JAC K S O N VOL 18 NO. 3 // OCTOBER 2 - 15, 2019 // SUBSCRIBE FREE FOR BREAKING NEWS AT JFPDAILY.COM
FREE
FREE PRESS MAGAZINE THE CITY’S SMART NEWS AND CULTURE RESOURCE
more love than hate Rappers’ Deaths Sobering, Yet Inspirational Veal, pp 12-16
2019 Musical Artists to Watch
A Mother on ‘The Talk’
Best of Jackson: Legal
Bayram, pp 5-7
McCullough, p 9
Schumann, pp 18-19
pp 22-25
CELEBRATING 17 YEARS OF THE JFP
Can the New DA Cure the System?
MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART 380 South Lamar Street Jackson, MS 39201
OCTOBER 21, 2019 5:30PM - 7:30PM
$75 PER PERSON Young Professionals (35 & Under) $50
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
2019 HONOREES
2
BETSY BRADLEY
RITA BRENT
OLETA FITZGERALD
HOLLY LANGE
Reserv� Your Plac� Onlin�: womensfoundationms.org
contents
JACKSONIAN
October 2 - 15, 2019 • Vol. 18 No. 3
ON THE COVER Vitamin Cea, Jo’De Boy, DevMaccc, Dolla Black and Yung Jewelz (l. to r.) photo by Meredith Williams
4 Editor’s Note 5 Talks
8 Legal to Discriminate ‘Religious liberty’ laws allow prejudice to prosper.
10 opinion 12 Cover Story 18 Artists to Watch
“A
rmory Sessions” started when Kody Gautier and a friend found a spot and shot an acoustic music set, at which point the idea struck Gautier as the perfect ongoing project. Gautier, with the help of known Jacksonians like photographer Tommy Kirkpatrick, has used the aptly named series to spotlight local artists with minimalist video performances since 2018. “For many years, I’ve enjoyed the sessions YouTube channels,” Gautier says. “The majority of my interest is in music and musical things. I love seeing bands play alternative live performances that are stripped-down in cool settings, like NPR Tiny Desk and Mahogany Sessions.” The series has jumped location several times and is now being filmed at what was once Morris Ice Company, now owned by friend Jack Pickering. The name stuck despite the change. “We didn’t want to be married to that one location, because it was like we were sneaking in,” he says. “But we basically wanted to brand it Armory Sessions. We’ve done them in a parking deck downtown and in the backyard of my friend’s house as well.” The 27-year-old videographer graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in education and counseling. He started shooting wedding videos after teaming up with a
22 Best of Jackson
Kody Gautier friend’s grassroots videography company to make cash on the side. Gautier says he was intimidated the first time he picked up a camera for a wedding shoot despite having no prior experience. “The quality has gotten a lot better over the years,” he says and laughs. “We were winging it really hard.” A little more than a year ago, Gautier left a sales job for a visual position at Creative Distillery, a Fondren marketing agency, where he shoots video full time, although he still freelances for wedding and other projects. “It’s worth doing something you love instead of putting up with a boring job,” he says. Armory Sessions will continue as normal with audio professional Casey Combest assisting with the recordings. Gautier says he aspires to release an EP of some of the recordings in the future. Additionally, he says that he hopes to bring in some more widely known artists for video sessions. “The thing I like most is being able to have a project that facilitates creating alternative versions of songs of these people who only have studio recordings,” Gautier says. “I love being the host of that.” For more information on “Armory Sessions,” search for the series on YouTube or Facebook, or visit kodygautier.com. – Jack Hammett
26 ‘Dusti Bongé, Art & Life’ The artist’s influence extends decades beyond her death.
28 Autumn Brunch Learn where to eat brunch this fall season.
30 events 30 sPORTS 36 Puzzles 37 astro 37 Classifieds 38 DIY
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Acacia Clark
20 music listings
3
editor’s note
by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief
B
ack when he was chairman of the Republican National Committee, Haley Barbour wrote a book laying out his “Agenda for America: A Republican Direction for the Future.” In the tome, he chided the notion that the nation by the mid-1990s still needed to think about race relations. The continued use of “civil rights” had become a “not-toosubtle code word for ‘special preference,’” Barbour wrote. It was an ironic reference for a Reagan boy who wasn’t nearly as worried about that president’s race-baiting campaign against “welfare queens” and warning of that “strapping young buck” who was supposedly buying T-bone steaks with food stamps with white people’s tax dollars. In his musings on crime, Barbour whined about the nation being turned into the “Great Rehabilitator” of the vicious
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
People are not “aliens,” “predators” or “animals.”
4
“predators” roaming our streets, and calling for drug users to be locked up. He complained about the 1994 crime bill including “funding for basketball leagues” among its draconian measures that resulted in black and brown drug users being locked away from their families for decades. It was a watershed year for “predator” hysteria, with conservative think-tankers creating hysteria over black “super-predators” overtaking the nation by the year 2000. The superpredator myth was bunk (crime was already freefalling by 1996), but the rhetoric gave Bill Clinton’s re-election campaign a run for his money. Such classic dehumanization, using language and lies that peg certain young people as “animals,” had helped justify enslaving, beating, raping and hobbling black people since the time of Jamestown. By the time Donald Trump ran for president again in 2015, “animal” and “thug” language for certain young people was embedded in the psyches of many white Americans. It justifies ridiculously horrific and racist police
and civilian shootings of unarmed black people for many white folks, and it’s the reason that every single black mother has “the talk” with her sons before he leaves the house alone or with his friends. (See Karla McCullough’s poem on page 9.) I sat on a panel recently about the dehumanization of young people of color, due to my research on these issues and my work with the Mississippi Youth Media Project where teenage Jacksonians do deep work to dispel false narratives about themselves and their communities. We followed a powerful presentation by Dr. Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant, one of the researchers behind the Dehumanization Cycle project, that didn’t pull a single punch about the roots of dehumanization and what it results in—all of which must thrill racists who want an excuse for their supposed superiority, but should alarm the hell out of the rest of us. Dr. Bryant talked about it as a systemic cycle, which frankly is the only way to solve pretty much anything that matters. Negative narratives spill into dangerous actions, then harmful internal feelings and emotions that lead to external reactions, and the cycle continues. It’s logical: Society expects children of color to act like animals; that causes what Dr. Bryant calls “racialized trauma”; and it can lead to failure to thrive. To bring Dr. Bryant’s work to life, go read Aliyah Veal’s staggering cover story starting on page 12 where she explores the tragic and unseemingly nonsensical murders of rappers starting to succeed by members of their own community. Just as hardworking rappers—and teenagers work very hard at this, often seeing it as a way out of a bad situation and to give back to their communities—start to make it, they can face a backlash of bickering, jealousy, back-biting,
Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant, Ed.D.
Dehumanization Spreads Racism, Destroys Lives Cycle of Dehumanization:
Historical, Cultural/Spiritual, Social, Emotional, Physical
Negative Narratives
Destructive External Behaviors
Dangerous Actions
Harmful Internal Feelings and Emotions
Dehumanization of young people of color is a vicious cycle. We each must play a role in stopping it. Courtesy Dehumanization Cycle
trash talk and even violence. This problem, of course, is not limited to young people of color. Many people of all backgrounds in Mississippi get agitated at people putting in the work to be successful and impactful, but this human malady coupled with societal dehumanization of young people of color is a poisonous mix, and it’s a daunting cycle to break. Politicians like Barbour and a certain white male candidate I sparred with on our website years ago about the harmful effect of rap and drug use—while I knew the whole time he and his wealthy buddies gathered on weekends at his “farm” to toke on a few numbers themselves outside public view—want to blame the very people that their rhetoric has long dehumanized. We’re hearing a lot these days from
contributors
Aliyah Veal
Nate Schumann
Robin Johnson
Culture Writer Aliyah Veal is a Jackson native with a bachelor’s degree in English from Spelman College and a master’s in journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in New York. She’s a huge fan of Tupac, “Rugrats” and the MCU movies. She wrote the cover story.
Deputy Editor Nate Schumann loves consuming stories, whether that story be in the form of a book, a comic, a television series, a game, a radio serial, etc. He enjoys engaging in various areas of “nerdom,” especially comic books and related media. He coordinated and wrote for the issue.
Social Media Assistant Robin Martéa Johnson is a visual artist with a strong foundation in mediums ranging from painting to photography. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She illustrated the poem in this issue.
conservatives who support “re-entry” options for people long incarcerated, often based on that 1994 crime bill that Haley Barbour believed in 1996 didn’t go far enough. What we don’t hear nearly enough about, especially from white GOP politicians, is the necessity of busting the false narratives that help them scare white people into voting for them and out of believing in the young people who need it the most. Dehumanizing other human beings, as Trump does with about any person of color who dares criticize him, is ripping our country apart, just like it did during the Civil Rights Movement and back when the South fought the Civil War to continue its right to dehumanize and enslave human beings and to force new states to allow it. People are not “aliens,” “predators” or “animals.” Humans engage in bad behavior. It is not because they are born to do those things; it is too often due to a lack of education or opportunity, whether it’s a young person in a crumbling school that cannot afford to keep good teachers or a politician who gets his racist memes and assumptions from Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump’s tweets or that trash book by Barbour. The irony of that book? It was produced by the National Policy Forum, an RNC group that eventually shut down after illegally funneling foreign money into taking Congress in 1994, using racist memes. Dehumanization can indeed pay off for some horrific, greedy people in the short run. But it hurts all of us over time. Call it out for what it is: racist trash.
SEYMA BAYRAM
torytelling & e, s i ur
news, cul t
TALK JXN ence ver rre
Before she was elected Hinds County Circuit Court judge, Faye Peterson served as Hinds County district attorney from 2001 to 2007.
What Can the Hinds DA Do to Cure the System? by Seyma Bayram ty—the conversation shifted toward Peterson’s past and philosophy as prosecutor. “When I took office … Hinds County didn’t have a pretrial intervention program. ... We had a (county) jail that was under a consent decree. They were housing people for worthless checks for years,” Peterson said. “So the first couple of years for me were about dealing with the things you don’t want to deal with.” One priority was to reduce the pretrial jail population, both to protect the rights of victims and defendants, who have a right to a speedy trial, but also to ensure that her office could focus resources on prosecuting more violent, complex cases. Reducing the jail population also saved the county money. Peterson appointed a criminal-court facilitator who communicated with other agencies to ensure that all evidence was submitted in a timely fashion. The facilitator tracked who was in jail, for
how long, for what crimes—and if there was a delay, what was causing it. Peterson’s office also enacted vertical prosecutions, which meant that the same prosecutor oversaw an entire case from start to finish. Peterson streamlined communications between law enforcement, which conducts investigations, and the district attorney’s office, which receives those investigations. Law enforcement could turn to assistant district attorneys, who answered questions about specific crimes during the critical investigation period. Eventually, a judge lifted the consent decree. But Robert Shuler Smith defeated Peterson in 2007, after a contentious campaign and with public support by former DA Peters and then Mayor Frank Melton. By the time she left the job, Peterson’s office was resolving most non-violent cases within six months of a crime, from initial arrest to disposition, she said. County records from 2006 also showed an 84% conviction
rate for cases that did go to trial. “It was because I put rules in place,” Peterson said. “It worked well because it was done discreetly, never to embarrass anybody, just to ask the questions,” she said. 585 Days Until Trial Within the first nine years of her successor Smith’s 12-year administration, the U.S. Department of Justice ruled that the county jail violated the constitutional rights of detainees through lengthy pretrial detention. In 2016, the Hinds County Detention Center was again placed under a federal consent decree. A 2015 BOTEC Analysis Corp. report on crime and the judicial and jail systems in Hinds County sheds light on the backlog. Funded by the Mississippi Legislature and contracted by Attorney General Jim Hood, the researchers found that it took around 585 days for felony cases to move to disposition within the Hinds County Circuit Court. more JUSTICE, p 6
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
A
graphite drawing stands out among the accolades and art that line the bright, two-toned blue walls of Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson’s chambers. It depicts four women—Peterson, Tomie Green, Denise Owens, Patricia Wise—with block letters spelling out “First Ladies.” Peterson, who was sworn in last year, is commemorated in the drawing for being the first black woman to serve as Hinds County district attorney, from 2001 to 2007. Previously, Peterson had worked in legal services, as a public defender and assistant district attorney for long-time and controversial Ed Peters. “I saw how everything was interrelated,” Peterson told the Jackson Free Press in her chambers as she reflected on her trajectory within the Hinds County criminal-justice system. With former Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance the likely new sheriff and new District Attorney Jody Owens assuming office in January—both vowing to reform the pretrial detention system in Hinds Coun-
5
news,
storytelling & re, ir tu
cu l
TALK JXN
“I’m just tryna pave the way, gotta make a way.”
@JXNFREEPRESS
@JACKSONFREEPRESS
— Lil Lonnie (RIP) in “Make A Way”
@JXNFREEPRESS
ce eren rev
6
“Practices in the Hinds County courts are consistently the opposite of those shown to make cases move faster,” the report stated. Systemic problems involving the district attorney’s office, judges and law enforcement caused the delays, BOTEC found, detailing a lack of transparency in Smith’s office. It is unclear how many of the people currently in the Hinds County jail are held pre- or post-indictment or how many are waiting for mental-health evaluations. But May 2019 data collected by the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law show that, on average, people in the county are incarcerated for 469.3 days and up to 5.8 years. Smith’s office did not cooperate with BOTEC, so there is no data on its efficiency. Nevertheless, in analyzing criminal cases that took more than one year to resolve within the Hinds County Circuit Court in 2014, BOTEC found that 36% of cases ended with a non-guilty verdict, and only 2% total actually required trial. The report also found flawed and outdated case-management systems within the courts, even citing loss of documents and “failure to docket papers promptly and accurately.” Journalists from this newspaper have seen disorganized piles of files in the private hallways of the courthouse, and it is not uncommon historically for investigative and police files to turn up missing. Peterson had tried many of the recommendations in the 2015 study when she was lead prosecutor: vertical prosecutions; installing a liaison between the DA and law enforcement agencies; and assigning prosecutors to certain crimes. DA Smith did not respond to BOTEC researchers, making it difficult to know which of the recommendations he did or did not try during his tenure. He also did not return a call for this story by print time. The DA’s Obligation “When I [talk] about the backlog in our jail, or the kids being prosecuted, our system is not working. ... And I’ve realized that we have a unique opportunity to take a different approach to criminal justice,” Owens said in his campaign headquarters in downtown Jackson.
Owens, a former attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, ran for district attorney on a reform platform. “I think the DA has an obligation to make sure that individuals are not in jail because of debtor’s prison,” Owens said, vowing instead to “[make] sure there’s not an overcrowded prison” together with the new sheriff. As a driver of 95% of the increase in
a law that would phase out cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, beginning in January 2020. In Mississippi, where more than half of the county jail population is awaiting trial, bail is administered according to a schedule, requiring people with the same charge to pay the same amount, even if they cannot afford it. Since there is no limit on how long a perSEYMA BAYRAM
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
JUSTICE, from p 5
Incoming Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens vows a criminal-justice approach focused on public safety and, hopefully, more alternatives to prison.
the United States’ jail population within the last 20 years, pretrial detention has come under increasing scrutiny. The Bail Project found that 90% of people who are held pretrial on bail end up pleading guilty, versus 2% for those bailed out. As states move toward criminal-justice reforms, many are focusing on bail reform. In August 2018, California passed legislation to eliminate cash bail. Advocates have praised Philadelphia prosecutor Larry Krasner for ending cash bail for most low-level offenses. And last spring, the state of New York passed
son can be jailed, people languish for months or years, unable to pay bail. Recent bail-reform attempts here—including House Bills 949 and 1081—have died in committee. Owens wants to tackle the issue of pretrial detention from the ground up, by refocusing criminal-justice policy through the lens of public safety. He plans to prioritize violent crimes over low-level offenses and expand alternatives to incarceration for kids and first-time offenders through pretrial diversion and other programs. “When we look through the lens of
public safety, we’re not looking (at) public safety simply in the sense of simply saying ‘am I making the public safe today?’ We’re looking at it through the lens of saying ‘are we making the public safe for the next decade, the next two decades?’,” Owens said. “… Because I know that if you come in here with a gun, (and) I take the gun from you, that I might be safe that day, but I might not fix the issues that gave you that gun in the first place,” he added. Owens acknowledged that reform requires working closely with judges and law enforcement to address “this collective problem that we share.” Hinds County has too few alternatives to incarceration, Owens said, so he plans to roll out programs that target veterans, who may end up in the system because of homelessness, and children who are tried as adults. He is also fundraising to create new positions in diversion and restorativejustice, an approach centered on reconciliation between victims and the accused. Expanding the use of ankle bracelets is also a possibility. “We know (electronic monitoring) is a more cost-effective thing. It costs us about $10 a day in this county, compared to the $40 we’re paying to house, feed (people in jail),” Owens said. Owens also wants to refer more cases to drug courts so people with substanceabuse problems can access treatment. “Right now, we have so many people realizing the damage that opiates are doing to our community, … but we didn’t see that same concern with the crack-cocaine epidemic,” he said. “If we know that addicts need help and people make (poor) decisions … let’s get them help, because we know that prisons and jail are not helping them.”
Giving ‘Em Hell and Taking Names In Donna Ladd’s Dossier this week: • Two Faces of Mississippi Lobbyists, Here and Beyond
Dossier is in the JFPDaily.com every Friday. Subscribe free.
• Odd Duckery in Ole Miss Chancelor Coverage
Read all of ‘em at jacksonfreepress.com/dossier
• Hinds County Not Destroying Documents Until JFP Sees Them
Tips: dossier@jacksonfreepress.com
CITY
‘Not Just Rough Justice’ Mississippi’s criminal-justice system has a long way to go toward reform. The state has the third-highest incarceration rate in the country and a struggling public-defender
system without adequate oversight, with local governments providing almost all its funding, a report from the Sixth Amendment Center found. Some experts are also concerned that, in Mississippi’s typical courtroom culture, elected judges can feel pressured to take a tough-on-crime Seyma Bayram
Drug-related prosecutions would look different, too, especially for low-level marijuana possession. “We do think that it does not make sense to ruin someone’s life all for a dimebag of weed or a joint,” he said. The current bail system is used “to tax poor people” in Mississippi, Owens maintains. “My general rule is that bail, period, is for public safety and a deterrent (to) flight risk,” he said, adding that he believes there should be no bail for people who have committed murder. Asked whether he would consider installing a court facilitator to keep track of cases, he responded that his office would track this information itself. Vance, who hopes to solidify his new job as the Hinds County sheriff in the November election, views lengthy pretrial detention as a constitutional violation. “American citizens should be entitled or have the right to speedy trials,” Vance told the Jackson Free Press. He said he is excited to work together with the new DA to tackle this issue, which regards as “the most important thing” as sheriff. “If you’re going to have a facility that’s faulty, it … certainly doesn’t need to be busting at the seams with inmates,” Vance said. “… Let’s get these people through the system, and get them their day in court, get them before a judge, whether they’re going to be acquitted or convicted, let’s get them out of the system, where they either go home or go to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.”
A top priority for Hinds County sheriff hopeful Lee Vance is to reduce lengthy pretrial incarceration.
stance to satisfy their constituents. Municipal courts have the power to set bail but no authority to accept guilty pleas or resolve cases—another obstacle to reform. But prosecutors do still hold a lot of influence, including in Hinds County. Forging a regular working relationship with law en-
forcement is crucial. Prosecutors also have discretion over who to release pending trial or whether to charge cash bail. They can choose to set bail only in cases where a person is a flight risk or poses a danger to the community, which is, in fact, the appropriate way to administer bail. Cliff Johnson, director of the MacArthur Justice Center, is optimistic about the incoming district attorney. “Jody Owens is an excellent lawyer, and I am convinced that he cares deeply about doing justice,” he said. “Indeed, there are things that Mr. Owens can do to correct policies and practices that have plagued Hinds County for years. He can be selective about the cases he chooses to bring in the first place, he can seek pretrial detention only in those cases where he believes the person is a legitimate flight risk or danger to the community, and he can move to his cases to indictment quickly and efficiently rather than dragging cases for months or years as has been done in Hinds County for years.” “(Owens) knows as well as anyone that business as usual is both unacceptable and unconstitutional,” Johnson added about the incoming district attorney. But changing people’s hearts and minds around criminal justice will take time, Johnson pointed out. “What I’m worried about is that as soon as Jody Owens begins making changes in the system, that he’s going to experience backlash from impatient Hinds County residents who have become convinced that the only way to implement our criminal justice system is by locking up everyone you can for as long as you can,” he said. “It’s about smart justice and not just rough justice.” Follow City Reporter Seyma Bayram on Twitter.
FINISH FASTER. WE TAKE YOU HIGHER. MILLSAPS.EDU * SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COLLEGE SCORECARD WWW.COLLEGESCORECARD.ED.GOV
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
MILLSAPS HAS THE HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE OF ANY FOUR-YEAR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE IN MISSISSIPPI.*
7
TALK JXN
state
The Thin Line Between LGBT and Racist Hate by Ashton Pittman
8
to last century’s racial-integrity fervor. “I don’t think it could just be the LGBT community, because the language (in SB 2681) is so broad,” C.J. Rhodes, Rhodes told the Jackson Free Press in 2014 while the Legislature was still debating that bill with black legislators standing up emo-
a white woman, to have their wedding ceremony there. “They were in contact with the venue all week and were set to meet. The owner took a look at my brother’s fiancée’s page and wrote her back to say they won’t be able to get married there because of her beliefs,” Ashton Pittman
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
O
ne night in December 1948, Ellisville, Miss., resident Davis Knight learned that he was apparently black by law when Jones County police showed up at his farm home to arrest him for the crime of marrying Junie Lee Spradley, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white woman. Police, the Jackson Advocate reported at the time, “charged (Davis) with being a negro and marrying a white woman” and sentenced the World War II veteran to five years in prison. Davis Knight’s arrest happened only after an angry relative dug into their family genealogy; the police claimed it was proof that his 1946 marriage violated the state’s miscegenation laws, which prohibited marriages between a white person and a person with “one eighth Negro blood,” the Jackson Advocate reported in 1949. A local court convicted Knight, who up until that point had believed himself to be white, sentencing him to five years in prison. Enforcement of such strict “racial integrity” laws, even against people who looked as white as any garden-variety Mississippi governor of the time and had no idea of any different ancestry, was common in the early decades of the 20th century in the South and other parts of the country. Davis Knight, it turned out, was the great-great grandson of Newt and Rachel Knight. During the Civil War, Newt Knight famously deserted the Confederate Army and led Jones County in seceding from the Confederacy, creating the “The Free State of Jones,” the title of a later book about him and, most recently, a feature film. After the war, Newt had children and eventually entered into a common-law marriage with Rachel, who was once his grandfather’s slave. In the decades since, echoes of the State of Mississippi’s discriminatory history have continued to make themselves heard, sometimes in the form of so-called “religious liberty” laws that give businesses and organization wide berth to invoke their religion to justify discriminating against LGBT people. In 2014, when the Mississippi Legislature passed and Gov. Phil Bryant signed Senate Bill 2681, known as the “Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” opponents warned that it could embolden business owners to use their religion to justify discriminating against more than just LGBT people, perhaps returning
Campaign for Southern Equality Executive Director Jasmine Beach-Ferrara speaks outside the Hinds County Courthouse in March 2014.
tionally against the bill and for the rights of Mississippi’s LGBT citizens. Rhodes is the pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church, a historically black church that slaves of First Baptist Church worshipers started near downtown Jackson. “It could be LGBTQ, it could be Mexicans, it could be a whole host of things,” Rhodes said then. “The question is: Does the State have the right to allow private businesses to make these sort of sweeping generalizations? How do you determine someone’s religious belief or not?” ‘I Mean, Our Christian Faith’ More than half a century after the Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision ended state interracial marriage bans and five years after Gov. Phil Bryant signed SB 2681 into law, the ghosts of Davis Knight’s accusers resurfaced in Booneville, Miss. LaKambria Welch, a resident of the small north Mississippi town, posted a video she had filmed while confronting a wedding venue owner in late August. Welch, who is African American, wanted to know why the owner had suddenly cancelled plans for her brother and his fiancée,
Welch told the Jackson Free Press in early September. After the owners did not respond to a Facebook message from her mother, Welch said, she and her mother went to the venue themselves to confront them. Inside, Boone’s Camp Event Hall, owner Donna Russell was vacuuming. “She didn’t acknowledge me at first,” Welch said. “She then came over, and I began telling her I was his sister and asked what her beliefs were. That’s where the video started.” “First of all, we don’t do gay weddings or mixed race, because of our Christian race—I mean, our Christian belief,” Russell tells Welch at the start of the video. “OK, we’re Christians as well,” Welch replies. “Yes ma’am,” Russell says. “So, what in the Bible tells you that—?” Welch begins to ask. “Well, I don’t want to argue my faith,” Russell says. “No, that’s fine,” Welch says. “We just don’t participate,” Russell says back to Welch. The video drew widespread condem-
nation—and even an official rebuke from the town itself, including Booneville’s mayor and board of aldermen. When reached by the Jackson Free Press, David Russell just said, “no comment.” On Sept. 25, Rhodes said that the incident affirmed his 2014 concerns. “Based on the very fact that the law was cited, I think, speaks to what some would call the unintended consequences of the legislation and why a wide array of persons who differ on the theology of sexuality and sexual ethics and other issues were ultimately against the law,” he said. “Because … basically, the law said I can say to anyone, ‘This is my conscience, and this is how I feel about it,’ and that basically leaves no recourse for civil action.” Days after the video went viral in early September, drawing angry comments from across the country, Donna Russell made a new post on the business’ Facebook page. After studying the Bible and consulting with her pastor, she wrote, she realized that she was wrong and that the Bible never forbade interracial marriage. “As a child growing up, our racial boundaries that were unstated were of staying in your own race,” she wrote in early September. “This was never spoken, but it was an understood subject.” Russell wrote that she “came to the conclusion” that “what I had thought to be supported by the Bible was incorrect.” Despite her epiphany on relationships, though, she implied that she still would not allow gay couples to use her venue to marry. The incident sparked a renewed conversation about SB 2681 and House Bill 1523—a more explicitly discriminatory law Bryant signed in 2016 known as the “Religious Liberties Accommodation Act.” It specifically provides protections to business owners when it comes to beliefs about same-sex marriage and gender identity. Mississippi: ‘A Laboratory’? In 2016, the North Carolina-based Campaign for Southern Equality sued the State of Mississippi over HB 1523. After a federal judge in Jackson initially ruled that the law was unconstitutional, though, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed his ruling. The LGBT plaintiffs, the conservative appeals court said, did not have standing to bring a case because the law had not been
AP Photo
Davis Knight, a 23-year-old Navy veteran, lights a cigarette in Ellisville, Miss., on Dec. 19, 1948. Knight was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison on a charge that he committed miscegenation by marrying a white woman. Until 1967, Mississippi law prohibited interracial marriages involving a white person and anyone with one-eighth or more black heritage. The state contended that Knight’s great grandmother was black. (AP Photo)
ty. CSE has not ruled out bringing another case if a plaintiff comes forward and they think they could win, Beach-Ferrara said. “We encourage people, if they do have an experience like this, to reach out to the Campaign for Southern Equality or to any one of the other advocacy groups, like the ACLU, Lambda Legal, any of the other groups, and report what has happened. … We certainly would take a long, hard look at whether there were grounds for a strong lawsuit and what that would mean for plaintiffs moving forward.” CSE would proceed “judiciously” with any potential lawsuit, though, she
bathrooms that correlate with their gender identity—into federal law. “Our hypothesis along with many others all along was that what was happening in Mississippi and North Carolina in 2016 was a laboratory of sorts for what far-right strategists wanted to ultimately implement federally,” Beach-Ferrara said. “So that’s where I think the shifts have been when you look at the attempts to roll back LGBTQ civil rights in various ways.” Read related coverage at jfp.ms/lgbt. Follow State Reporter Ashton Pittman on Twitter at @ashtonpittman. Send story tips to ashton@jacksonfreepress.com.
Juxtaposition by Karla L. McCullough, Ph.D. (2016) Be still my heart I’m proud I’m scared I listen to his breath while he lay Only half a dozen years of life to the day and all I do is cry and pray Be still my heart No......please beat again My son He needs me But how can I give you hope in a world filled with hopelessness How can I protect you in that beautiful skin that causes so much uneasiness How can I teach you to be independent when I need you to depend on me How can I teach you to be honest Although it doesn’t mean you’ll go untouched Be still my heart No.....please beat again My eyes swell with tears and my soul is injured How can I teach you about the great strides that Martin and Medgar have made When the evidence of hate has only transformed its state Be still my heart No.....please beat again How do I defend your right to live a life free from fear While fearing for your life How do I teach you to be strong when your strength can get you killed How do I help you find your voice when your voice could offend the shield Don’t wear the hoodie Don’t speak so loud Don’t ask too many questions Don’t act too wild Don’t get an attitude Don’t appear to be rude Don’t wear your hair like that Don’t just stand around and chat Don’t run anywhere Don’t stand still and stare God.... Hold my heart.... Its still It breaks It aches Its numb But the love of my son is way too great Our next steps are not clear but I’ll lead with my heart It beats
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
said. Since 2016, President Donald Trump has altered the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court in significant ways. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was the key vote and author on all of the court’s major pro-gay rights rulings, stepped down last year, and Trump replaced him with Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative who has yet to show his hand on LGBT issues. October 8 could prove pivotal, as the Supreme Court is set to hear cases over whether or not an employer can fire someone simply on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “The Supreme Court, of course, has an incredibly significant LGBT case in front of it in just a few weeks. … We’ll probably have a clearer indication as that case moves forward on what the current climate is like on the Supreme Court around LGBTQ issues,” Beach-Ferrara said. For now, she is watching actions at the federal level that she says are designed to introduce the essence of Mississippi’s laws—and a 2016 North Carolina law that banned transgender people from using
Robin JOhnson
invoked to deny them services. CSE Executive Director Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who is also a United Church of Christ minister, told the Jackson Free Press on Sept. 26 that the incident in Booneville “illustrates exactly what’s wrong with laws like HB 1523.” “These laws have a teaching effect, and they unfortunately can embolden people and make them feel like their personal biases or prejudices allow them to deny services to folks,” Beach-Ferrara said. “Now, HB 1523 doesn’t apply exactly to the scenario here, because the focus is on sexuality and gender identity and not race, but at the same time I think it’s absolutely relevant to look at an incident like this as an example of what happens when a state sends a really clear message over the years that it’s okay to deny services to people. “That’s exactly what’s dangerous about a law like HB 1523.” Beach-Ferrara said CSE “regularly” hears stories from people in Mississippi who say they have been denied services on the basis of their sexuality or gender identi-
9
JT THOMAS
Parenting in the Age of School Shootings
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Our guns are more important than our babies.
10
purpose. Like any parent, I want to believe my children are safe at school. The constant carnage of mass shootings, including school shootings, makes that difficult. The failure to pass any meaningful gun legislation in response to each heartbreaking tragedy makes it impossible. To be sure, the likelihood of any child becoming the victim of a school shooting is statistically negligible. Yet school shootings in the United States are far more common
than in any other democratic nation in the world with more than 400 separate incidents since 2009. And whereas other democratic nation-states have passed meaningful gun legislation in the wake of their own tragedies, America has made it clear that while it loves its children, it loves its guns even more. The vast majority of parents I know
Nearly two-thirds of teenage girls are very or somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school, compared with 51% of their male peers. Just over half of all white teens share these worries, compared to nearly three-quarters of Hispanic teens. Perhaps most importantly, however,
Photo by Nicole hoNeywill oN UNsPlash
I
picked my 8-year-old up from school on Tuesday afternoon to schlep her to her weekly dance lesson. In the car, I began the standard line of questioning: how was your day? Did anything interesting happen? “We had a lockdown drill today,” she responded. I tensed up. I asked her to tell me what a lockdown is, and what it involves. I knew the answers. But I wanted to hear them from her. The classroom lights are turned off. She and her third-grade peers are instructed to move to the corner of the classroom and sit against the wall, as far away from the door as possible. “That way, if someone looks in they can’t see us,” she explained. “What do you do while you sit in the corner of the room,” I asked. “We can’t talk or make any noises. I asked a friend what happens if the police wiggle the door handle, and after the drill I had to move my name down the color chart because I talked.” I asked if she knows why they practice this drill. “Yeah. If someone is in our school and is trying to hurt us, then we go into a lockdown.” Her younger brother’s pre-school practices a similar drill. It is located within the interior of the college campus where I work. It shares a building with the university’s police department. It is arguably the safest place on campus. Yet his classmates—3 and 4 years old—practice sitting quietly in the dark, pretending to hide from someone trying to shoot them. Neither he nor his older sister knows this is their drill’s true
Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher & President Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin Creative Director Kristin Brenemen Managing Editor Amber Helsel REPORTERS AND WRITERS City Reporter Seyma Bayram State Reporter Ashton Pittman Culture Writer Aliyah Veal JFPDaily.com Editor Dustin Cardon Contributing Writers Dustin Cardon, Bryan Flynn, Alex Forbes, Jenna Gibson, Tunga Otis Torsheta Jackson, Mike McDonald, Anne B. Mckee EDITORS AND PRODUCTION Deputy Editor Nate Schumann Editorial Assistant Azia Wiggins Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Designer Zilpha Young Contributing Photographers Seyma Bayram, Acacia Clark, Imani Khayyam, Ashton Pittman, Brandon Smith ONLINE & DIGITAL SERVICES Digital Web Developer Ryan Jones Web Editor Dustin Cardon Social Media Assistant Robin Johnson Web Designer Montroe Headd Let’s Talk Jackson Editor Kourtney Moncure SALES AND MARKETING (601-362-6121 x11) Sales and Marketing Coordinator and Writer Andrea Dilworth Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Events Assistant Leslyn Smith
Children in schools nowadays are being instructed to prepare for danger.
wish things were different. We wish our children could spend their school days practicing their math or spelling, and not how to avoid being shot. But most parents I know understand the world we live in is one in which some children do not make it home from school. And we all know it’s our fault. If our children must practice how to avoid being killed while at school, then the least we can do is tell them the truth. Schools are not safe, because we don’t want them to be. While we’re being honest with our children, we should also tell them that there is little research on the effectiveness of the active-shooter drills we’re forcing them to do. Of course, revealing the true purpose of active-shooter drills may expose our children to the trauma of having to imagine why some children their age and younger go to school and never comes home. But the reality is that many of our children are already imagining such a scenario. A 2018 Pew Research Center survey of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 years found that 57% are somewhat or very worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school. Importantly, these worries are not evenly distributed.
our inability to pass any meaningful gun legislation has completely ignored the very real trauma of parents who have to pick up the pieces when their child is one of the few who never comes home from school. As a parent, then, please spare me the faux concern over traumatizing my child. The truth is already traumatizing enough, and it’s clear that, as a nation, we aren’t all that bothered by it. If we’re going to continue to send our children to schools to practice how to avoid being shot because we refuse to do the things that will keep them safe, then the least we can do is tell them why: children must prepare for a potential active shooter, because our guns are more important than our babies. James M. Thomas (JT) is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of four books and more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other essays on the causes and consequences of racism in America and abroad. JT can be reached at jmthoma4@ olemiss.edu, or on Twitter @Insurgent_Prof. This column does not necessarily reflect the views of the JFP.
DISTRIBUTION Distribution Coordinator Ken Steere Distribution Team Yvonne Champion, Ruby Parks, Eddie Williams TALK TO 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 and Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com The Jackson Free Press is the city’s award-winning, locally owned news magazine, reaching more than 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 to “gold level” and higher members of the JFP VIP Club (jfp.ms/ vip). 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.
Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.
Open Doors to Curiosity. Discovery. Belonging.
Shine Light on the Power of Courage.
Step through our doors today. Come explore the many stories that connect us
Explore the movement that changed the nation—and the
all as Mississippians.
people behind it.
222 North Street, Jackson museumofmshistory.com
222 North Street, Jackson mscivilrightsmuseum.com
Episode 7x15
Now available on
Judy Meredith October 2, 2019
In this episode of Let’s Talk Jackson, Donna Ladd spoke with Dr. Judy Alsobrooks Meredith, a former TV and radio news reporter and anchor and local journalism professor at Jackson State University. Dr. Meredith is also the wife of Mr. James Meredith, the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi and a long-time leader in the battle for equal rights for African Americans. She’s recently completed a documentary about her husband, called “Who is James Meredith?” She discussed the film, her husband, and her own life and career with Let’s Talk Jackson. Let’s Talk Jackson is sponsored by Mississippi Federal Credit Union; this episode also is brought to you by the Center for Art & Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art. More at http://museumcape.org/.
Join hosts Donna Ladd, Todd Stauffer, Ashton Pittman and others in Season 7
Let's Talk Jackson is powered by the Jackson Free Press.
WWW.LETSTALKJACKSON.COM
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
K L A T S ’ T LE N O S K C A J
11
More Love Than Hate: Rappers’ Deaths Sobering, Yet Inspirational by Aliyah Veal “You don’t know the problems that this money bring, You don’t know the extra shit that come with fame” — Lil Lonnie in “Pain”
It really made me feel like if they’ll do that to him, they’ll do that to me.”
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
— Rapper Dolla Black on Lil Lonnie’s murder
12
in a community he was born and raised in and was trying to do so much to lift up. March 31, 2019, was supposed to be just like any other day in the neighborhood. But a 29-year-old man from the same neighborhood, Eric Holder, was later arrested for walking up and shooting Hussle six times, then kicking him twice in the head before fleeing the scene, police and witnesses say. A year before, Jackson, Miss., mourned the loss of local rapper Lil Lonnie, 22, who died on the cusp of national success. He had just left the movies and was on his way to give someone a charger when he was shot and killed while driving his SUV down Montebello Drive the evening of April 29. Lil Lonnie—born Lonnie Taylor—did not know his killer, his family says. Though these incidents were a nation apart with nearly a year in between, the loss is similar. We can never know what could
‘He Just That Funny Dude’ A group of Mississippi musicians were tucked in the front, left-hand corner of Offbeat, a record store on Wesley Avenue in midtown Jackson on Sept. 15, 2019. Five rappers, one photographer and a journalist sat at a square gray table talking about Lil Lonnie and his lost potential. While some rappers had personal relationships with the young artist, who attended Callaway High School and Powell Middle School, others barely knew Lil Lonnie before he passed. “We went to middle school together,” Yung Jewelz said. “I felt like even though I didn’t personally know Lonnie, I had known the people he had touched, and I felt his energy even beyond knowing him,” Vitamin Cea told the group. Rapper Jo’De Boy said Lil Lonnie was a good dude, goofy and that when he smiled, you would, too. “I remember one time we was at the celebrity basketball game at CM&I College and before we got in the game, we was on the bench and stuff. He was like, bruh I’m bout to score 30 points. He was just talking like he was this amazing hooper. He got in the game, and he shot an airball. When he shot the airball, he turned around, and he was like ‘sub me, sub me.’ He just that funny dude,” Jo’De Boy said. “You could see him anywhere. Last time I saw him, it was at Texaco (gas station). He probably one of the few rappers that call me by my government name. That man was cool,” Yung Jewelz added. Rapper DevMaccc said he didn’t know Lil Lonnie that well and only met him once, but Lonnie’s death affected him more than he thought it would. “When he passed away, it really did
something to me. I can’t explain (it). It really was a shift, and it made me work 100 times harder,” DevMaccc said. “The city, they didn’t even know how big he was in the rap game until he passed away. Seeing people like Young Dolph, 50 Cent, cats like that be like ‘RIP Lonnie,’ for BET to do that type of stuff. A lot of people didn’t know that he was that big. To see somebody of that stature fall because of
Florence see as “crime infested” and filled with “a bunch of drugs.” But he sees Jackson differently. “I know that it’s really a lot of art and great things that’s in Jackson. Lonnie was a solid dude from everything I’ve heard and everything he’s done for the city, and I really hate that we never got that chance to link up. We’re going to do what we need to do for him,” Maccc pledged. Crystal Capler
O
ne thousand eight hundred forty-nine miles away from Jackson, Nipsey Hussle, 33, bent down to pose with a young fan––a toddler—on March 31, 2019. The rapper and businessman was dressed comfortably in a white T-shirt and red basketball shorts with a white durag on his head—an outfit fitting for a Sunday afternoon in South Central Los Angeles. Casual, comfortable. No bodyguard accompanied the rapper that day when he ran into his Marathon Clothing store to give some clothes to a friend who had just been freed from prison. It was supposed to be a quick trip, and Nipsey Hussle was supposed to be safe
have been if Nipsey had gotten to see his Puma line launch, or who his 2-year-old son would become. We’ll never know if Lil Lonnie’s first album could have drawn a Grammy nomination, or how Lil Lonnie could help Jackson become a real contender in the hip-hop arena. We lost mentors. We will never know what either of them would give back to their home cities. Both musicians were moving into even greater heights, but success isn’t always sweet. It can bring jealousy, competitiveness and even death.
Lil Lonnie was a young rapper on the cusp of major success when he was gunned down in Jackson in 2018. But his legacy is inspiring those coming after him.
the stuff we got going on in our city, it was very heartbreaking,” he added. Maccc was raised on the west side of Jackson until his family moved south of Jackson to Florence. Since moving back to Jackson, he’s been trying to reacquaint himself with the city, which he said people in
Jo’De Boy said music can put rappers in a place where they’re constantly grinding with the support of people pushing them to go further. But there’s another side to it as well. “Once you actually get to this place of actually succeeding in other people’s eyes, it brings envy and jealousy because it’s like
want to see you elevate, and they’ll try their best to pull you down. Just like with Nipsey Hussle. He was in an impoverished neighborhood, but he was giving back, and it was still people out there that was envious and jealous towards him,” Capler said. “Crabs in a barrel,” she added. ‘In The Soil’ Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, CEO of All Hip Hop, said the genre of hip-hop grew from the bottom, and rappers have an obligation to stay grounded around people they came up with or those who supported them. When you lose that connection, you lose the people, he said. “Nipsey was the best representative of an artist who continued to give back in his community and unfortunately paid a very dire price for that. I’m not familiar with Lil Lonnie, but he seemed like a solid dude,” Creekmur said this month. Creekmur said we live in an era where we see extreme levels of success and with that the level of violence has increased. “Back in the day, you had haters that would sneer at you, would get better as artists, and they would come up to be competitive with you. Now, you have haters that will kill you. They will do whatever it takes to stop you from shining,” he said. Creekmur said social media can play a role in the bombardment of success that people see. He said people don’t share their losses or their bad days, only their wins. “It only really makes people more jealous. Some people get depressed or motivated. (But) we pretty much learn that there is an adverse effect on the psyche when there’s this happiness in other people. I think it increases people’s negative feelings about themselves,” he said. Creekmur said he met Nipsey Hussle through community work they did together, as well as a panel that they were on together talking to kids about getting their life together. He remembered Nipsey being a good guy and said his death really hurt. “It really brings the community down when they see a young star that’s positive, but getting snuffed out like that,” he said. “When you see that person continue to evolve, become a genuine person you can be proud of and for there to be a disregard for his life, it saps your soul. It really takes your energy.” It also makes it harder for the next person to come up due to a lingering fear that the same thing might happen to them: “I’ve done my share of community work, and you just kind of wonder what it’s all more MORE LOVE THAN HATE p 14
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Meredith Williams
‘You got it, and why I ain’t got it yet’? Then my cousins, and with my brother being song Lil Lonnie dropped, we (his family) if you don’t give me a handout to give me there, we used to play football, basketball, were always saying, ‘This is the one.’ We something, we supposed to be boys,” he said. all of that. I really spent my childhood were his biggest supporters. No matter what “If he made it, he can’t just take it and growing up with Lonnie,” Capler said. he put out, we were all in,” Capler said. be like, here go you $100, here you go you The family grew up in Virden Addi- “Colors” went viral in summer 2015, $50, oh your bills need paid, when he got tion, which Capler said was drug-infested attracting Lil Lonnie national attention, his own life going on,” Jo’De Boy added. and impoverished. Despite their circum- and in November 2015, he released his In “I Wish,” Lonnie addressed exactly stances, Lonnie’s family members were first mixtape, “They Know What’s Going that: “I wish everybody didn’t always have motivated to push forward and become On.” The project had more than 180,000 they hand out, Guess that’s how it is when something greater, she said. streams and 100,000 downloads. they see that you the man now.” “I think it shaped us to say this is He released a sequel, “They Know Rapper Dolla Black said he met Lil Lonnie through a brief interaction, but he could tell from his interviews that he believed and embodied what a lot of Mississippi rappers want to come forth from the city. He said hearing the news of his passing was devastating, but it was a double blow because Lil Lonnie died on Dolla’s birthday. “He in college with a 4.0 GPA, rapping, moving around and getting a lot more movement than what we doing and actually wanting to give back to the community. It really made me feel like if they’ll do that to him, they’ll do that to me,” Dolla Black said. Lil Lonnie made appearances at the annual back-to-school events at Lake Hickory Park, he gave free snow cones to the children in his community Virden Addition, and Yung Jewelz, Jo’De Boy and DevMaccc discuss the effect Lil Lonnie’s death had on them. he participated in the Jackson Celebrity Basketball tournament, his sister Crystal Capler said. where we come from, we respect that, we What’s Going On 2” in June 2016, which Dolla Black said Lonnie’s passing understand that, but we want to do better included features from Bryson Tiller, caused him to distance from music and than what we come from,” Capler said. Slim Jimmy of Rae Sremmurd, K Camp other rappers to take a step back from the When Lonnie was 5 years old, their and Moneybagg Yo. His third project, music scene. “A lot of people who had mu- oldest brother, Lorenzo Taylor, featured “Vi$ions,” and fourth project “They Know sic, if they just had one or two more steps, him on a song. From there, their brother What’s Going On 3” dropped in 2017. they was right behind Lonnie,” he said. bought Lonnie a beat machine, comput- “True Colors,” Lil Lonnie’s posthu He said Lonnie’s passing has prompt- ers and other equipment, and he started to mous album was released on May 5, 2019, ed him to be more aware of his surround- make his own beats. Around eighth grade, also “Lil Lonnie Day” in Jackson. ings and people’s energy because some don’t Lonnie stopped playing sports and started The consistency with which Lil Loncare or understand what he’s giving to the to take music more seriously, Capler said. nie released music and the support from culture if he’s not giving it to them solely. “He was selling beats; he was rapping various peers in the music industry attested “With Lonnie being the dude that as well. It was a point in time, 9th grade or to his rising stardom. But fate had other he is, when he’s going back to his hood or 10th grade, he stopped selling beats and plans that dark night in April 2018. whatever he going to, that’s his home. You focused on him as an artist,” she said. “He Marshun Carr, Monya Davis and like I’m finna go to Northside Drive. I’m started with two of his friends. They started Antoine Carr were indicted on murder finna go over here. You ain’t thinking about a group, and then you know how all groups charges, and the family is now waiting for nobody actually touching you. It’s like for split up. Then, his solo career took off, and a trial date, Capler said. Friends close to her that to happen to, bruh, that’s why you he focused on Lil Lonnie as the artist.” brother said he didn’t have any previous infelt it because it’s like that’s us. That’s me,” After graduating from Callaway High teractions with any of his killers, she said. Jo’De Boy said. School in 2013, Lonnie attended Hinds “Being envious and jealous with a Community College pursuing his associ- person that has the shiny cars, money, jew‘Crabs In A Barrel’ ate’s degree in general studies. He trans- elry and the status, it makes people that’s Crystal Capler, Lil Lonnie’s sister, says ferred to Jackson State University in 2014 insecure about themselves feel that type of he was the baby of five children and de- and studied mass communications while way,” Capler said. scribed him as funny and athletic. Because balancing his music career. “To the point where that will make a they were so close in age, some of her great- Capler said Lonnie ran all his music person kill you because you have worked est memories of him are the sibling argu- by her, and she remembered months before hard and diligently to get to your success.” ments they used to have. his death when he let her listen to his song She said Lonnie never confided in her “We used to play together. When we “Action” while they were sitting in his car. that anyone was treating him differently were younger, I was the (only) girl around “I liked it. I was like, ‘This is the one.’ Any following his fame. “Some people don’t
13
More Love Than Hate
14
for? What are we doing when anyone of us can get killed like that in any given point in time?” Creekmur said. Dr. Rhea Williams-Bishop, director of Mississippi and New Orleans programs for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, said black people have been dehumanized for so many years and have eternalized this negativity that they can eventually lash out at anyone, even those who are trying to do something positive. “If any people have been dehumanized over time, you’ve got to figure out a way to create opportunities for them, so that they see themselves in a more positive light, to do more positive things,” she said. Dr. Rodney Washington, chairman and associate professor of education at Jackson State University, said what he notices about young, black men he works with is that they view entertainment or sports as an avenue to move their families out of poverty. “It’s like the thought process is never in a singular effort. When they get to that level of consciousness, it starts to look differently to folks they connect with. Friends that they had don’t identify with that anymore because it doesn’t look the same, and that’s where I think that harmful feelings start to move forward, and that evolves sometimes through conflict,” Washington said. For Washington and Williams-Bishop, the topic was complicated to break down, especially the “why” behind the culture of success in hip hop. However, Washington, Williams-Bishop and Creekmur all concluded that an emphasis on selfworth could be a great solution to combat the violence that can sometimes accompany the culture of success. “It has to be changing this narrative of how people see themselves. We have to normalize young brothers being decent young brothers, and it doesn’t have to be this hyper-toxic masculinity thing that seems to be the bravado that everyone has to subscribe to in order to be OK,” Washington said. Creekmur said that we must remember those rappers who are getting killed and aren’t making headlines because they are important, too. “It’s not the music that’s driving it. As much as we may want to blame it on the music, we have to remember this is
a really sick country right now, and a lot of this is in the soil,” Creekmur said.
Yung Jewelz said Nipsey Hussle stood for something bigger than music. “The art plays a major part in what you do for your ‘Bigger Than Him’ community and even bigger than your Rapper Dolla Black remembered his community. Nip employed so many peoproducer, AVEVO, introducing him to ple and had so many different businesses Nipsey Hussle through Hussle’s ninth mix- and stuff,” she said. “He bought the whole tape, “Mailbox Money.” On the project, he block where he started, and that was straterecalls the rapper discussing topics such as gic, monumental and played a big part. He gave a lot of kids our age or younger something to look forward to.” Jo’De Boy, who was raised on the music and teachings of Tupac Shakur, said when you look into his eyes, you could see something bigger. He placed Nipsey Hussle in this same caliber, heralding him as a teacher and big brother. “Lonnie was in Jackson, and we felt that, and we like that’s us. But when you look at Nip, that’s us. It’s a bar for black excellence, as a culture, for him to be able to be like I’m taking the extra long route. I don’t care what nobody else say about me. I’m standing on mine. I’m gone die for this. To see how he left, to me I felt like it’s prophecy,” Jo’De Boy said. That was an apropos statement given that Nipsey Hussle’s birth name, Ermias Asghedom, means “God will rise,” a fact Yung Jewelz pointed out. “As artists, a lot of times our main motivation is: I know that I can use my art to help my family. I know that I can use my art to put us in a better position,” Vitamin Cea said at Offbeat. “To know that, it was that 100 — Author Angie Thomas times over for him, and that was his purpose, and he had been taken away. That’s one of those things equity, musicians owning their own masters where I look at our soul and the moral and ways to promote their music. “I’m lis- compass that a lot of humans lack when tening to it, (and) it was like one of those they make these hasty decisions.” situations where I’m like, oh shit I’m not DevMaccc noted the similarities bewrong. Prior to, I’m telling my people in tween Nipsey Hussle and Lil Lonnie: they my squad I don’t want to drop on iTunes, I were both murdered and in their homewant to put it on my website. But they like towns. He said the parallels reminded him you don’t have enough reach,” he said. of something rapper David Banner, who “We can make people come to the grew up in Jackson, said years ago. website. We can make people come to me “David Banner always said if he really for the music. We can make people if we died somewhere, he always felt like it would get big enough and if we use our voices and be in his hometown, and it just shows me we get the momentum going.” like it doesn’t matter how big of a positive Hussle’s words confirmed that he was influence you have on your home, people making the right choice in betting on him- still will try to gun you down,” he said. self, Dolla Black said. The L.A. rapper was “It was another wake-up call, but I do the blueprint, and his untimely and unfor- think in losing him, we gain a lot of insight, tunate passing was devastating. “I still don’t a lot of vision and kind of refocusing your believe it,” Dolla Black said. vision for the purpose, because he moved in Imani Khayyam
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
, from page 13
“Jealousy is one hell of a drug.”
purpose in everything he did. It was always strategic and bigger than him,” Vitamin Cea said of Hussle. ‘One Hell of A Drug’ Jackson author Angie Thomas explored these issues in her second bestselling young-adult novel, “On The Come Up,” set in a fictional city called Garden Heights, which can sound a lot about Jackson, where she grew up in Georgetown. In the book, rapper Bri, the main character, makes a song that earns her praise and acclaim throughout her community. Yet, her success is accompanied by negative stereotypes, assumptions and drama. While all this ensues, Bri is also struggling to get out of her father Lawless’ shadow, He was also a rapper and considered an underground legend in their community. Similar to Nipsey Hussle and Lil Lonnie, individuals in his community murdered Lawless. Thomas told the Jackson Free Press that Bri’s father is similar to many rappers who are successful and believe they can stay within their communities, not realizing their friends are becoming their enemies. “With Bre, what does it mean when you’re young and black in a neighborhood like Garden Heights, and you’re trying to make something of yourself in a world that doesn’t want you to succeed. And then two, what does success look like for a person, and how do they define it, but more importantly, how do they define themselves after they’ve gotten success,” she said. Thomas, a huge Tupac fan who mourns the lost potential of Nipsey Hussle, said even though she didn’t know much about Lil Lonnie before his passing, she was angry about his death all the same. “Here’s this young man who was showing kids in Jackson that there’s a way out, that they can use their gifts and their talent, and his life is cut short before he can even see his full potential,” the author said. Thomas said she has observed that the culture of success within hip-hop shows means many young rappers get into positions where they have more money and means and feel that they are invincible. “It’s easy to think you can just stroll back into the areas where you used to go all the time, and people will receive you the same kind of way. But the fact is, jealousy is one hell of a drug,” she said. “When you don’t see a way out for yourself, and you don’t have the resources available to you to make a way out, you feel stuck. It’s easy to fall into a feeling of jealousy. When you don’t know how else to process that, because we’re not addressmore MORE LOVE THAN HATE p 16
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 | 5:30 PM
Schedule of Events
5:30-8:30 PM: Pop-up Exhibition • Inktober Returns! Sketchbooks of Inktober participants on view* 5:30-7:30 PM: Art Lab • Pumpkin Painting 5:45-6:15 PM: Gallery Talk with Dr. Redell Hearn in the new ACRI exhibition, The Prize: Seven Decades of Lyrical Response to the Call for Civil Rights 6-7 PM: Live Music • Pink Palaces 6-8 PM: Free face-painting by SnapHappy’s Tawny Minton 6:30-8:30 PM: Art on Film Series: Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts 7-7:30 PM — Costume Contest Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society 7:30-9 PM — B.L.U.E. Light Underground Ensemble presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth UNTIL 8:30 PM: Enjoy our Community space stocked with children’s books, bean bags, and games The Museum Store and Galleries open late
Food & Beverage
Food Trucks: Family First Concessions & Taqueria LaReata Cash bar available at 5 PM. Free drink ticket for members and those who sign up during Museum After Hours.
Complete the #MMAInktoberChallenge by doing the daily drawing prompts and posting them to social media. Bring your sketchbook to the Museum Oct. 16 to be included in the pop-up exhibition!
$35
Registration Fee 380 South Lamar St. • Jackson, MS 39201 • 601.960.1515
@MSMUSEUMART.ORG get connected:
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
15
MORE LOVE THAN HATE
, from page 14
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
16
‘More Love Than Hate’ So what’s the solution? “I don’t feel like it’ll ever be a way to stop it because it’s way before us,” Jo’De Boy said. “But at the same time, it’s like you can’t satisfy everybody, and the moments of trying to satisfy everybody (mean) you end up losing yourself.” DevMaccc said he doesn’t think there is a solution because jealousy and envy will always be there, but he suggested focusing on self. “Personally, I don’t see competition in the city because I see myself as my competition. So I don’t worry about what Dolla, Vitamin, Jewelz or Jo’De has going on. Not because they’re not competition, but that’s not who I’m competing against,” DevMaccc said. Dolla Black said communication is vital, and it’s a strategy that he’s used in the past when people have had problems with
him. “I call them, hey what’s good? You straight? I’m hearing that it’s x, y, z, and they like nah. I feel like if the communication is important or inserted in the situation, it won’t be no problems, no jealousy or envy,” he said. “We can’t worry about what they got going on. We ain’t even supposed to be pressed about what the people we love got going on when we focused,” Vitamin Cea told the group. “I just feel like if you hating it’s just cause you can’t achieve what’s being done and that ain’t no reason to hate, but you know it creates the envy. And I understand it because sometimes you see something,
was my escape. It was my place to escape,” Thomas said. The author said she wants to make the park something that kids living in Georgetown can be proud of, and this project is one of many she wants to do to help build the community up. “My dream is to take businesses and business spaces in Georgetown that have been overlooked and make them into sources of jobs for people. There’s a whole shopping center in Georgetown that one day I hope to purchase and renovate and allow folks in my neighborhood to have a decent grocery store to go to and that sort of thing,” she said. Meredith Williams
ing mental health, you’re going to process it another kind of way, and sometimes that is through violent means,” she said. Thomas said racism plays a huge role in perpetuating the “crabs in a barrel” mentality, which she has felt as a black author. “I have, but not to the extent that some of my peers have because I’m fortunately and unfortunately in a position of people are looking for something that is going to be the next me or the next my book. And that’s a weird spot to be in,” she said. Her peers have told her that publishers told them that they’re looking for the next “The Hate U Give,” her debut novel and now a film dealing with a police shooting of an unarmed black teenager, which makes her works a standard to be compared against, she said. Despite these unfair expectations, Thomas said black authors should be able to tell the stories they want. “When Stephanie Meyers was putting out ‘Twilight,’ they were buying vampire books like crazy. Nobody was telling that to white authors, but with authors of color, ‘Oh, we already have this.’ Even with LGBTQIA authors, they hear it all the time, ‘Oh, we already have a gay book.’ “Are you kidding me?” she said. Thomas sees this same mentality in hip-hop. “We can only have one female rapper who is successful, or we can only have one rapper from the South who is the big shot. No Limit and Cash Money could make money at the same time; it didn’t take away from either of them. You know what I mean?” Thomas said. “You did not see Steve Jobs beefing with Bill Gates. They don’t give a crap. They know it’s enough money out here for everybody,” Thomas added.
Rappers Vitamin Cea and Yung Jewelz remember Lil Lonnie at Offbeat.
and you’re like why it ain’t happening to me?” Yung Jewelz said. “Just because I’m shining in the light don’t mean I don’t have my own problems, so I just feel like I really don’t know what’s the solution. We got to come together more as a people, I know that much because it should definitely be more love than hate,” Jewelz added. ‘Footprints on the Moon’ Similar to Nipsey Hussle, Angie Thomas is making strides to help improve the Georgetown community, which fostered her beginnings as a writer. She said she is partnering with New Horizon Church and New Horizon Ministries to rehabilitate Aaron Henry Park in the community. She said the park is three doors down from her house, and when she was a kid, she was almost caught up in a shootout there. “That park means a lot to me not just because of that moment and what that moment led to, that moment led to my mom taking me to a library, but that park
The best approach to eradicating the challenges of success lie in investment in the community so that everyone has opportunities and aren’t concerned with what others are doing, Thomas said. “A good solution would be having jobs and having skill sets and being able to take care of yourself and have for yourself where you’re so busy and you’re so good, you’re not worried about what the next person got. I think that would go a long way,” Thomas said. From Lil Lonnie’s influence and passing, Thomas said she hopes that Jackson’s young people learn to not take life for granted and that they can make an impact in a short amount of time. “The love I’ve seen this young man get and the outpouring of love I’ve seen him get is amazing, and it shows you he really affected some people, and he affected some lives. They can do that and more,” Thomas said. Jackson gets a bad reputation, and people make assumptions about the young people who live here before they get to
know them, Thomas added. “I wish that the kids in Jackson knew how much potential they have and to not let outside forces change the way they view themselves,” Thomas said. “There’s so much you can do and so much you can accomplish. The sky isn’t even the limit; there are footprints on the moon. So go for it.” ‘A Legacy In This Life’ Crystal Capler said she always used to send her brother Lonnie videos of the work Nipsey Hussle was doing in his community. She said Lonnie’s long-term goal was to invest in real estate, but more than anything, he also wanted to shine a light on Mississippi. “He wanted to say ‘hey, I’m Lil Lonnie, and I represent the state of Mississippi, and there’s other artists here who have this same talent.’ He wanted to make sure that people know Lil Lonnie is from Mississippi,” his sister said. “If I ain’t ever shine, I’ma shine right now,” Lil Lonnie rapped in “Right Now.” Capler said it brings her a sense of peace knowing her brother will always be immortalized through his music. Two weeks ago, a fan from Australia reached out via email and let the family know that he still listens to her brother’s music, and he also bought some merchandise from Lil Lonnie’s website. “It lets me know that people still listen to him and his voice is still being heard, even though he’s not physically here with us. His voice is still living on, and he’s still motivating people each and everyday,” Capler said. The marathon continues with Nipsey Hussle, but what will Lil Lonnie’s legacy be in Jackson and the state? “I know Lonnie’s legacy is no matter what you do, no matter what they say and no matterhowmuchtheytellyouyoucan’tmake it from one place, you can,” Jo’De Boy said. “No matter how much work you put in, they say it can’t reach certain doors, it can. No matter how much your peers, your surroundings or your circumstances make you feel like you can’t make it, you can.” The memory of what Lil Lonnie did and what might have been can help, his sister believes. “I think his legacy is to inspire the kids coming from the ghetto, coming from nothing, that your end result can be something,” Capler said. “Lil Lonnie has inspired me to leave more than memories, but a legacy in this life.” Follow Culture Writer Aliyah Veal on Twitter @AliyahJFP. Send her neighborhood, local culture and music story tips to aliyah@ jacksonfreepress.com.
MISTLETOE MARKETPLACE
NOVEMBER 6-9, 2019
PRESENTED BY THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF JACKSON MISSISSIPPI TRADE MART | JACKSON, MS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9
ALL THAT GLITTERS PREVIEW GALA | 7-11 p.m.
GLITTER, SHINE & SHOP MARKETPLACE BRUNCH | 8-11 a.m.
RUDOLPH’S SLEIGH BELL BASH A CHILDREN’S EVENT | 9:30-11 a.m.
Presented by The Junior League of Jackson Musical Entertainment by Memphis Soul Revue
Presented by Regions
Presented by Ergon
7-9 p.m. | Walk the Red Carpet
GLITTER & GLOW BAPTIST LUNCHEON LUNCHEON & STYLE SHOW | 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
GLITTER, SPARKLE & SMILE SANTA SNAPS | 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Presented by C Spire
7-11 p.m. | Shopping Hours 7-10 p.m. | Silent & Premier Auctions 9 p.m. | Live Auction 7-10 p.m. | Present Pick
Featuring Giuliana and Bill Rancic Presented by Mississippi Baptist Medical Center Fashions by Maison Weiss featuring Lafayette 148 New York
Presented by Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry
GLITTER, SPARKLE & SMILE SANTA SNAPS | 2:30-6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 SIP & SPARKLE MISTLETOE MORNING | 8-11 a.m.
PEACE, LOVE & GLITTER TWEEN FASHION SHOW | 4:30-6 p.m.
Presented by Trustmark
Presented by University of Mississippi Medical Center
BUBBLES & BLUES GIRLS NIGHT OUT | 6-8 p.m.
MUSTACHE GLITTER BASH FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT | 8-11 p.m.
Presented by Visit Mississippi Musical Entertainment by Eden Brent
GENERAL SHOPPING HOURS Thursday, November 7 | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, November 8 | 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, November 9 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets on sale September 1, 2019. For more information or to order tickets, please visit mistletoemarketplace.com or call 1.888.324.0027
Presented by Southern Beverage Co., Inc. Musical Entertainment by The Mustache Band
Do You Get the
JFP Daily?
Sign up at JFPDaily.com
JUNE 8, 2019 - JANUARY 5, 2020 Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
UĂŠ Ă?VÂ?Ă•ĂƒÂˆĂ›iĂŠ Â˜Ă›ÂˆĂŒiĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠĂŠ iĂƒĂŒĂŠÂœvĂŠ >VÂŽĂƒÂœÂ˜ĂŠ*>Ă€ĂŒĂžt UĂŠ i>`Â?ˆ˜iĂƒ UĂŠ Ă›iÂ˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ Ă•ĂƒÂˆV UĂŠ-ÂŤiVˆ>Â?ĂŠ"vviĂ€Ăƒ UĂŠ/ˆVÂŽiĂŒĂŠ ÂˆĂ›i>Ăœ>ĂžĂƒ
17
Artists To Watch 2019 by Nate Schumann by Nate Schumann
n the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, jazz proliferated in the streets of New Orleans, as second-line bands strolled through the French Quarter. Every Sunday at 11 a.m., the doors of Char Restaurant become a gateway that transport visitors from present-day Jackson, Miss., to the Crescent City of that era—all thanks to the weekly performances by Big Easy Three. The trio is comprised of Bob Pieczyk, upright bass and supporting vocals; Tim Avalon, four-string banjo and vocals; and Terry Miller, trumpet and lead vocals. The group plays traditional New Orleans jazz, ala the 1920s-1940s, including arrangements from artists such as Louis Armstrong and King Oliver. The band formed eight years ago when Char reached out to Pieczyk to see if he could assemble some musicians to play live jazz at the restaurant after the group that had been playing at the venue found a new location. Pieczyk contacted Avalon and Miller, and Big Easy Three was born. Since then, the band has played at other venues and special events over the years. On Sept. 24, Big Easy Three performed at a charity fundraiser that Southern Chris-
From left: Tim Avalon, Bob Pieczyk, Terry Miller are the Big Easy Three.
tian Services held at the Country Club of Jackson. Notably, the group has also been solicited to play at funerals. A woman whose father had passed away asked the trio to do so for the first time because her father loved and would often travel to New Orleans. “She said, ‘We’re looking for something—this is the music that Daddy loved,’ and we did the whole thing. We did the walk (from the church to the gravesite) and played ‘The Saints Go Marching In’ … I was astounded that it had the kind of impact it did. It was really, as they say in New Orleans, a celebration of someone’s life rather than a sad affair,” Pieczyk says. For more information, find Big Easy Three on Facebook.
May 29 - June 11,2019 • jfp.ms
A
18
nissa “Big Sexy” Hampton gravitated toward performing at a young age, singing in front of the mirror when she was 2 years old, so says her mother. After a career singing background vocals for artists such as Willie Clayton, Calvin Richardson and the Keeshea Pratt, she elected roughly four years ago to stand centerstage as a soloist and as of two years ago lead Anissa Hampton and the H Funk band. Born in Chicago, she and her family moved to Jackson when she was about 10 years old and have remained in the area ever since. Growing up, Hampton was surrounded by music. The household had a collection of several dozen vinyl records, encompassing a number of genres like blues, soul and more. Her father Charles Hampton Sr. was a country music fan, so she grew up hearing artists like Shania Twain, Randy Travis and Dolly Parton. Hampton herself, however, loved artists like Whitney Houston and Anita Baker, and she owned all of their releases on cassette tapes. As a group, Anissa Hampton and the H Funk band primarily describes itself as playing within R&B and southern soul genres, largely thanks to her upbringing.
Silver and Lace
S
ilver and Lace, a multi-genre band that performs songs both older and newer, added itself to the list of local talent earlier this year after forming in the spring and making its public debut in June. Five-foot tall “powerhouse” Jamie Waltman fronts the band as lead vocalist. Besides Waltman, the band consists of Bob Buseck as a guitarist, Wesley Ray as lead guitarist, Andy Halstead as bass guitarist and William Waddell as drummer. The group formed earlier this year after a chance encounter between Waltman and Buseck. Buseck, a member of another local band named Silvertree Crossing, was playing at Pelican Cove while Waltman was in the audience. Waltman asked manager Don Getty if she could go on stage to sing with the group, and she did. Afterward, Buseck, who had been looking for a female singer to lead a new band, reached out to Waltman. The two realized they had good artistic chemistry and went forward with the project, arriving at Silver and Lace. While the band focuses on country and rock, the members have created a set list of about 50 songs that showcase a variety of genres.
Chelsea Rena Photography
Anissa Hampton
courtesy Silver and Lace
courtesy big easy three
I
Big Easy Three
Anissa Hampton performs.
“I’ve been exposed to all these genres, so I feel that I should play those genres in my performances and (have them) in my repertoire of music,” she says. She graduated from Provine High School in 1990 and then attended Tougaloo College, where she began pursuing music more actively. After a hiatus from school, she enrolled in Jackson State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2011 and a master’s degree in technology education in 2014. She currently works
From left: Wesley Ray, William “Billy” Waddell, Jamie Waltman, Andy Halstead, Bob Buseck.
“We have a lot of people say that they like the different genres of music we have to offer and that it’s just a fun crowd. They just like to come out and hear us sing and that it makes for a good time,” Waltman says. So far, Silver and Lace primarily prefers to play outdoor venues as well as special events like weddings. “The last show that we played in Jackson, a guy actually proposed to a girl,” Waltman says. “He wanted us to sing and him pop the question while we were there, so we did. They actually asked for us to play their wedding in the spring. So that’s something cool that we’re looking forward to doing.” For more information, find Silver and Lace on Facebook.
as an administrative assistant in JSU’s graduate studies department, while she works toward a second master’s in hazardous materials, which she is set to receive this December. In her spare time, Hampton enjoys attending the live performances of fellow local artists. “I really like to be laid back, listen to their shows, see how their crowd gets happy and excited. It’s pretty much supporting them as well,” she says. “… A lot of them have started coming to my shows, so it’s like us showing them support when they show you support. We’re trying to keep that up locally so that we can let each other know how we appreciate them and they appreciate us.” Hampton notes how the local music scene in Jackson is a community and that she is thankful to be a part of it. “To me, it lets me know that I’m not out there by myself. It lets me know that people outside of family are supporting me, and a lot of the artists in Jackson need that because there are so many of us in this type of genre of music, in R&B and blues, and it’s a lot coming up. So it’s just something that’s very comforting to have,” she says. Anissa Hampton’s next performance will be at Johnny T’s on Oct. 18 starting at 10 p.m. For more information, find Anissa Hampton on her Facebook page under Anissa Hampton Plus.
King Drastic Your Friend Behind the Lens
Malik Nichols, otherwise known as King Drastic, performs.
M
alik Nichols, who has been making a name for himself in the Jackson hiphop scene in the last year or so under his stage name King Drastic, found himself introduced to hip-hop at an early age. “Music has always been part of my background. My father is a big music person, put me on a lot of singers like Prince and the Temptations. And then around 6 or 7 (years old), he gradually put me towards hip-hop,” he says. “Around my sophomore or junior year of high school, I started actually writing (music) myself, just to see if I could actually do it or not. The 28-year-old Jackson native graduated from Lanier High School in 2009 and shortly after joined the U.S. Air Force. He was officially inducted on Feb. 15, 2011, and he separated from the military exactly six years later, to the day. In August 2017, he enrolled at Jackson State University, where he is currently pursuing a degree in health education. He distanced himself from music when he first joined the Air Force but returned to it toward the latter part of his service. He released a 10-track EP titled “Unfinished Business” using purchased beats in 2015. After separating from the military, he began working on his music more seriously, completing and releasing a full-length album self-titled “King Drastic” in 2018. The album did fairly well, receiving around 16,000 streams on Apple Music,
5,000 on Spotify and close to 7,000 on Tidal. All of King Drastic’s songs are originals, with Nichols writing the lyrics. John Maynier—otherwise known as Mayniac On The Track—produced the music for “King Drastic” and is continuing to do so for the artist’s future releases. “I have a lyrical foundation,” Nichols says. “I’m really into punchlines and wittiness and being able to create a story, but I’ve also found a way to infuse that with a Mississippi sound, if you can say that. My music is more on the uplifting side. … I try to find a way of getting my message across and getting my lyrics across but in a way that be easier to the ear and easier for people to accept as far as the sound of it.” Since 2018, King Drastic has performed for Hal & Mal’s “Country Cousins” series, Jackson Indie Music Week and other venues and events, including a showcase that Neak, a Chicago-based hip-hop artist, held at Conkrete on Sept. 7. King Drastic is set to release another full-length album titled “BLVCK GRAFFITI” in early November, and he is working on a three-song project where he will collaborate with fellow local hip-hop artists Vitamin Cea and King Blamah. For more information, find King Drastic on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. His music can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, SoundCloud and YouTube.
BENEFITING THE HAROLD T. WHITE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
“KEEP CALM AND HAL ON” GUMBO TASTINGS • GUMBO COOK-OFF KID’S AREA • COLD BEER
FRUITION
ARKANSAUCE HOOD BABY AND THE BARNACLES THE VERNON BROTHERS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 SMITH PARK, 11 AM - 5 PM DOWNTOWN JACKSON [KIDS AREA] FOR MORE INFO OR TO ENTER YOUR GUMBO, GO ONLINE
JACKSONGUMBO.COM
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
T
he Jackson local music scene is constantly evolving, with new acts springing up each year and with veteran ones continuing to make waves. This overview covers a handful of music artists who are from and perform in the Jackson metro area.
19
courtesy tiger rogers
10/2 - 10/15 Tuesday 10/1 Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Open Jam 7 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Shaun Patterson 6 p.m. Duling Hall - Son Volt 7:30 p.m. Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Skip and Mike 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Larry Brewer and Doug Hurd 6 p.m. Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Wednesday 10/2 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - The Gator Trio 6:30 p.m. Martin’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Shucker’s - Sonny & Co. 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Thursday 10/3 Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Womble Brothers 7 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Johnny Crocker 6 p.m. Fenian’s - Chris Nash 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Chris Minter & the KJ Funkmasters 11 p.m. $5 Genna Benna, Brandon - Casey Phillips 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Jason Turner 7 p.m.
Tiger Rogers
burg - Mr. Sipp 8 p.m. Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Proximity 9 p.m. Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m. Drago’s - Ralph Miller 6 p.m. Duling Hall - Scooter Brown Band 8 p.m. Fenian’s Pub - Blind Dog Otis 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Live Music midnight $10 Genna Benna, Brandon - Chad Wesley 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Shaun Patterson 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Madison - Dan Confait 7 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 9 p.m. ISH - Stephanie Luckett 8 p.m. Kathryn’s - The Sole Shakers 7 p.m. Pelican Cove - Silver Tree Crossing 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Barry Leach 5:30 p.m.; Hairicane 8 p.m. $5; Chad Perry 10 p.m. Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-2 a.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Saturday 10/5 Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Jason Miller Band 8 p.m. Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Jason Turner Band 9 p.m. Burgers & Blues, Ridgeland - Sid Thompson and DoubleShotz 6 p.m. Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m. Amy Womble
Shucker’s - Steele Heart 3:30 p.m.; Hairicane 8 p.m. $5; Charade 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. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Sunday 10/6 908 Provisions - Knight Bruce 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Wellington’s Jazz Brunch: Andy Hardwick 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Tiger Rogers 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Kathryn’s - The XtremeZ Band 6 p.m. Pelican Cove - Stace and Cassie noon-4 p.m.; V Twin 5-9 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. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Monday 10/7 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Hal & Mal’s - CMBS presents Blue Monday 7 p.m. $5 Kathryn’s - Stevie Caine - American Idol Contestant 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Carlos Calebrese 6 p.m. Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Tuesday 10/8
The Womble Brothers
Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Open Jam 7 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m. Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Keys vs Strings Dueling Piano Show 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Richard Lee Davis 6 p.m. Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.
Georgia Blue, Madison - Aaron Coker 7 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - Steele Heart 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Phil Yarborough 6 p.m. Shucker’s - The Road Hogs 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
October 9, 2019 - Wednesday Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - American Band 7 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Duling Hall - AHI 7:30 p.m. Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer and Doug Hurd 6:30 p.m. Martin’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Pelican Cove - Chris Gill 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Sonny & Co. 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Friday 10/4
20 Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicks-
CS’s - Karaoke 8 p.m. Fenian’s Pub - Daniel Houze 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Live Music midnight $10 Genna Benna, Brandon - Brandon Greer 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Candy Lee Dobbs 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Madison - Chad Wesley 7 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Acoustic Crossroads 7 p.m. Pelican Cove - Keys vs Strings 6 p.m.
Thursday 10/10 Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Stace and
See more music at jfp.ms/musiclistings. To be included in print, email listings to music@jacksonfreepress.com.
Cassie 8 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Chuck Bryan 6 p.m. Duling Hall - Justin Townes Earle 8 p.m. Fenian’s - Chris Nash 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Chris Minter & the KJ Funkmasters 11 p.m. $5 Genna Benna, Brandon - Josh Hardin Duo 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Aaron Coker 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Madison - Jason Turner 7 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - Bill Temperance and Jeff 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Thomas Barnes 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Hunter Gibson and Larry Brewer 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Friday 10/11 Alumni House, Pearl - Larry Brewer 7 p.m. Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Unfazed 8 p.m. Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Keys vs. Strings 9 p.m. Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m. Drago’s - Shayne Weems 6 p.m. Fenian’s Pub - Reverend Mother, The Start Up and Surfwax 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Live Music midnight $10 Genna Benna, Brandon - Candy Lee Dobbs 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Dan Confait 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Madison - Shaun Patterson 7 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Faze 4 Dance Band 7 p.m. Martin’s - The Quickening 10 p.m. Pelican Cove - Jason Turner 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Barry Leach 5:30 p.m.; Ian Faith 8 p.m. $5; Charade 10 p.m. Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-2 a.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this October 12, 2019 - Saturday Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar, Vicksburg - Eddie Cotton, Jr. 8 p.m. Beau Ridge, Ridgeland - Larry Brewer 6 p.m. Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Silver Tree Crossing 9 p.m. Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m. CS’s - Karaoke 8 p.m. Fenian’s Pub - J. Candeed 9 p.m. F. Jones Corner - Live Music midnight $10 Genna Benna, Brandon - Shaun Patterson 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Flowood - Brandon Greer 7 p.m. Georgia Blue, Madison - Nathan Logan 7 p.m.
Iron Horse Grill - Live Music 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - Jay Wadsworth and The Round Up Band 7 p.m. Pelican Cove - Silver and Lace 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Chasin Dixie 3:30 p.m.; Ian Faith 8 p.m. $5; Chad Perry 10 p.m. Table 100 - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Two Rivers, Canton - Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 8 p.m. WonderLust - Drag Performance & Dance Party feat. DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-3 a.m. free before 10 p.m
Sunday 10/13 1908 Provisions - Knight Bruce 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Brandon Amphitheater - Chicago 7:30 p.m. Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Wellington’s Jazz Brunch: Andy Hardwick 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Iron Horse Grill - Tiger Rogers 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Kathryn’s - Bonfire Orchestra 6 p.m. Pelican Cove - Glen and Sid noon; The Road Hogs 5 p.m. Shucker’s - Steele Heart 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. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Monday 10/14 Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Hal & Mal’s - CMBS presents Blue Monday 7 p.m. $5 Kathryn’s - Joseph LaSalla 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Shaun Patterson 6 p.m. Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this
Tuesday 10/15 Bonny Blair’s, Brandon - Open Jam 7 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Drago’s - Hunter Gibson 6 p.m. Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Kathryn’s - The Road Hogs 6:30 p.m. Pelican Cove - Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m. Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m. change framing for music list. may be a better way to do this October 16, 2019 - Wednesday Brandon Amphitheater - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Duling Hall - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. ISH - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Kathryn’s - Live Music 6:30 p.m. Martin’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Offbeat - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m. Pelican Cove - Live Music 6 p.m. Shucker’s - Live Music 7:30 p.m. Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Offsite & Onsite CATERING AVAILABLE
CODY ROGERS AND BAND SAT. OCT 5 | 10 P.M.
RISKO & FRIENDS
OCTOBER 4
Wednesday 10/2
restaurant open
9
Thursday 10/3
10 FRI. OCT 11 | 10 P.M.
THE QUICKENING
FONDREN AFTER FIVE
Wednesday 10/9
New Bourbon Street Jazz Band Dining Room - 7pm - Free Thursday 10/10
Adam Collier
D’Lo Trio
Friday 10/4
12 19
SAT. OCT 12 | 2 P.M.
ROCK EUPORA
Music/Events
Bill, Jeff and Temperance
Dining Room - 7pm - Free
Friday 10/11
BobDining and Todd Trio Room - 6:30pm - Free Saturday 10/12
Dining Room - 7pm - Free
Saturday 10/5
REEB NIGHT
Cary Hudson
22
Singer/Songwriter Night With Natalie Long Dining Room - 7pm - Free
Dining Room - 7pm - Free
UPCOMING
THU OCT 17 RED NOT CHILI PEPPERS FRI OCT 18 LITZ SAT OCT 19 EPIC FUNK BRASS BAND FRI OCT 25 DAN BAIRD AND HOMEMADE SIN SAT OCT 26 FLOW TRIBE WED OCT 30 ELEPHANT WRECKING BALL (PRETTY LIGHTS, ODESZA, JOHN BROWN’S BODY, DOPAPOD) FRI NOV 1 VOODOO VISIONARY FRI NOV 8 MAGIC BEANS WITH MUNGION FRI DEC 6 - SAT DEC 7 CBDB (A WEEKEND OF JOYFUNK) SAT FEB 8 TAB BENOIT
24 31
Sunday 10/13
SAINTS VS. JAGUARS
12pm |Big Room
NOVEMBER
Sunday Potluck
BYOF (Bring your own food)
3
12pm |Big Room BYOF (Bring your own food)
Monday 10/7
Central MS Blues Society presents:
Monday 10/14
Central MS Blues Society presents:
Blue Monday Blue Monday
15
Dining Room - 7 - 11pm $3 Members $5 Non-Members
21 22 23 29 COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS & TICKETS
HAPPY HOUR
601.354.9712
SAINTS VS. BUCCANEERS Sunday Potluck
www.dulinghall.com
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
Sunday 10/6
AT DULING
TWO HOURS BEFORE EVERY SHOW CRAFT COCKTAILS • SMALL BITES • GOOD TIMES
Tuesday 10/8
Dining Room - 7 - 11pm $3 Members $5 Non-Members
Tuesday 10/15
Dinner Drinks & Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends Dining Room - 6pm
Dinner Drinks & Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends Dining Room - 6pm
10/16 David Cousar 10/17 Mark & Jame 10/17 Disability MS Trivia 10/18 Burt Byler 10/20 Saints Vs. Bears in the Big Room @ 3:25, Sunday Saints Potluck 10/21 CMBS Presents Blues Monday 10/22 Dinner Drinks and Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends 10/22 Mississippi Humanities Council
Presents Ideas on Tap 10/23 New Bourbon Street Jazz Band 10/24 D’Lo Trio 10/26- Crooked Creek 10/27- Saints VS Cardinals NOON game Sunday Potluck 10/28- CMBS presents Blues Monday 10/29- Dinner Drinks and Jazz with Raphael Semmes and Friends
Upcoming
We’re now on Waitr!
visit halandmals.com for a full menu and concert schedule 601.948.0888
200 s. Commerce St.
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
FRI. OCT 4 | 10 P.M.
DAILY BLUE PLACE SPECIALS
21
BEST OF JACKSON // legal
Best of Jackson: Legal 2019
T
he moments when you find yourself needing legal counsel can be the most strenous ones in your life. The Jackson Free press aims to simply the process of finding an attorney who can help you with whatever situation you may be facing. Through your votes, we have compiled a list of your favorite lawyers and law firms for our Best of Jackson Legal ballot.
Best Lawyer/Best Defense Attorney: Carlos Moore
Best Tax Attorney: Ashley Wicks
(Cochran Firm Mississippi Delta; 100 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland; 877-227-9920; tuckermoorelaw.com)
(Butler Snow; 1020 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1400, Ridgeland; 601-948-5711; butlersnow.com)
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
22
Best Lawyer finalists Amanda Fritz (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Ashley Duck (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Darryl Gibbs (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms. com) / Rogen Chhabra (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601948-8005; cglawms.com) / Dorsey Carson (Carson Law Group; 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1336; 601-351-9831; thecarsonlawgroup.com) Best Defense Attorney finalists Assma Ali (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Marshall Goff (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Carlos Tanner (Tanner & Associates; 263 E. Pearl St.; 601-460-1745) / Darryl Gibbs (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com)
Finalists: David Lynch (The Lynch Law Firm; 4811 Old Canton Road; 601-321-1977; thelynchlawfirm.com) / James McGee (McGee Tax Law; 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1240; 601-965-6155; mcgeetaxlaw.com) / Harris “Trip” Barnes, III (Barnes Law Firm; 5 River Bend Place, Suite A, Flowood; 601-981-6336; barnes-lawfirm.com)
Best Law Firm: Chhabra & Gibbs (120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) coutesy Chhabra & Gibbs
Carlos Moore, managing partner of the Cochran Firm Mississippi Delta, which Moore’s own Tucker Moore Group, LLP, merged with in January 2019, has been practicing for 17 years since 2002. The Cochran Firm’s founder, Johnnie Cochran, is a member of Moore’s fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, and a man Moore says he has looked up to for years. “I’ve long admired Johnnie Cochran’s work and aspired to be like him, Moore says. “He is a man of achievement, and I’m excited to be working him and to have more than 200 attorneys from his firm to assist me in my cases.” After the merger, Moore says he has been able to expand the breadth of his work to cover mass tort litigation cases and wrongful-death lawsuits across Mississippi, as well as police brutality and prison death cases. His other areas of practice include personal injury, worker’s compensation, civil rights, Social Security disability, product liability and more. Born in Pascagoula, Moore, 42, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Alabama in 1999 and his law degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 2002. Moore founded his own firm called Moore Law Office in 2006. The firm became Moore Law Group in 2013 and then Tucker Moore Group in 2017 after Moore merged firms with attorney Charles Tucker. Moore is a member of the Mississippi and Tennessee bars, the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice, and is a former vice president of the National Bar Association. – Dustin Cardon
courtesy Butler Snow
Petey Swearengen
Ashley Wicks of Butler Snow says that she is “honored” to be voted as a finalist, considering that many people she interacts with do not understand her job. “Most of the time, when people think of lawyers, they think of the litigative work in court, and I am more of a transactional lawyer. So most of my work is document-intensive, telephone calls and negotiating over the phone,” she says. Nevertheless, the Jackson native finds enjoyment in her practice, which she has been doing for 14 years in total, the last seven being with Butler Snow. “The thing I love about my practice is that we’re creating things, like we’re creating schools, (and) we’re helping to start new businesses,” she says. “That means you’re helping create jobs, so I like the creative aspect of my job.” Wicks earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jackson State University in 2001 and received her master’s in professional accountancy from JSU in 2012. Through her experience, Wicks has learned that those in her profession have to keep up with the law as it changes. “You have to constantly keep abreast of new incentives, new regulations, to be a true expert,” she says. –Nate Schumann
Chhabra & Gibbs, winner of Best Law Firm, formed at the start of the millennium after Rogen Chhabra and Darryl Gibbs began working together and decided to become partners. “We built up a practice and decided that (Gibbs is) the yin to my yang,” Chhabra says. “We very often have different perspectives on how to solve problems for our clients, and we bring those perspectives together and usually come up with the best solution and strategy to keep the clients’ case moving forward in their best interest.” Both men earned their law degrees from Mississippi College School of Law, Chhabra in 1998 and Gibbs in 2000. The firm concentrates on injury cases, such as workers’ compensation and personal injuries, which includes vehicular incidents, slip-and-falls, medical malpractice, products liability and more. It also focuses on family law, discrimination, social security and disability work. Additionally, the firm has a “large and thriving immigration practice,” Chhabra says. Collectively, the members of the immigration team speak English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. The practice handles applications for bonds, asylum claims, appeals and more. Chhabra & Gibbs employs attorneys who are licensed to practice in all immigration courts across the country. –Nate Schumann Finalists: Carson Law Group (125 S. Congress St., Suite 1336; 601-351-9831; thecarsonlawgroup.com) / Gadow & Tyler (511 E. Pearl St.; 601-355-0654; gadowtyler.com) / Stewart & Associates (7716 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison; 601-853-2121; msattorney.com) / Richard Schwartz & Associates (162 E. Amite St.; 601-869-0696; 1call.ms. more Best of jackson p 24
Congratulations Rocky Wilkins Best of Jackson Winner Personal Injury Attorney Thank you for voting Melissa Malouf for Best Family Law Attorney You may contact us at:
601-948-4320 • www.MaloufLaw.com
R. Kelly Kyle
Thank you for your support Best of Jackson 2019 Winner Best Estate Planning Attorney
601-978-1700 | www.kyle-wynn.com
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
(601) 503-1652 4450 Old Canton Rd, Suite 200, Jackson, MS 39211
Malouf & Malouf, a full service law firm located in Jackson, Mississippi since 1970, primarily focuses on Personal Injury and Family Law.
23
BEST OF JACKSON // legal Best Bankruptcy Attorney: Frank Coxwell
Best Family Law Attorney: Melissa Malouf
(Coxwell Attorneys; 1675 Lakeland Drive, Suite 102; 601948-4450; mississippibankruptcyhelp.com)
(Malouf & Malouf; 501 E. Capitol St.; 601-522-2222; malouflaw.com)
Finalists: Blake Tyler (Gadow & Tyler; 511 E. Pearl St.; 601-355-0654; gadowtyler.com) / Eileen Shaffer (Sole Practitioner; 401 E. Capitol St., Suite 316; 601-969-3006) / William Leech (Wise Carter Child & Caraway; 401 E. Capitol St., Suite 600; 601-968-5500; wisecarter.com) / Michael Pond (Pond Law Firm; 1650 Lelia Drive, Suite 101; 601-948-4878; jacksonmsbankruptcy.com) / Rachel Coxwell (Coxwell Attorneys; 1675 Lakeland Drive, Suite 102; 601-948-4450; mississippibankruptcyhelp.com)
Finalists: Teresa Harvey (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Mel Coxwell (Law Offices of Mel Coxwell; 20 Eastgate Drive, Suite E, Brandon; 601-724-8723; centralmslaw.com) / Ernest “Ernie” Stewart (Stewart & Associates; 7716 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison; 601-853-2121; msattorney.com)
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
When Price Donahoo was an undergrad at Mississippi College, he started out as a pre-med major before quickly realizing that “a career involving math or chemistry was not for me.” A longtime fan of “Law and Order,” the Madison resident decided to change his major to political science, which prepared him for law school, before transferring to Mississippi State University. “I became a skilled arguer,” he says. Donahoo had initially thought he may pursue federal law enforcement, but after doing better than he expected in law school, he ultimately chose law for his career path. He worked as an attorney for Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush in Ridgeland for eight years focusing primarily on insurance defense before he founded his own firm, Donahoo Law Firm, in 2017. His firm covers a broad area of legal issues, which he has greatly enjoyed, he says. “Owning my own firm has allowed me to practice many different areas of law while spreading my business and entrepreneurial wings,” Donahoo says. –Annie McKee Finalists: Anne Turner (Sole Practitioner; 111 E. Capitol St., Suite 600; 601-352-2300) / David Humphreys (Carson Law Group; 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1336; 601-351-9831; thecarsonlawgroup.com) / Matthew McLaughlin (McLaughlin, PC; 111 N. State St.; 601-487-4550; mclaughlinpc.com) / William Dukes (The Law Office of William J. Dukes; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 5203, Ridgeland; 601-448-0015; wjdukes.com) / Zachary Branson (Jones Walker Law Firm; 190 E. Capitol St., Suite 800; 601-949-4810; joneswalker.com)
Best Estate Planning Attorney: R. Kelly Kyle (Kyle Wynn & Associates; 406 Orchard Park, Ridgeland; 601-978-1700; kyle-wynn.com)
Courtesy r. kelly kyle
24
Laurel Donahoo
Best Business Attorney: Price Donahoo (Donahoo Law Firm; 732 Magnolia St., Madison; 601-213-0883; donahoolawfirm.com)
Robby Followell
Melissa Malouf of Malouf and Malouf, winner of the Best of Jackson Best Family Attorney pop-up ballot, is dedicated to seeing families through what can be very difficult situations. “This is the worst time in people’s lives,” Malouf says. “I think you have to try to be compassionate while doing your very best to represent them while getting them everything they deserve because they are trying to pick up the pieces in their life and (that) is hard to do.” The Jackson native has been a member of the family practice with her father, Micheal, and brother, Mike Jr., for more than 20 years. Although she concentrates on family law handling cases such as divorce and child custody, Malouf also handles criminal law cases. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Mississippi in 1994 and her law degree from the Mississippi College School of Law in 1998. Malouf is a member of the Capital Area Bar Association, the Mississippi Bar and the Charles Clark Chapter of the American Inns of Court. She is also a past officer of the Jackson Young Lawyers Association. In addition to her work at the firm, she offers no-cost seminars regarding family issues across the state and provides pro-bono representation through organizations such as the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and Mission First.. – Torsheta Jackson
courtesy Frank Coxwell
Careers in law seem to be hereditary in the Coxwell family. Frank Coxwell elected to become a lawyer to follow in the footsteps of his father. His brother did the same, and he has two cousins who also grew up to be lawyers. Now, his daughter Rachel is also a lawyer and works with him at his firm Coxwell Attorneys. Coxwell grew up in Clinton, Miss., and graduated from Clinton High School in 1972 and then enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi. At the time, USM had a program that allowed students who had accumulated 90 hours to immediately enter law school rather than complete their undergraduate courses during their senior year. Thus, Coxwell enrolled in the Jackson School of Law, which became known as the Jackson School of Law at Mississippi College by the time he graduated with his law degree in 1978 and is now known as Mississippi College School of Law. While he has practiced various facets of the law, Coxwell chose to limit his firm to bankruptcy cases. “I liked bankruptcy. I actually filed bankruptcy myself in my early years of practice, and I saw what it did for people. … The bankruptcy clients really appreciate what you do for them as far as getting the debt off of them and taking the burdens from them.” –Nate Schumann
Kelly Kyle, originally from north Louisiana, moved to Jackson in 1989 to attend Mississippi College School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1992, and he has remained in the area ever since. Kyle has practiced law for 27 years and has been a partner with Kyle Wynn & Associates since May 2014. The firm focuses on estate planning, which entails helping individuals and families put things in order so that if someone becomes incapacitated, the person or persons they choose can attend to their affairs and so that their assets can be distributed as they wish once they pass away. The firm does this in a manner that minimizes the family’s involvement in the court system, which helps clients avoid conservatorship and probates. “Those are all expensive, burdensome processes that most people would just as soon avoid, and that’s what we help our clients do,” Kyle says. Kyle says he enjoys the interpersonal aspects of his job. “I get to meet a lot of very interesting people, some of whom have been very successful in their careers, and I always feel like I can learn something from them. I just really enjoy getting to meet all the people that we deal with and help them and their families avoid difficult situations.” –Nate Schumann
Finalists: Sarah Fox (Fox Law Group; 276 Maxey Drive, Brandon; 601-825-6111; foxlawgroup. ms) / Teresa Harvey (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms. com) / Vangela Wade (The Wade Law Firm; 321 Highway 51, Suite C, Ridgeland; 601-856-9967; wadelawfirmpllc.com) / Ernest “Ernie” Stewart (Stewart & Associates; 7716 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison; 601-853-2121; msattorney.com)
BEST OF JACKSON // legal
Thank you for your support
Best Real Estate Agent: Robert “Bobby” Moorehead (Robert E. Moorehead, Attorneys At Law; 220 W. Jackson St., Suite A, Ridgeland; 601-956-4557; lawrem.com) COURTESY ROBERT MOOREHEAD
“Homeownership should be available to everyone,” says Robert “Bobby” Moorehead, real estate attorney and owner of Robert E. Moorehead Attorneys at Law. Moore graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1992 and then enrolled in Mississippi College School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1996. Since then, he has accrued a little more than two decades of experience. During this time, he says he has learned that “A person’s home is frequently the biggest asset they acquire” and that “homeownership is a way to acquire wealth.” Moore chose real estate as his specific career path because the real estate process is a mutually positive one. “Everyone leaves a real estate closing happy. … I enjoy seeing and helping people make good decisions,” he says. “Helping people buy real estate is a way to help people better their lives.” –Annie McKee
Carlos E. Moore, Esq. Winner: Best Lawyer Best Criminal Defense Attorney Finalist: Best Plaintiff’s Attorney
Finalists: Andy Segrest (Randall | Segrest; 1030 Northpark Drive, Ridgeland; 601-956-2615; randallsegrest.com) / H. Fariss Crisler III (Sole Practitioner; 811 East River Place, Suite 202; 601-3532155) / Jay Cooke (Sole Practitioner; 437 Old Square Road, Suite 106, Ridgeland; 601-981-1912) / W. Rodney Clement (Bradley; 188 E. Capitol St., Suite 1000; 601-592-9944; bradley.com) / Steven Nixon (Milner Nixon Law; E. Leake St., Clinton; 601-925-4700; milnernixonlaw.com)
1000 Highland Colony Pkwy, Unit 5203 Ridgeland, MS 39157 877-227-9920 cochranfirm.com/location/mississippi
Best Personal Injury Attorney: Rocky Wilkins (Morgan & Morgan; 4450 Old Canton Road, Suite 200; 601-949-3388; forthepeople.com)
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
finalists Carlos Moore (Cochran Firm Mississippi Delta; 100 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland; 877-227-9920; tuckermoorelaw.com) / Darryl Gibbs (Chhabra & Gibbs; 120 N. Congress St., Suite 200; 601-948-8005; cglawms.com) / Ernest “Ernie” Stewart (Stewart & Associates; 7716 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison; 601-853-2121; msattorney.com) / Richard Schwartz (Richard Schwartz & Associates; 162 E. Amite St.; 601-869-0696; 1call.ms)
COURTESY ROCKY WILKINS
Law is in Rocky Wilkins’ blood. His father, Samuel Wilkins, was a well-known criminal-defense attorney in Jackson. Wilkins, like most little boys, grew up following his father everywhere he went. From getting his coffee as a child, driving him to the courthouse as a teenager, carrying his briefcase as a college student, and trying several high profile murder cases with him after earning his law degree, those early days solidified Wilkins path in the field of law. “I used to follow my dad over to the Hinds County Courthouse to try cases when I was a little kid,” Wilkins says. “That’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do in my life is to be a trial lawyer.” After running his own firm for nearly 15 years, he joined Morgan and Morgan in May of 2017 as the trial counsel for the state of Mississippi and became managing partner later the same year. In his role, he participates in every case that goes to trial from the Jackson office. Wilkins says he decided to move out of the realm of criminal defense into an area where he feels he can make a larger impact in his community. “For me, it was more about helping people and having a bigger impact on the community here in Jackson and here in Hinds County. To help somebody put their life back together is probably the most important part of my job because I always think about what I would want in a lawyer if I were in their shoes.” –Torsheta Jackson
25
arts
‘Dusti Bongé, Art and Life:’ Remembering Mississippi’s First Abstract Expressionist by Jenna Gibson
courtesy J. Richard Gruber
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Dusti Bongé’s “Sunflowers,” 1944 Oil on canvas, 16” x 20” Courtesy Dusti Bongé Art Foundation
courtesy Dusti Bongé Art Foundation
26
Dusti Bongé
T
hrough her life, Dusti Bongé became one of the most important female artists in 20th-century American art, creating paintings, poetry, writings and more that led to her becoming Mississippi’s first abstract expressionist painter. Her art extended to the theater, which she took on after graduating from Blue Mountain College. J. Richard Gruber’s “Dusti Bongé, Art and Life” (Dusti Bongé Art Foundation, June 2019, $75) delves into her artwork and family. It includes more than 500 images that document her life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, New Orleans and New York. Gruber, director emeritus of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans and formerly co-director of the Peter Joseph Gallery in New York, wrote the book to ensure that Dusti Bongé’s significant impact on southern and national art is remembered, and to describe “the many stages of a grand and adventurous life, one that spanned most of the 20th century.” Bongé, who was born in Biloxi as Eunice Lyle Swetman, lived in Mississippi until she moved to Chicago after graduating from Blue Mountain College, a Baptist institution close to Tupelo, to pursue her acting career. She moved to New York City to work on silent films, and met her future husband, Archie Bongé. They married in New York in 1928, and Swetman officially became Dusti Bongé. The couple lived in New York until they moved to Biloxi in 1934 with their son, Lyle. In 1936, after Archie passed away, Bongé dedicated her life to her artwork. Near the middle of the book, Bongé’s painting titled “Bird & Flower” appears— an oil on canvas she created in 1938 when she began the transition from realistic to abstract work. This painting illustrates the shift well “with its juxtaposition of a folded oriental carpet, ghost-like human forms, and a skewed central structural form—all positioned within a vague, undefined larger environment,” as Gruber describes. Bongé initially held her exhibits in New Orleans and Biloxi and later in New York, with her abstract expressionism achieving national recognition. In 1993, she died in Biloxi after living the last years of her life on the land where she was raised. As she drew closer to the end of her life, Bongé did not stop painting. In her
“Dusti Bongé Art and Life”
Author J. Richard Gruber
“Void” series, she focused on circle shapes in abstract form and illustrated emptiness. She only stopped the series when she thought that they were becoming too predictable, Gruber reports. “Dusti Bongé, Art and Life” dives into the significance of her work alongside issues and themes throughout the 20th century. In one section, Gruber compares hurricanes to moments in Bongé’s life. Her
career spanned from 1936 to 1993, and she spent her time from one place on the map to the next, creating art wherever she went—in the form of theater, writing and painting. Gruber separated the book into sections based on location and time and in chronological order. It gives a deep insight to not only Bongé’s own life, but also the world around her and what each city she
lived in was like during that time period. Readers get a glimpse of how connected Bongé was to the world around her, and shows how cities like Biloxi and New Orleans have a rich southern heritage that plays a vital role in the art world, using examples like Bongé’s art, paintings of the south by various artists, and old photos. “Biloxi was a complex, layered urban environment, nurturing a population that was more culturally diverse than that found in most other Mississippi cities at that time. In her early days, Dusti learned to travel comfortably between the diverse levels of life in Biloxi. As she matured, her experiences in these environments informed her art, her aesthetic vision and her larger philosophy of life.” Bongé was born in the modern era, but growing up, her family was rooted in the 19th-century South. Bongé’s family loomed large in her life, which Gruber explores throughout the book, mainly through photos and stories from her grandson, Paul Bongé. Her family was creative: her husband, Archie, was an artist, and her son and grandson were photographers. Gruber includes photos from the newspaper announcement of Dusti and Archie’s engagement and marriage in the book, showing how they met—he worked as a doorman and opened a door for her— and the national recognition their wedding drew. He also includes Paul Bongé’s drawing of Archie and Dusti kissing. Bongé was famous during the mid- to late 20th century and recognized as an important painter at the time, but now many people do not know about her. Gruber also discusses the art of the Gulf Coast and the South in general and how it is infused with rich southern history, and also how many people perceive art from the South a lesser quality than that created in bigger cities around the world. The Dusti Bongé Art Foundation produced this book, with the mission to promote the artistic legacy of Dusti Bongé through exhibition, conservation, scholarship and education. Gruber holds an M.A. in art history from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Visit the Dusti Bongé Art Foundation’s Facebook to learn more.
Donate. Spread the Word. Repeat.
Big or small, save them all! Donate Your Bras!
Torsheta Jackson for being named the
Jackson Free Press Freelancer of the Month for September
Riverwalk Casino wants your bras! In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, drop off your bras at Riverwalk Casino from October 1-31. For every bra collected, Riverwalk Casino will donate $1 to the American Cancer Society.
The NEW Gold Standard of Walk-In Bathtubs
Stay Safer & More Independent with a Jacuzzi® Luxury Walk-In Bathtub
SAVE $1,500
2019
on your NEW Walk-In Tub with ONE DAY installation
'RQ³W OHW PRELOLW\ FRQFHUQV HQG \RXU DELOLW\ WR HQMR\ D UHOD[LQJ DQG WKHUDSHXWLF EDWKLQJ H[SHULHQFH
NEW!
8LI WEJIX] JIEXYVIW help with mobility in and out of the tub, ERH EPWS LIPT ]SY JIIP QSVI WIGYVI ERH MRHITIRHIRX
SURYLGHV D PRUH HQMR\DEOH EDWKLQJ H[SHULHQFH
NEW! 5HOD[LQJ %XEEOH )RRW 0DVVDJH NEW! +HDWHG EDFN DQG VHDW IRU PRUH FRPIRUW DQG UHOLHI
PLUS! ,QVWDOODWLRQ LQ DV OLWWOH DV RQH GD\ DYDLODEOH
Epsom Salt Compatible
Now enjoy the relaxing LIEPXL FIRI½ XW without the [SVV] SJ VYWX or damage XS ]SYV XYF´W GSQTSRIRXW
CALL A JACUZZI SPECIALIST & SAVE $1,500 ®
Call now for limited-time savings on your new Walk-In Bathtub and details on installation that takes as little as ONE DAY!
Enjoy Legendary Jet Technology
ITE LIM D
LIFETIME W
AR
Y
Jacuzzi
®
RAN
T
Call: 1-855-574-5531
Ask About Affordable Financing
1046 Warrenton Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180 riverwalkvicksburg.com • 601-634-0100 Must be 21 or older. Management reserves all rights. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-777-9696. ©2019 Riverwalk Casino • Hotel. A Churchill Downs property. All rights reserved.
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
NEW! $ TXLHWHU DQG HQHUJ\ HI¼ FLHQW SXPS Low Step
27
food&drink
peach brandy, peach schnapps, sparkling wine and peach puree.
Fall Into Brunch by Dustin Cardon
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Babalu Tapas & Tacos (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601-366-5757, eatbabalu.com) When: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. What: Dishes such as dulce de leche French toast with caramel sauce, steak and eggs with red wine jus, chicken and Chihuahua and scallion waffles, and crab cake Benedict with Hollandaise sauce; desserts such as cheesecake bites and cinnamon bread pudding; and drinks such as the Baba Rita, Notorious P.I.N.K. and Salley O’Malley.
Photo by Joseph Gonzalez on Unsplash
The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen (1200 N. State St., Suite 100, 601-398-4562, themanshipjackson.com) When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. What: Main dishes such as creme brĂťlĂŠe pancakes, breakfast tacos, duck legs, fried chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict with crab and beef tenderloin with eggs; and sides such as Vermont maple sausage, smoked gouda cheese grits, hash brown casserole and Spanish home fries.
Local restaurants in Jackson serve a variety of dishes for brunch.
BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601-982-8111, bravobuzz.com) When: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. What: Dishes such as New Orleans-style shrimp and grits, crabmeat omelets and veal piccata; a cocktail menu with drinks such as a Limontini with Bacardi Limon and orange juice and a bubbly menu with drinks such as the traditional Bellini with
Estelle Wine Bar & Bistro (The Westin Jackson, 407 S. Congress St., 769-2358400, estellejackson.com) When: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. What: Dishes such as omelets, quiche of the day, eggs Benedict, fried chicken biscuits, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, steak and eggs, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and a Lox bagel; sides such as cheddar grits and potato hash; and a special cocktail menu. Saltine Restaurant (622 Duling Ave., Suite 201, 601-982-2899, saltinerestaurant.com) When: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. What: Dishes such as a bourbon caramel French toast, biscuits and gravy, oysters with quail eggs, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, cinnamon rolls and smoked salmon tartine on sourdough with house lox; and drinks such as $5 Bloody Marys and mimosas, nitro cold-brew coffee and Beanfruit coffee. The Iron Horse Grill (320 W. Pearl St., 601-398-0151, theironhorsegrill.com) When: Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. What: Belgian waffle bar that includes toppings such as maple syrup, blueberries, strawberries, cinnamon, powdered sugar
and more, and an omelet bar with sausage, bacon, crab meat, crawfish, cheddar cheese, green onions and bell peppers as toppings. Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601420-4202, tableonehundred.com) When: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. What: Brunch dishes such as deviled eggs, pork bites, gulf blue crab claws, smoked vidalia onion and cheese bake, French onion soup and smoked chicken and apple salad; entrees such as slow-roasted Angus prime rib, poached eggs Benedict with smoked pulled pork, smoked turkey paninis, buttermilk pecan waffles; and more. Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., #142, 601-956-9562, charrestaurant.com) When: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. What: Appetizers such as crab, shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo, crab cakes and spinach crisp; main courses fried chicken with tri-color peppers, potato hash and Canadian bacon, custard-fried French toast, pan-seared Atlantic salmon, croquet Madame with country ham, chicken and waffles; desserts such as blueberry bread pudding, double-cut fudge brownies, gluten-free cheesecake, pecan pie and a pecancaramel butter crunch; and more. Others? dustin@jacksonfreepress.com
Feed the Team
With Our Party Packs Or Rib Packs
LUNCH @ FENIANS PUB SERVED MONDAY-FRIDAY
Great For Tailgating Or Feeding The Home Team Before the Game
901 E Fortification St s WWW FENIANSPUB COM
28 1491 Canton Mart Rd. Jackson s
-ON &RI AM AM s 3AT PM AM s 3UN PM AM
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7pm! $5 Margaritas, $5 Mezcalitas, $3 Patron Shots $1 off all beer
(601) 326-6070 3139 North State Street www.pigandpint.com
Monday
Scrub Day 20% Off Your Meal with Scrubs or a Hospital Badge * Dine in only.
Tuesday
LOVE FOOD?
WRITE ABOUT IT!
The Jackson Free Press is seeking freelance writers to write insightful, informative and creative food and dining articles.
4 courses. 4 people. On-the-go convenience.
COPENHAGEN
4 for $40
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Dinner Packs To learn more call 601.362.2900 Or visit: BROADSTBAKERY.COM
Taco Tuesay $2 Tacos All Day (Excludes shrimp and fish tacos)
Wednesday $2 off Quesadillas
Thursday
Ladies Day! 1/2 priced Salads and Bowls Happy Hour Starts at 4 p.m. for Ladies
PIZZA, PANINIS, WINGS, DRINKS, AND MORE
TA ILG AT E TO -G O PACKS FEATURING YOUR SAL & MOOKIE'S FAVORITES SO YOU CAN GET TO WHAT MATTERS - THE GAME!
Friday
$2 off Shrimp and Fish Tacos
Sat-Sun
Please send your resume, writing samples and specific story ideas to:
nate@jacksonfreepress.com
2820 N State St (601) 487-6082 greenghosttacos.com
TO ORDER
SALANDMOOKIES.COM | 601.368.1919
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
Endless Mimosas $15 $6 Bloody Mary’s & Micheladas
29
S L AT E
the best in sports over the next two weeks by Bryan Flynn, follow at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports
As the college football season moves into October, Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi are halfway to becoming bowl eligible. The University of Mississippi needs to have a strong month for a chance. THURSDAY, OCT. 3
NFL (7-10:30pm Fox): Los Angeles Rams v. Seattle Seahawks. FRIDAY, OCT. 4
College football (7-10:30pm ESPN): University Central Florida v. University of Cincinnati.
aTo Do Listd
Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more. THURSDAY 10/3 Extra Table’s 2nd Annual Witches Ride is from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Fondren Church (3327 Old Canton Road). Participants ride bikes or walk in the Halloween-themed fundraising event hosted by Extra Table, a nonCOURTESY MARTHA ALLEN profit that helps feed those in need. Participants encouraged to dress as witches or warlocks. The route starts at the church and then makes its way through Fondren before ending at Pig & Pint, where there will be an after-party. The meal includes two beers and barbecue nachos. $20 registration, $15 meal; call 601-264-0672; find it on Facebook.
SATURDAY, OCT. 5
College football (6:30-10pm SECN): Vanderbilt University v. University of Mississippi. SUNDAY, OCT. 6
NFL (12-3:30pm Fox): Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. New Orleans Saints. MONDAY, OCT. 7
NFL (7-10:30pm ESPN): Cleveland Browns v. San Francisco 49ers. TUESDAY, OCT. 8
NBA (7-9:30pm ESPN): Dallas Mavericks v. Oklahoma City Thunder. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9
College football (7-10:30pm ESPN2): Appalachian State University v. University of Louisiana at Lafayette. THURSDAY, OCT. 10
NFL (7-10:30pm Fox): New York Giants v. New England Patriots. FRIDAY, OCT. 11
College football (7-:10:30pm ESPN): University of Virginia v. University of Miami (FL). SATURDAY, OCT. 12
College football (11am-2:30pm SECN): Mississippi State University v. University of Tennessee
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
SUNDAY, OCT. 13
30
NFL (12-3:30pm CBS): New Orleans Saints v. Jacksonville Jaguars. MONDAY, OCT. 14
NFL (7-10:30pm ESPN): Detroit Lions v. Green Bay Packers. TUESDAY, OCT. 15
MLB (TBA TBS) National League Championship Series Game Four. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
College football (7-10:30pm ESPN2); University of South Alabama v. Troy.
JFP SPONSORED Purple Dress Run Oct. 17, 6-9 p.m., at The District at Eastover (1250 Eastover Drive). Participants run and walk in purple running gear as part of the 5k event. Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Shelter for Battered Families. An afterparty is held on the Green following the run. $25-$35; call 601-326-3758; email julie.obrien@ catholiccharitiesjackson.org; raceroster.com. Women of Vision 2019 Oct. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art 380 S. Lamar St.). The event celebrates progress made by female visionaries in Mississippi. Attendees learn more about the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi as they mingle with members of the organization’s board of directors and its current Grantee class. Cocktails and refreshments included. $75 general admission, $50 for women ages 35 and under; call 601-326-0700; email info@womensfoundationms.org; womens-foundation-of-mississippi.networkforgood.com.
cutting for the Art of Hair Academy at 11 a.m. on Oct. 11. The business holds its grand opening celebration at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12. The grand opening event includes food, drinks, music and tours of the building. Free admission (both events); call 601-207-4443; find it on Facebook. The 11th Annual Renaissance Euro-Fest Classic European Auto Show Oct. 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000
SATURDAY 10/5 Cathead Distillery Oktoberfest is from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cathead Distillery (422 S. Farish St.). The distillery hosts the third-annual Oktoberfest-themed event. Features craft and domestic beers, live music by DJ Tam, SEC football on the televisions,
COMMUNITY Fall Bridge Lessons: Beginning Bidding Oct. 7, Oct. 14, 4-6 p.m., at Jackson Bridge Association (300 Park Circle Drive, Flowood). Evelyn Adcock teaches participants the basics of bridge. Registration requested. $10 per lesson; call 601-936-4856. “Eudora Welty: The Presence of Holiness and Majesty” Dr. Suzanne Marrs Lecture Oct. 9, 5:30-7 p.m., at Northside Baptist Church (1475 E. Northside Drive, Clinton). Suzanne Marrs, a former English professor at Millsaps College who specializes in the works and life of Eudora Welty, presents at the second installation of the church’s “Brogan Lecture” series. The event includes a dinner of red beans and rice, salad, French bread and banana pudding. Childcare available for infants and toddlers. Childcare reservations must be made by noon, Oct. 4. $5 general admission; call 601-924-4555, ext. 202; email courtneyfstamey@northsidebaptistms.org; find it on Facebook. Art of Hair Academy Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening Oct. 11, 11 a.m., Oct. 12, 6 p.m., at Art of Hair Academy (4630 Clinton Blvd.). The City of Jackson holds a ribbon-
PIXABAY
an Oktoberfest Gaming Competition, food and more. Games in the competition include cornhole, ping pong, jumbo pong, fill-up-the-cup relay, giant Jenga and horse. Must work in teams of two, and each player must have a Gaming Competitor ticket to participate. Kid- and dog-friendly event; kids 12 and under free. $10 general, $20 Steinholder, $30 Gaming Competition; call 601-667-3038; email tours@catheaddistillery.com; Eventbrite.
Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). The annual car show features alluring British, Italian, German and various European vehicles for foreign auto-enthusiasts to enjoy. No registration fee required; sign up at euro-fest.net. Entries must be 25 years or older (built before 1994), except for newer special interest autos of rare and limited editions. Police escort available during route to an outside location and back to the Renaissance in time for the evening “Pick Up Your Packet” reception. Free admission; call 601946-1950; email Mike_Marsh@bellsouth.net; find it on Facebook. Orvis Day Event Oct. 12, noon-5 p.m., at Orvis (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 9019, Ridgeland). The outdoor event includes a free fly-fishing class with a fly-tying demo, pet adoption from Rescues Revolutions of Mississippi ($20 fee for a microchip), a car show, free refreshments and other outdoor activities. Registration required for free class and door prizes. Free admission; call 601-856-5347; find it on Facebook.
KIDS Budding Bookworms Story-time Oct. 2, Oct. 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m., at Willie Morris Library (4912 Old Canton Road). The library hosts the event where staffers read age-appropriate books to children ages 4 and under and then lead a related hands-on activity to encourage early literacy. Free admission; call 601-987-8181. Learning Tree Book Club Oct. 5, 2-3:30 p.m., at Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The children’s book club gets together to read and talk about books on the first Saturday of each month. Books provided. Free admission; call 601-372-0229; find it on Facebook. Visiting Artist: Kat Wilson Oct. 12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Museum Blvd.). Visiting artist Kat Wilson with Kinetic Etchings leads a dance workshop for children. Funded in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. $10 general admission, free with MCM membership; call 601-981-5469; email erin@ mcm.ms; mschildrensmuseum.org. Dogwood Fall Festival Oct. 12, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Dogwood Festival (150 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood). The festival features refreshments, crafter booths, face painting, games with prizes, free pumpkins for kids and more. Free admission; call 601-919-3877; find it on Facebook.
FOOD & DRINK Fondren After 5 Oct. 3, 5-8 p.m., at Downtown Fondren Historic District (2906 N. State St.). The neighborhood open house offers attendees opportunities to enjoy food from one of nearly two dozen of Jackson’s restaurants, bakeries, bars and coffee shops. Vendors sell various goods. Other street fair-like activities available. Free admission; finditinfondren.com.
SPORTS & WELLNESS Millsaps College Kickboxing & Boxing Oct. 3, Oct. 7, Oct. 10, Oct. 14, 6-7 p.m., at Boxers Rebellion Fighting Arts & Fitness (856 S. State St. Suite E). Mississippi College partners with Boxers Rebellion to host the classes. Master instructor Jeremy Gordon introduces participants to Hybrid Kickboxing™ and Jeet Kune Do self-defense techniques. No martial arts background required. $150 beginner class, $150 intermediate class (10 weeks); call 601-9741130; email conted@millsaps.edu.
SUNDAY 10/6 Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance (1401 Livingston Lane). The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi hosts a walking event benefitting the organization, which works toward help-
ing those with diabetes. Registration opens at 1 p.m. Ribbon cutting begins 2 p.m. The event includes a picnic after the walk. JFP Sponsored. $25 walk, $50 T-shirt, $100 T-shirt and gift certificate; call 601-9577878; find it on Facebook.
Events at Highland Village (4500 I-55 N. Frontage Road) • Bend & Brew | Pure Barre Style Oct. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Heidi Hogfrefe and her team lead the hour-long fitness session in The Courtyard. All fitness levels welcome. Those who stay until the end can attend the postworkout Happy Hour drink. Those who wish to use mats should bring their own. Free admission; call 601-982-5861; email lynsie. armstrong@wsdevelopment.com. • Bend & Brew | High Intensity Fitness Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m. Sean Cupit from Crossfit 601 instructs attendees in a high-intensity workout. All fitness levels welcome. Participants given a cold craft beer afterward. Free admission; call 601-982-5861.
The Salt Cave Breath Class Oct. 7, 7-8 p.m., at Soul Synergy Center (5490 Castlewoods Court D, Flowood). The class focuses on the healing benefits of mindful breathing and salt therapy as the instructor guides participants through breath work, body awareness, visualization and music. Must bring and wear white socks to class. Attendees are recommended to arrive 15 minutes early as the class begins sharply at 7 p.m. Limited space. Admission TBA. Beginner Yoga Classes for Teens and Adults Oct. 8, Oct. 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m., at Medgar Evers Library (4215 Medgar Evers Blvd.). Medgar Evers Library hosts yoga classes for beginners (teens and adults) with Eternal Yoga instructor, La’Desha Jones. The first ten attendees will be provided yoga mats and water. Free admission; call 601-982-2867; email ssimmons@jhlibrary.com; find it on Facebook.
STAGE & SCREEN “A Stranger Among the Living” Screening Oct. 8, 7-9 p.m., at Malco Grandview (221 Grandview Blvd., Madison). Malco presents a screening of the locally made thriller film that follows a young teacher who is haunted by visions of the undead after narrowly escaping a school shooting. The film is unrated, but producer Chris Wesley Moore advises viewers should be 13 years of age or older. Tickets must be purchased in advance. $10 general admission; call 601-613-9202; email chriswesleymoore@yahoo.com; brownpapertickets.com. “You’ve Got Hate Mail” Dinner Theater Oct. 10, 6:15-9:30 p.m., at Cultivation Food Hall (1250 Eastover Drive). Cultivation Food Hall and Fringe Dinner Theatre present an interactive dinner theater performance. The show depicts a story detailing what happens when an extra-marital affair goes viral after an email is sent to the wrong person. Admission fee covers a “Hall Pass” that lets attendees eat from any of the hall’s food vendors. Seating begins at 6:15 p.m. Reservations required. For mature audiences only. $50 general admission; email fringedinnertheatre@gmail.com; fringedinnertheatre.com.
CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Live Jazz in the Welty Garden Oct. 3, 5:30-7 p.m., at Eudora Welty House and Garden (1119 Pinehurst St.). The Mississippi College Jazz Band performs songs featured in the “For the Record” exhibit, as well as other jazz classics. Includes lawn games, a children’s station, lemonade, popcorn and an open bar. P-Wee Franks and Deep South Pops food trunks on-site. Grounds open at 5 p.m. Free admission, food prices vary; call 601-353-7762; email lrhoades@ eudoraweltyhouse.com; mdah.ms.gov. The Blast (Downtown) Oct. 3, 10 p.m., at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.). The event brings together DJs from across
$2).+ 30%#)!,3 s "52'%23 s 7).'3 s &5,, "!2 s '!4%$ 0!2+).' ")' 3#2%%. 46 3 s ,%!'5% !.$ 4%!- 0,!9 "%')..%23 4/ !$6!.#%$ s ).3425#4/23 !6!),!",%
E RE N
O RO M
RAWPIXEL
Free West African Dance Class Oct. 6, Oct. 13, 2-3:30 p.m., at Central United Methodist Family Life Center (517 N. Farish St.). Shanina Carmichael teaches participants the art of West African dance. Open to all ages and experience levels. Includes live music by Alkebulan Music Philosophy. Attendees can stay until 4 p.m. to learn choreography for performances. Donations encouraged. Free admission, donations accepted; call 601-983-9305; email shanina.carmichael@ gmail.com; find it on Facebook.
-Pool Is Cool-
Thanks for making us a finalist! Best Place to Play Pool Best of Jackson Best Place to Play Pool Since 2006 POOL LEAGUE
Mon - Fri Night
INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR
Daily 11pm -2am
DAILY BEER SPECIALS
12pm - 7pm
444 Bounds St. Jackson MS | 601-718-7665
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
BankPlus Red Beans & Rice Festival Benefiting Stewpot Oct. 12, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (115 W. School St., Ridgeland). Attendees gather to sample red beans and rice recipes and vote for their favorites among the entries. The event also includes live music and a children’s area. $10 general admission; find it on Facebook.
E TH G
aTo Do Listd
31
aTo Do Listd the Jackson metro area and beyond for a party showcasing genres such as house, techno, disco and more. Conceived by DJ Scrap Dirty. The event’s lineup includes Carlos “Sketch” Moore, The Nasty Sho and special guest Bryan Akili from Chicago. $5-$10; call 917-512-1379; email wesalesoul@gmail.com; find it on Facebook. Events at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.) • Scooter Brown Band Oct. 4, 8 p.m. The artist known for outlaw country music performs. Doors open at 6 p.m. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian to enter. Seating is first-come, first-serve. Persons under 21 must pay a $5 upcharge. $10 advanced, $15 at-door; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net. • AHI Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. The Ontario-native singer-songwriter performs. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to enter. Seating is first-come, first serve. Persons under 21 must pay a $5 upcharge. $8 advanced, $10 day-of; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net. • Justin Townes Earle Oct. 10, 8 p.m. The guitarist and singer-songwriter performs. Countryfolk pop quartet The Wandering Hearts also performs. Doors open at 6 p.m. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. Seating is first-come, first-serve. Persons under 21 must pay a $5 upcharge. $20 advanced, $25 at-door; call 601-292-7121; ardenland.net. Mississippi Community Symphonic Band Oct. 5, 3-5 p.m., at Belhaven University - Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Drive). The concert features both symphonic and swing arrangements. Free admission; call 601-594-0055.
Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more. Claire Holley Concert Oct. 7, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Northside Baptist Church (1475 E. Northside Drive, Clinton). Singer-songwriter and guitarist Claire Holley performs in the first event of the church’s “Brogan Lecture” series. Childcare available for infants or toddlers. Childcare reservations must be made by noon Oct. 4. Free admission; call 601-924-4555, ext. 202; email courtneyfstamey@northsidebaptistms.org; find it on Facebook.
tion copies of his work, which focuses on the artist Dusti Bongé. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $75 signed copy, free reading; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com. • “I Have Something to Say” Book Signing Oct. 5, 2 p.m. Japonica Brown signs copies of her book. $20 signed copy; call 601-366-7619; email ; lemuriabooks.com.
ARTS & EXHIBITS
SATURDAY 10/12 National Chess Day is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mississippi Children’s Museum (2145 Museum Blvd.). The museum hosts a chess tournament. Includes four divisions: K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12 (K-8 and K-12 are United States Chess Federation-rated). On-site registration begins 9 a.m. Current USCF membership required for K-8 and K-12 divisions. Entry fees cover access to the PIXABAY museum exhibits for the day. Chess sets provided for use during the tournament. Trophies awarded to the top 3 players of each division. $15 tournament registry, $5 accompanying adult admission; call 601-981-5469; email erin@mcm.ms; mschildrensmuseum.org.
LITERARY SIGNINGS Events at Lemuria Bookstore (4465 I-55 N.) • “Dusti Bongé, Art and Life” Book Signing Oct. 2, 5 p.m. Richard Gruber signs first-edi-
leads a workshop on storytelling at the third and final installation of the church’s “Brogan Lecture” series. Includes light refreshments. Childcare available for infants and toddlers. Childcare reservations must be made by noon, Oct. 4. Free admission; call 601-924-4555, ext. 202; email courtneyfstamey@northsidebaptistms.org.
CREATIVE CLASSES A Workshop for Telling your Story w/ Rev. Linda McComb Oct. 13, 5-7 p.m., at Northside Baptist Church (1475 E. Northside Drive, Clinton). Hospital chaplain Linda McComb
Let Us March On: Lee Friedlander and the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom Oct. 2-4, Oct. 7-11, Oct. 14-16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at Jackson State University’s Johnson Hall Art Gallery (1400 John R. Lynch St.). Jackson State University Margaret Walker Alexander Center hosts a Civil Rights photography exhibit open to the public until November 1st. Free admission; call 601-9793935; email mwa@jsums.edu; jsums.edu. Creative Healing Studio Oct. 2, Oct. 16, 12:30-2 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Art therapist Susan Anand leads the bimonthly art activity for adults being treated for cancer or those who have previously been diagnosed with cancer. All skill levels welcome. Registration required. Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org. The Mississippi Artists’ Guild Hinds CC Juried Show 2019 Oct. 3, 3-5 p.m., at Hinds Community College (501 E. Main St., Raymond). The Mississippi Artists’ Guild and Hinds Community College host the reception for Bill Wilson, whose artworks are in the Marie Hull Gallery from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31. Free admission.
The credit union difference: giving cash back to our members
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
@XperienceJXN
32
tickets available at
MS COLISEUM BOX OFFICE // TICKETMASTER.COM BETTINA'S SOUL FOOD KITCHEN 108 W. CENTER ST CANTON 601-937-6889 CUTTING EDGE BARBER SHOP 908 HWY 35N. KOSCUISKO 662-289-5374 PARKER CELLULAR 307 CHURCH ST. PORT GIBSON 601-437-3130 SLYVESTER'S BBQ 9434 MS-18, RAYMOND 601-346-8000 HARRIS SHOE REPAIR 421 HOWARD ST, GREENWOOD 662-453-5431 WILSON'S ELECTRONICS 841 S. DR. MLK JR BLVD, GRENADA, MS 662-226-0745 VINTAGE BARBIE 222 N. BIERDEMAN RD, PEARL, MS 601-214-0039
FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS OR MORE INFO: CALL/TEXT 678-322-8098
Green Plus Cash Back Checking
Premier Business Checking
Earn cash back with every swipe
Earn 3% APY
See a Member Service Representative for Details.
msfcu.us
PROFESSIONAL & BIZ The Bean Path l Tech Office Hours Oct. 13, 12:30-3:30 p.m., at Medgar Evers Library (4215 Medgar Evers Blvd.). The tech-focused nonprofit provides free technical advice and guidance to individuals, new startups and small businesses in the community at the library. Free admission; email theresa@thebeanpath.org.
BE THE CHANGE Recovery Concepts for Families Oct. 2, 5-7 p.m., at Hinds Behavioral Health Services (3450 Highway 80 W.). The event features lectures and training that inform participants on how to better make a difference when it comes to helping a family member recover from addition. Free admission; call 601-321-2400; email jwroten@hbhs9.com. Ferris Wheel Run Against Traffick Oct. 5, 8-11 a.m., at Mississippi State Fairgrounds, Gate 1 (1207 Mississippi St.). Vineyard Jackson Church and MS Race Timing host a 5K race to highlight the issue of human trafficking within Mississippi communities. Free admission; call 601-953-1817; find it on Facebook. NAMIWalks Mississippi 2019 Oct. 5, 9-11 a.m., at Mayes Lake at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park (3315 Lakeland Terrace). To celebrate 17 years, NAMI Mississippi presents the nation’s largest mental health awareness, family-oriented, fundraising event. Free registration for all 90+ community walks and participants can be a
Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more. sponsor, committee member, team captain, team member, individual walker or volunteer. Free admission; call 601-899-9058; email walkmanager@namims.org; find it on Facebook. Journey of Hope Meet and Greet Oct. 7, 6-8 p.m., at Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (4701, 1152 Lakeland Drive). Catholic Charities hosts a meet-and-greet for Rocky Bleier, former Pittsburgh Steeler and army veteran, who serves as the featured speaker for the main Journey of
by sharing stories of courage involving both football fields in America and battlefields in Vietnam. Proceeds from the event benefit the programs of Catholic Charities. Reservations required. Free admission, reservations required; call 601-326-3758; email julie.obrien@catholiccharitiesjackson.org; catholiccharitiesjackson.org. Walk to End Alzheimer’s Oct. 12, 8-10:30 a.m., at Mississippi State Capitol Building (400 High St.). The Alzheimer’s Association hosts
WEDNESDAY 10/16 Pumpkin Adventure 2019 is from 9 a.m. to noon at Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). The outdoor event includes a hayride, refreshments and opportunity to explore the agricultural museum sites such as Small Town, the General Store, the Pumpkin Patch and the Heritage Center Gallery. Reservation by phone required for groups of ten or more. PIXABAY Additional dates: Oct. 9-12. $8 general admission; call 601-432-4500; email msagmuseum@mdac.ms.gov; find it on Facebook. Hope event. Proceeds from the event benefit the programs of Catholic Charities. $50; call 601326-3758; email julie.obrien@catholiccharitiesjackson.org; catholiccharitiesjackson.org. Journey of Hope Oct. 8, noon-1 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). Former Pittsburgh Steeler and army veteran Rocky Bleier serves as the featured speaker for the annual event. He aims to inspire attendees
a walk to support efforts to finding a cure for the affliction. Participants can register at act.alz. org/metrojackson. On-site registrations begins 7:30 a.m. Donations accepted. Free admission, donations accepted; call 769-230-0611; email carmstrong@stdom.com. 2019 Buddy Walk & Fun Run Oct. 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Trustmark Park Stadium (1 Braves Way, Pearl). Central Mississippi Down
Syndrome Society hosts this free annual event, which acts as the largest fundraiser for “buddies” with developmental disabilities and includes a one-mile Fun-Run, a silent auction, interactive activities and entertainment. Free registration; call 601-385-3696; find it on Facebook. 2019 Butterfly Ball Oct. 12, 6-9:30 p.m., at The Country Club of Jackson (345 St. Andrews Drive). Trustmark presents the gala to raise awareness of the stigma of mental health for Mississippi children and adolescents. Canopy Children’s Solutions host the black tie-optional event that features a VIP cocktail reception, seated dinner and silent and live auctions. Limited space. $150 individual ticket, $250$10,000 sponsor packages; call 800-388-6247; find it on Facebook. Sonic Boom Alumni Association Decade Party Oct. 12, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (222 North St., Suite 2205). This “Step Back In Time” JSU Homecoming party featuring DJ Unpredictable benefits the band program to provide scholarships, equipment, travel and new recruits. $40 general admission, $55 VIP tickets; email sboomaa345@ gmail.com; find it on Facebook.
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.
Natchez SPRING PILGRIMAGE - SEPT. 27 - OCT. 14 NATCHEZ BALLOON FESTIVAL - OCT. 18, 19, 20 YA’LL MEANS ALL - OCT. 25 - 26 12TH ANNUAL BLACK & BLUE CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM - OCT. 25
VISITNATCHEZ.ORG 800.647.6724
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
aTo Do Listd
33
Visit www.jfpdeals.com today!
UP TO 50% OFF FROM LOCAL MERCHANTS
$& E:4<6E 7@C $25
@XperienceJXN
tickets available at
MS COLISEUM BOX OFFICE // TICKETMASTER.COM BETTINA'S SOUL FOOD KITCHEN 108 W. CENTER ST CANTON 601-937-6889 CUTTING EDGE BARBER SHOP 908 HWY 35N. KOSCUISKO 662-289-5374 PARKER CELLULAR 307 CHURCH ST. PORT GIBSON 601-437-3130 SLYVESTER'S BBQ 9434 MS-18, RAYMOND 601-346-8000 HARRIS SHOE REPAIR 421 HOWARD ST, GREENWOOD 662-453-5431 WILSON'S ELECTRONICS 841 S. DR. MLK JR BLVD, GRENADA, MS 662-226-0745 VINTAGE BARBIE 222 N. BIERDEMAN RD, PEARL, MS 601-214-0039
FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS OR MORE INFO: CALL/TEXT 678-322-8098
October 2 - 15, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ jfp.ms
%& 5:A ?2:=D 7@C $30
34
#" >2?:4FC6
$15
7@C
MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
6 ;<)<- ;< 2)+3;76 5; n r s n 74,+)81<74166 +75
Maxine Blackman, Glynn Kegley, Janice Brockley, Amy Hazel Franklin, Charles H. Hooker, Dr. George Schimmel, Karen L. Cox, JoAnne Morris, Mike Calnan, Charles Jones, Urban Planner, Walter Mack, Cynthia Newhall, Shannon Eubanks, Timothy Hannapel, Lind Quest, Blake Feldman, Dickie Scruggs, Ed Lipe, SigniďŹ cant Developments, The D. L. Dykes, Jr. Foundation, Randy Redd, Leslie Turner, Evelyn CaďŹ&#x20AC;ey Panter, Janet Hendrick Clark, Dr. Sandra L. Price, Alyce Byrd Craddock, Reilly Morse, Jane G. Gardner, Susan Mitchell, Michele B. Walker, J. L. Smith, Amber Hurtado Morrison, Nick M, Clay Harris, Don Potts, Joy Hogge, John & Kay Brocato, Tillie Petersen, Steve Rozman, Cecilia Reese Bullock, Avanell Sikes, Jennifer Anderson, Debra Sturgis-Stamps, Deloris Lee, Avery Rollins, Inglish DeVoss, Susan and David Voisin, Rudis, EFFoote, La Chelle Patricia, Richard and Alice Gong, James Parker, Jeannie B, Stephen Stray, Natalie Maynor, and 21 Anonymous Donors
JOIN THE CLUB: JFP.MS/VIP
October 2 - 15, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ jfp.ms
We launched the JFP VIP Club last year, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thrilled to have all of these fabulous members supporting great journalism.Thanks to these great folks:
35
Last Week’s Answers 46 Hang on the line 48 “An Inconvenient Truth” presenter 50 Princess who became a general 51 High point 53 Tahiti, e.g. 54 Stationery store purchase 56 American actress born 12/25/1949 59 “Many years ___ ...” 60 “Washington Journal” network 61 “___ ear and out the other” 62 Blow away 63 Actor ___ William Scott 64 Knight’s mount
BY MATT JONES
37 Up to this point 38 Opens a bottle 39 Okra portion 42 CrËme de ___ (strawberry liqueur) 43 Tanner of ‘70s-’80s tennis 44 Garfield’s girlfriend 45 Got overexcited over niche pop culture, with “out” 47 Hockey pucks, e.g. 49 Gargantuan
51 Strong ___ ox 52 Loretta played by 56-Across 54 Print maker 55 Id’s counterpart 57 Upscale hotel amenity 58 Circumference-to-diameter ratios ©2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) 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 #916.
Down
“Birthday Holiday”
1 Dresden Dolls lead vocalist Palmer 2 1984 marathon gold medalist Joan 3 Not a big chicken 4 “The Little Mermaid” heroine 5 Enclosure to an ed. 6 Need a bath 7 Obama education secretary Duncan 8 It’s somehow National Soup Month, for short 9 Line on a weather map 10 Perturbed 11 Longtime Dolphins coach 12 Prop for Paul Bunyan 13 W’s successors? 18 Bela of monster roles 23 Completely fake 25 Speak before a crowd 26 2000 Alejandro IÒ·rritu drama “Amores ___” 27 Baseballer Felipe, Matty, or Jesus 28 Promising words 31 Where 100 is 4 32 Midler of “Beaches” 34 Word before artist, clause, or room 35 Best-case 36 Soup du ___
Across
1 Palestinian president 6 Indira Gandhi’s son 11 Actor Shepard of “Idiocracy” 14 Ben Stiller’s mom Anne 15 Edit out 16 Brand of pads 17 Scottish singer born 12/25/1954 19 Pince-___ glasses 20 Do, for instance 21 Island instrument 22 Porgy’s love 24 Conversation 26 Dish with peanut and lime garnish 29 It’s been alternately called a “cash
point” or “bankomat” 30 One who takes things the wrong way? 33 “___ Lang Syne” 34 Not so puzzling 35 Cold storage? 36 Canadian world leader born 12/25/1971 39 Juan ___ de LeÛn (Fountain of Youth seeker) 40 Did penance 41 Put ___ signal 42 Citrus soft drink introduced in the 1960s 43 Scott Joplin song
BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers
“Kaidoku”
Each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented in this grid by a number between 1 and 26. Using letter frequency, word-pattern recognition, and the numbers as your guides, fill in the grid with well-known English words (HINT: since a Q is always followed by a U, try hunting down the Q first). Only lowercase, unhyphenated words are allowed in kaidoku, so you won’t see anything like STOCKHOLM or LONG-LOST in here (but you might see AFGHAN, since it has an uncapitalized meaning, too). Now stop wasting my precious time and SOLVE! psychosudoku@gmail.com
e l
b w a o N ail Av
Join the Mississippi Cold Drip Team!
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
As we launch new flavors and get Mississippi Cold Drip in more Kroger locations, we’re looking to expand the team.
36
We need friendly people to join the team, talking to customers and handing out samples at grocery stores, farmers markets and other local events. You must have a clean driving record, be able to lift up to 35 pounds, and be a great brand ambassador for Mississippi Cold Drip. Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Maywood Mart Shopping Center 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-5676 www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com Please Drink Responsibly
If you’re good with the public and reliable we’d love to talk to you!
Download our new app!
Go here to apply: www.mscolddrip.com/apply
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Every time my birthday season comes around, I set aside an entire day to engage in a life review. It lasts for many hours. I begin by visualizing the recent events I’ve experienced, then luxuriously scroll in reverse through my entire past, as if watching a movie starring me. It’s not possible to remember every single scene and feeling, of course, so I allow my deep self to highlight the moments it regards as significant. Here’s another fun aspect of this ritual: I bestow a blessing on every memory that comes up, honoring it for what it taught me and how it helped me to become the person I am today. Dear Libra, now is an excellent time for you to experiment with a similar celebration.
“Depression is when you think there’s nothing to be done,” writes author Siri Hustvedt. “Fortunately I always think there’s something to be done.” I offer this hopeful attitude to you, Scorpio, trusting that it will cheer you up. I suspect that the riddles and mysteries you’re embedded in right now are so puzzling and complicated that you’re tempted to think that there’s nothing you can do to solve them or escape them. But I’m here to inform you that if that’s how you feel, it’s only temporary. Even more importantly, I’m here to inform you that there is indeed something you can do, and you are going to find out what that is sooner rather than later.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“How inconvenient to be made of desire,” writes Sagittarian author Larissa Pham. “Even now, want rises up in me like a hot oil. I want so much that it scares me.” I understand what she means, and I’m sure you do, too. There are indeed times when the inner fire that fuels you feels excessive and unwieldy and inopportune. But I’m happy to report that your mood in the coming weeks is unlikely to fit that description. I’m guessing that the radiant pulse of your yearning will excite you and empower you. It’ll be brilliant and warm, not seething and distracting.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I envision the next twelve months as a time when you could initiate fundamental improvements in the way you live. Your daily rhythm twelve months from now could be as much as twenty percent more gratifying and meaningful. It’s conceivable you will discover or generate innovations that permanently raise your long-term goals to a higher octave. At the risk of sounding grandiose, I predict you’ll welcome a certain novelty that resembles the invention of the wheel or the compass or the calendar.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Modern literary critic William Boyd declared that Aquarian author Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was “the best short-story writer ever,” and “the first truly modern writer of fiction: secular, refusing to pass judgment, cognizant of the absurdities of our muddled, bizarre lives and the complex tragicomedy that is the human condition.” Another contemporary critic, Harold Bloom, praised Chekhov’s plays, saying that he was “one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre.” We might imagine, then, that in the course of his career, Chekhov was showered with accolades. We’d be wrong about that, though. “If I had listened to the critics,” he testified, “I’d have died drunk in the gutter.” I hope that what I just said will serve as a pep talk for you as you explore and develop your own original notions in the coming weeks.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Pisces-born Dorothy Steel didn’t begin her career as a film actress until she was 91 years old. She had appeared in a couple of TV shows when she was 89, then got a small role in an obscure movie. At age 92, she became a celebrity when she played the role of a tribal elder in *Black Panther*, one of the highest-grossing films of all time. I propose that we make her one of your inspirational role models for both the coming weeks and the next twelve months. Why? Because I suspect you will be ripening fully into a role and a mission you were born to embody and express.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In 1956, the U.S. federal government launched a program to build 40,000 miles of high-speed roads to connect all major American cities. It was completed 36 years later at a cost of $521 billion. In the coming months, I’d love to see you draw
inspiration from that visionary scheme. According to my analysis, you will generate good fortune for yourself as you initiate a long-term plan to expand your world, create a more robust network, and enhance your ability to fulfill your life’s big goals.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus-born Youtube blogger Hey Fran Hey has some good advice for her fellow Bulls, and I think it’ll be especially fresh and potent in the coming weeks. She says, “Replacing ‘Why is this happening to me?’ with ‘What is this trying to tell me?’ has been a game changer for me. The former creates a hamster wheel, where you’ll replay the story over and over again. Victimized. Stuck. The latter holds space for a resolution to appear.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
“The soul has illusions as the bird has wings: it is supported by them.” So declared French author Victor Hugo. I don’t share his view. In fact, I regard it as an insulting misapprehension. The truth is that the soul achieves flight through vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes—and maybe also by a few illusions. I bring this to your attention because now is an excellent time to nurture your soul with vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes.
REAL ESTATE Cottage For Rent Studio cottage in Raymond for rent. Very quiet location. One bedroom and one bath Mary 769-226-7060 SERVICES DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. 855-977-2832 or http://www.dental50plus. com/84 Ad# 6118 DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call 1-866-698-8159
PERSOnALS Meet singles right now! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now: 866399-9360 HIRInG Marketing Representative Must be personable, outgoing, persistent, and willing to learn. Commission-driven position with a paid training period and access to benefits; potential $3,000-$5,000/mo and beyond! Write todd@jacksonfreepress. com with cover letter and resume.
TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: Post an ad, call 601-362-6121, ext. 11 or fax to 601-510-9019. Deadline: Mondays at Noon.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
I know people of all genders who periodically unleash macho brags about how little sleep they need. If you’re normally like that, I urge you to rebel. The dilemmas and riddles you face right now are very solvable IF and only IF you get sufficient amounts of sleep and dreams. Do you need some nudges to do right by yourself? Neuroscientist Matthew Walker says that some of the greatest athletes understand that “sleep is the greatest legal enhancing performance drug.” Top tennis player Roger Federer sleeps 12 hours a day. During his heyday, world-class sprinter Usain Bolt slept ten hours a night and napped during the day. Champion basketball player LeBron James devotes 12 hours a day to the rejuvenating sanctuary of sleep.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Actor and dancer Fred Astaire was a pioneer in bringing dance into films as a serious art form. He made 31 musical films during the 76 years he worked, and was celebrated for his charisma, impeccable technique, and innovative moves. At the height of his career, from 1933 to 1949, he teamed up with dancer Ginger Rogers in the creation of ten popular movies. In those old-fashioned days, virtually all partner dancing featured a male doing the lead part as the female followed. One witty critic noted that although Astaire was a bigger star than Rogers, she “did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and while wearing high heels.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, you may soon be called on to carry out tasks that are metaphorically comparable to those performed by Rogers.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Your number one therapy in the coming weeks? Watching animals. It would be the healthiest thing you could undertake: relax into a generously receptive mode as you simply observe creatures doing what they do. The best option would be to surrender to the pleasures of communing with both domesticated AND wild critters. If you need a logical reason to engage in this curative and rejuvenating activity, I’ll give you one: It will soothe and strengthen your own animal intelligence, which would be a tonic gift for you to give yourself.
Homework: “Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem for you.” Comment. FreeWillAstrology.com
SCCAA is hereby requesting written bids to provide professional services. SCCAA will receive bids from Bidders having specific experience and qualifications in the area identified in this solicitation. For consideration, bids for this project must contain evidence of the Bidder’s experience and abilities in the specified area and other disciplines directly related to the Bidder’s service. Other information required may be included elsewhere in the solicitation. Written bids subject to the conditions herein stated and attached hereto, will be received at this office until October 14, 2019 for providing the services as described below for the South Central Community Action Agency (SCCAA). ALL BIDS SUBMITIED IN RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST SHALL BE IN WRITING. Inquiries regarding this Request for Bid shall be mailed to: South Central Community Action Agency P.0.Box 6590, Jackson, MS 39282 (769) 235-8224. harmstrong@yoursccaa.com. Bids and attachments shall be submitted to: South Central Community Action Agency P.0. Box 6590, Jackson, MS 39282 (769) 235-8224. SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL AUDITING SERVICES: The purpose of the Request for Bids is to obtain written bids for a fiscal year 2019 audit of the South Central Community Action Agency (SCCAA). The audit will include a financial statement audit as well as a federal audit. In addition, the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards prepared by SCCAA for the federal programs will be audited. The bidder will be responsible for performing all procedures necessary to aid in the completion and submission of the audit reporting package and data collection form to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse in compliance with the Uniform Guidance 13.
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Classifieds as low as $35
37
DO-IT-YOURSELF
Abstract Art with CDs by Amber Helsel
W
Materials
all art can be a great way to make your house feel more at home, but it can get expensive. Luckily, it’s really easy to make your own with a few household item—in this case, CDs.
One to three old CDs (depending on how many colors you want to use) Acrylic paint in as many colors as you want
AMBER HELSEL
Canvas. Can be small, but this would be better with a larger canvas
Large flatbrush Plate or bowl that is large enough to fit the CD. The amount of these should equal the amount of colors you’re using. Gloves if you don’t want to get your hands dirty
White paint or primer
----------Directions ---------Paint the canvas using the white paint or primer. Let it dry for about 24 hours. Pour the colored paint onto a plate or bowl, and don the gloves if you want to use them. Dip the CD into the paint, letting some of the excess drip off. Stamp it onto the canvas in whatever way you want. Make sure you press down hard to get as much paint as possible. Once you’re done with the first layer, do the other color(s). Use CDs to mix the paint on the canvas. Have a DIY project you’re like to share? Send pics and instructions to azia@jacksongreepress.com.
October 2 - 15, 2019 • jfp.ms
We Deliver!
38
Look for us on these metro-Jackson delivery services.
MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
730 Lakeland Dr. Jackson, MS | 601-366-6033 Sun-Thurs: 11am - 10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm WE DELIVER FOR CATERING ORDERS Fondren / Belhaven / UMC area
HALF HOUR FREE
What do you like about St. Alexis? Lisa Catledge says
Real Singles, Real Fun...
1-866-399-9360 18+
Security Cameras Attendant On Duty Drop Off Service Free Wi-Fi 1046 Greymont Ave. (behind La Cazuela) M-F 8am-9pm Sat & Sun 7am-7pm
CALL US AT 601-397-6223!
“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
South Central Community Action Agency, Inc. is soliciting bids for contractors to provide services for Weatherization and HVAC in Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Pearl River, Pike, Rankin, Simpson, Walthall, and Wilkinson counties.
Male AB Donors Urgently Needed!
Interested persons should send a notice of intent to Mrs. Sheletta Buckley, Executive Director, South Central Community Action Agency, Inc.,
New donors will be compensated $50 for a full donation.
P O Box 6590, Jackson, MS 39212 Office Number (769)235-8224.
Returning Male AB Donors will be compensated up to $85 for a complete donation starting on their 2nd visit.
In order to donate, you need: 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. Walk-ins are welcome.
BE A HERO. IT’S IN YOUR BLOOD. COME AND DONATE WITH US.
Patty Peck
Used Car Super Center Call 601-957-3400 to reach one of our used car specialists and mention these deals featured in the Jackson Free Press. We strive to offer a large selection of quality used cars, SUVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Sedans, Coupes, Minivans and Trucks for our Jackson area shoppers. We work very hard to ensure our customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s satisfaction, as well as making the car buying process as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
t 146 point inspection on all Premium & Premium CertifyPlus Used Cars t Lifetime Powertrain Warranty on every Premium Used car, truck, SUV or minivan t Love it or Leave it Money Back Guarantee
Used 2018 Toyota RAV4 X
STOCK #: P14772 | Mileage: 46,403 HWY: 30 MPG | CITY: 23 MPG
Used 2019 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Sale Price: $25,664
Used Owned 2018 Ford Escape SE
Sale Price: $24,897
Sale Price: $16,223
Used 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L w/RES
Used 2018 Hyundai Elantra SEL
Sale Prcie: $11,675
Sale Price: $14,274
STOCK #: H413837A | Mileage: 30,333 HWY: 28 MPG | CITY: 16 MPG
Sale Price: $19,992
STOCK #: P14768 | Mileage: 21,967 HWY: 31 MPG | CITY: 25 MPG 5
Used 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT
STOCK #: B102525A | Mileage: 133,518 HWY: 27 MPG | CITY: 18 MPG 5
STOCK #: P14735 | Mileage: 47,616 HWY: 28 MPG | CITY: 22 MPG
STOCK #: P14769 | Mileage: 42,863 HWY: 37 MPG | CITY: 28 MPG
Advertised price excludes tax, tag, registration, title, and $179.85 documentation fee.
The Patty Peck Promise Lifetime Powertrain Warranty Money Back Guarantee
Honda Certified Express Service Free Car Wash and Vacuum
4VOOZCSPPL 3PBE 3JEHFMBOE .4 t t XXX QBUUZQFDLIPOEB DPN