Category: Mississippi - boom jackson

Rescuing Human Trafficking Victims in Mississippi

6/30/2021

by Kayode Crown

Mississippi Center for Violence Prevention Executive Director Sandy Middleton addressed the press at the end of the virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony of the expansion of The Tower facility to house victims of sex trafficking in Mississippi. Photo by Kayode Crown

What started as an Instagram connection ended with one human-trafficking survivor becoming hooked on drugs and a victim of sex trafficking. The unnamed woman was the first to share her story in a video released by the Pearl-based nonprofit Mississippi Center for Violence Prevention, who announced it was doubling the accommodation space for human trafficking survivors and their children on Thursday, June 24.

Not Fear, But Love: Cancelling Holidays in the Year of COVID-19

11/25/2020

by Nick Judin

Angela Reddix first had to argue with her father, George Long, to get him to take COVID-19 seriously. It was love for his wife and grandchildren that convinced him to cancel Thanksgiving. From left: Selina Long, George Long, Angela Reddix and Yu-Sun Long. Photo courtesy Reddix Family

When coronavirus came to Mississippi, Angela Reddix had a plan. An educator for over a decade, she became a homemaker after a series of medical operations took a toll on her health. She had already learned to cope with home isolation—now her family had to master the same skills.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Gov. Reeves, Denial Ain’t a River in Mississippi

11/25/2020

by Todd Stauffer

"Gov. Tate Reeves has done precisely the wrong things to quell this virus. He could have led his party and supporters in Mississippi instead of sheepishly kowtowing to the extremists." Photo by Rogelio V. Solis via AP

If there's one lesson this wretched year has taught us, it's that denial isn't an effective governing strategy. For instance, denying that you lost an election—by tens of thousands of votes in swing states and 6 million votes nationally and then crafting bald lies about voter-fraud claims—hasn't worked.

Experts Fear The Worst As School Districts Return to Classrooms

9/4/2020

by Nick Judin

Mississippi’s school districts are returning to traditional, full-sized, in-person classes, against the warnings of Mississippi’s leading health experts. Photo courtesy RCSD

It was mid-July when Dr. Jennifer Bryan received the Rankin County School District's "Smart Restart Plan," a comprehensive document establishing the structure and guidelines of the upcoming fall semester. Her name and title were displayed at the document's closing, a message to Rankin County families that the district had sought the approval and expertise of a wide range of professionals.

‘We Have Not Met Our Peak’: Dr. LouAnn Woodward on UMMC’s Battle Against COVID-19

5/13/2020

by Nick Judin

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, University of Mississippi Medical Center’s vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, is eager to see the unique abilities of UMMC at work in fighting COVID-19 in Mississippi and across the nation. Photo courtesy UMMC

Twice now, LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has made headlines for her strong public stance on Mississippi's response to COVID-19. Gov. Tate Reeves' delayed statewide shelter-at-home order came on the heels of her impassioned letter to state leadership: "In my opinion, (a shelter-in-place order) is the only additional thing we can do right now to decrease the force of the impact," she wrote on April 1.

Road to a Gentleman’s Surrender: Gov. Tate Reeves Strikes Hard, Then Bows to Legislature

5/13/2020

by Nick Judin

From the gallery above the Mississippi House of Representatives, Speaker Philip Gunn cut a lonely figure as he gaveled in the Legislature on May 1, an empty hall ahead of him. The Capitol soaked in a frenetic quiet, with crowds of legislators dispersed through the building, traveling one by one to the House floor to speak over a live stream, a 21st-century concession to a 20th-century catastrophe.

One Lake, Few Alternatives: A Primer

3/5/2020

by Nick Judin

Last month’s flood joins the catastrophes of 1979 and 1983 as one of the largest floods in Jackson’s history, although smaller than both of the earlier ones. Residents, officials and developers alike are clamoring for a permanent solution to the problem of flooding. Photo by Nick Judin

No torrential rains accompanied the Jackson flood of 2020, no howling winds or crackling thunder. In between the soccer field and the Mississippi Basketball and Athletics building on Westbrook Road, the day was nearly serene, crisp and sunny. The road's descent into floodwaters from the overflowing Pearl River was calm, but absolute. A webwork of waterways lay beyond, inundating homes, parks and community buildings.

Lake Hico: Closed by Racism?

3/6/2019

by Mike McDonald

Lake Hico has remained closed to the public for more than 30 years. Photo by Stephen Wilson

Lake Hico is named after Hinds County. You know, "Hi" and Co." The lake in northwest Jackson has boat ramps, picnic areas and wildlife. The lake and adjacent property once sported boat ramps, nature trails, barbecue pits and picnic areas. All those amenities are now decaying.

Making ‘Black Voters Matter’ in the Deep South

9/5/2018

by Ko Bragg

Photo by Ko Bragg

LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, often breaks out into song when she speaks to a crowd. Two weeks ago, she kicked off a bus ride from Jackson into the Mississippi Delta with a rendition of "Eyes on the Prize." Other passengers joined her, but Brown's raspy voice rose to the top.

Civil Rights Trail Goes National

9/5/2018

by Mike McDonald

Bryant Grocery, the site where Emmett Till first encountered Carolyn Bryant in 1955, is a marker on the Mississippi Freedom Trail and a highlighted spot on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Photo by Arielle Dreher

On April 24, 1960, a group of about 125 African Americans stormed Biloxi Beach, swimming in the water and playing on the beach. It was not long before a mob of white people showed up and began assaulting the protesters. The event triggered a series of riots across the city, and the day ultimately became known as Bloody Sunday.