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contents

JACKSONIAN

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • Vol. 17 No. 15

ON THE COVER Jennifer Riley-Collins, photo by Ashton Pittman

4 Editor’s Note 6 Talks

8 Abortions, Teacher Pay, Public Records

See the latest in legislative news here.

12 opinion

W

hen Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Curator of Education John Spann was in high school, history came easy to him. “It wasn’t like geometry or anything, and I got it,” he says.

The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native also lived in Columbus, Miss., but after his father passed in 1998, Spann and his family moved to Jackson, where he attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

He attended college at Mississippi State University. While studying there, he began realizing that he did not know much about himself or his ancestry.

When Spann changed his major from biological sciences to history, he began taking classes in subjects such as African American studies and civil-rights history. He began seeking out stories of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, especially those of lesserknown heroes.

“Mississippi was the crux of it, if you will, the battleground, the ground zero,” he says. “But you really don’t hear it that way. You talk about Alabama and Georgia, but not Mississippi.”

After graduating from MSU, he moved back to Jackson and began volunteering as a tour guide at the Mississippi Capitol. Staff at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History told him in 2014 that he should apply for an archivist position with the

19 Best of Jackson

John Spann Medgar Evers collection at MDAH. He became the educational historian for MDAH’s museum division in 2015. In 2017, he signed on as the curator of education for MCRM.

In his position, Spann acts as a liaison between the museum and schools. He creates resources, videos, lesson plans, and activities for the museum and teachers. He also helps create programming for the general public. “This is more than a museum,” he says.

“This is a place where people can come and learn about their history, about people who probably helped raise them or were in their community, but also get more information and take the museum out of these walls (and) into their communities.”

Spann is also one of the hosts for the “Token Talk,” along with Darius Williams and Thomas Price. In the podcast, the hosts discuss social issues through the lens of being black men.

Spann had listened to it long before becoming a host, and related to them, he says.

“I felt like I was that guy,” he says. “They were speaking to me because I have been the ‘token black guy’ in white spaces all of my life.” He also connected with the show because it talks about many issues he faces in day-to-day life, he says.

“It was (also) a refresher that I’m not the only one,” he says.

—Amber Helsel

24 events

26 Curious Citizens A local organization wants to get you activated in government.

27 sPORTS 28 Music 30 music listings

31 Natural Hair Care A local stylist gives us tips.

32 Puzzles 33 astro 33 Classifieds

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

Joseph Powell

14 Cover Story

3

editor’s note

by Amber Helsel, Managing Editor

C

ultivation Food Hall is quickly becoming one of my favorite places because it has so much food, and so many places to choose from. The first time I went, I tried the chicken and waffles from Fete au Fete StreEATery, and it was the best. While I will refrain from getting that dish in the future (as much as chicken and waffles is my favorite dish, it’s also unhealthy), I am glad I tried it.

In the last few times I’ve been at Cultivation, I had a poke bowl complete with lots of things I’ve never tried before, and of course, a few of the items from Ariella’s because you can never go wrong with a Reuben. I’ve also had some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted from il Lupo.

But now, I like it for a different reason: It allows me to support other women.

If you missed my cover story about Cultivation’s women-owned businesses,

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

So what if we deviate from the norm a little?

4

you can read it at jacksonfreepress.com/ cultivationfoodhallstory. But if you’ve already read it, you know that female ownership is the norm at Cultivation.

There are nine total vendors in the hall.

Women have full ownership of four of the businesses (Ariella’s, Poke Stop, Fauna Foodworks and Whisk), and coownership of two (il Lupo and Bocca Pizzeria have husband-and-wife teams at the helm).

That’s more than half with at least some female representation—an important fact considering that it wasn’t until recent years that women started to gain a better foothold in the industry.

National Restaurant Association data from 2017 showed that women own more than half of the restaurants in the U.S., though the amount of women chefs is still pretty dismal—with only about 19 percent in the U.S.

As women, we tend to get the short end of the stick on a lot of things—uppermanagement jobs, wages (the gender pay gap is real, and it’s even more substantial for women of color), maternity leave, bodily autonomy (thanks, Legislature), “pink taxes” (even though for most nonmenopausal women, tampons and pads are not optional), clothing size, the type of clothing stores try to sell us. I could go on, but you get it. Sometimes we also don’t get the level of support that our male counterparts might get, so it’s nice to step into a place like Cultivation and know that people are supporting women.

To me, it’s a sign of changing times.

It’s a sign that either people are taking us more seriously, or that we’re just digging in our heels and not budging.

On my part, at least, it’s probably the second one. I’ve talked a lot, either in past editor’s notes or in real life, about how I’m an anomaly. At 29, I’m upper-level management in a local business. I own a house. I’m on three leadership teams at my church. As you can tell, I dug my heels in.

Like a lot of women might, I sometimes want to minimize my accomplishments or pretend or act like they’re not there. I’ve noticed that some people seem to be uncomfortable with my lifestyle, or at the very least, aren’t quite sure how to handle me. A lot of other accomplished women, or just women in general, probably feel the same, and that’s such a travesty. We have to change that.

We’re more than just daughters and wives and mothers. We’re people with dreams and goals and visions, and we want to rule the world, too. (In fact, I’d prefer if women did rule the world, but that’s just my opinion). We have things we want to

Acacia Clark

Women, Don’t Apologize

More than half of the businesses at the District at Eastover’s Cultivation Food Hall in Jackson have women ownership in some form.

accomplish and have accomplished. For me, I want to be a published fiction writer, famous artist and a DJ. Can I accomplish all those things? Yes. Can I do it in one lifetime? Who knows? A friend of mine told me that as people, we can do anything, but we can’t do it all at once. I believe her.

Here’s the next question: Should I, or any of us women, apologize for our accomplishments? Of course not. We shouldn’t apologize for doing the things we love and accomplishing our goals.

There’s nothing wrong with being a mom and running a successful business, or just doing well in your career.

In fact, I tip my proverbial hat to those women because I can barely run my own social media, and I have way more free time than moms. There’s nothing wrong with being a single woman who chooses to stay single later in life, and there’s noth-

contributors

Ashton Pittman

Natosha Pengarthit

Nate Schumann

State reporter Ashton Pittman is from Hattiesburg, Miss. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied journalism and political science. He took the cover photo and wrote the cover story.

City reporter Natosha Pengarthit aims to be a voice of the unheard throughout the city of Jackson. Email her with stories at Natosha@jacksonfreepress.com. She wrote about the City of Jackson’s new pre-k pilot program.

Editorial Assistant Nate Schumann loves consuming stories, whether that story be in the form of a book, a comic, a television series, a game or a radio serial.

He enjoys engaging in various areas of “nerdom.” He wrote about Josh Journeay.

ing wrong with a woman who chooses not to have kids. There’s nothing wrong with women who are bigger than a size 0, the size society believes to be the norm (even though average women are actually about a size 10). There’s nothing wrong with choosing to wear or not wear makeup.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing a specific type of clothing to wear. We’re all different, and we have different goals and different bodies and different lives. We want different things out of life. So what if we deviate from the norm a little?

As women, we need less criticism and more support. We need people who will step up and remind us of all that we’ve accomplished (thanks to all the friends, men and women, who have done that for me). We need people who will go to Cultivation and order from a women-owned business to help keep them in operation and motivating other women to follow their lead.

We need people, both men and women (because society is everyone’s problem), to stop looking down on us or looking at us weird because we’ve made different choices. When we stop doing that, I feel like we can truly progress as a society.

In the words of Rachel Hollis, whose newest book gave me the idea for this column, “Girl, stop apologizing.”

Managing Editor Amber Helsel is a storyteller who moonlights as an artist. She loves food, cats, anime and art supplies. You can often catch her running sound at CityHeart Church. Email story ideas to amber@ jackson­freepress.com.

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5

news,

cu l

storytelling & re, ir tu

“I will be darned if I can be calm and cool. … I can’t be calm, I can’t be still, I can’t be quiet.”

TALK JXN

@jxnfreepress

@jacksonfreepress

—Myrlie Evers-Williams’ response to Gov. Phil Bryant thanking two white senators instead of U.S. Rep. Bennie for helping make her and Medgar Evers’ home a national monument.

@jxnfreepress

ce eren rev

Myrlie Evers-Williams: ‘I Can’t Keep Calm’

by Ashton Pittman

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

6

Imani Khayyam / Ashton Pittman

A

terrifying blast sounded outside Myrlie Evers’ home at midnight on June 12, 1963. She bolted to the door, and when she opened it, found her husband, Medgar Evers, on the carport floor of their Jackson home.

He was drenched in his own blood and still holding his car keys; the civil-rights activist and state NAACP field secretary had just returned home from a meeting with the group’s lawyers.

Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist and Klansman from Greenwood, had waited for Evers outside his Jackson home—and shot him as soon as he emerged from his car.

It would be more than 30 years before a jury convicted Evers’ killer.

On March 11, President Donald Trump signed a bill designating the Evers’ home—the sight of one of the most notorious slayings in U.S. civilrights history—as a federally protected national monument. The designation offered up a rare opportunity for unity in Mississippi. But then, with a tweet, Gov. Phil Bryant sliced it asunder.

By March 15, Myrlie EversWilliams, a civil-rights activist in her own right who remarried in 1976, was “incensed,” she told a radio host, that Gov. Phil Bryant had credited Trump and the state’s two white Republican U.S. senators for the bill’s passage, even though it was the state’s lone black congressman who spent years spearheading the effort. Since the early 2000s, Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson has repeatedly introduced legislation to bring federal recognition and protections to the home.

On March 12, the day after Trump signed the bill, Bryant praised the president, crediting him and Mississippi’s two white U.S. senators—Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

“Thank you to @realDonaldTrump for signing legislation today to designate Medgar and Myrlie Evers home as a National Monument,” he tweeted. “@SenatorWicker & @SenHydeSmith

Civil-rights activists Myrlie Evers-Williams said on March 15 that she was ‘incensed’ over remarks Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant made, and criticized U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for comments she made last year.

have worked very hard on this for some time and are to be commended.”

“I am tired, I am worn, I am weary, but I still have fight in me—that (fight) that Medgar Evers helped build and instill in me,” Evers-Williams told

SiriusXM radio host Joe Madison in an interview Friday. “I am too old, I have lived too long, I have given too much to sit down and be quiet about something I feel is unjust.”

Evers-Williams slammed Bryant’s

refusal to acknowledge Thompson “and all of the others who over those 16 years (who) have worked to see that the Medgar Evers home becomes a historic home for all Americans.”

Bryant Calls

St. Paddy’s Parade Scavenger Hunt

by JFP Staff If you didn’t know, the Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade is Saturday, March 23—only a few days away. This year, the Jackson Free Press has compiled a list of items for you to find at this year’s parade. Check them off (or take a green shot) as you spot them.

A yellow submarine

Parasols

The Beatles

A float with a giant beer on it

Grand Marshal Robert St. John

Green beer

Pets in costumes

JSU Sonic Boom

O’Tuxers

Wizards

Merchandise sellers

The Sweet Potato Queens

J-Map

S ub s c r i b e f re e at j f p d a i l y. c o m fo r b re a k i n g n e w s .

Location: Tougaloo

MAKING HISTORY (AGAIN) Tougaloo announced its second woman president on March 18.

Location: Mississippi Capitol

WHEN A HEARTBEAT BEGINS?

ASHTON PITTMAN

JORDAN WILLIAMS

On March 19, the Mississippi Senate passed Senate Bill 2216, which bans abortions after six weeks, and sent the bill to Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk. He’ll sign it.

Location: Westside Daycare

NEW PRE-K PILOT PROGRAM On March 18, the City announced that it received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a pre-kindergarten pilot program.

Location: City Hall

CLEANER JXN? The City of Jackson kicked of one of its newest projects, Clean Up JXN, on Saturday, March 16.

FROM SOUTH JACKSON TO THE STATE CAPITOL South Jackson advocate Ronnie Crudup Jr. won a special election to fill a House of Representatives seat for District 71, which covers the neighborhood, on Tuesday, March 12.

IMANI KHAYYAM / ASHTON PITTMAN

Location: South Jackson

Thompson a ‘Tragic Figure’ On the same day as Bryant’s tweet, Thompson responded with a straightforward tweet of his own.

“Give adequate credit,” Thompson, who represents Mississippi’s Second Congressional District, wrote. “I’ve worked on this for 16 years.”

Bryant replied with a defiant statement on March 14—and compared Thompson to sowing the kind of hate that white supremacists directed at civil-rights leaders like Evers.

“It’s sad that Congressman Thompson so desires personal acclaim that he shatters what should be a time of celebration for all Mississippians with this designation,” Bryant said in a statement. “His anger and hatred are the very characteristics that separated our people in

the civil-rights era. He has become a tragic figure who has squandered this opportunity to help bring our state together.”

‘There Have Been No Apologies, Nothing’ Evers-Williams was angry in the radio interview on March 15. She reserved criticism not just for Bryant, but also for Hyde-Smith.

“How dare that (credit) be taken and given to one or two people who are new, and especially with the female representative who said when she was running for (Senate),” Evers-Williams said.

She was clearly referring to a comment Hyde-Smith made in November, when she was still running for election to keep the U.S. Senate seat Bryant appointed her

to in spring 2018. While speaking with a supporter in Tupelo, Hyde-Smith said she liked him so much that “if he invited me to a public hanging, I would be on the front row.”

Her Democratic opponent at the time, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, is African American. Many interpreted her statement as a reference to Mississippi’s history as the state with the most lynchings of African Americans.

“There have been no apologies, nothing,” EversWilliams said of Hyde-Smith’s comment. “And how dare anyone on my husband’s life and his death take claim for something that they were just the opposite of. I’m incensed, Joe. My daughter told me, ‘Mom, be more EVERS-WILLIAMS p 9

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

CIVIL RIGHTS

7

TALK JXN

LEGISLATURE

Fetal Heartbeats, Teacher Pay, Tort Reform

by Ashton Pittman

W

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

8

‘Fetal Heartbeat Bill’

About a year and a half later, Daniella Dismuke-Roja is now an activist who is challenging laws that she believes similarly threaten the rights of Mississippians. On March 14, she traveled to Jackson, where she joined a group of Democratic state legislators and Planned Parenthood activists to protest a Senate bill that would ban abortions after a fetus’ heartbeat becomes detectable—at about six weeks.

“I think it’s extremely important that the government stay out of our bodies and out of our uteruses, and let us make the decision when we have children and if we have children,” she told the Jackson Free Press at the Capitol. “It crosses more boundaries than just women. This involves children, men, everyone.”

When the Mississippi House passed its version of the fetal heartbeat bill in February, nine Democrats joined all but

one Republican to support it. The lone Republican “nay” voter, Hattiesburg Rep. Missy McGee, explained that, while the bill does include an exception for the life of the mother, it has no exceptions for rape, incest or severe fetal deformities.

At the Capitol, Daniella said that her experience as a queer woman informs her views on anti-abortion legislation. She grew up in a conservative but religiously mixed family, with a mother who was a member of Assemblies of God, a pentecostal denomination, and a Catholic father.

When she was 15, she said, her mom put her in a class at the church called “True Love Waits.”

“They told me that a marriage between a man and a woman was the only

Daniella Dismuke-Rojas, a volunteer with Planned Parenthood Southeast, traveled from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to Jackson on March 14, 2019.

marriage that existed or that should exist, and that anyone who had sex outside of marriage, or had sex outside of a man and a woman relationship, was wrong—and they were going to hell,” she said.

Not long after the class, Daniella accepted herself as a queer woman. When she came out to her mother, her mother told her that her sexuality was akin to that of a child molester.

“I love my mom to pieces,” she said, adding that while they still have a relationship, her queerness remains “the big pinkand-white elephant in the room.”

She first hooked up with Planned Parenthood when she met activists with the organization at Biloxi’s pride parade last summer. Fighting for reproductive rights is just one facet in her broader opposition to what she sees as state conservatives’ efforts

to control Mississippians’ sexuality.

“I came out in the LGBT community and just realized that there are a lot of people who don’t get the same rights as the majority of people down here in Mississippi,” she said.

Legislature Debates the Bill

Three days before Daniella arrived at the Capitol, the House debated the Senate version of the bill. While it has slightly different wording, its effect would be no different than the now-dead House version, Planned Parenthood Southeast Director Felicia Brown Williams told the Jackson Free Press on March 12. The main difference is that passing the Senate version will give Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves bragging rights Ashton Pittman

hen Daniella Rojas woke up one morning in October 2017, she had no idea that she would finish the day a married woman. At the Harrison County Courthouse later that day, though, she stood as a sudden bride facing her groom, Harley Dismuke. His tiedye bowtie matched her rainbow shoes. He wore cowboy boots. Around them stood a handful of friends and family, including Daniella’s dad and his girlfriend, whom they had hastily assembled to join them as they recited their vows.

Earlier that day, the couple received a shock when they learned that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had decided to allow a Mississippi law popularly known as HB 1523 to take effect. That law, which the Legislature passed in 2016 as the “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act,” enshrines into law the right of businesses to discriminate against LGBT people on the basis of the owners’ religious beliefs about marriage and gender identity.

That law proved a double threat for the couple. Harley is transgender, and Daniella, who met Harley before he came out, identifies as queer. HB 1523’s enactment, the couple feared, could precipitate a domino effect endangering their rights.

They wanted to make sure to get married while they still could—just in case.

So on Oct. 28, 2017, they contacted the justice of the peace, rushed to the courthouse, and became the Dismuke-Rojases.

among conservatives as he seeks the Republican nomination for governor. In Mississippi, the lieutenant governor also serves as the president of the Senate.

During debate on March 11, Democratic legislators pressed Republicans about the cost of defending the ban in court if it becomes law. Since 2012, Mississippi taxpayers have spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars defending anti-abortion laws— unsuccessfully, so far.

Republican legislators like McComb Sen. Sam Mims, though, told their Democratic colleagues that defending it was a “small price to pay.”

“Since we can spend money arbitrarily like that, you wouldn’t be opposed to a pay raise for state employees?” Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, responded.

Speaking at the March 14 demonstra-

tion, Williams criticized conservatives’ dismissal of the costs.

“For fiscal conservatives to say that it’s a small price to pay … begs the question, ‘Where else could we spend those fees?’

What kind of dent could we make in maternal mortality? What kind of dent could we make in infant mortality for black babies in this state? So don’t tell me there’s no cost, or it’s a small cost to bear. The price is being paid right now by Mississippians in this state.”

With nearly six deaths per 1,000 live births, Mississippi has the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and black babies are nearly twice as likely to die as white babies. Mississippi also ranks among the states with the highest maternal mortality rates.

Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, stood on the steps as Williams spoke, wearing an olive pantsuit and, underneath the coat, a black, pink and white T-shirt with the words, “Protect Safe, Legal Abortion.”

Clarke, who is African American, told the Jackson Free Press that she does not recall her Republican colleagues discussing ways to reduce the state’s infant mortality rate. “There are all of us who are concerned about wanting to eliminate abortions, but who don’t want to do anything about sex education or about babies once they get here,” the Jackson Democrat said. “We don’t want to do anything about the babies once they get here. So that’s, in my opinion, a major problem. If we had sex education in the schools, we would eliminate a lot of the need for an abortion.”

Though Mississippi adopted a sex-education curriculum a few years ago, it only teaches abstinence, and not things like how to use contraception safely.

“I’ve been here for 34 years on the 20th of this month, and there has not been a year that I’ve been here that somebody didn’t come up with a more restrictive abortion law,” she said. “I want us to do some preventative things.”

And, she said, “if you can’t get pregnant, please don’t vote on this bill.” That, she said, includes Democrats like white Oxford Rep. Jay Hughes, who voted for SB 2116 on March 11. Hughes is the only Democrat running for lieutenant governor in 2019, and last month, he drew fire from his party’s base after he, along with eight other House Democrats, voted in favor of the House version. more LEGSISLATURE p10

EVERS-WILLIAMS, from page 7

calm, be cool.’ I will be darned if I can be calm and cool. …

I can’t be calm, I can’t be still, I can’t be quiet.”

In November, Hyde-Smith said the comment was “an expression of regard” and not meant to refer to lynchings. At a debate later that month, she offered a vague, non-specific apology for “anyone I’ve offended,” but then accused Espy of “twisting” her words “for personal gain.”

Where will our country be in a few years from now?

The 16 years Thompson worked on the legislation is longer than the combined time that Trump, Wicker and Hyde-Smith have held their current offices. Wicker first supported efforts to study making the Evers home a national monument in 2015; Hyde-Smith first supported the effort last May, shortly after Bryant appointed her.

Bryant: Deep Ties with Neo-Confederates The governor who appointed Hyde-Smith is known for his staunch support of the Mississippi state flag, which contains within its canton the emblem of the Confederacy.

At the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum last year, Bryant created a firestorm when he invited Trump to speak at the event. Evers-Williams was in attendance. During the opening, Wicker even called former Confederate President Jefferson Davis a hero.

In the radio interview on March 15, Evers-Williams expressed concern that not enough is being done to carry on the work that civil-rights heroes like her husband began.

“I can’t move around like I used to, but I still have this big mouth that I’ve always had,” continued Evers-Williams, who will be 86 years old on Sunday.

“I still have the love for Medgar Evers that I’ve always had—the respect for him and for all the people of all colors who worked so hard to see that justice prevail, and that honesty be told and upheld in this country,” she continued.

“If we don’t work to see that happen, if we don’t instill that in the minds of our young people, where will our country be in a few years from now?”

Follow state reporter Ashton Pittman on Twitter @ashtonpittman. Email story tips to ashton@jacksonfreepress.com. Read more about the state’s race history and political race-baiting at jacksonfreepress.com/confeds.

A CHANCE TO

WIN

MOST VIRAL STORIES AT JFP.MS: 1. “‘I Can’t Keep Calm’: Myrlie Evers-Williams ‘Incensed’ at Bryant, Hyde-Smith” by Ashton Pittman 2. “Phil Bryant Praises White Officials for Evers Honor, Bashes Bennie Thompson” by Ashton Pittman 3. “Medgar Evers’ Home Becomes National Monument,” Associated Press 4. “Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves’ 2003 Victory over Gary Anderson ‘All About Race,’ Critics Say” by Ashton Pittman 5. “OPINION: Jay Hughes and the Apostasy of ‘White Democrats’ in Mississippi” by Jaz Brisack MOST VIRAL EVENTS AT JFPEVENTS.COM: 1. Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival, March 23 2. “Spirits of the Passage,” Feb. 2-Aug. 11 3. Moonlight Market, March 21 4. “Sweet Potato Queens,” March 13-24 5. CelticFest Mississippi, March 29-30

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TALK JXN

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TALK JXN

CITY

City to Launch Pre-K Pilot Program ayor Chokwe Lumumba announced on March 18 that the City is receiving grant funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a pre-k pilot program. The program, dubbed Ready To Learn, seeks to ensure that every child in Jackson is well prepared to enter kindergarten by age 5, the press release says.

The foundation is awarding the city $1.2 million to support the initiative. The program will undergo a twoyear development process, with the first year dedicated to building data and coalitions of early-childhood educators across the city. The second year will focus on implementing the pilot universal pre-k program at two early-childhooddevelopment centers in Jackson.

The first year of the program will be about learning and researching the number of opportunities there are for high-quality pre-k education. Chief Administrative Officer Robert Blaine wants to get the pre-k education commu-

LEGISLATURE, from p 8

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10

Teacher Pay Raise

On March 11, the sound of children singing filled the chamber as Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, held his smartphone up to a House floor microphone.

He “cried with joy,” he said, as he watched his grandson and classmates singing at a school program at Tupelo’s Joyner Elementary School a few weeks earlier.

The affection quickly subsided once the program was over, though, Holland said, as teachers besieged the local legislator over a teacher pay-raise bill the Senate passed that increases salaries by just $1,000 over a two-year period. Teachers needed more, Holland said.

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced that the City of Jackson is receiving funds for a pre-k pilot program from the W.K. Kellogg Founddation.

The Plantersville Democrat persuaded his colleagues, including 20 Republicans, to amend the bill, quadruple the amount and send it back to the Senate.

The Senate, which, like the House, is dominated by the Republicans, could still reject the amendment in conference. Teachers make less in raw dollars than in any other state. Even with adjustments for the cost of living, Mississippi is still No. 43 in teacher pay nationwide.

Several Mississippi teachers told the Jackson Free Press that even $4,000, the

nity together to have a “robust conversation about what universal pre-k could look like in Jackson,” he said at the press conference.

The second year will focus on the implementation of three strategies. The first is to look specifically at certified pre-k institutions and determine a universal level of quality.

The second is to look at daycare facilities, and ensure they have the technical assistance needed to provide quality education. The last strategy is for the homeschooled children.

The City aims to build and deliver curriculum in community education centers, and work with child-care providers to deliver curriculum while the children are at home. Jackson will also leverage its television PEG network to deliver curriculum at home.

“What we are looking forward to is being able to expand from the pilot phase to a full implementation across the entire city,” Blaine said at the press conference.

environment and “never had to bring it home with me.”

Child Sex Trafficking

On March 13, the Senate passed House Bill 571, which removes criminal prostitution penalties from children under age 18. It allows law-enforcement officers who suspect a minor may be a victim of human sex trafficking to use youth courts to obtain custody of those children.

“We need to treat victims as victims, and not as criminals,” Sen. Sally Doty, Ashton Pittman

Hughes defended himself and the seven other white Democrats who voted for the ban by saying anti-abortion votes were necessary to keep white Democrats from going extinct in the Mississippi Legislature.

Days later on March 1, one of those white Democrats, Rep. Nick Bain, announced that he was switching to the Republican Party.

Clarke was not impressed by Hughes’ defense. “I think we need to take another look at him,” Clarke said. She declined to elaborate further.

On March 19, the Senate passed the amended version of the SB 2116, sending it to Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk, who plans to sign it. “A beating heart clearly means life has begun and should be protected,” Reeves said in a statement immediately after the bill’s final passage. “I appreciate the work of both senators and representatives for getting this legislation to Gov. Bryant’s desk.”

Stephen Wils on /File Photo

M

By Natosha Pengarthit

Mississippi Rep. Alyce Clarke (wearing an olive suit), D-Hinds, joined other pro-Roe v. Wade legislators and activists from Planned Parenthood for a demonstration on the steps of the Capitol on March 14, 2019. They were protesting a fetal-heartbeat bill that would ban abortions after six weeks.

amount in the amended bill, would not be enough. Nathaniel Smith, a Spanish teacher at Columbia High School in Marion County, told the JFP on March 11 that he had considered “quitting teaching and going back to slinging pizzas” as an assistant manager at Domino’s Pizza, where he said he made nearly as much, but also got overtime pay, flexible hours, had a less stressful

a Brookhaven Republican, told her colleagues.

When West Point Democratic Sen. Angela Turner-Ford asked Doty if she really did not believe a girl under 18 could engage in prostitution, Doty was curt.

“No,” she replied.

The bill passed 42-9, with TurnerFord voting no.

Skirting Public Records Laws

On March 19, the Senate passed House Bill 1205, which prohibits government agencies from requiring that taxexempt 501c4 social-welfare organizations disclose donor names. Philadelphia Republican Sen. Jenifer Branning told the Associated Press on March 14 that the bill will allow people to donate to causes they support without facing repercussions.

Sen. David Blount, a Jackson Democrat, opposed the bill. He told the Associated Press that keeping donor names secret “would be the biggest step backward” since Mississippi first took steps toward more transparency with its current public-records laws. The bill, he said, would make it more difficult for the public to see who is influencing their elected officials.

GOP Tort Reform Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk

On March 19, the Legislature sent Senate Bill 2901, known as the “Landowner’s Protection Act,” to the governor’s desk.

The bill, backed mostly by Republicans and mostly opposed by Democrats, makes it harder for victims of crimes to sue when a crime happens on a business owner’s property—even if the property owner failed to take “reasonable” safety efforts.

“I just think that small-business owners have a responsibility when they know or should know that somebody might come onto their property and commit a violent act, that they take reasonable steps,” Democratic House Minority Leader said when his chamber debated the bill last month.

Email state reporter Ashton Pittman at ashton@jacksonfreepress.com.

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T I C K E T S N O W AV A I L A B L E AT S A N T E S O U T H . C O M

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Jaz Brisack

Lessons to Learn From Nissan

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Trip BUrns / File pHoTo

I

f there’s one lesson we could learn from the Nissan layoffs, it’s that we can’t trust corporations. In the months leading up to the 2017 union election, Nissan management suggested to workers and the public that unionizing could cause layoffs or a possible plant closing.

The scare tactics worked; the workers voted against unionizing.

In early March 2019, Nissan announced that the company had laid off more than 300 temporary workers—even without the vote for the union. And without a union and the ability to negotiate a union contract, workers were left without the severance packages, rehiring clauses and other benefits that they might have secured by voting “yes” a year and a half ago.

It also feels a bit like déjà vu. In 2015, Nissan laid off a number of temporary workers, spotlighting the abuses of “at-will” employment. The workers responded by wearing buttons, distributing flyers and delivering speeches that declared, “Lead Us Not Into Temp-Nation.”

This phrase calls attention to another of the company’s broken promises: When the State of Mississippi decided to give Nissan $1.3 billion in cash and tax breaks to locate in Canton—funds that came out of the state’s education budget—they said that the money was going to provide full-time, high-paying jobs.

Nissan has not lived up to its end of the deal. The company contracted with agencies like Kelly and MINACT to pay low wages and offer substandard benefits, creating a permanent underclass of workers. Meanwhile, the government of Mississippi continues to praise Nissan and slander unions. Needless to say, officials have no intention of cutting the company off the corporate-welfare dole for breaking its agreement, just as they haven’t in the past.

Unless workers unionize, companies operate as dictatorships, where the businesses will sacrifice workers’ livelihoods, pantries, mortgages, car payments, medical bills and other needs for the bottom line.

Our state’s leadership is intent on keeping it that way. To do so, they have used many tools, from violence, firings and threats to more subtle tactics, including the almost total suppression of our labor history.

James Silver, the author of “Mississippi: The Closed Society,” once wrote, “I must confess indignation that the recorded history of Mississippi has changed more slowly than the state itself.”

Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher & President Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin Art Director Kristin Brenemen Managing Editor Amber Helsel EDITORIAL State Reporter Ashton Pittman JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Editorial/Events Assistant Nate Schumann City Intern Reporters Taylor Langele, Natosha Pengarthit State Intern Reporter James Bell Editorial Intern Armani T. Fryer Editor-in-Chief’s Assistant Shakira Porter Writers James Bell, Richard Coupe, Bryan Flynn, Armani T. Fryer, Jenna Gibson,Torsheta Jackson, Mike McDonald, Brinda Fuller Willis Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

Ahead of the 2017 union election, Nissan told workers that joining the United Auto Workers union could lead to layoffs or the plant’s closing. Such scare tactics were effective; the workers voted “no” to unionization.

The way that we talk about—or, more importantly, don’t talk about—labor history in Mississippi influences the way that workers in the state vote in union elections. Many people deny the existence of such a history, claiming that the hotbeds of union activity were all up north somewhere, and that those who seek to organize here are carpetbaggers or “outside agitators.” Real history proves just the opposite.

Mississippi workers have been organizing unions since 1866, when the washerwomen in Jackson organized, sent a petition to the mayor and discussed going on

But, of course, the state must not teach this history, or else workers might get notions of equality and freedom into their heads and diminish corporations’ profit margins. When James Loewen and Charles Sallis wrote “Mississippi: Conflict and Change” to replace the white-supremacist history textbook in use then, it won a prestigious literary award—and the state textbook committee rejected it. The members considered the book dangerous, not just because it criticized racist politicians like Bilbo and Vardaman, and challenged popular misconceptions about slavery and

We don’t want things to change. strike to secure a uniform pay scale. Indeed, general strikes and negotiations even occurred on plantations during slavery. (“The only place where Negroes did not revolt is in the pages of capitalist historians,” wrote Trinidadian Marxist scholar C.L.R. James.)

From the 1880s when the Knights of Labor organized industrial and agricultural workers throughout Mississippi and even elected a slate of labor candidates in Vicksburg, to the 1970s when the Gulfcoast Pulpwood Association and the Mississippi Poultry Workers’ Union built workers’ power against seemingly insurmountable corporate opposition, to the present, organized labor has fought the evils of white supremacy and economic exploitation.

the Civil War, but also because it included a section on labor history in the state.

Describing the early manufacturers who set up shop in Mississippi, the authors wrote: “Low wages were considered a necessary evil in order to attract new factories. Businessmen considered unions and strikes ‘unpatriotic,’ against the interests of the community.” There’s a reason we don’t teach labor history. It’s because we don’t want things to change.

Jaz Brisack is a labor organizer, abortion clinic defender, and the University of Mississippi’s first woman Rhodes Scholar.

This column does not necessarily reflect the views of the JFP.

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Contributing Photographers Acacia Clark, Drew Dempsey, Alden Kirkland, Imani Khayyam, Ashton Pittman, Joseph “Joey” Powell ADVERTISING SALES Digital Marketing Specialist Meghan Garner Sales and Marketing Coordinator Andrea Dilworth BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Distribution Manager Ken Steere Distribution Ruby Parks, Eddie Williams ONLINE Web Editor Dustin Cardon Web Designer Montroe Headd CONTACT US: Letters letters@jacksonfreepress.com Editorial editor@jacksonfreepress.com Queries submissions@jacksonfreepress.com Listings events@jacksonfreepress.com Advertising ads@jacksonfreepress.com Publisher todd@jacksonfreepress.com News tips news@jacksonfreepress.com Jackson Free Press 125 South Congress Street, Suite 1324 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Editorial (601) 362-6121 Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com The Jackson Free Press is the city’s awardwinning, locally owned news magazine, reaching over 35,000 readers per issue via more than 600 distribution locations in the Jackson metro area—and an average of over 35,000 visitors per week at www.jacksonfreepress. com. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please. First-class subscriptions are available for $100 per year for postage and handling. The views expressed in this magazine and at jacksonfreepress.com are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2019 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved

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13

‘Why Can’t I Break That Barrier?’

The JFP Interview with AG Hopeful Jennifer Riley Collins

by Ashton Pittman

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Tell me your story—what shaped you into the leader you are today?

Mississippi is home for me. I grew up in Meridian, now live in Clinton, and I have lived in Jackson. My 32-year service in the military and my public service have allowed me to be able to protect and defend. I returned to Mississippi in 1997, and I graduated law school in 1999.

I committed my law practice to focusing on things that are impacting working Mississippians—hard-working Mississippians. And so it brought me to this moment. I think that the attorney general’s office is an office for the people, and so that’s why I’m here.

How does your military career affect how you would approach the attorney general’s office?

My military career informs it in that I did lift my hand to protect and defend the Constitution. That is also why I work for the American Civil Liberties Union, because the American Civil Liberties Union is focused on defending the Constitution. In order for justice to be afforded to everyone, the Constitution has to be evenly applied, and so my military career and my legal training have just led me to this point.

When and where did you serve?

I served on active duty for about 14 years total—they’ve been on and off—and then in reserve or National Guard for 18 years. I had service at Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona. My last assignment overseas was at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, and my last assignment was at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., yesterday (March 14).

What can you do as attorney general to help change the state and send a message to younger people that Mississippi is not hopeless?

So again, Mississippi is home. It’s a state that I absolutely love. I don’t necessarily want to change Mississippi. I want (the state) to truly live up to being a state that is hospitable to everyone. So young people think about how people are treated in Mississippi, as the attorney general, I would represent all people and all people equally.

If young people are leaving the state because they feel like that there are no worker protections, I would want to ensure as the attorney general that there was a safe working environment where people had an opportunity to make a decent living.

I would work with the Legislature as

mendations that ensure that equitable and educational opportunities were afforded to all Mississippians.

I don’t believe that Mississippi is hopeless. I feel like there are other people in Mississippi who love (the state) just like I do. I have three sons, and my oldest left Mississippi and then returned beAshton Pittman

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

W

hen Jennifer Riley Collins returned home to Mississippi in 1997 after earning her master’s degree and serving on active duty in the military, she eagerly looked for ways to help better her home state. In 1999, Riley Collins, now 53, earned her law degree at Mississippi College School of Law, but continued her military service. She retired as an Army colonel and military intelligence officer in 2017.

“I began to look around Mississippi and said, ‘What are some things that are impacting Mississippians?’” she told the Jackson Free Press in an interview on March 15. From the early 2000s onward, she advocated in Mississippi on issues such as juvenilejustice reform. Now, she is the executive director of the Mississippi branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she works on behalf of vulnerable populations.

On Sundays, she is an usher in her church, New Horizon Church International, where she listens to the concerns of mothers who confide in her about their struggles and worries for their kids.

And every day of the week from now until November, she is the lone Democratic candidate for attorney general.

For the first time since voters first elected Democrat Jim Hood to the position in 2003, he is not running for re-election as the state’s top prosecutor. Though it is the only Democrat-held statewide office left in Mississippi, Hood has set his sights on a loftier goal: the governor’s mansion. For Riley Collins’ party to hold onto the attorney general’s office, she will not only have to defy the odds as a Democrat in a red state, but she will have to make history. If she is victorious, she will be the first African American to hold statewide office in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era—and the first African American woman ever to win a statewide office.

During our afternoon interview in downtown Jackson, she explained why she believes she is up to such a momentous task, and what she believes she can bring to the attorney general’s office.

Current Job: ACLU Mississippi Executive Director Party: Democrat Hometown: Grew up in Meridian; Lives in Clinton Education: Alcorn State University; University of Central Texas; Mississippi College School of Law Degrees: Master of Criminal Justice Administration; Juris Doctor Memberships: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; New Horizon Church International Family: Sons Joseph, Jonathan and Joshua; Grandsons Travis Michael and Drew Riley

much as I could. Of course, you know, it’s the legislators’ ability to make laws, but as the attorney general, I do have the responsibility of making recommendations to the Legislature, and I would make recom-

cause people want to be with their family, and I think that’s why he returned—to be around family and be supportive. I want to create a Mississippi where our family members get to stay.

How do we fight the opioid epidemic without making it difficult for people who need medications?

So I think we strike that balance with accurate public education, accurate evidence-based-information dissemination, and by making sure that people who are ill receive treatment. You know, if a person is suffering from an opioid addiction, that person needs treatment, and let’s focus our efforts on making sure that people do not become addicted.

Are there any areas of disagreement with Attorney General Jim Hood where you think you could bring improvements?

It’s really not an issue to me of what Attorney General Hood has not done or what he has done. I’m focused on what I can do as the attorney general in the state of Mississippi. Again, my focus is on protecting vulnerable Mississippians, on combating the opioid epidemic, and on fighting for working Mississippians.

How would you approach issues related to police brutality, such as the shooting of unarmed or nonthreatening suspects, and would you do anything to help prevent it?

I think that everyone else wants a community where we’re all safe, and that means law enforcement and the community. I will tell you, I have family, and I have Courtesy of the Jennifer Riley Collins campaign.

So you would defend those laws?

I would be duty-bound. Any attorney understands the basic principle of zealously and competently representing your client, and my client would be the citizens of Mississippi.

I want to make sure that people who are ill receive health-care treatment, and that people who have mentalhealth issues receive mental-health care.

We should not be penalizing illnesses.

We should ensure people receive treatment. I would ensure that people who use drugs, or have a substance-abuse or -misuse issue receive treatment.

Jim Hood has also said he was duty-bound to defend laws like the 15-week abortion ban the Legislature passed last year. But a few years ago, he declined to defend House Bill 1523 because he said it was unconstitutional.

Well, that is correct. You do get to pick and choose to an extent the laws that come before you, but again, through the vessel of attorney general’s opinions. My focus would be ensuring the legal interests of the state is protected.

How will you respond if the Legislature passes laws that you believe breach the separation of church and state?

I would always provide the best legal representation to the State of Mississippi, and sometimes (that) means telling your client that what you may be about to do is in violation of the Constitution. ... It has been established in law that the government should not infringe upon a person’s rights by lifting up one religion over another, and so I would remind the State of Mississippi of that.

What approach would you take to juvenile-justice reform?

Reform of the juvenile-justice system, just like reform of the corrections system, is a legislative matter. Of course, I would advise any legislator who asks a legal question or for a legal opinion on what the law allowed, but reforming laws is actually a legislative function.

What steps would you take to address to opioid crisis?

Family should not be ripped apart.

Jennifer Riley Collins travels in a humvee across the desert in Kuwait to visit a military base. She is currently the Democratic candidate for attorney general.

If Mississippi voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2020, and it looks like that will be on the ballot, would you foresee any challenges in implementing that on a legal basis?

I do not foresee any challenges.

Again, that would be a legislative matter, and as attorney general, I would advise the Legislature on any legal questions regarding that.

young men that have grown up around my house with my son who are police officers, and we want to make sure that those law-enforcement officers come home safe at night.

At the same time, we want to make sure that ... African American young men who have negative interactions with law enforcement come home as well. And so as attorney general, I would train law enforcement and work with (the) com-

munity to build trust between the two that creates an environment where we all feel safe.

Do you think local law enforcement should be required to release the names of officers involved in shootings or other officer-involved deaths?

I think it depends on the situation.

And so without a case-specific set of facts, I would not want to speculate.

What are some initiatives you would take to address domestic violence?

Domestic violence harms not only the family, but the entire community. I did not grow up in a house where anyone suffered from domestic violence, but I have known people, and I’ve seen reports on the evening news where victims have been heard. I will tell you, I grew up in a house with guns. I served in the military.

So I’m familiar with guns. I think that one of the things that we can do is to ensure that we have responsible gun ownership, because we don’t want victims of domestic violence to be victims of gun violence.

We could train law-enforcement officers to identify victims of domestic violence. We could also train law enforcement to identify victims of human trafficking so that they are not confusing those victims with prostitution crimes.

What are your priorities when it comes to cybercrime?

Vulnerable populations like our children and elderly people really need to be protected from cyber criminals.

You know, one of the things that Attorney General Hood has done an excellent job on is his program fighting internet crimes against children. We would definitely want to continue to ensure that program is funded because we don’t want our children or elderly to be to be victimized by scammers.

If you win, you would be not only the first black statewide-elected official since Reconstruction, but the first black woman ever elected statewide. Rep. Barbara Blackmon hoped to make that history when she ran for lieutenant governor in 2003, but did not. Why do you think you can break that barrier?

Why do I think I can break the barrier? Why can’t I break the barrier? I will be very honest with you. I am fully qualified for the position. I think people will see that as they learn about me, and as I get a chance to share my platform across the state of Mississippi. I think what I have to more RILEY-COLLINS p 16

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

What would you say to the Legislature about constitutionally questionable bills like the current fetal heartbeat ban, which bans abortions after six weeks, or “religious freedom” bills that make it legal for businesses to discriminate against LGBT people?

As the attorney general, my job is to represent the legal interests of the state of Mississippi, and to represent all of its citizens. I would work with the legislators to ensure that they are looking holistically at the impact of the laws that they would be passing. But once those laws are passed, it is my responsibility as the attorney general to uphold them.

15

JFP INTERVIEW: Jennifer Riley Collins, from page 15 say will resonate with hard-working Mississippians, and they will see me as a fully qualified candidate. So why shouldn’t I be able to break the barrier?

negatively that is pushed by the federal government, I’ll stand up for my state to ensure that everyone all Mississippi citizens are treated fairly.

What will it mean if you do?

I think it will mean that Mississippi has taken on a new narrative, and that we are moving beyond a sometimes dark and bloody past, and that we are truly a state that is looking to move forward.

In Mississippi, there are people who, for example, earned a degree but struggle to find a job in that field because of a felony drug charge when they were younger.

Is that fair?

I’m a Christian, and I think the basis of my belief system is that people receive redemption and restoration. I don’t think any of us are immune from making

The Landowner’s Protection Act that is making its way through the photo by ken gordon/Courtesy of the Jennifer Riley Collins campaign.

What would your approach be when it comes to civil rights?

We want to create a Mississippi that is … for everyone. You know, it is a wonderful state. It must be hospitable to everyone, so we would want to make sure that our state treats all of its citizens with dignity and fairness.

way you approach law and the way you approach people?

Sure. Isaiah 61:8 says, “I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.” That scripture right there speaks to me of what the true practice of law is about, and honestly what being an attorney general is about. So it is not justice for some—it is justice for all. I’m not in any way suggesting that the prison doors be slung open, but that we make smart justice decisions for Mississippi.

What do you believe are the most effective ways to reduce crime?

The best approach is building trust between law enforcement and community. We must prioritize people over prisons, and make sure that people who are suffering from an opioid addiction or mental-health issue are not thrown into prison, but instead receive treatment. It’s about prioritizing people.

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

Do you think it’s a bad thing that we depend so much on private prisons?

I think it was not the best economic or social decision that was made. I think right now in the State of Mississippi, as across America, there is bipartisan support for criminal-justice reform because America has learned that throwing people into prisons is not the right answer.

The right answer is restoring people.

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How would you handle issues related to undocumented immigrants living in the state?

I think that there is a need for a comprehensive immigration reform. Again, that is a legislative matter, but I think when people are here, they should be treated with dignity and fairness. I think everyone should be afforded justice.

How will you approach that if a case related to illegal immigration comes before you?

Immigration is actually a federal matter, as long as the federal government is not enforcing something upon the state of Mississippi. I will tell you that, if there is anything that impacts the state

Jennifer Riley Collins is the Democratic candidate for Mississippi attorney general. The election is in November.

mistakes in life, and when a person has paid their debt to society, I think people should be restored. If expungement laws are not already on the books, that would definitely be something that I would hope that the state Legislature would expand, so that a young person who made a mistake like that would have another opportunity.

Do you believe we should restore voting rights to people with felonies?

Yes, most definitely. Once someone has paid their debt to society, they should be restored to their full rights of citizenship.

Can you tell me more about how your Christian faith informs the

Legislature is a bill that would make it more difficult for people to sue business owners if they are injured on their property. What do you think of that?

I would want to always ensure that all Mississippians are maintained as whole beings. And so if there is an issue of liability and negligence, I think that a person should have a right to be made whole.

I would ask legislators to think about their own families, because their families are Mississippians, too.

What’s your view on the death penalty?

I have concerns. We know from statistics it has played out disproportionately for African Americans. I would want to ensure that, if the State of Mississippi

ever pursues the death penalty, that a person was afforded all rights of appeal.

I would want to make sure that it was done in a humane way. Even in the process of death, people should be treated with dignity.

What are some priorities you believe are important that I may not have mentioned?

My priorities are protecting vulnerable Mississippians. There are children who are victims of violence and elderly (who are) victims of crime.

When I think about protecting vulnerable Mississippians, I often think about the mothers in the church (where I’m an usher) who tug on my coat, and they say “Hey, I just want to ask you a question after church.”

I’ve heard stories of mothers who have had their limited income stolen by someone who sought to defraud them.

And so I would want to make sure that we prioritize our efforts on protecting those vulnerable adults.

I cannot stress enough the combating of the opioid crisis. I don’t want to see any families ripped apart because a child was playing football—and in Mississippi, we love Friday night lights—and let’s say that child was injured and was taken to the doctor to receive treatment, and then later became addicted to the prescription meds. He could be punished for something that was simply supposed to help.

I would want to ensure that he received treatment.

When it comes to ensuring that we are fighting for working families, my father and my mother were hard-working Mississippians, and I miss them dearly.

They, to me, demonstrated what Mississippi is all about. It’s about working to provide for your family. And we want to make sure that when Mississippians work, they are protected at work and they have security in their jobs.

So again, I am committed to the state of Mississippi. It is home for me. I love this state. I want to serve its people.

It is a continuation of public service for me. I think that the attorney general’s office is duly positioned to ensure that Mississippi is made better, and I want to be a part of that.

Follow state reporter Ashton Pittman on Twitter @ashtonpittman. Email him at ashton@jacksonfreepress.com. Read more about this year’s elections at jacksonfreepress. com/2019elections.

ONLINE CLASSES Earn your

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D ETA I LS AT M S FCU.U S

April 8 for Summer/Fall classes

In compliance with the following: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 of the Higher Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable Federal and State Acts, Hinds Community College offers equal education and employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or veteran status in its educational programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dr. Tyrone Jackson, Vice President for Utica Campus and Administrative Services and District Dean of Student Services & Title IX Coordinator Box 1003, Utica, MS 39175; Phone: 601.885.7002 or Email: titleIX@hindscc.edu

F E B R U A R Y 2 – A U G U S T 11 , 2 0 1 9

Designed for anyone who wants to be more creative, on or off the job. Enjoy fun exercises and develop a creativity action plan for yourself. Limited seats.

Workshop meets in the big JFP

Includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, binder of worksheets and readings, weekly newsletter/writing prompts leading up to workshop.

$250

creative space in Capital Towers,

Mention this as for $100 off until April 3rd! (Total $150)

125 S. Congress St., #1324

Accept checks, credit/debit cards. Non-refundable

Must register: Call 601-966-0834 or email class@writingtochange.com

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7-10 pm at the icehouse 251 w. south st. | jackson, ms 39201

$70 adv | $90 in person

for tickets:

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SATURDAY, March 30, 2019 Trustmark Park | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

General Admission Tickets - $5

BIG WHEEL VIP EVENT - $30 Saturday, March 30, 2019 | 8:30 – 10 a.m.

Experience the Touch A Truck® Jackson exhibits early before the crowds roll in! Your Big Wheel ticket includes entry to the VIP event for one adult and one child (12 and under) and breakfast for one adult and one child (12 and under). It also includes all-day General Admission to the event until 4:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit us at

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All attendees over the age of 2, including parents, require a ticket for admission.

TAT is a rain or shine event.

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summer activities

Paid advertising section

Jackson Futbol Club SUMMER CAMPS

Summer Activity Guide 2019

Jackson Futbol Club & MS Rush Summer Camps All camps will be staffed by Jackson Futbol Club and Mississippi Rush coaching staff. For registration forms, please visit www.jacksonfc.com and www.mfcsoccer.com

Ballet Mississippi p 22 Christ United Methodist Church p 22 Jackson Futbol Club p 20 Millsaps Enrichment Camps p 22 Mississippi Museum of Natural Science p 23 Mississippi Tennis Association p 23 New Stage Theatre p 23 Saint Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal School p 21 Wells United Methodist Church p 20

JFC/MS Rush Summer Camp 1 June 3-7 - Jackson Futbol Club 8:30am-Noon (Half Day $125) Early bird deadline: May 25 Sibling discounts also available | Ages 4-15 Camp Director: Kevin Johns - kjohns@mc.edu

MFC/MS Rush Elite Camp 2

June 10-14 - Freedom Ridge Park 9am-Noon (Half Day - $145) Ages 8-15 Camp Director: Kenny White - kwsocman@aol.com

Wells United Methodist Church

MFC/MS Rush Premier Camp 3 July 15-19 - Freedom Ridge Park

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss the 9am-Noon Fun (half day - $145) at Jackson Futbol Club!

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9am-4pm (full day - $195) Ages 8-15 Register TODAY online Camp Director: Kenny White - kwsocman@aol.com

Soccer teams forming NOW for boys and girls ages 4 - 19 .

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July 22-26 - Jackson Futbol Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;8:30am-Noon (Half Day - $125) www.JacksonFC.com Early bird deadline: July 8 Mail in registration form also available on the JFC website. Save $25 by registering by 1/7/15.

SiblingRegistrations discounts also available | Ages 4-15 accepted until 1/14/15.

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Camp Director: Kevin Johns - kjohns@mc.edu

For more info contact jacksonfc1@aol.com.

Includes daily snacks, lunch, and all production and costume costs.

For registration and more information: Ashley Hewitt | ashleyrogers@wellschurch.org www.wellschurch.org | 601-353-0658

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summer activities

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PAID ADVERTISING SECTION

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summer activities

PAID ADVERTISING SECTION

JUNE 24-27 Christ United invites you to VBX where kids will EXPERIENCE Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love and Word in all kinds of ways!

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Millsaps College Summer Enrichment Camps for Youth are bursting with fun, imagination, and the stuďŹ&#x20AC; of genius! Our camps are designed for youth, ages 5-17. For full details and to sign up, go to millsaps.edu/summercamps.

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SUMMER 2019 CAMPS: BIRDING CAMP | CANTARE CHOIR CAMP | COLLAGE PAPERMAKING AND MULTI�MEDIA ART CAMP | CONSTRUCTION BUILDING BLOCKS CAMP | MOSAICS FOR TEENS CAMP | PULLBACK CAR FRENZY BUILDING BLOCKS CAMP | SPACE WARS BUILDING BLOCKS CAMP | SUPER HERO BUILDING BLOCKS CAMP

summer activities

PAID ADVERTISING SECTION

USTA MS Summer Tennis Programs

Join in the fun today!

Ready to Rally Instructional Camps for Beginners Begins early June and runs 8 weeks for ages 6-12 Locations will be Reservoir YMCA, Brandon City Courts, Ridgeland Tennis Center, Brighton Park Clinton, Brookhaven & Hemphill Park

For more information: mstennis.com/content/beginner-programs

Junior Team Tennis For youth who can Serve, Rally & Score Registration begins April 1st with play beginning early June.

MDWFPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Teams are coed and the league fee is $26.

For more Junior information contact Angie Deleon: angied@mstennis.com or 601-981-4421

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DAY CAMP GOALS â&#x20AC;¢ Exposure to live theatre for Mississippi children â&#x20AC;¢ Stimulate an interest in theatre and all arts â&#x20AC;¢ Provide instruction in acting, stage movement, and music â&#x20AC;¢ Provide an opportunity for children to perform in a professional theatre â&#x20AC;¢ Have fun!

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Scholarship auditions

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Acting Intensive

23

aTo Do Listd

Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.

COMMUNITY

WEDNESDAY 3/20

Events at Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St.) • Pub Quiz March 20, March 27, April 3, 7-10 p.m. Free; call 601-948-0055; find it on Facebook.

• Karaoke March 25, April 1, 9 p.m. Free; find it on Facebook.

• Open Mic March 26, April 2, 9 p.m. Free.

Open Mic hosted by Reed Smith March 20, March 27, April 3, 9 p.m., at Martin’s Downtown (214 S. State St.). Participants sing, read poetry, tell jokes and more. Free admission.

Moonlight Market March 21, 6-8 p.m., at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.). Participants receive food from Nick Wallace and Mark Coblentz, and can purchase fresh produce, dairy products, meats and more from local farmers.

THURSDAY 3/21 All 4 Children’s Spring/Summer 2019 Consignment Event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at All 4 Children Consignment (1200 Mississippi St.). The event offers a chance for people to sell and buy children’s items, including clothes,

ALEXAS FOTOS/PIXABAY

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

toys and other goods. Additional dates: March 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., March 23, 9 a.m.-1p.m. Free admission, various prices on goods; find it on Facebook.

24

$50 individual, $80 couple, $400 table ticket; find it on Facebook.

Open Mic Night at Lounge 114 March 21, 7-11:30 p.m., at Lounge 114 (105 E. Capital St.). Participants showcase their creative talents, including educational rap, lip syncing, singing, spoken word, comedy, poetry and live painting.

Hosted by LeCourtney Harness and DJ Nastysho. Sign up in advanced through email or arrive by 6 p.m. in person. Free admission; call 601383-1112; email Loungejxn@gmail.com.

Spring Market of Jackson March 22, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., March 23, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., March 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Mississippi Trademart Center (1200 Mississippi St.). Participants browse and

RAWPIXEL/ROUNGROAT

Boxing & Kickboxing is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Boxers Rebellion Fighting Arts & Fitness (856 S. State St., Suite E). Instructors teach participants boxing and kickboxing skills. Additional dates: March 21, March 25-27, April 1-3. $15 single day, $100 session; more options shown on website; call 262-994-3174; email jeremy@boxersrebellion. com; boxersrebellion.org.

shop for a variety of goods. The event offers options on Friday and Saturday for adult beverages and snacks at a cost of $20 per day (this fee covers general admission as well).

Both these options are covered in the VIP pass.

Discounts held at different times each day. The event also features a silent auction, door prizes and a photo booth. $10 day pass, $18 threeday pass, $40 VIP pass; call 901-949-1101; email kristi@midsouthmediagroup.com; midsouthmediagroup.com.

Expungement Clinic March 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Madison County WIN Job Center (152 Watford Parkway Drive, Canton). The event allows participants with criminal records to come and speak with attorneys for assistance in getting their records expunged. Participants must bring their court records. Free admission.

Grant Writing Workshop–501c3 March 23, 10 a.m.-noon, at Jackson State University (1400 J. R. Lynch St.). The workshop teaches attendees how to properly write a 501c3 and the components in which it entails, including grants.

Spring Bridal Showcase March 23, 1-4 p.m., at Mynelle Gardens Arboretum & Botanical Center (4736 Clinton Blvd.). The event showcases various photographers, disc jockeys, caterers, decorators, bakeries, accessory vendors, makeup artists, stylists and more so that attendees can learn of some options for wedding planning. $5 admission; find it on Facebook.

Downtown Gospel Explosion March 23, 5-8 p.m., at Alamo Theater (333 N. Farish St.).

The event honors Women’s History Month and Hinds County African American women judges.

Free admission; call 601-942-2224; email adaone4u@hotmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Lectio Divina During Lent March 26, April 2, 10-11:30 a.m., at St. Richard Catholic Church (1242 Lynwood Drive). In the Mercy Room. Attendees gather to offer Lenten prayers.

Facilitated by Mary Louise Jones and Claudia Addison. Participants may to come to any or all sessions. All welcomed. Free admission; email claudiaaddison@mac.com; .

Arts & Lecture Series: Muscle Shoals Influence on Music Today March 26, 7 p.m., at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). In Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex. Southern musicians Will Kimbrough, Kate Campbell and Spooner Oldham present a program of music and storytelling, and discuss the musical impact that Muscle Shoals, Ala., had on the industry. The event is part of the Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series. $10

general, $5 student; call 601-974-1130; email conted@millsaps.edu; millsaps.edu.

Karaoke March 26, April 2, 7:30-11:30 p.m., at Shucker’s Oyster Bar (116 Conestoga Road, Ridgeland). Free; shuckersontherez.com.

DRIVE 8(a) Summit - Mississippi March 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at Mississippi e-Center @JSU (1230 Raymond Road). The event allows attendees to network with a variety of national and local public- and private-sector organizations that could facilitate in growing their small businesses. Free admission; Eventbrite.

March Naturalization Workshop March 30, 9 a.m.-noon, at MIRA Office (4436 N. State Street, Ste. A-1). MIRA Legal Project Director Attorney L. Patricia Ice helps Lawful Permanent Residents complete the N-400 application for naturalization. In order to apply for naturalization, participants must be a “lawful permanent resident” for at least three years if married to and living with a U.S. Citizen or at least five years if not. $100 workshop cost, $725 application cost.

Noon Lecture: Mississippi’s Aquatic Introduced and Invasive Species April 2, noon, at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Fisheries/Environmental Coordinator for

Students learn to program robots and communicate using computer code. Limited to 30.

Free admission.

Bob Braddy Baseball League March 23, March 30, 11 a.m.-noon, at Forest Hill Park (1344 McCluer Road). Jackson State University coach Bob Braddy instructs youth in baseball techniques. Registration begins March 2. $75-$90; call 601-572-1434; email braddybaseball10@aol. com; bobbraddybaseballleague.com.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training March 29, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at The Kirkland Group (404 Orchard Park, Ridgeland). The event teaches parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and humanservices workers, and other caring citizens how to help adolescents ages 12-18 who are experiencing mental health or addictions challenges or are otherwise in crises. $50, meals and materials included; Eventbrite.

Events at Forest Hill High School (2607 Raymond Road) • Greek in Unity Weekend March 30, 8:30 a.m., March 31, 2 p.m. The youth-led weekend includes workshops on various social issues, a step show and a car and truck show.

Free admission.

• Youth Against Violence March 30, 9 a.m.

In the auditorium. Young people from the Jackson metro area share their thoughts and ideas about ways to help curb youth and gun violence in the area. The young people lead discussions about how violence has impacted their lives and ways that adults in the community can provide resources and experiences to mitigate violence and reach more young people. Free admission.

SUNDAY 3/24 Sweet Potato Queens begins 2 p.m. at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.).

The musical tells the story of Jill and her closest friends, and how they learn to “grab life by the horns and live it on their terms.” Based on the books by Jill Conner Browne. Additional dates: March 20-23, 7:30 p.m. $35 adult, $28 seniors/students/military; newstagetheatre.com.

the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Dennis Reicke discusses how Mississippi is dealing with aquatic nuisance species, both fish and plant life.

Reicke explains how they arrived in Mississippi, what impacts they have had on Mississippi-native species and how the public can stop the further repercussions of their spread. $6 adult, $4 child, kids ages 3 and below free.

KIDS Kids and Coding March 20, March 27, 4:30 p.m., at Margaret Alexander Library (2525 Robinson St.). This entry-level class teaches kids grades two through six about computer coding.

FOOD & DRINK Cupcakes, Conversations & Cocktails March 21, 6-8 p.m., at Kundi Compound (3220 N. State St.). Attendees enjoy cupcakes and cocktails as they learn more about SHERO, or Sistas Helping Every woman Rise and Organize, as well as networking and expressing opinions in an open forum. RSVP by March 18. Free admission; find it on Facebook.

“A Decent Proposal” Dinner Theater at Char March 25, 6-9 p.m., at Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). The Detectives and Char present the comedic dinner theater show with a three-course meal. Cocktails and

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tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March, and if your well-intentioned perhaps? Or your bubbeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beloved ruge2019 new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions and diets lach? Give it a try in your own kitchen. have flown out the window, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not Be a snack-food tourist in your alone. Resolutions are tricky, especially own city. In my humble opinion, snackif they involve freeing yourself from glu- ing is one of the best parts of being alive. ten or juicing your vegetables or eating six This year, try exploring the culinary small meals a day. Some diets are punitive and focused on deprivation (even if they pretend not to be), and thus unsustainable.

I propose that we bring pleasure back into our vocabulary around food. In honor of all those dead diet resolutions, here are some ideas for making the rest of 2019 more, ahem, palatable.

Make 2019 the year of fresh bread (or looseleaf tea, or Korean barbecue, or crème brĂťlĂŠe, or ...). I got this idea from a food podcast I subscribe to called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sporkful.â&#x20AC;?

Each year, the host Dan Pashman asks listeners to call in with a message Make 2019 the year of some kind of food, whether about what food they itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh bread or Korean barbecue or crème want to eat more of in brĂťlĂŠe and everything in between. the coming year. Notice that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;want to eat,â&#x20AC;? not â&#x20AC;&#x153;should eat.â&#x20AC;? world while upping your snack game.

Maybe you want to make more Treat yourself to an alfajor, a decadent homemade pies. Or maybe you want to dulce-de-leche-filled Argentinian cookgo to a local ramen restaurant each time ie, at La Brioche. Wander through the you visit a new city. You may learn that dusty Kosher section in a local grocery you like tonkatsu ramen more than shio. store for some halvah and imported For me, this is the year Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to learn German pickles. Pick up chocolate covto make homemade biscuits. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never ered Pocky and dried seaweed snacks made them from scratch before, but I from Mr. Chenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oriental Market. hope that come December, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a In fact, why not try a different counfew tried-and-true recipes up my sleeve. tryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snack food each month of the year?

Make a family recipe. Last year, I You can splurge on those stroopwafels hosted my first Passover Seder, which, you found on Amazon while watching of course, required that I make my an obscure Dutch movie on Netflix. You great grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matzo-ball soup. deserve it.

My mom sent me the recipe, which instructed the home cook to â&#x20AC;&#x153;pluck feathPlease know that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not trying to ers,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;boil chicken feet until tender.â&#x20AC;? stop anyone from drinking green juice I skipped these steps, and the soup still or eating healthier. After all, I like kale turned out great. Plus, I felt connected salad as much as the next yoga-loving to the generations of women in my fam- white lady from Colorado. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just here ily who have made this same soup. to remind you that food can be nourIs there a family recipe you love? ishing and fun. No calorie-counting or Your uncleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous muscadine wine, carb-cutting required.

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aTo Do Listd

ARTS

Becoming Curious Citizens

seating begin at 6 p.m. Reservations required. $49, plus tax and gratuity; call 601-937-1752; email thedetectives@ymail.com; thedetectives.biz.

by Amanda Valentine COURTESY CURIOUYS CITIZENS

Through Curious Citizens, local creative and organizer daniel johnson wants people to activate people to find ways to participate in local government.

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

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aniel johnson, who does not capitalize his name, stood on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol, waiting as participants in the Curious Citizens Capitol See event gathered before the beaux art-style building. For the next hour, he gave the group a tour around the Capitol, from the library of legislation downstairs to the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives wings of the building.

It all started when johnson, the founder and chief executive officer of Significant Developments, visited the Mississippi Capitol with a group of people interested who were in public-education opportunities in the state.

In that visit, he found it difficult to discover what his role as a citizen was, and how people could interact and be part of that territory in a meaningful way.

“It was an experience full of anxiety and not a certainty of what I could do in the space,” johnson says.

As someone who wants to solve problems through the use of art, johnson knew that he wanted to develop something to help discover his role as a citizen. He also wanted to do it in a way that other people could join him in that process.

“We wanted to create something completely apolitical, something that anyone could insert themselves and realize their own interests,” he says. “We advocate for curiosity and just for people to be able to follow their own path.”

The result was Curious Citizens. johnson believes that there is a history of intentional design to impede the citizens’ to the government, which makes it difficult for those who are curious to become a participative member of society.

“It is embedded in our system to keep people out, and so Curious Citizens is about imagining and putting into practice what it might look like if you actively facilitate and resource citizens to go from being curious to being engaged,” he says.

Those who want to participate in the program start with an orientation. During the meeting, which Curious Citizens hosts about once a month, johnson educates people on the goings-on in the Capitol and how to navigate the space. At the event’s conclusion, each participant earns a pin they can wear during tours at the Capitol.

Kira Cummings, an artist and the “circumstance logician” at Significant Developments, highlights that the Curious Citizens orientation program is a great way to educate anyone who is not familiar with the civics system. “It is a great introduction to educate people about their representatives,” she says.

Cummings says that one of her favorite things about the project is watching the people who participate in the orientation learn how to address issues and keep up with their state representatives. The Capitol See tours happen about once a quarter, and the next tour is March 26.

“Significant Developments is inviting citizens who are curious about what a role for them looks like interacting with Mississippi state government,” johnson says. “That’s gonna be a unique pathway for each person, and we are excited to see what they discover and share.”

The March 26 Capitol See event is at the Mississippi Capitol (400 High St.). For more information, visit curiouscitizens.net or find Significant Developments on Facebook.

‘The Office’ Parody Dinner Theater at Berry’s March 25, April 1, 7-9 p.m., at Berry’s Seafood (2942 Interstate 49, Florence). The troupe delivers an interactive murder mystery performance that parodies “The Office” while participants dine. Reservations required. $45; call 601-8502318; email fringedinnertheatre@gmail.com; fringedinnertheatre.com.

“BBQ, Beer & Live Trivia” March 25, April 1, 7:30 p.m., at The Pig & Pint (3139 N. State St.). Challenge Entertainment presents Live Trivia, featuring a $50 gift card for first place, a $20 gift card for second place and a $10 gift card for third place. Free; pigandpint.com.

‘The Office’ Parody Dinner Theater at Biaggi’s March 28, 7-9 p.m., at Biaggi’s (970 Highland Colony Parkway). The troupe delivers an interactive murder mystery performance that parodies “The Office” while participants dine.

Reservations required. $54; call 601-850-2318; email fringedinnertheatre@gmail.com.

Food Truck Mash-Up at The Rez March 30, 4:30-10 p.m., at Lakeshore Park (1112 N. Shore Parkway, Brandon). Food trucks from across Mississippi gather in one location for attendees to purchase and try their food. Features live music. Early access ticket includes $5 of “MashUp cash” to use at any participating food truck and entry at 3 p.m. Tickets: $20 early access (adult), $15 4-pack (four general ticket bundle), $10 early access (youth), $5 general, $2.50 student (buy two, get two free), military/vets/firstresponders free. Current coupon code online offers $5 off early access ticket, or $2 off general ticket. Find it on Facebook.

Taste of Mississippi: A Benefit for Stewpot April 1, 7-10 p.m., at Ice House (251 W. South St.). Chefs and restaurants from multiple eateries in the Jackson metropolitan area prepare food to be judged in the annual competition fundraising event. The event also includes a silent auction and live entertainment from Hunter Gibson and the Gators. Proceeds go toward assisting in homelessness and hunger-reducing initiatives. $70 in advance, $90 at door; call 601-353-2759 ext.18; stewpot.org.

‘The Office’ Parody Dinner Theater at Georgia Blue April 2, 7-9 p.m., at Georgia Blue (223 Ridge Way, Flowood). The troupe delivers an interactive murder mystery performance that parodies “The Office” while participants dine.

Reservations required. $54; call 601-850-2318; email fringedinnertheatre@gmail.com; fringedinnertheatre.com.

SPORTS & WELLNESS Bend & Brew | 2019 Kick Off March 20, 6-7 p.m., at Highland Village Shopping Center (4500 I-55 N. Frontage Road, Suite 281). The exercise event allows participants to engage in a balanced 45-minute workout, followed by a happy hour. Bring your own mat, if possible.

Free admission; call 601-982-5861; email lynsie. armstrong@wsdevelopment.com; Find it on Facebook.

Choreorobics Dance Off @ Steps the Studio March 20, March 27, April 3, 6:15-7 p.m., at Steps the Studio, School of the Performing Arts (6800 Old Canton Road, Suite 113, Ridge-

land). Choreographer Roger L. Long and dance progressional Tena Long instruct participants in hip-hop-style dance-fitness techniques. $10 per person; call 601-853-7480; email golongproductions@yahoo.com; choreorobics.com.

Events at Boxers Rebellion Fighting Arts & Fitness (856 S. State St., Suite E) • GTS Self-Defense & Personal Safety March 23, 2:30-5 p.m. Gordon Tactical Systems “GTS” instructs participants in C.O.B.R.A. self-defense. $25 per individual; call 262-9943174; email jeremy@boxersrebellion.com; boxersrebellion.org.

• Triad Jeet Kune Do Fight Clinic March 30-31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Instructors teach participants basics in the martial art of Jeet Kune Do, which Bruce Lee developed. The class includes lessons on boxing, kickboxing and other street-fighting elements included in the style. $75 members, $125 nonmembers; covers both days; call 262-994-3174; email jeremy@boxersrebellion.com.

Winter Yoga March 22, March 29, 9-10:30 a.m., at St. Richard Catholic Church (1242 Lynwood Drive). The class focuses on yoga basics through foundation poses to promote flexibility, balance and a more relaxed body. This session will have a special focus on awareness of

SATURDAY 3/30 Touch A Truck® Jackson is from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trustmark Park (1 Braves Blvd., Pearl). The event hosts a number of assorted trucks, emergency response vehicles, construction vehicles, heavy machinery and other equipment

ADOLFO LUNA/PIXABAY

for kids to safely touch and climb.

VIP Big Wheel Breakfast tickets are for one adult and one child, and include breakfast and early admission at 8:30 a.m. General entry begins 10 a.m. $5 general, $15 family 4-pack, $30 VIP Big Wheel Breakfast; call 601-948-2357; find it on Facebook.

the core muscles. Proceeds go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Richard. Guests can make checks out to St. Vincent de Paul. $8 per class, $60 for all sessions; call 601-594-3937; email claudiaaddison@mac.com.

Free West African Dance Class March 24, March 31, 2-3:30 p.m., at Central United Methodist Family Life Center (517 N. Farish St.). The class teaches West African choreogra-

Looking for something great to do in Jackson?

Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.

phy and performance. All ages and experiencelevel are welcome. Baby and child-friendly class.

Strollers, carriers and playpens are welcome.

Live music from Alkebulan Music Philosophy.

Sponsored by Greater Jackson Arts Council and Mississippi Arts Commission. Free admission; call 601-983-9305; email shanina.carmichael@ gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Hal & Mal’s Second Line Stomp March 22, 3-7 p.m., at Cathead Distillery (422 S. Farish St.).

Attendees celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the annual event. The event serves Cathead vodka and Hal & Mal’s craft beer. It will have live music from the Epic Funk Brass Band. Free admission.

Events at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.) • Yoga for Everyone March 26, April 2, 6:15-7:30 p.m. Sally Holly is the instructor. Participants learn yoga techniques and postures to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. Must bring sticky mat and a firm blanket. Class meets either Tuesdays \Jan. 15-April 2 or April 16-July 2. $150; call

Events at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.) • MTAT’s Behind the Scenes Paddy’s Day Experience March 22, 4:30-9:30 p.m., March 23, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The event gives attendees a behind-the-scenes experience of the annual Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival. For Friday, the tour includes transportation to and from Hal & Mal’s for the Friday Night

TUESDAY 3/26 “Dead Man’s Float” Poetry Reading begins 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (4465 N. Highway 55). The event honors the life and works of author and poet Jim Harrison with a community reading of his latest poetry collection, “Dead Man’s Float.” Participants can sign up to read selections of the work on a firstcome, first-served basis. Free admission.

RAWPIXEL

601-974-1130; millsaps.edu.

• Advanced Basketball March 27, April 3, 7-9 p.m. Jimmy Smith is the instructor.

The class is for current and former college basketball players looking to develop advanced skills and complex team strategy.

Class meets Wednesdays from March 27-May 1. $120 per person; millsaps.edu.

STAGE & SCREEN “Made in Abyss: Journey’s Dawn” March 20, March 25, 7 p.m., at Malco Grandview Cinema (221 Grandview Blvd., Madison). The film follows the characters from the original animated television series. Attendees also get to see a special “The Making of-Made in the Abyss” presentation. The screening uses Japanese audio with English subtitles on March 20 and uses an English dub on March 25. $13.50 ticket; fathomevents.com.

Fam Friday | Outdoor Movie - “Peter Rabbit” March 22, 7-9 p.m., at Highland Village (4500 Interstate 55 North Frontage Road, Suite 281). The event presents a screening of “Peter Rabbit.” Limited seating. Registration required.

Free admission; call 601-982-5861; email lynsie. armstrong@wsdevelopment.com; find it on Facebook.

Disney on Ice presents “Dare to Dream” March 30, 6 p.m., at Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). The performance features many Disney princesses, including Moana, Belle, Cinderella, Elsa and Anna. People ages 14 and up are now allowed to wear costumes. $15-$75; find it on Facebook.

“Alice in Wonderland” March 30, 6-8 p.m., March 31, 2-4 p.m., at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center (4908 Ridgewood Road).

Dancers from the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet perform “Alice in Wonderland.” A “MadHatter’s Tea Party” follows the performance. $20-$22; email crytz76@yahoo.com;

Stomp, as well as a meet-and-greet with some of the Marching Krewe members. For Saturday, the tour includes transportation and entry to the Krewe Breakfast, a preparade party and entry into the Festival after the parade. Part of the proceeds go to the Blair E. Batson’s Children Hospital. Limited to six people. $190 per person (limited six); evensi.us.

• Hal’s St. Paddy’s Festival March 23, 1-9 p.m. The post-parade celebration features live music from Yesterday - Beatles tribute, Mustache The Band, The Bluz Boys and Southern Komfort Brass Band. $10; find it on Facebook.

• CMBS Blue Monday March 25, April 1, 7 p.m. The Central Mississippi Blues Society presents the weekly blues show, which features a “Front Porch Acoustic Hour” and a jam with the Blue Monday Band. Cash bar available. $5 admission, $3 for CMBS members; call 601-948-0888; halandmals.com.

Events at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave) • Brent Cobb and Them March 22, 8 p.m.

The Georgia-native country and southernrock band performs as part of the “Sucker for a Good Time” Tour. Adam Hood also performs. Doors open at 7 p.m. $12 in advance, $15 day of the show; call 877-9876487; ardenland.net.

• Young Valley / The Underhill Family Orchestra March 29, 8 p.m. Young Valley and The Underhill Family Orchestra perform. Seats are first-come, first-served. $5 up-charge taken at the door for persons under 21. Show Presented in part by Capital City Beverage, Cathead Vodka, A2Z Printing and Find It In Fondren. $10 advanced, $15 at door; find it on Facebook.

Events at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.) • Mavis Staples March 22, 8 p.m. The Rock & Roll and Blues Hall of Fame r&b and gospel

singer performs. $43-$256; ticketoffices.com.

• The Black Jacket Symphony March 29, 8 p.m. The Journey-inspired band performs. $25-$35; find it on Facebook.

S L AT E

the best in sports over the next two weeks

by Bryan Flynn, follow at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports

Newscast EP Release Party March 22, 7-11:30 p.m., at The Lowry House (1031 N. Congress St.). The listening party features special guests Lo Noom, Schaefer Llana and Cowboy Cole Reformation to celebrate the release of the band Newscast’s first EP titled “5.” $7; email thbe111@yahoo.com; find it on Facebook.

Both the Bulldogs and Rebels are going dancing as MSU gets a fifth seed in the East Regional, and UM gets an eight seed in the South Regional.

South Street Live After Parade Party March 23, 4 p.m., at South Street Live Entertainment (110 E. South St.). The post-parade event celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. The party continues until 2 a.m. Admission TBA; find it on Facebook.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra: Spring Delight March 23, 7:30 p.m., at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). In Ford Academic Complex. The symphony performs a concert featuring spring-themed musical selections from composers Igor Stravinsky, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fraz Schubert and Ben Williams. $22; msorchestra.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

CelticFest Mississippi March 29, 5-10 p.m., March 30, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., at Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). The annual event celebrates Celtic tradition with international musicians and dancers, a vendor village, live animals, blacksmith demonstrations, skits, a whiskey tasting and more. The event demonstrates Highland Games activities and allows audience participation. Friday tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Saturday tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for military and college students (with school ID), and $8 for children. $5-$16, see description; find it on Facebook.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24

A Night with JadaBelle featuring DScott4Real Music March 29, 8 p.m., at South Street Live (110 E. South St.). The R&B and soul music artist performs. $10 general, $20 VIP balcony; find it on Facebook.

Gold Coast Blues Festival 2019 March 30, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., at Bass Pro Shop (100 Bass Pro Drive, Pearl). The inaugural music festival features crawfish, games and live music. Live music begins at 4 p.m. Musical guests include Robby Peoples, Zack Harmon, KINGFISH, Eddie Cotton Band and Keeshea Pratt Band. The event also holds a doubles-only cornhole tournament, with first place receiving $500 (and two custom cornhole boards), second place receiving $400, third place receiving $200 and fourth place receiving $100. Registration begins at 10 a.m., warm-up practice begins at 11 a.m., and the tournament begins at noon. $20 adult, kids 14 and under free; cornhole tourney $50/pair; find it on Facebook.

LITERARY SIGNINGS Events at Two Mississippi Museums (222 North St.) • History Is Lunch: Christian Pinnen March 20, noon-1 p.m. In the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. Christian Pinnen presents “Race, Slavery, Empire: Natchez in the Eighteenth Century.” Book sales and signing to follow.

Free admission; mdah.ms.gov.

• History Is Lunch: Karen Evers and Luke Lampton March 27, noon-1 p.m. In the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. Karen Evers and Luke Lampton present “Images

Men’s college basketball (11 a.m.11 p.m., CBS/TruTV): 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 11 a.m.-11 p.m., CBS/TruTV: Men’s Basketball Tournament SATURDAY, MARCH 23

11 a.m.-11 p.m., CBS/TruTV: Men’s Basketball Tournament 11 a.m.-11 p.m., CBS/TruTV): Men’s Basketball Tournament MONDAY, MARCH 25

Women’s basketball (6-10:30 p.m., ESPN): 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament TUESDAY, MARCH 26

College baseball (6:30-8:30 p.m., SECN+): MVSU v. MSU WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

Men’s college basketball (8-10:30 p.m., ESPN): NIT Quarterfinal THURSDAY, MARCH 28

6-11 p.m., CBS/TBS: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament FRIDAY, MARCH 29

6-11 p.m., CBS/TBS: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament SATURDAY, MARCH 30

6-11 p.m., CBS/TBS: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament SUNDAY, MARCH 31

Men’s college basketball (6-11 p.m., CBS/TBS): 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament MONDAY, APRIL 1

Women’s basketball (6-10:30 p.m., ESPN2): 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament TUESDAY, APRIL 2

Men’s college basketball (6-11 p.m., ESPN): NIT Tournament Semifinals WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3

College baseball (6:30-8:30 p.m., SECN+): University of LouisianaMonroe v. MSU

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

aTo Do Listd

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MUSIC

Josh Journeay’s ‘Down the Road’ Makes Waves

by Nate Schumann

J

aTo Do Listd in Mississippi Medicine.” Book sales and signing to follow. Free admission; mdah.ms.gov.

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

CREATIVE CLASSES

28

Clay Hand-Building Classes with Sam Clark March 20, March 26, 6-8 p.m., March 27, 4-6 p.m., at Bill Waller Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). Participants learn the basics of hand-building with clay and craft pieces using these skills.

Classes meet for four weeks either on Tuesdays (Session 1) or Wednesdays (Session 2).

Those interested must note which session they want to join. Materials included in cost. $225 for all four days; email education@mscrafts.org.

ARTS & EXHIBITS Paint & Sip: New Moon Intention Setting Ritual: The Element of Water March 20, 6-9

industry studies program for a year and a half; however, in 2012, he decided college was not the best fit for him.

While living in Leland in 2014, Journeay fell back into performing paid gigs as a primary source of income, playing about four nights a week at various

The station currently still plays his music from time to time.

Journeay moved to Oxford, Miss., in 2016. In 2018, he moved to Brandon, Miss., and began performing in venues within the metropolitan area.

He recorded “Down the Road” at Addi Powell

ust two days after local musician Josh Journeay, 26, released his first solo album “Down the Road,” on Feb. 12, 2019, the five-track EP reached No. 7 on the iTunes country music charts.

“I was taken aback by that a little,” Journeay says. “That doesn’t happen to a lot of independent artists.”

He was born in Greenville, Miss., and grew up in that city and the neighboring town of Leland, Miss.

While teaching himself to play guitar at the age of 12, Journeay gravitated toward country.

“I like the storytelling style of country, the way it can paint a picture with words. I feel closest to it,” he says.

He describes his own music as being primarily country with influences of rock-and-roll and blues.

Among the musicians Journeay admires are Travis Tritt, whom he calls a “songwriting genius,” and Waylon Jennings, whom he respects for embodying outlaw country and always “being himself.”

Journeay was a senior in high school when he got his first paying gig at a bar in Hollandale, Miss. The business hired him to play one weekend per month, and from there, he got a taste for performance and began looking for more gigs, playing at small venues.

He graduated from Deer Creek High School in 2011 and then started at Delta State University, where he participated in the Delta Music Institute’s entertainment

Local country artist Josh Journeay released his five-track EP, “Down the Road,” on Feb. 11, 2019. He recorded it at Blue Sky Studios in Jackson.

venues, often alongside his roommate and best friend Patrick Ballard.

In 2015, Journeay began working at WDMS, a radio station licensed in Greenville that focuses on country music. While there, he worked as a salesperson, selling air time to advertisers and making valuable connections, he says.

Blue Sky Studios, which Casey Combest owns. Journeay initially told only his friends and family about the EP. However, when he shared the news of his recent release on his professional page on Facebook, hundreds of people began to like, comment and share.

“All I had was a ton of people that

support me and love me, and want to see a Mississippi boy go up and do big stuff,” he says. “I was really humbled by it. I didn’t realize just how many people were behind me.”

The EP earned more recognition than he anticipated

“I’m still a little blind in the business, so when I saw (how well the EP was doing), I called Casey and asked if it was a big deal, and Casey was like, “Yes, that’s a big deal,’” Journeay says.

The release party on Feb. 11 for “Down the Road” featured other local artists such as Patrick Ballard, Burnham Road, Chad Perry and Zach Bridges—all performing original music.

“I want to start more of an original music movement in Mississippi,” Journeay says. “I wanted to prove to myself that you can go to a bar and play your own music, and people will listen and enjoy themselves as much as they would if you played covers. I was hoping that everyone else that performed that night gained enough confidence to continue that direction.”

Journeay has also been a member of the band Burnham Road since June 2018 and is forming a duo with Ballard, who played a guitar riff in the song “The Price You Pay” from the EP. Together, they brand themselves the Ballard Journeay Show.

For more information, find Journeay on Facebook. The EP is available on iTunes.

Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more. p.m., at The Community Canvas (155 Wesley Ave.). Participants take part in a meaningful manifestation ritual and then paint the energy of those thoughts into a work of art. This session focuses on the element of water and what it symbolizes. $35 (bring a friend to each receive $5 off); call 601-691-1697; email contact@jaxzenfloat.com; clients.mindbodyonline.com.

Events at AND Gallery (133 Millsaps Ave.) • AND Talk with Alexis McGrigg March 21, 6-8 p.m. Contemporary artist Alexis McGrigg speaks about her work, which explores themes of blackness, space, spirituality, identity and collective consciousness. Free admission; email andgalleryart@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

• Look Closely And See March 30, 1-2:30 p.m. Attendees observe and discuss the Blackness: Violet Deep exhibit, facilitated by daniel johnson. Free admission; email andgalleryart@gmail.com.

Art in Mind March 27, 10:30 a.m.-noon, 1-2:30 p.m. at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Art therapist Susan Anand and McKenzie Drake lead the hands-on art activity

designed to stimulate observation, cognition and recall. Registration required. The event takes place on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Free admission, registration required; call 601-496-6463; email mindclinic@umc.edu; msmuseumart.org.

Neon Gods: The Body Art Show March 30, 6-9 p.m., at North Midtown Arts Center (121 Millsaps Ave.). The event showcases local artists who practice body art. DJ Sandaper performs.

Admission TBA; find it on Facebook.

BE THE CHANGE Credit Unions For Kids St. Paddy’s 5k March 23, 8 a.m.-noon, at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Participants run and walk in the annual St. Patrick’s Day-themed 5K fundraiser. Find it on Facebook.

Magnolia Meltdown March 30, 7-11:30 a.m., at St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive, Ridgeland). The community event

offers 5K, 10K and half marathon distances for people of all ages, levels and abilities.

Proceeds go to the St. Dominic Community Health Clinic. Magnoliameltdown. racesonline.com.

5K Run for Our Community March 30, 8 a.m.-noon, at Dawson Elementary School (4215 Sunset Drive). Participants run in the 5K fundraising event to support Children’s Savings Accounts that are used to help children attend college or other post-secondary educational opportunities. Call 769-2510924; email sstripp@springboardto.org; give.classy.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.

SATURDAY

Offsite & Onsite CATERING AVAILABLE

DAILY BLUE PLACE SPECIALS

FRI. MAR. 22 | 10 P.M.

Wednesday 3/20

Wednesday 3/27

Ledford Family Band

New Bourbon Street Jazz Band

Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Thursday 3/21

Eric Stracener Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Friday 3/22

Waterworks Curve Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Brandon Elder Red Room - 8pm - $7 At the Door

Saturday 3/23

Hals St. Paddys Day Parade!

Downtown Jackson - 1pm - Free

Tuesday 3/26

Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Thursday 3/28

D’Lo Trio Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Friday 3/29

Restaurant Open Saturday 3/30

Vittles, Vinyl and Vino Dining Room - 7pm - Free

Monday 4/1 Central MS Blues Society presents:

Blue Monday Dining Room - 7 - 11pm $3 Members $5 Non-Members

Tuesday 4/2

Dinner Drinks & Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends

Dinner Drinks & Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends

Dining Room - 6pm

Dining Room - 6pm

visit halandmals.com for a full menu and concert schedule 601.948.0888

200 s. Commerce St.

$10 AT THE DOOR

22

SAT. MAR. 23 | 10 P.M.

MARTIN’S DOWNTOWN ANNUAL ST. PADDY’S PARTY! FEATURING AFROMAN, EPIC FUNK BRASS BAND, DJ YOUNG VENOM, DJ NASTY SHOW + MORE!

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APRIL 4 5 6

SOLD OUT! 10

$10 AT THE DOOR

FRI. MAR. 29 | 10 P.M.

11

GRAVITY A

FT. CLIFF HINES PERFORMS THE MUSIC OF TALKING HEADS

18 19

FRI. MAR. 30 | 10 P.M.

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ELECTROCHEMICAL UPCOMING

THURS APR 4 RHYTHM-N-NEWS PRESENTS JACKSON SUPERJAM FRI APR 5 THE STOLEN FACES NASHVILLE’S TRIBUTE TO THE GRATEFUL DEAD TUE APR 23 TAUK WITH THE BUSTY PETITES FRI MAY 10 CBDB

MAY 1 2 6 7 14 16

Get on the Hip Ship!

W W W. M A RT I N S B A R 3 9 2 0 1 . C O M 214 S. STATE ST. DOWNTOWN JACKSON

601.354.9712

COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS & TICKETS

www.dulinghall.com

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

Music/Events

FUNK YOU

MARCH

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courtesy Southern Komfort Brass band

3/21 - 4/2 Wednesday 3/20 1908 Provisions - Dan Gibson 6:30 p.m.

Alumni House - Larry Brewer 5:30 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s - Brian Jones 7 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Chad Perry 6 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Ledford Family Band Kathryn’s - Gator Trio 6:30 p.m.

Martin’s - Joey Harkum Band 8 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Larry Brewer Shucker’s - Sonny Brooks & Friends 7:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.

Thursday 3/21 1908 Provisions - The Jackson Gypsies 6:30 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Rob P. & Dirty D. 7 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Hunter Gibson 6 p.m.

Southern Komfort Brass Band

Bonny Blair’s - Steele Heart 8 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Faze 4 Dance Band 7 p.m.

Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m.

Martin’s - Afroman & Epic Funk Brass Band 9 p.m.

Shucker’s - Sonny Brooks & Friends 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 3/30

Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.

1908 Provisions - Ronnie McGee

Pelican Cove - Sofa Kings 1 p.m.; Steele Buzzin 6 p.m.

Thursday 3/28

Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster 8 p.m.

Drago’s - Johnny Crocker 6 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s Faze 4 Band 8 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Aaron Coker Georgia Blue, Madison Shaun Patterson

Shucker’s - Chris Gill & The Soul Shakers 3:30 p.m.; Spank the Monkey 8 p.m. $5; Charade 10 p.m.

Hal and Mal’s - Waterworks Curve

Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Iron Horse Grill - LaLa Craig 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Sole Shakers 7 p.m.

Martin’s - Funk You 10 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Keys vs Strings 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Sonny Duo 5:30 p.m.; Spank the Monkey 8 p.m. $5; Jonathan Alexander 10 p.m.

WonderLust - Drag Performance & Dance Party feat. DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-3 a.m. free before 10 p.m.

Sunday 3/24 1908 Provisions - Knight Bruce 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Thalia Mara Hall – Mavis Staples 8 p.m.

Iron Horse Grill - Tiger Rogers 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The Lowry House – Newscast w/ Lo Noom, Schaefer Llana & Cowboy Cole Reformation 7 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Jay Wadsworth 6 p.m.

WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-2 a.m. courtesy Stace and Cassie

Pelican Cove - Stace and Cassie 5 p.m.

Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 3:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Raphael Semmes Trio 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dan Michael Colbert 6-9 p.m.

Wellington’s - Andy Hardwick 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Monday 3/25 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Central Mississippi Blues Society 7 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Charade 6 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

Stace and Cassie

F. Jones Corner - The Corner Band 11 p.m. $5

Saturday 3/23

Fitzgerald’s - Ron Etheridge 7 p.m.

Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Nu Corp 8 p.m.

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

Georgia Blue, Flowood Nathan Logan

30

Georgia Blue, Madison - Jason Turner Hal & Mal’s - Eric Stracener Iron Horse Grill - Luc Borms 6 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Acoustic Crossroads 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Lovin Ledbetter 7:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

Friday 3/22 1908 Provisions - Bill Ellison 6:30 p.m.

Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Nu Corp 8 p.m.

See more music at jfp.ms/musiclistings.

To be included in print, email listings to music@jacksonfreepress.com.

Bonny Blair’s - Lovin Ledbetter 4:30 p.m.; Proximity 8:30 p.m.

Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Larry Brewer 6 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s - The Band - These Days 8 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Chad Wesley Georgia Blue, Madison - Brian Smith Hal and Mal’s - Southern Komfort Brass Band; The Bluz Boys; Mustache the Band; Yesterday - Beatles Tribute Iron Horse Grill - Ms. Pleshette 9 p.m.

Tuesday 3/26

1908 Provisions - Chuck Bryan 6:30 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Phil & Trace 7 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Vittles, Vinyl and Vino; Moneybagg Yo 9 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - The Corner Band 11 p.m. $5

Iron Horse Grill - King Edwards Blues 9 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - D’Lo Trio

Kathryn’s - Live Music 7 p.m.

Iron Horse Grill - John Causey 6 p.m.

Martin’s - Live Music 10 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Keys vs Strings 6:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - 3rd Degree; Splendid Chaos 6 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Hunter Gibson and Rick Moreira 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 7:30 p.m.

Sneaky Beans – Wished Bone w/ Spencer Radcliffe & Skirts 8-11 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

Friday 3/29 Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster 8 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s - Sweet Tooth Jones 8 p.m.

Brandon Amphitheater – Zac Brown Band w/ Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors 7 p.m.

Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m.

Conkrete Sneaker Boutique – Mr. Fluid; 7/27; 5th Child; Mack Life; Timaal Bradford; K2 Medley; Gee Q 8 p.m.

Drago’s - Jacob Lipking 6 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Duling Hall – Young Valley w/ The Underhill Family Orchestra 8 p.m.

Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Johnny Crocker 6:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - TJ Russell and Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Karaoke 7:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.

Wednesday 3/27 1908 Provisions - Dan Gibson 6:30 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Gena Steele 7 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Brandon Greer 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Chris Gill 6 p.m.

Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Chris Gill 6 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s - Open Jam 7 p.m.

Drago’s - Simpatico - 6 p.m.

Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Jason Stogner Band 8:30 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - Live Music midnight $10 Hal & Mal’s - Thomas Jackson Iron Horse Grill - Mark Doyle & Mr. Bud 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Live Music 7 p.m.

Martin’s - Gravity A with Cliff Hines Perform Talking Heads 10 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Jason Turner Band 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Larry Brewer 5:30 p.m.; Mississippi Moonlight 8 p.m. $5; Josh Journeay Duo 10 p.m.

Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Shucker’s - Steele Heart 3:30 p.m.; Mississippi Moonlight 8 p.m. $5; Brian Jones 10 p.m.

Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

WonderLust - Drag Performance & Dance Party feat. DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-3 a.m. free before 10 p.m.

Sunday 3/31 1908 Provisions - Knight Bruce 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Iron Horse Grill - Tiger Rogers 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Soul Stew 6 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Hunter Gibson and Chris Link noon; Phil and Trace 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Chris Gill & The Soul Shakers 3:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Raphael Semmes Trio 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dan Michael Colbert 6-9 p.m.

Wellington’s - Andy Hardwick 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Monday 4/1 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society 7 p.m. $5 Kathryn’s - Joseph LaSalla 6:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Shaun Patterson and Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

Tuesday 4/2 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Barry Leach 6:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Brewer and Hurd 6 p.m.

Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.

health & Beauty

Caring for Natural Hair

by Amber Helsel

What are your secret tips for taking care of natural hair?

My biggest thing is keeping heat out of our hair. Heat is damaging. You cannot stress that enough. If you want to blow out your hair and wear your hair straight with the heat press, try not to flat iron it every. Try not to Fran Alexander curl it every day or anything like that. Just try to wrap it and keep the heat out. Keep it moisturized as much as possible. You cannot stress conditioner more than anything. If you put conditioner in your hair, that’s the key. You (could do) deep conditioners, you could do steam conditioners. You could do anything you can to condition your hair, and it will

What are some of the specific challenges?

Being able to manage natural hair is extremely hard. Most women, when they go natural, they have to go through a whole regimen just to figure out what hair products work with their hair because you have different types of hair. What works for my hair might not work for the next person’s hair. My hair might be more coil-y or more dry. Some women’s hair holds a lot of moisture, holds a lot of oil, and the next woman’s doesn’t. You have to go through a huge process finding the right products. Then you have to find out what styles for your hair. Some women can do a wash-and-

courtesy FrAnsHAllA AlexAnder

F

go. Some women can do a twist-out. Some women can do braid out, coil-out—anything like that to manipulate the curl pattern of your hair to make it more presentable, or just that desired look.

ran Alexander did not always know that she wanted to be a hair stylist. For college, she decided to go to Jackson State University in 2007 to study biology. The goal was to become a physical therapist; however, after realizing that she had a greater passion for doing hair, the Clarksdale native left in 2011. She attended Delta Tech in 2016 and graduated at the end of that year.

In 2014, she and Crystal McGrew opened Signature Hair Lounge. Though the salon specializes in weaves, Alexander is knowledgeable about all types of hair. The Jackson Free Press recently talked to her over the phone about caring for natural hair.

help. Protein treatments—that helps a lot too with strengthening your hair. Moisture is the biggest key.

Products like avocado are good for hair, too, right?

Yes. Avocado is a great conditioner. You could use avocado. A lot of women use mayo (and natural oils such as coconut and olive oils). Growing up, my mama and my grandmother used a lot of mayo on their hair, and I thought it was weird, but after while, you get used to it. They just do a mayo mask or you could do an egg mask. You just crack the egg and use the egg whites. ...

A lot of women are on YouTube blogging about what they use for their hair, and I see a lot of natural products. It was helpful for me when I transitioned to natural.

For more information about Signature Hair Lounge (6969 Old Canton, Suite F1, Ridgeland), visit signature hairlounge.com.

$2).+ 30%#)!,3 s "52'%23 s 7).'3 s &5,, "!2 s '!4%$ 0!2+).' ")' 3#2%%. 46 3 s ,%!'5% !.$ 4%!- 0,!9 "%')..%23 4/ !$6!.#%$ s ).3425#4/23 !6!),!",%

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Saturday March 23d

Parade Pre-Game Irish Breakfast Buffet 9:00am - 11:00am

$15 all you can eat $5 Tito’s Bloody Mary Bar Outdoor games, green beer and giveaways!

MUSIC ALL DAY. Irish traditional music starting at 1 PM.

Stonewalls at 9PM

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March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

O RO M

E TH G

E RE N

31

50 E, on a map 51 Cassowary’s kin 52 WWI battle river through Flanders 54 Bluish green 57 Man-made (abbr.)

60 Hidden loot 64 Vehicle where the driver gets thanked 65 Short horror tales shared on the Internet 68 Mason jar’s topper 69 Petting zoo noise 70 Leaning type (abbr.)

71 Letter from Greece?

72 Atomizer amount 73 “The Godfather” composer ___ Rota

BY MATT JONES

34 Majorca’s neighbor 35 Fizzy drinks 36 Go all out 41 Couple, to tabloids 42 “Grey Cell Green” band ___ Atomic Dustbin 45 Furniture store to meander through 47 Sure 49 False accusation 53 Zener cards test for it 54 Up to it 55 Back out 56 Abbr. on meat packages

58 Coulrophobia, e.g.

59 Mazar of “Entourage” 61 ___ spumante (sparkling wine) 62 Obsessive fan 63 Xbox series since 2001 65 Network that’s now Les-less 66 “Wheel of Fortune” host Sajak 67 Nickname of a Red Sox Hall-of-Famer ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com)

Last Week’s Answers

For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #902.

Down

“Starch Search” —carbitrarily speaking.

Across

1 Address for a general, sometimes 5 Mythical flyer 11 Zig’s counterpart 14 Both, at the beginning 15 EGOT winner Rita 16 Part of SUV, for short 17 Internet addict, slangily 19 Christmas tree sale site 20 Quirkily creative 21 Mess up 22 Bellybutton lint 23 “___, about that ...”

26 It’s picked in Maui

28 Pacific salmon 31 Irish singer with the albums “O” and “9” 37 Isaac’s older son 38 “I ___ the opinion ...”

39 Email receptacle 40 ___ Soundsystem 41 Publisher within a publisher 43 Martinique, par exemple 44 Weird Al song that states “I don’t care if you’re full” 46 “___ & Roy” (2018 HBO kids’ show from Sesame Workshop) 47 Kingpin 48 Ate (together)

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

32

BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers

“Greater-Than Sudoku”

For this ‘Greater-Than Sudoku,’ I’m not giving you ANY numbers to start off with! Adjoining squares in the grid’s 3x3 boxes have a greater-than sign (>) telling you which of the two numbers in those squares is larger. Fill in every square with a number from 1-9 using the greater-than signs as a guide. When you’re done, as in a normal Sudoku, every row, column and 3x3 box will contain the numbers 1-9 exactly one time. (Solving hint: try to look for the 1s and 9s in each box first, then move on to the 2s and 8s, and so on). psychosudoku@gmail.com

Episode 7x01 Benny Ivey (Part One) March 20, 2019

Donna Ladd interviews Benny Ivey, a South Jackson native whose generationally addicted family raised him into a life of crime. Now a businessman working to help other young people stay out of trouble, he recounts the time he spent as a juvenile and an adult committing crimes. Once in prison, he joined a gang, the Simon City Royals, which he thought was a brotherhood of men. He later led the gang locally.

This episode is brought to you by the members of the JFP VIP Club. Join at jfp.ms/VIP and help support JFP programming such as Let’s Talk Jackson.

Let's Talk Jackson is now powered by the Jackson Free Press.

Join hosts Todd Stauffer, Amber Helsel, Donna Ladd and others in Season 7, starting March 20, 2019.

Subscribe on iTunes, Google Play or SoundCloud!

www.letstalkjackson.com

Imani Khayyam

K L A T LET’S N O S K C A J

1 The middle-sized bear 2 Love, in Latin 3 Border (on) 4 Text to an s.o. while away on a trip, maybe 5 Mischievous one 6 Pigeon sound 7 “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson 8 Hitchcock’s “___ Window” 9 Trumped-up 10 Great Lakes’ ___ Canals 11 One of South Africa’s official languages 12 The whole thing 13 “The Girl From Ipanema” saxophonist 18 Evil ___ 22 Frond-bearing plant 24 Devine of “Pitch Perfect” 25 Laundry container 27 Like a brow, at times 28 Talk show guest, often 29 November follower?

30 Was forced 32 Colin Dexter’s crossword-solving inspector 33 “Excuse me, but ...”

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

During the coming weeks, everything that needs to happen will indeed happen only if you surprise yourself on a regular basis. So I hope you will place yourself in unpredictable situations where you won’t be able to rely on well-rehearsed responses. I trust that you will regard innocence and curiosity and spontaneity as your superpowers. Your willingness to change your mind won’t be a mark of weakness but rather a sign of strength.

In the animated kids’ film “Over the Hedge,” 10 talking animals come upon a massive, towering hedge they’ve never seen. The friendly group consists of a skunk, red squirrel, box turtle, two opossums and five porcupines.

The hedge perplexes and mystifies them. It makes them nervous. There’s nothing comparable to it in their previous experience. One of the porcupines says she would be less afraid of it if she just knew what it was called, whereupon the red squirrel suggests that from now on they refer to it as “Steve.” After that, they all feel better. I recommend that you borrow their strategy in the coming weeks. If a Big Unknown arrives in your vicinity, dub it “Steve” or “Betty.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

I urge you to locate a metaphorical or very literal door that will give you access to a place that affords you more freedom and healing and support. Maybe you already know about the existence of this door—or maybe it’s not yet on your radar. Here’s advice from Clarissa Pinkola Éstes that might help: “If you have a deep scar, that is a door,” she writes. “If you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much that you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Musician Carole Kaye is the most famous bass guitarist you’ve never heard of. Over the course of five decades, she has plied her soulful talents on more than 10,000 recordings, including gems by Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beach Boys. Twentyseven-time Grammy winner Quincy Jones has testified that Kaye has written “some of the most beautiful themes I’ve ever heard in my life” and that she “could do anything and leave men in the dust.” I trust this horoscope will expand the number of people who appreciate her. I also hope you’ll be inspired to become more active in spreading the word about the gifts that you have to offer the world. It’s high time to make sure that people know more of the beautiful truth about you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

“When you want happiness, what are you wanting?” asks aphorist Olivia Dresher. The repeat of an event that made you feel good in the past? A sweet adventure you’ve thought about but never actually experienced? Here’s a third possibility. Maybe happiness is a state you could feel no matter what your circumstances are; maybe you could learn how to relax into life exactly as it is, and feel glad about your destiny wherever it takes you. In my opinion, Leo, that third approach to happiness will be especially natural for you to foster in the coming weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

There are old traditions in many cultures that pay special attention to the first brick or stone that is laid in the earth to initiate the construction of a future building. It’s called a cornerstone or foundation stone. All further work to create the new structure refers back to this original building block, and depends on it. I’m pleased to inform you that now is a favorable phase to put your own metaphorical cornerstone in place, Virgo. You’re ready to begin erecting a structure or system that will serve you for years to come. Be sure you select the right place for it, as well as the best building materials.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Born under the sign of Libra, Ivan Kharchenko (1918–1989) was a military officer and engineer for the Soviet army.

His specialty was disarming explosive devices before they detonated. Over the course of his career, he defused an estimated 50,000 bombs and mines. Let’s make him your

patron saint for the coming weeks. Why? Because I suspect you will be able to summon a metaphorical version of his power: an extraordinary capacity to keep volatile situations from blowing up. You’ll be a virtuoso at waging peace and preventing strife.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

There was a time, less than a century ago, when pink was considered a masculine color and blue a feminine hue. In previous eras, many European men sported long hair, wore high heels, and favored clothes with floral patterns. Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of America’s most prominent 20th-century presidents, sometimes wore skirts and feather-bedecked hats as a child. With these facts as your keystone, and in accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to experiment with your own gender expressions in the coming weeks. It’s prime time to have fun with the way you interpret what it means to be a man or woman—or any other gender you might consider yourself to be.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

According to estimates from population experts, about 109 billion humans have been born on planet Earth over the millennia. And yet I’m quite sure that not a single one of those other individuals has been anything like you. You are absolutely unique, an unmatched treasure, a one-of-a-kind creation with your own special blend of qualities. And in my prophetic view, you’re ready to fully acknowledge and celebrate these facts on a higher octave than ever before.

It’s high time for you to own your deepest authenticity; to work with extra devotion to express your soul’s code; to unabashedly claim your idiosyncratic genius.

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TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: Post an ad, call 601-362-6121, ext. 11 or fax to 601-510-9019.

Deadline: Mondays at Noon.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

We don’t know as much about European history between the sixth and ninth centuries as we do about other eras.

Compared to the times that preceded and followed it, cultural and literary energies were low. Fewer records were kept. Governments were weaker and commerce was less vigorous. But historians don’t like to use the term “Dark Ages” to name that period because it brought many important developments and activities, such as improvements in farming techniques. So in some ways, “Lost Ages” might be a more apropos descriptor. Now let’s turn our attention to a metaphorically comparable phase of your own past, Capricorn: an era that’s a bit fuzzy in your memory; a phase about which your understanding is incomplete. I suspect that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to revisit that part of your life and see what new evidence and insights you can mine.

Feed the Team

With Our Party Packs Or Rib Packs

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Why do some American libraries ban certain books, ensuring they’re unavailable to local readers? The reasons may be because they feature profanity or include references to sex, drug use, the occult, atheism and unusual political viewpoints. Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” is one of the most frequently censored books. Others are Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “Beloved” by Toni Morrison and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. In my astrological opinion, these are exactly the kinds of books you should especially seek out in the coming weeks. In fact, I suggest you commune with a variety of art and ideas and influences that are controversial, provocative and intriguing.

Great For Feeding The Home Team Before the Game

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Classifieds as low as $35

1491 Canton Mart Rd. Jackson s

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

At the age of 97, Piscean cartoonist Al Jaffee is still creating new material for the satirical Mad magazine, where he has worked since 1964. There was one 63-year stretch when his comic stylings appeared in all but one of Mad’s monthly issues. I nominate him to be your role model during the next four weeks. It’s a favorable time for you to access and express a high degree of tenacity, stamina and consistency.

Homework: What’s the thing you lost that should stay lost? What’s the thing you lost that you should find? FreeWillAstrology.com.

Dine In or Carry Out for

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Open 7 Days A Week 11:00 am - 9:00 pm 118 Service Dr, Suite 17 Brandon, MS 601-591-7211

Valid picture ID Social Security Card Be between 18-70 years old Be in good health

Interstate Blood Bank.

3505 Terry Road Suite 204, Jackson Call us at 601.718.0986 for more information.

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New donors will be compensated $50 for a full donation.

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What do you like about St. Alexis?

Lisa Catledge says

“My favorite thing about St. Alexis is the church community and the liturgy that draws me closer to God.” Weekly Services • Sun. 10am 650 E.South Street, Jackson • 601-454-5716 All are welcome here!

St. Alexis

Episcopal Church

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FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019

5:00pm - HAL’s Marching MALfunction & Second Line Stomp at Cathead Distillery on S. Farish Street

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 7:00am - Float Lineup Begins

begins at Corner of State Street & Court Street

8:00am - Credit Unions for Kids St. Paddy’s Day 5k at Pascagoula Street at the Jackson Convention Complex

9:00am - Hal’s St. Paddy’s Children’s Festival at West Street in front of Thalia Mara Hall

10:00am - The Hollywood Feed & MARL Pet Parade at West Street beside Thalia Mara Hall

11:00am - Hal’s St. Paddy’s Children’s Parade at West Street beside Thalia Mara Hall

1:00pm - Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade begins at Corner of State Street & Court Street

MarIScWhEEK2EN2D!-23 TH

After Parade at Hal & Mal’s (no coolers or pets)

HAL’S ST. PADDY’S FESTIVAL Featuring

Yesterday (A Tribute to The Beatles),

Mustache The Band, The Bluz Boys and Southern Komfort Brass Band!

Must be 18 or older to attend.

Tickets are $10 and available at ardenland.net Produced by

March 20 - April 2, 2019 • jfp.ms

2019:

R U O T Y R E T S Y M L A C I G A MA

35

Patty Peck

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Sale Price: $18, 849

Sale Price: $17,393

Used 2018 Lexus IS 300 Stock #:H751508B, 3,617 Miles 32/22 Hwy/City MPG

Sale Price : $32, 262

Used 2017 Toyota Highlander XLE Stock #: B026466A, 19,843 Miles 26/20 Hwy/City MPG

Sale Price: $32,999

Used 2013 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Used 2016 Toyota Corolla LE

Sale Price: $9,499

Sale Price : $14,821

Stock#: P14210A, 97,729 Miles 24/35 Hwy/City MPG

Stock#: P14288, 9,284 Miles 29/38 Hwy/City MPG

Advertised price excludes tax, tag, registration, title, and $179.85 documentation fee.

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