concerned that first year was â&#x20AC;&#x153;literally my hell,â&#x20AC;? and she ment of Housing and Urban Development faces from the inside the glass. Her dad had had to go to therapy as a part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dealâ&#x20AC;? for funding to renovate the shelter and called to confront her about her smoking, with her parents when they finally gave her make the project a reality. The 2015 Wil- but Jamie, a new high-school graduate at car back to her about a year later. liams Institute study found that homeless the time who had planned to go to Hinds Four years later, Jamie still remembers youth service providers with LGBT-specific Community College, was tired of her par- some of the things her mother said to her. programs are funded by mainly foundations ents nagging her.

She remembers her therapist one time being or public support. In the meantime, youth The conversation exploded. Jamie had stunned and asking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your mother said that who are kicked out of their homes because managed to hide the fact that she was a les- to you?â&#x20AC;? of their sexual orientation find couches to bian from her parents for the better part of Jamie calls it trauma, or something like sleep on. Several families willingly and regu- her middle-school and high-school years. PTSD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotional damage, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like larly open their families to LGBT homeless But a few months after graduating from trauma almost,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like PTSD; I youth in the Jackson area.

Clinton High School in 2012, Jamie had feel like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very similar.â&#x20AC;?

Both Carter and Johnson readily ad- had enough.

LGBT teenagers accessing homeless mit that the stigma around the gay and lesAfter the dispute with her father, Ja- youth services suffer more from mental 16 bian community is still hurting a lot of the mie didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go home for five daysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;couch- and physical health problems, the 2015

Williams Institute study found. There are some times, Jamie says, even today, that she will get upset about something for no apparent reason, a trait she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember having. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used to be happy-go-lucky and super social,â&#x20AC;? she said.

She still is today, but Jamie said the first couple years of emotional damage took time to work through.

Today, Jamie, now 22, feels confident in who she isâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;despite the verbal abuse she put up with when she was younger. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to apologize for being gay,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was 11 or 12 when I knew.â&#x20AC;?

Religion and family values play an intricate role in how families perceive their LGBT teens and children.

Jamie grew up in a not-very-religious family, she says, but as soon as she came out to her parents, they started going to church weekly. When she was growing up, her family had attended church once a year. Her parents made her to go to only Christian therapists at first, which Jamie thought was odd.

WHEN RELIGION HURTS

Chelsea grew up in church, so being gay was considered a sin that warranted punishment, at least in her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes. Chelsea tried to hide it for a while: she was secretly bisexual for five years, during middle and high school. She dated young men to appease her mother, who thought she was straight, but saw women on the side. Chelsea always knew she was a lesbian, but she tried to live a bisexual lifestyle so that she could stay at home and make her mother happy.

She graduated from Bailey Magnet High School in 2009 and started classes at Hinds Community College. Her mother had given her a car to drive to work and classes and was helping pay for schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; until she realized her daughter was a lesbian and kicked her out that winter. Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother cut her off completely: no car, no school, no roof over her head.

Chelsea dropped out of Hinds after struggling to pay for tuition and started working in 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201D;at one point she had four jobs at onceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just to survive. Over the next six years, she lived on friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; couches and in girlfriendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cars, moldy subsidized apartments, rented houses and both of her grandmothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes. She was hospitalized several times due to her poor health; sleeping in the moldy apartment set off severe allergies and her asthma. Other times, sheer PRUH 21 7+( 029( VHH SDJH

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Youth in Out-of-Home Care project at Lambda Legal, works with communities to stop LGBT youth homelessness before young people have to consider foster care or running away. He said that LGBT youth homelessness is a public health, community wellness and economic issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They (LGBT youth) are a part of our community, and we cannot throw them away if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree with it,â&#x20AC;? he

to bring parents who are struggling with acceptance information or assistance finding family therapy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not great at doing true prevention-type work,â&#x20AC;? Cook said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we see those kids anywayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;ultimately coming into foster care or juvenile-detention centers.â&#x20AC;?

In Mississippi, the number of young people in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care has steadily grown since 2012, and the (now separate) Division ARIELLE DREHER

exhaustion prevented her from going to work, and if it got bad enough, back to the hospital she would go. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My mom thought the only reason I was sick and going through what I was going through was because I was leading this lifestyle,â&#x20AC;? Chelsea said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(She would say), â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If you leave this lifestyle where it is, you can come back home.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not me; I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it.â&#x20AC;?

At one point in Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six transient years, her mother switched churches just so she wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to see Chelsea and her then-girlfriend go to church together.

Chelsea, however, still attends church and sings in the choir.

Resistance, especially in evangelical Christian circles, to the Obergefell U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage last summer has created rifts in some religious communities and circles.

Other churches realized the need to distinguish that they were open to all, with the LGBT community included in that â&#x20AC;&#x153;all.â&#x20AC;?

One of those local churches, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson, got a lot of calls after the June U.S. Supreme Court decision to do weddings because it is on several lists as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;welcomingâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;openâ&#x20AC;? congregation.

Rev. Justin McCreary, who leads the church, said he struggles to answer the question of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whyâ&#x20AC;? his church is welcoming. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why is my church so open? Because we believe that to be right,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And if we believe that to be right and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it, then we are frauds.â&#x20AC;?

McCreary is not out to pick fights or point fingers, and while he says he cannot support when someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights come at the cost of others peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, he also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to argue or debate with other churches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We (Unitarian Universalists) have always asserted that we want you to come as you are and be who you are when you come to our church,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want you to pretend that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re someone that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not.â&#x20AC;?

WHEN THE SYSTEM TAKES OVER

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines homelessness as living â&#x20AC;&#x153;in a place not meant for human habitationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including the streets or in a car, emergency shelter, transitional housing and hotels paid for by a government or charitable organization.â&#x20AC;? The department has several categories of homelessness but considers any unaccompanied person under 25 years of age as â&#x20AC;&#x153;youth.â&#x20AC;?

Youth homelessness is a large and under-studied part of the American ecosystem.

Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; foster-care systems are supposed to step in and help children who are in need of safe homes, but such efforts often fall short.

18 Currey Cook, national director of the

Sara (left) and L.B. (right) Bell and their son, Cameron, pose in the Spectrum Center after a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gender Bendersâ&#x20AC;? group meeting in November.

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at the point where there is enough social-science support and legal support where we can stand up a little taller on this issue.â&#x20AC;?

Educating and supporting parents of LGBT youth is an important way to curb youth homelessness, Cook said, and framing youth homelessness as â&#x20AC;&#x153;family rejectionâ&#x20AC;? is not about demonizing parents. The Youth in Out-of-Home Care project works

of Family and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services is playing catch-up. Due to a pending lawsuit, filed on behalf of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children initially in 2004, if Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system does not drastically improve by May, the federal government will take over.

Andre Cooley and his four siblings moved to Mississippi in 1995. He was born near Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1986, and when his grandmother died in 1995, Cooley and

his siblings moved down to Laurel, Mississippi to live with his great-aunt due to family issues involving drugs and prison time.

Cooley then entered the foster-care system in 2002, from what he can remember, and had multiple home placements in his first months.

Foster-care kids are always on the defense, Cooley says today, and as a part of protecting himself, he never came out to any of his foster parents. He is gay and has been since he was born, he says, and although he is an outgoing and forthright person, he never felt the need to disclose his sexual orientation to his social workers or foster parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at first.

By the time he was in his fourth house placement, Cooleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social workers, he says, all for the most part knew he was gay. His foster mother, however, had never brought it up until one day when Cooley came home from high school.

He was a sophomore at Laurel High School, working at Dominoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. When he got home around 4:30 p.m., he went to his room and closed the door. He immediately got on the phone, a habit he continues to enjoy to this day, talking on the phone to avoid silence sometimes. Cooley said she heard him talking and told him to come in to the front room. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Andre, come in here and have a seat!â&#x20AC;? she said.

Cooley did, and he remembers thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oooooweee, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calling me out.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing a lot of lying, lying, lying, about what?â&#x20AC;?

Andre knew he was caught; she had heard him telling someone that his mother had been working in a different city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where your mother is, do you?â&#x20AC;?

Andre started tearing up, and ended up confessing all of his lies to herâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including the fact that he was gay. His foster mother, who has since passed away, did not get angry, and instead told Andre something he remembers to this day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like you have to justify your life to anybody.â&#x20AC;?

Cooley knew he was fortunate because previous foster parents had tried to pray for him or implement their religious beliefs on him. Even his last foster motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son teased and harassed another foster child living in the house who was also gay. Cooley stood up for himself and learned what resources the foster care system offered, so when he found out about an independent living preparation program through Southern Christian Services, Cooley jumped at the opportunity and was living in his own apartment before he even graduated from high school in 2004.

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BUILDING A SHELTER

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youth to stay atâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just like in Jackson.

The Bells are facing the same challenges with funding that Johnson and Carter are in Jackson. Everything costs money, but the donations donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always come streaming in when the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;LGBT-friendlyâ&#x20AC;? grace the cover of an application.

In October, the Spectrum Center hosted a PRIDE event that they hoped would be a big push for fundraising to get it to emergency shelter status, but selling sponsorships was not as profitable for the nonprofit as the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are trying to get into the community and let them know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just like them,â&#x20AC;? Sara said.

The Bells have one son, Cameron, and live outside Hattiesburg in Petal on their own farm. Sara said she and L.B. are often mistaken as a heterosexual ally couple, but Sara is a lesbian, and L.B. is transgender.

The couple says the state has seen a lot of progress in recent years on awareness and reducing its stigma against the LGBT community, but more progress will take time.

COURTESY ANDRE COOLEY

The foster-care system helps with a part of the youth homelessness puzzle, but shelters and independent programs also serve an important role for runaway youth. But the problem, nationally, is too few resources and shelters to take care of them all.

Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says that youth have the highest rates of being unsheltered of homeless populations, largely due to a lack of resources.

Mississippi has 247 homeless young adults and children (24 years old and younger), based on the 2015 point-in-time count. Roman says this number is likely a gross underestimate. Mississippi Department of Education data confirms this.

MDE tracks homeless student statistics (only K-12 aged students) to help provide services and federal grant dollars for students who need it. In their most recent count from a 2014-2015 report, there are 10,131 homeless students in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public K-12 system.

Roman said this is due to a lack of resources for youth to access when they become homeless. Despite this knowledge, statistics rarely tell the complete story. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of information about the scope of the problem. A lot of the people who become homeless self-resolve pretty quickly,â&#x20AC;? Roman said.

In Hattiesburg, the Spectrum Center, a community center for the LGBTQ population in the area started by L.B. and Sara Bell, opened in mid-2014, and the couple plans to make the space at least an emergency shelter for LGBT homeless youth once they are finished renovating it and bringing the house up to fire code.

The Spectrum Center passed the fire code inspection recently.

The Spectrum Center is a single-story charming house off Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. One of the paneled walls in a living room-type space is painted all the colors of the rainbow. The largest open space is in the middle of the house for dinners and activities, and there are rooms on the right side of the house that will become bedrooms on one side of the house. The left side of the house holds the kitchen and what Sara Bell hopes will be sort of a business center with computers for people to use to apply for jobs or housingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a great screen porch sits off the back of the house.

The Spectrum Center is a nonprofit organization, and the Bells own the house and pay the mortgage on it. The work toward getting the legal classification necessary to become a licensed shelter is daunting, Sara said, and the work is slow. For now when crisis calls, â&#x20AC;&#x153;thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing we can legally do,â&#x20AC;? Sara said, but the couple has taken couples in for a few nights or reached out to their friends in the community to 22 find couches or spare rooms for homeless

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Bells had hoped. The event did draw way more people than Sara or L.B. were expecting, and they said the LGBT community in Hattiesburg seems to have grown because more people are openly out and attending events like PRIDE. Once a month, the Spectrum Center holds a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gender Bendersâ&#x20AC;? meeting, which is a support group for transgender and transitioning individuals. In mid-November, the meeting was not too crowded. One Hattiesburg native who was in town visiting stopped by, but otherwise the Spectrum Center stayed pretty quiet.

An electrician was in the building working on parts of the kitchen as Sara, L.B. and their son, Cameron, sat around the table and talked with a few people who floated in. Sara said the meeting attendance varies, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had as many as 18 people at a meeting one month. The center also holds a weekly Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

L.B. and Sara hope to expand the amount of support groups that the Spectrum Center provides and increase participation. Sara said they are working on reaching out and advertising to the Hattiesburg area, so LGBT people can reach out and find support.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the one hand, it is slow but on the other, things have changed so dramatically compared to other issues,â&#x20AC;? L.B. said.

HOUSING FIRST

For Chelsea, stable housing was key to her turnaround, as it is for most homeless youth. Last June, she left her second longterm girlfriend and former fiancĂŠ and managed to find and afford her own apartment.

She said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken a while to furnish itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so worth it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am back in school, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in my own place and have been there since June. It was my birthday present to myself,â&#x20AC;? she said, smiling.

Valencia Robinson, executive director of Mississippi in Action, works closely with the Jackson-area LGBT community.

She said housing is the key to success for anyone, but especially at-risk young people who are gay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not stably housed, you have nothing; my whole mission in life, honestly, is to help people get housed, be safe and live a good life,â&#x20AC;? Robinson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If your basic needs arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t met, you cannot give people a decent job because (they) donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have nowhere to stay, even people who are homeless find a way to make it through.â&#x20AC;?

Chelsea is back in pre-nursing classes at

Hinds Community College. She still sings in her community and church choirs and works three jobs: in child care, food service and at school. Almost seven years later, she is back to where she could have been at 18.

She admits that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit behind, but sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thankful to be in her own place and above all, happy. She can afford her classes, rent and work two jobs. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still running these days, but this time itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s by choice.

Andre moved into his own two-bedroom apartment when he was 16 years old through the foster-care systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collaboration with Southern Christian Services program. Cooley says he was the first person in Mississippi to try the program, which made him nervous. He had to set the bar high.

The program gave him a stipend to buy furniture, including a bed and a couch, for the apartment, and although he was finally living in his own place, he said his first night alone was scary.

He burned a microwave pizza he put in the oven while he was in the bathtub and then ended up just going to pick up Dominoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to eat for his first meal alone in his own apartment. The dining-room table wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely assembledâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it was in two partsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so Cooley sat on the floor to eat. His Dell laptop was hooked up to the dial-up connection to get Internet, and he watched several DVDs that night, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I turned the heater on because at night time I tend to get cold, then the machine wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn off, and I was so nervous I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleep.â&#x20AC;?

Living alone did get easier for Cooley who left the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s custody when he was 23 years old. He got to keep the furniture, and he says over the course of his time studying at Jones County Junior College and the University of Southern Mississippi, he probably let 20 or so LGBT high school and college-aged students who had nowhere to stay crash with him on that same couch.

Cooley lived in Hattiesburg, working as a Forrest County Sheriff (and settling a discrimination lawsuit against the department to keep his job) until recently. He moved back up to Michigan for law school in 2014; Cooley, now 30, will graduate from Western Michigan University Law School this coming December. He still has to hustle to make things work; he is currently working three jobs seven days a week, but he is happy. Housing, Cooley says, provided the structure he needed to pursue his education and career goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are lost without structure,â&#x20AC;?

Cooley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Housing is literally the foundation of it because you have to have a stable environment to be able to take a bath and do life in that space. Without it you have nothing.â&#x20AC;? *Names have been changed.

Read more about LGBT life in Mississippi at jfp.ms/lgbt and email reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

Sunday, March 27 | 11:00AM - 3:00PM $32 | Adult $15 | Children 5 years and older

251 WEST SOUTH STREET | JACKSON, MS BEHIND BAREFIELD

For Reservations, call 1-601-969-8537

WWW.ICEHOUSEVENUE.COM 601-352-3722

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at the historic King Edward hotel

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHARON COKER PHOTOGRAPHY

EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH

23

LIFE&STYLE |

Love in Cyberspace

by R.H. Coupe

F

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COURTESY RICHARD COUPE

alconh, the Holy Paladin, stood at rest amidst the parents and was depressed and anxious about her future. Alexandre, being French, was a little revolted by the conbodies of the undead he had slain protecting Gallan- With no money available, college was not an option and glomeration. He told her it was disgusting. Heather took driana. With his flaming sword by his side, his blue working in a fast-food restaurant was not going to bring offense, thinking he was implying she was disgusting, eyes scanned the horizon for her return. her the kind of future of which she dreamed, nor the in- picked up her hamburger and moved to another table to The modem screeched, and 16-year-old Heather dependence for which she desperately longed. be by herself. Alexandre soon followed and apologized, exValdez (now Berthereau) was back in the game! “Oh my Alexandre, sensing her mood from half a world away, plaining that he meant that the hamburger was disgusting God” she exclaimed. “He waited for me!” worried about her. Wanting to advance their relationship and not her personally. Then he kissed her—the first time “Call waiting was the worst,” she says. to a new level, he offered to come to Texas for a visit. she had ever been kissed by a boy.

“EverQuest,” a 3-D fantasy game, was one of the Heather was thrilled but panicked, thinking of the Alexandre went home, but it wasn’t long before he first massive multiplayer online role-playing games. difficulties involved. Her mother, the major problem, had asked her to come visit him in France. Eventually, she Heather began playing the game around 2001. In the never heard of Alexandre, nor had any idea of how much took him up on his offer and traveled to Alsace, a beautiful original game, players chose an avatar with specific skills, time Heather spent online with him. and historic area full of vineyards, castles, gothic churches, customize its appearance and join guilds to participate in Since she was adept at creating online personalities, small cars—and a long way from Texas. Though it was an various quests. Heather, whose avatar was Gallandriana, it wasn’t difficult for her to imagine a fictional past for unfamiliar country to her, she found some similarities bewas on a quest for her class, and Falconh, who wanted to Alexandre. He became a former French exchange student tween Alsace and her hometown of Castroville, known as join the guild she was in, had been given the task of sup- from her high school who was returning for a visit. But the “Little Alsace of Texas.” The first Europeans to settle in porting her. the area were recruited from Alsace In the early days of the game, in the 1840s. Many of the buildings the somewhat fragile connection in the town were built in the Alsace to the server was over a telephone tradition with sloping roofs, halfline. Call waiting would close the timbered construction with exposed connection to the game and disbeams and multiple levels with the connect you. And unfortunately, sous sol (basement) half-buried. in “EverQuest,” if your character Even the local language, Alsation, was not in a safe place when disthat many in Colmar spoke was faconnected, the player could still be miliar. Although, she had thought attacked and killed by the undead, it a dying language, as only the very and then the quest would have to old spoke it in Texas. begin again.

Like Alexandre’s arrival in Heather’s English after having the U.S., they had to make a few lived in France for 10 years sounds necessary adjustments. He lived in like it has been pickled in French. a small apartment with his mother, It has a French lilt to it, and the so small in fact that she was expectrough English edges have been ed to stay in Alexandre’s room with smoothed off, including any trace him (he slept on the floor). Heather of her Castroville, Texas, heritage. spoke no French; Alexandre’s mothOccasionally, her word order is er spoke no English. also a little unusual. She claims to In fact, few people spoke be half Hispanic, but there’s little English, and because Alexandre Alexandre (left) and Heather Berthereau (right) play with pugil sticks at a medieval festival. to validate that in her appearance. worked during the day, Heather She has a fair-freckled complexion was left alone for long periods of with waist-length, wavy, brighttime and was very isolated. But it red hair. She has bit of a gothic element about her, with the cover was almost blown when Heather, whose mother was a special time, and her love for Alexandre grew, as did several discreet piercings. During this interview, she is accompanied her that day, walked right past Alexandre in the realization that he was the one for her. wearing no makeup and has on a black T-shirt with the the airport without recognition. It was her mother who She went back to Texas after 90 days when her visitor logo of a metal band on the front, black shorts and socks, pointed him out as he waved at them as they walked by. visa expired. But she returned to France as soon as she was and military-style boots.

He had sent a picture, but it was of a group of young legally able, which was another 90 days. This continued Falconh’s patience in waiting for her return and the men, and she wasn’t sure which one was him. He would until they both realized that they were just working to defense of her avatar touched her lonely teenage soul be wearing a sweater, he had told her, but it was Texas in buy the next plane ticket. Then one day he causally asked, deeply. The two had begun an unlikely friendship over the summer time, and he wasn’t wearing one.

“Do you want to marry me?” At first she thought it was the Internet and, unbeknownst to her at the time, across Used to big, brown, boisterous American men, hypothetical, since English speakers tend to ask, “Will you the big pond. Their friendship grew as they typed their Heather realized that Alexandre was not like that; he was marry me?” What he had asked was a literal translation of messages in the “EverQuest” chat room, as they worked slim, pale, quiet, introverted, socially awkward and quint- the proposal question in French. and fought together on their quest. essentially French. She says it was a good thing they met She answered, “Well, sure.” From his reaction, she It turned out that Falconh, whose real name was Al- over the Internet, as she would never have been attracted could tell he was actually asking her to marry him. exandre Berthereau, was only a year older. to him if they had first met in person.

Twelve years have passed, and Heather and Alexandre He lived in Colmar, France, and time-wise, he was The next few days were awkward. He stayed in the have made a life for themselves, which includes a beautiseven hours ahead. This meant that Alex often had to only hotel in Castroville. His spoken English was not as ful little girl named Riley. Heather now speaks French, forgo sleep in order to be online with Heather, and she good as his written English, and he mumbled badly. The which she claims to have learned “mostly from watching enjoyed and appreciated the attention. defining moment of the trip came on a visit to SeaWorld the Simpsons dubbed into French.” They live in Colmar, Like many American teenagers, when she graduated with some of her friends. As was her custom, Heather France, but are planning to move to Texas so that Riley 24 from high school, she was not getting along well with her smothered a hamburger in ketchup and mayonnaise and can get to know Heather’s side of the family.

LIFE&STYLE | food&drink

JFPmenus.com

Food Awards, Returns

by Dustin Cardon, dustin@jacksonfreepress.com

Moe’s Comes Back to Jackson Moe’s Southwest Grill, a fast casual Mexican restaurant chain with more than 600 locations around the U.S., will soon be returning to Jackson. Josh Snyder, a franchisee with Moe’s who manages four other locations in South Carolina and Georgia, plans to bring the restaurant to the Maywood Mart Shopping Center by late spring or early summer this year. Snyder also has plans in place to open Moe’s locations in Madison, Ridgeland and Flowood by 2017.

The first Moe’s location opened in Atlanta, Ga., in 2000. It is part of the FOCUS Brands Inc. restaurant group, which also

includes Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon Bakery, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s Deli.

One of Moe’s major draws is the customization of its dining experience, allowing customers to choose from more than 20 different types of ingredients to create their own burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more. Moe’s menu is also filled with referCOURTESY MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL

Bully’s Wins James Beard Award The James Beard Foundation, a New York City-based national nonprofit culinary arts organization named after the renowned food writer, announced the recipients of its 2016 America’s Classics Award on Feb. 23.

Bully’s Restaurant (3118 Livingston Road) in Jackson is one of the five winners to receive the honor. The foundation gives the America’s Classics Award to restaurants that have timeless appeal and are cherished for quality food that reflects the character of their communities.

Nearly 100 restaurants have received the America’s Classics Award since the James Beard Foundation introduced the category in 1998. This year’s winners will be celebrated at the 26th annual James Beard Foundation Awards Gala on Monday, May 2, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The late W.B. Bully first opened Bully’s Restaurant together as Bully’s Snack Shop 36 years ago. Believing that the factory workers who would come into the shop each day for lunch deserved a hot meal, Bully asked his son, current owner Tyrone Bully, to bring a stove from their home, and soon the business shifted to a restaurant.

“It was my father’s idea to open the restaurant, and he did it for the family, me and all my brothers and sisters,” Bully said.

“Bully’s serves the neighborhood, and our motto is to serve and give each person the best meal we possibly can. It was frankly breathtaking when I first got an award from the James Beard Foundation in 2005, and it still is now.”

Bully’s serves a wide variety of soul-food items, such as macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, sweet potatoes, fresh greens, squash, fried green tomatoes, pigs’ feet and oxtails.

The pride of the restaurant is its signature beef tips over rice, a family recipe that Bully says sells out every day.

Bully’s Restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and is closed on Sunday. For more information, call 601-362-0484.

Moe’s Southwest Grill will soon come back to Jackson.

ences and homages to music, television and cinema culture, featuring items such as “A Taco Called Wanda,” “Joey Bag of Donuts,” “Art Vandalay” and “Billy Barou.”

Moe’s is also unique in its choice of music, with playlists consisting solely of songs by departed musicians, whether the music is played over the restaurants’ sound system or performed live by cover bands.

Snyder leased the site of the Jackson Moe’s location, which once housed Montgomery Ace Hardware Co., from Maywood Mart owner Times Equities Inc. in December 2015. Snyder has been involved with Moe’s for more than 11 years, opening his first location in Lexington, S.C., together with his wife, Lindy Snyder, almost straight out of college in 2005.

It proved to be so successful that he opened a second location in his home city of Columbia, S.C., about six months later.

With four locations under his belt so far, Snyder sees Mississippi as the next key to Moe’s future growth.

“Jackson is an exciting and familiar place to me, and I see a lot of similarity between it and Colombia,” Snyder said. “I think the size and market in Jackson are perfect for bringing in a fun new restaurant, and Maywood Mart’s accessibility and proximity to places like Whole Foods Market also make it perfect for bringing in a new business. I like all the vibrancy and potential I’ve seen in Jackson, and I’m excited to come and bring a growing brand to the city and offer it another great family-friendly restaurant.”

Food news: dustin@jacksonfreepress.com

AMERICAN/SOUTHERN CUISINE Basil’s (2906 N State St #104, Jackson, 601-982-2100) Paninis pizza, pasta, soups and salads. They’ve got it all on the menu.

Broad Street Bakery (4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-362-2900) Hot breakfast, coffee drinks, fresh breads & pastries, gourmet deli sandwiches.

The Feathered Cow (4760 I-55 North 769-233-8366) Simple and homemade equal quality and freshness every time. You never leave The Cow hungry!

The Iron Horse Grill (320 W Pearl St, Jackson, 601-398-0151) The smell of charcoal greets you, the music carries you inside.

Primos Cafe (2323 Lakeland 601-936-3398/ 515 Lake Harbour 601-898-3400) A Jackson institution for breakfast, blue-plates, catfish, burgers, prime rib, oysters, po-boys & wraps. Famous bakery!

Rooster’s (2906 N State St, Jackson, 601-982-2001) You haven’t had a burger until you’ve had a Rooster’s burger. Pair it with their seasoned fries and you’re in heaven.

Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180) Lunch. Mon-Fri, Sun. PIZZA Sal & Mookie’s (565 Taylor St. 601-368-1919) Pizzas of all kinds plus pasta, eggplant Parmesan, fried ravioli & ice cream for the kids!

Mellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-7499) More than just great pizza and beer. Open Monday - Friday 11-10 and Saturday 11-11.

ITALIAN BRAVO! (4500 Interstate 55 N., Jackson, 601-982-8111) Award-winning wine list, Jackson’s see-and-be-seen casual/upscale dining.

Fratesi’s (910 Lake Harbour, Ridgeland, 601-956-2929) Fratesi’s has been a staple in Jackson for years, offering great Italian favorites with loving care. The tiramisu is a must-have!

STEAK, SEAFOOD & FINE DINING Eslava’s Grille 2481 (Lakeland Dr, Flowood, 601-932-4070) Seafood, Steaks and Pastas The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen (1200 North State St. #100 601-398-4562) Transforms the essence of Mediterranean food and southern classics.

The Penguin (1100 John R Lynch Street, 769-251-5222) Fine dining at its best.

Rocky’s (1046 Warrington Road, Vicksburg 601-634-0100) Enjoy choice steaks, fresh seafood, great salads, hearty sandwiches.

Sal and Phil’s Seafood (6600 Old Canton Rd, Ridgeland 601-957-1188) Great Seafood, Poboys, Lunch Specials, Boiled Seafood, Full Bar, Happy Hour Specials Saltine Oyster Bar (622 Duling Avenue 601-982-2899) Creative seafood classics. One of Jackson’s Best New Restaurants.

MEDITERRANEAN/GREEK Aladdin Mediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive 601-366-6033) Delicious authentic dishes including lamb dishes, hummus, falafel, kababs, shwarma.

Zeek’s House of Gyros (132 Lakeland Heights Suite P, Flowood 601.992.9498) Jackson’s Newest Greek Restaurant, offering authentic gyros, hummus, and wide selection of craft beers.

BARBEQUE Chimneyville (970 High St, Jackson 601-354-4665 www.chimneyville.com) Family style barbeque restaurant and catering service in the heart of downtown Jackson.

Hickory Pit Barbecue (1491 Canton Mart Rd. 601-956-7079) The “Best Butts in Town” features BBQ chicken, beef and pork along with burgers and po’boys.

Pig and Pint (3139 N State St, Jackson, 601-326-6070) Serving up competition style barbecue along with one of the of best beer selections in metro.

COFFEE HOUSES Cups Espresso Café (Multiple Locations, www.cupsespressocafe.com) Jackson’s local group of coffeehouses offer a wide variety of espresso drinks. Wi-fi.

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS 4th & Goal Sports Cafe (North, 5100 I-55 Frontage Rd 769-208-8283) Handcrafted food made from the best ingredients.

Burgers and Blues (1060 E. County Line Rd. 601-899-0038) Best Burger of 2013, plus live music and entertainment!

Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St. 601-948-0055) Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches & Irish beers on tap.

Hal and Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888) Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or daily specials.

ISH Grill & Bar (5105 I 55 N Frontage Rd. 769-257-5204) Jackson’s newest hot spot offering classic foods and cocktails in a refined and elegant atmosphere.

Legends Grill (5352 Lakeland Dr. 601-919-1165) Your neighborhood Sports Bar and Grill.

Martin’s Restaurant and Lounge (214 South State Street 601-354-9712) Lunch specials, pub appetizers or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, beer selection.

Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St. 601-960-2700) Pub food with a southern flair: beer-battered onion rings, chicken & sausage gumbo, salads, sandwiches.

One Block East ( 642 Tombigbee St. 601-944-0203) Burger joint and dive bar located in downtown Jackson. Great music, tasty beverages and Bad Ass Burgers is what we do.

ASIAN AND INDIAN Fusion Japanese and Thai Cuisine (1002 Treetops Blvd, Flowood 601-664-7588/1030-A Hwy 51, Madison 601-790-7999) Specializing in fresh Japanese and Thai cuisine, an extensive menu features everything from curries to fresh sushi.

Surin of Thailand (3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 105, Jackson 601-981-3205) Jackson’s Newest Authentic Thai & Sushi Bar with 26 signature martini’s and extensive wine list.

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Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant

25

THURSDAY 3/3

SATURDAY 3/5

TUESDAY 3/8

The Blue Man Group performs at Thalia Mara Hall.

Chamber III: Danse! is at the Millsaps College Ford Academic Complex.

Pint Night is at Saltine Oyster Bar.

BEST BETS MARCH 2 - 9, 2016

COURTESY NEW STAGE THEATRE

WEDNESDAY 3/2

Author Chris Offutt signs copies of his book, “My Father, the Pornographer,” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book; call 366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks. com; lemuriabooks.com. … “Oh, Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write?” is at 7:30 p.m. at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) in the Hewes Room. Actor John Maxwell reprises his role as William Faulkner for the 35th anniversary of the one-man play. Seating limited. Additional dates: March 3-5, 7:30 p.m., March 6, 2 p.m., March 7-12, 7:30 p.m., and March 13, 2 p.m. $25; call 948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

THURSDAY 3/3

COURTESY KEVIN GATES

Fondren’s First Thursday is from 5 p.m. in Fondren.

Studio Chane hosts the mostly monthly neighborhood event.

Includes shopping, food vendors, live music, open houses, a pet adoption drive and more. Free; call 601-720-2426; fft.

(Left to right) Allison Heinz, Briana Thomas, Matthew Denton and Chris Ambrose star in “A Wrinkle in Time,” March 5-6 at New Stage Theatre.

FRIDAY 3/4

Mike Zito & the Wheel performs at 10 p.m. at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.). The vocalist and guitarist is a founding member of blues-rock supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood promoting the release of his latest album, “Keep Coming Back.” Admission TBA; call 354-9712; email ryboltproductions@comcast.net; martinslounge.net.

SATURDAY 3/5

The Handmade USA Show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). The arts and crafts show features vendors with only handmade items. Additional date: March 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $6 at the door (cash only),

BY MICAH SMITH children under 12 free; call 3547051; handmadeusashow.com. … The Jackson Black Business JACKSONFREEPRESS.COM Expo is from noon to 5 p.m.

FAX: 601-510-9019 at Tougaloo College (500 W. DAILY UPDATES AT County Line Road, Tougaloo).

JFPEVENTS.COM Jackson Black Pages hosts the event in the Owens Health and Wellness Center’s gymnasium. The purpose of the event is to establish a working network of black-owned businesses in the metro area. Vendor booths and advertisers welcome. Free; call 601-543-9600; expo.jacksonblackpages.com.

12 and under; call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre. com. … Kevin Gates performs at 9 p.m. at South Street Live (110 E. South St.). The hip-hop artist performs to promote his latest album, “Islah.” Young Greatness also performs. For ages 18 and up. $25, $60 reserved; call 800-745-3000.

MONDAY 3/7

The Rick Bass Book Signing is from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eudora Welty Education and Visitors Center (1109 Pinehurst Place). The writer and environmental activist signs copies of “For a Little While: New and Selected Stories.” Free; call 601-353-7762. … The New Belgium Beer Dinner is at 6 p.m. at Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St.). $60 per person; call 601-368-1919; email spencert@salandmookies.com; salandmookies.com.

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EVENTS@ TUESDAY 3/8

Hip-hop artist Kevin Gates performs Sunday, March 6, at South Street Live.

city. … March into March is at 6 p.m. at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.) in the Brew Pub. The Nugget League of Mayhem (NLM) hosts the party as a countdown to the Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade. Includes music from the T. Ledford Trio.

Benefits Ronald McDonald House. Capes strongly encouraged. Minimum $5 donation, $5 raffle tickets; call 948-0888; 26 email jane@halandmals.com; find the event on Facebook.

SUNDAY 3/6

“A Wrinkle in Time” is at 2 p.m. at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The science fiction play is about two children who travel through space to rescue their father. Suitable for all ages. Additional date: March 5, 7 p.m. $15, $10 ages

Coast 2 Coast Live is at 8 p.m. at Metropolitan Bar Sports Grill (M-Bar) (6340 Ridgewood Court Drive).

Hip-hop artists compete for a chance to win a promotion package. The guest judges are Bog Swoll, DJ Bigg V, DJ Young Venom and DJ Tech. Also enjoy a performance from Lil 40 featuring J. Toombs. Performers must register.

For ages 18 and up. $10; call 398-0999; email mbarjxn@ gmail.com; coast2coastlive.com.

WEDNESDAY 3/9

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters perform at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.).

English singer-songwriter Robert Plant is the former lead for Led Zeppelin. The Sonics also perform. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $39.5-$129.5; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net.

Fondren’s First Thursday March 3, 5 p.m., in Fondren. Studio Chane hosts the mostly monthly neighborhood event, and the main focus will be the arts for 2016. Includes shopping, food vendors, live music, open houses, a pet adoption drive and more. Free; call 601-720-2426; fft.city.

#/--5.)49 March into March March 3, 6 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). In the Brew Pub. The Nugget League of Mayhem (NLM) hosts the party as a countdown to the Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade.

Includes music from the T. Ledford Trio. Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House. Capes encouraged. Minimum $5 donation, $5 raffle tickets; call 948-0888; find the event on Facebook.

Jackson Audubon Society First Saturday Bird Walk March 5, 8 a.m.-10 a.m., at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park (2140 Riverside Drive). An expert birder leads the walk. Meet at the picnic area. Visitors and new members welcome. $4.04 car entrance fee; call 832-6788; jacksonaudubonsociety.org.

Handmade USA Show March 5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., March 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). The arts and crafts show features vendors with only handmade items. $6 at the door (cash only), children under 12 free; call 354-7051; handmadeusashow.com.

Jackson Black Business Expo March 5, noon-5 p.m., at Tougaloo College (500 W. County Line Road, Tougaloo). Jackson Black Pages hosts the event in the Owens Health and Wellness Center’s gymnasium. The event establishes a working network of black-owned businesses in the metro area.

Free; call 543-9600; expo.jacksonblackpages.com.

Revelation Ministries International’s Interracial Dialogues March 8, 6-8 p.m., at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). Attendees discuss issues related to race, reconciliation and responsibility.

Free; call 601-668-2102; email redeaglegallery@ bellsouth.net or revelationm@bellsouth.net.

+)$3 Camp Tiger Tails Spring Break Camp March 7, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at Jackson State University, Walter Payton Recreation and Wellness Center (32 Walter Payton Drive). The fitness camp is for ages 5-16. Sessions held through March 11. Registration required. $75; call 601-979-1368; email mark.dixon@jsums.edu; jsums.edu/paytoncenter.

Events at Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Highland Drive) UÊ À°Ê-iÕÃýÊ- ÞÊ ÀÌ `>ÞÊ i iLÀ>Ì ÊMarch 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Includes eating green eggs and ham, stories and more. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

UÊ6 Ã Ì }Ê ÀÌ ÃÌ\Ê, âÊ, ÞÊMarch 6, 1:30 p.m.5:30 p.m. Enjoy making mixed media art with the local artist know for her folk paintings and sculptures. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

&//$ $2).+ New Belgium Beer Dinner March 7, 6 p.m., at Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St.). Includes a five-course meal with special drink pairings. $60 per person; call 601-368-1919; email spencert@ salandmookies.com; salandmookies.com.

Pint Night March 8, 5-8 p.m., at Saltine Oyster Bar (622 Duling Ave., Suite 201). Every second Tuesday, a featured brewery takes over the taps, beer engine or randall. Includes giveaways. Beer for sale; call 601-982-2899; saltinerestaurant.com.

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Events at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) Uʺ" ]Ê À°Ê >Õ iÀ]Ê Ê9 ÕÊ7À Ìi¶»ÊMarch 2-5, 7:30 p.m., March 6, 2 p.m., March 7-12, 7:30 p.m., March 13, 2 p.m. In the Hewes Room. Critically acclaimed actor John Maxwell reprises his role as Mississippi writer William Faulkner for the 35th anniversary of the oneman play. Seating limited. $25; call 601-9483533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

Uʺ Ê7À iÊ Ê/ i»ÊMarch 5, 7 p.m., March 6, 2 p.m. The science fiction play is about two children who travel through space to rescue their father. Suitable for all ages. $15, $10 ages 12 and under; call 601-948-3533, ext. 222; newstagetheatre.com.

SLATE

> LiÀÊ \Ê > Ãit March 5, 7:30 p.m., at Millsaps College, Ford Academic Complex (1701 N. State St.). In the recital hall. The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra presents Charles Rochester Young’s “Wings of Fire” with harpist Elain Barber and flautist Megan Meisenbach. $16; call 601960-1515; msorchestra.com.

The Mulligan Brothers March 5, 8 p.m., at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). Lisa Mills also performs. $10 in advance, $15 at the door, $3 surcharge for under 21; call 292-7121; email jordan@ ardenland.net; dulinghall.com.

CeeLo Green March 8, 9 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The Grammy-winning pop and soul artist’s latest album is called “Heart Blanche. For ages 18 and up. $33.50; call 800745-3000; email jane@halandmals.com.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters March 9, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The singer-songwriter is the former lead of Led Zeppelin. The Sonics also perform. $39.5-$129.5; call 292-7121; ardenland.net.

the best in sports over the next seven days

by Bryan Flynn

At the NFL Combine, MSU quarterback Dak Prescott helped his draft stock with his on-the-field drills, while UM defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche hurt himself with the off-the-field interviews.

%8()")4 /0%.).'3 Artist Reception for Darryl Anderson March 3, 5-8 p.m., at Fondren Art Gallery (3030 N. State St.). See the local artist’s watercolor paintings that often include Jackson landmarks. Free; call 601981-9222; fondrenartgallery.com.

Events at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive) UÊ£ÎÌ Ê Õ> Ê Ãà Ê, >`Ê- Ü March 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. See the museum’s fossil collection and displays, and meet exhibitors. Enjoy a simulated fossil dig and a scavenger hunt. Bring a fossil for the staff to identify. Included with admission ($6, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-18, free for members and children under three); call 601576-6000; mdwfp.com/museum.

UÊ/ ÞÊ/ Ì> Ã\Ê Ã>ÕÀÊ }}ÃÊ> `Ê >L ià Mondays-Saturdays through May 1. The hands-on exhibit includes a collection of dinosaur eggs and nests, explorations stations and animated video presentations. $6, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-18, children under 3 and members free; call 601-576-6000; mdwfp.com/museum.

Events at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.) UÊ i Ê À \Ê/iÀ > Ê9>À`ÃÊ> `Ê ÀÌ ÃÌÃÊvÀ Ê the Armory Show Tuesdays-Saturdays through Sept. 4. In the McCarty Foundation Gallery. See works from American artists who contributed work to the 1913 Armory Show in New York City. Free; call 960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

UÊÓä£ÈÊ ÎÊ*>ÀÌ V «>Ì ÀÞÊ ÀÌÊ*À iVÌÊTuesdaysSaturdays through March 24. Artists Angela Davis Johnson and Muthi Reed present Haints & Healing: The Hollerin’ Space. Participants create sculptures that will be displayed in the Art Garden March 24 at 6 p.m. Free; call 601-9601515; email cheidelberg@msmuseumart.org or thehollerinquiet@gmail.com; msmuseumart.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 College basketball (5-8 p.m., SECN): If the University of Mississippi beats Vanderbilt on March 2, the first day of the SEC Women’s Tournament, then the Lady Rebels will take on Georgia.

MONDAY, MARCH 7 NFL (11 a.m.-4 p.m., NFLN): The NFL free agency begins, with teams contacting players and agreeing to terms, although they can’t sign them officially until the new league year starts March 9.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 College basketball (5-8 p.m., SECN): The Lady Bulldogs take the court in their first game of the SEC Women’s Tournament and could face off against Georgia, Vanderbilt or UM.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 Softball (6-9 p.m., SECN+): It is a long road trip for Penn State as the team travels to Starkville to take on MSU.

George Clinton Art Show Mondays-Fridays through March 8, at Gallery1 (One University Place, 1100 John R. Lynch St., Suite 4). See painting from the renowned funk performer. Free; call 601-960-9250; jsums.edu/gallery1arts.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 College basketball (7-9 p.m., SECN): Watch the opening game of the Óä£ÈÊ SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, which could include MSU. Nkemdiche might fall short when it comes to interviews, but his athletic potential will entice some team to take a chance on him. Prescott, with the right team, could be the next Russell Wilson.

Events at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.) UÊ ÃÃ ÃÃ «« Ê i} >ÌiÊ ÀÌÊ Ý L Ì MondaysFridays through March 18. See artwork from Mississippi college students in the main galleries.

Free; call 601-960-1557, ext. 224.

UÊ/ iÊ7 À ÃÊ vÊ Ê->Õ `iÀÃÊMondays-Fridays through April 29. This exhibit coincides with the Muslim Cultural Awareness festivities. Free; call 601-960-1557, ext. 224.

UÊ* ÜiÀÊ * Ê Õ> Ê-ÌÕ`i ÌÊ Ý L ÌÊMondays-Fridays through April 29. View student artwork in the back galleries and lower atrium.

Free; call 601-960-1557, ext. 224.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 College basketball (11 a.m.-1 p.m., SECN): UM closes the regular season on the road against Tennessee. … College basketball (1:30-3:30 p.m., SECN): MSU finishes the regular season at home against Auburn.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6 College basketball (1:30-4 p.m., ESPN): Watch the championship of the Óä£ÈÊ SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, which could feature the Lady Bulldogs.

Hidden Colors Documentary Series March 6, 4 p.m., at Afrikan Art Gallery and Gift Shop (800 N. Farish St.). See the film “Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism.” Free; call 979-1413; follow Respect Our Black Dollars on Facebook.

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports and at facebook.com/jfpsports.

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º ÞÊ >Ì iÀ]ÊÌ iÊ* À }À>« iÀ»ÊMarch 2, 5 p.m., at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Chris Offutt signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book; call 366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

Blue Man Group March 3, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The theatrical group combines music, comedy and vivid stage props. $25-$100; call 800-745-3000; jacksonbroadway.com.

Rick Bass Book Signing March 7, 5-7 p.m., at Eudora Welty Education and Visitors Center (1109 Pinehurst Place). The writer and environmental activist signs copies of “For a Little While: New and Selected Stories.” Free; call 353-7762.

"% 4(% #(!.'% Clothing Giveaway March 5, 8-11 a.m., at New Dimensions Ministries (110 Alta Woods Blvd.).

Clothes and shoes are available for all ages. Schedule subject to change. Free; call 601-452-4596.

Red Cross Gala March 5, 7-10 p.m., at The Railroad District (824 S. State St.). In fundraiser includes food, music and more. This year’s Southwest Mississippi Chapter Humanitarian Award recipient is Mississippi State Treasurer Lynn Fitch. $100; call 601-353-5442; redcross.org.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.

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27

music

The Banner Studios: Setting up Stars

by Micah Smith

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28

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neakers squeak down the length of the basketball his Sonic Signature team, who plan to teach a new subject figure to teach them a trade like his father did or the use of court at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Missis- to about 100 students every Monday at 6 p.m. over a nine- a computer with the latest equipment. The Banner Studios sippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capitol Street unit. On most days, the sound month semester. can offer mentorship to those students and industry-standard of a ball bouncing against a backboard isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t far beJones says he is recruiting Jacksonians in the entertain- technology, including Pro Tools recording software and Final hind, but on Tuesday, March 1, the students walk past the ment industry to educate students about different fields of Cut Pro video-editing software. court and up the stairs to the teen center, excited to create expertise, including songwriting, videography, artist manageâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not trying to say nothing crazy, but Madison new sounds of their own. ment and promotion, and even professionalism within the doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need this,â&#x20AC;? Jones says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One child in Madisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got Framed photos of musicians such as B.B. King and workplace. While students can anticipate making beats, writ- (a Mac) in their bedroom. â&#x20AC;Ś Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re honing their skills Lady Gaga line the walls of a corner office in their hobby time. Kids here donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that only weeks before housed the teen cenaccess to that. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what it was for meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; terâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s library, which moved downstairs. Now, giving access to somebody who could posinside is a set of speakers, a mixing board, a sibly create their passion into what they keyboard and a Mac computer. Leroy Jones want it to be in an environment where Jr., a Jackson-native mixing engineer, prosomeone could actually help them.â&#x20AC;? ducer and owner of studio Sonic Signature, Ron Thornton, the vice president of stands in front of the teens, who have also operations for BGCCM, says the studio come from the Sykes Road, Walker Street, lines up perfectly with what the club has Canton and Hazlehurst BGCCM locations always tried to accomplishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;impacting to be a part of The Banner Studios. youth, expanding their career prospects â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who wants to be a millionaire?â&#x20AC;? Jones and growing their interests. He says that as asks them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you want to be a millionaire, the vice president, a position he accepted then you need to start paying attention.â&#x20AC;? in August 2015 after 12 years with Oprah While the project began to take shape Winfrey Boys & Girls Club and two years when Jones joined in late 2015, Penney with BGCCM, his role is to make sure the Ainsworth, president and chief executive studio has what it needs to benefit stuofficer of the BGCCM, says she has hoped dents now and in the future. for this result since she first connected with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our teen population, all across the (Left to right) Boys & Girls Club of Central Mississippi President and CEO Penney Ainsworth, Sonic Signature owner Leroy Jones Jr. and BGCCM Vice the studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake, David Banner. They world, is a lost population,â&#x20AC;? Thornton says.

President of Operations Ron Thornton worked together to create The Banner met just over three years ago when the reâ&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of youth at after-school facilities donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Studios at the Boys & Girls Club Capitol Unit. nowned hip-hop artist came to Jackson for have some of the tools that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested his Heal the Hood charity. Ainsworth, who in. With the studio, we know thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big has worked with the Boys & Girls Club organization for 19 ing rhymes and all the other surface activities in music, Jones interest. Now, with technology advancing by the second, we years, had only been with the BGCCM for a few months at says he also wants them to see that being in the spotlight isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to stay abreast of that, and the studio gives us that opthe time. Banner even gave her a tour of the Capitol Unit, the only way to find success in the music industry. portunity as a recruitment tool to get (ages) 13 and above, where he was a member as a child. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a millionaire thinking youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just drop out especially 16 to 18, into the club and off the streets.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sitting in this room with David, my first conversation of school, make a song and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to blow up,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Ainsworth says presenting resources like The Banner with him was, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a superstar. But what I want â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got all these other avenues behind that song that goes Studios to Jackson teens is key to helping them imagine a from you is your time. I mean, I need the money; this is a on and all these other professions. All you see is the rapper greater path for their futures, whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s becoming a singnonprofit, so we always need dollars, but what I want more or the singer, but you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that there are probably a er, rapper, songwriter, recording engineer, producer, manager from you than anything is your time,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Ainsworth says. thousand people behind that one singer just to make it look or a music-industry role they may not yet know about.

Banner gave that time and more, she says. He donated as easy as it does.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want them to envision and sing and write about the initial equipment that Jones used to piece together The For Jones, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about sharing experience and opportuni- where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to,â&#x20AC;? Ainsworth says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś We tend to talk Banner Studios and provided some of the finances to pur- ties. He learned many of the skills that he needed to build and write aboutâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even in all my poemsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;our situation and chase the materials for Jones to make a quality studio where Sonic Signature and The Banner Studios from his father, our current culture. But if we start exposing them and start students can learn about the music industry. To organize the Leroy Jones Sr., a contractor, which he says has been instru- thinking and dreaming bigger than where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at in our four studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curriculum, Ainsworth again turned to Jones and mental to his success. Not every teenager in Jackson has a blocks of the world, the skyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the limit.â&#x20AC;?

CeeLo Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Southern Homecoming

by Micah Smith

F

or Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer and pop artist CeeLo Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest string of performances, the Love Train Tour, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traveling exclusively to venues in the South, including Hal & Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Tuesday, March 8. The Jackson Free Press recently got on the phone with Green to discuss his music and the motivation behind his southbound journey.

Q: A:

Why did you choose to tour only southern cities for the Love Train Tour?

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been living on the West Coast for the last six years, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically a homecoming. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been really on a mission to kind of retrace the roots, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all one South, if you ask me. I feel like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all kinfolk, and I feel like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all related and all extended family. So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m basically going home to where I started, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m bringing love with me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m bringing the love that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found and the love that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always had. The only reason Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever continued and been persistent in any kind of way was out of love. Love is the coal that I burn to keep that train going. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the truth.

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THURSDAY

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL 5-9 P.M.

FRIDAY

Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters

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29

DIVERSIONS | arts

A Window into Modern Art

by Danie Matthews

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n one of modern artist Leon Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous works, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Terminal Yards,â&#x20AC;? plumes of smoke travel up into the air from a train yard. Snow blankets the tracks and ground. A dark mountain accented with snow hovers above the moving locomotives.

Though it may not seem like much at first, the piece, which Kroll created for the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art (now known as the Armory Show), was a part of the growing Modern Art movement in the early 1900s. With advances in photography and other technology, artists in that time period had to adapt. They began venturing beyond the depiction of exactly what they saw. While Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work was based more in traditional painting than some of his abstract peers, Mississippi Museum of Artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing director, Julian Rankin says, Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s variety of modern art still flipped the art world on its head.

Kroll was an American painter known for his figurative artâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;modern art that retains a strong real-world point of referenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who helped catapult the world of modern art to where it is today. Born in 1884, he was an important figure in the U.S.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern art movement, which took off following the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art, now known as the Armory Show, in New York City. The event helped cement NYC as the hub of modern art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Terminal Yardsâ&#x20AC;? comes to the Mississippi Museum of Art from the Flint Institute of Art in Michigan. as part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leon Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terminal Yards and Works by Artists of the Armory Show. The Kroll exhibit, which opened Saturday, Feb. 27, is one of those moments.

The Kroll exhibit will be one of several modern art shows the museum will feature this year. This exhibit, which is free to the public, will be smaller and include modern artists, such as Arthur B. Davies, Robert Henri and George Bellows. Rankin says this will contextualize some of the upcoming

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART

The exhibit â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leon Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Terminal Yardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Artists from the Armory Showâ&#x20AC;? runs through Sept. 4 at the Mississippi Museum of Art.

MMA exhibits, including the traveling art show, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Modern Was Contemporary: Selections from the Roy R. Neuberger Collection,â&#x20AC;? which will be on display from April 9 through Oct. 30. This show will display 52 different modern artists who surfaced after 1913. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Leon Kroll exhibit is all about showing the beginning of American Modernism through the people who were involved with putting on the Armory Show in 1913,â&#x20AC;? Rankin says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This helped ignite decades to follow of modern art.â&#x20AC;?

Experimentation, Abstract Expressionism and other styles of painting were the center of the modern-art movement.

This brought about a shock factor for people during that time. Exhibit attendees will be able to understand this and become more knowledgeable of what modern art meant. Rankin says one reason for the show is to give visitors a timeline or a continuum of the works that were made in the early days of modern art, from 1913 and up to the 1960s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For them to actually see a piece that was in the showâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for us to be able to make that happenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is a very powerful thing for visitors to experience,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Rankin says MMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to strike a balance between Mississippi art and other important pieces from around the world.

The museum wants its visitors to have the opportunity to celebrate Mississippi and other artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People know what modern art is, and some know the names of artists, but often times they are not familiar with the stories,â&#x20AC;?

Rankin says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to bring our visitors into the story. The Leon Kroll exhibit will tell the beginning of those stories. This show will set the stage and open it up for our big modern show later on.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leon Krollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Terminal Yards and Artists from the Armory Showâ&#x20AC;? runs through Sept. 4. For more information, visit msmuseumart.org.

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33

Crazy Cat Bakers

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4500 I 55 N, Ste 173, Jackson, Mississippi (601) 362-7448 WR Ȧ QG RXW PRUH DERXW &UD]\ &DW %DNHUV YLVLW

@JACKSONMSCVB

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HI RI N G Looking for Bartenders, Servers, & Server Assistants: - 2+ Years Of Experience - Professional - Strong Customer Service Skills - Teamwork - Willing To Learn

1060

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;ŠE

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601-­â&#x20AC;?899-­â&#x20AC;?0038 WWW.BURGERSBLUES.COM

Contact: (318) 436-8361

March 12 Cathead Distillery tickets & info at ardenland.net or charge by phone at 877.987.6487

-Pool Is Cool-

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still #1!

Best Place to Play Pool Best of Jackson 2016

Crawfish Live & Boiled New Location! in Flowood

4:30-7PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 1/2 Nigiri/Maki roll $2 Off House Wines by Glass, Beer and Signature Martinis

The Shack

(10&4'0 56 6*475&#;

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR

The Bayou

DAILY 12pm

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š-

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š7pm BEER SPECIALS

5649-C Hwy. 25 (Behind Burger King) (601) 326-2723 Hours: Wed-Thurs:11am-8pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 9pm Sun: 11am - 6pm

Daily

 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;Š11pm

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POOL LEAGUE Mon

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 â&#x20AC;¨â&#x20AC;ŠNight

DRINK SPECIALS "52'%23 s 7).'3 s &5,, "!2 GATED PARKING BIG SCREEN TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEAGUE AND TEAM PLAY B EGINNERS TO A DVANCED I NSTRUCTORS A VAILABLE

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601-718-7665

*#22; *174

941 Highway 80 East l Clinton, MS (601) 926-4793 Hours: T-Th: 12pm-8pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-9pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm www.facebook.com/tbeauxscrawfish

The Swamp 5752-B Terry Rd. l Byram, MS

(769) 230-3855 Hours: T-Th: 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-9pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm www.facebook.com/tbeauxsbyram

LUNCH: Complimentary Soup DINNER: 1/2 Off Nigiri/Maki Roll

&#+.; .70%* /'07 3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 105, Jackson | (601)981-3205 Like us on Facebook! www.surinofthailand.com

>Ă&#x20AC;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x160;n]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;ä£Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Â?v°Â&#x201C;Ă&#x192;

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35

to be made in telesales.

$10.00/HR 30 DAY TRAINING THEN UP TO $15.00/HR

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Spring Specials

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NEW LOCATION

Affordable Direct Life Email resume to omire01@aol.com or call (601) 957-3841

ÎŚ Î&#x2019; ÎŁ Î&#x2013; ÎŚ Î&#x2019; Î&#x161; Î&#x2018;Ψ ÎŁ Î&#x201C; ÎĄ Î&#x2122; ÎŚ Î&#x2DC;

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$30 Shellac $55 Mani Pedi

Bigger Store.. Bigger Selection Suite 270 Next to Great American Cookies 769-293-7604

Offer ends March 30, 2016 2947 Old Canton Road | 601.366.6999

WELCOME TO

Ă&#x2021;Ă&#x17D;äĂ&#x160; >Â&#x17D;iÂ?>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;°Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; >VÂ&#x17D;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;]Ă&#x160; /iÂ?\Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2C6;ä£Â&#x2021;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2C6;ÂŁĂ&#x17D;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2C6;ä£Â&#x2021;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x2C6;äĂ&#x17D;Ă&#x17D; Fax: 601-366-7122

DINE-IN OR TAKE-OUT!

Sun-Thurs: 11am - 10pm Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Come See Why We Were Voted

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Belly Dancing

WE DELIVER!

Fondren / Belhaven / UMC area

Every First Friday at 7pm

WE ALSO CATER! VISIT OUR GROCERY STORE NEXT DOOR.

Local Events, Sales and Specials for iPhone and Android.

FREE! TEXTâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JACKSONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TO 77948 TO GET DOWNLOAD LINKS OR VISIT JFP.MS/JACKTOWN Type to enter text

WELCOME TO JACKTOWN.

!tt.. PPaaddddyyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ss iiss bbeetttteerr wwhheenn yyoouu ggeett lluucckkyy..

Local Events, Sales and Specials for iPhone and Android!

((WWaattcchh yyoouurr ooddddss eexxppoonneennttiiaallllyy iinnccrreeaassee wwiitthh isaathe sseexxyy aasskk,, ffeeaatthheerr bbooaa oorr ssttoocckkiinnggss!!))

JACKTOWN JFP s mm new iPhone and Android Download JACKTOWN now! app focusing on entertainment and events in the Jackson Metro area.

Best Bets recommended listings in a variety of categories Bookmarks to remember events you want to attend Invite Your Friends via the app or SMS text Group chat about upcoming events with invited friends Users can easily map to venues and buy tickets Access to full music, events and headlines of Jackson Free Press Sponsored Listings and Venue Channels

Text JACKSON to 77948 to get links to the iPhone and Android download pages.

Or search for Jackson Jacktown in the iTunes and Google Play stores!

BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS: Call 601-362-6121 x11 now to learn how you can get your events listed and promoted on Jacktown!

!7755 HHwwyy 8800 EEaasstt iinn PPeeaarrll ** 6600!..993322..2288!! MM-­-TThh:: !00-­-!00pp FF-­-SSaa !00-­-MMiidd SSuu:: !-­-!00pp ** wwwwww..sshhoopprroommaannttiiccaaddvveennttuurreess..ccoomm