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vol. 13

no. 40

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Sheriff Showdown

pp 15 - 20

Jailed for Free Speech?

Nave, pp 6 - 7

Lets Talk About

McKinneyFong, p 13

Caitlyns Courage

Flynn, p 30

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Volunteer or donate for the silent auction!Drop off your silent auction donation to our offi ces on the 13th fl oor of

Capital Towers in downtown Jackson.

Email natalie@jacksonfreepress.com or call 601-362-6121 ext. 16 to get involved.

11th Annual

Join the JFP Chick Ball in celebrating 11 years of helping metro families break the cycle of

domestic abuse.Proceeds benefit Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence

and the services it provides victims and families.

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Make checks payable to Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence or use your credit card at mcadv.org

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JACKSONIAN YOLANDA FOSTER

A s a child, Yolanda Foster knew she wanted to do something creative when she grew up. I remember my dad used to tell me that I couldnt make living off art, Foster says. I wanted to have a creative job, but he would say that he wanted me to, in his words, stop being a starving artist. I kept pursuing it. Foster, 30, was born in Jackson and lived there until she moved to Ridgeland five years ago. In seventh grade, she got into the Power Academic and Performing Arts Com-plex visual arts program at Peeples Middle School, and also took advanced-placement art courses at Murrah High School. After graduating in 2003, she went on to the Uni-versity of Southern Mississippi in 2003. She graduated in 2007 with a bachelors degree in graphic communications. Foster joined the American Advertising Federation Jackson, a chapter of the nations oldest advertising trade association, as a vol-unteer straight out of college. As an intern, she helped to organize the agenda and name badges for the 2007 Jack-son district conference. She became a secre-tary for the organization in 2012 and was named president in July 2014. AAF club presidents have one-year terms. This year, AAF Jackson received the AAF District 7 Club of the Year award. Foster re-ceived the Club President of the Year at a cere-

mony Saturday, April 10, at the districts spring conference in Knoxville, Tenn. The national organization is headquar-tered in Washington, D.C., and comprises 200 local federations that represent 40,000 advertising professionals across the country. AAF also has more than 200 college chapters with over 6,500 student members. AAF Jack-son is one of 24 in AAF District 7, which in-cludes Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Ten-nessee and Georgia. In addition to the Club of the Year award, the Jackson chapter is set to receive national awards in club operations and diversity this June in a ceremony at the national conference, Admerica. Aside from her current club president position, Foster works with Mississippi Media, the creative marketing strategists for AAF that handle in-house marketing. She is a graphic de-signer in charge of digital media, creative works and other aspects of AAFs brand. Her favorite art is graphite portraits, and Jackson artists such as Jason Twiggy Lott in-spire her. Foster plans to continue her fine arts education by attending graduate school at Mis-sissippi College and enrolling in the schools masters of arts program within the next year. My dream is to be able to have my own art show someday, Foster says. Im still hav-ing a bit of a struggle over just what my show would be, however. I ask myself, What kind of style do I want to pursue, where will I go?

Dustin Cardon

JUNE 10 - 16 , 2015 | VOL. 13 NO. 40

4 ............................. EDITORS NOTE6 ............................................ TALKS12 ................................ EDITORIAL12 ................................. SORENSEN13 .................................... OPINION15 ............................ COVER STORY22 ......................................... FOOD24 ....................................... 8 DAYS25 ...................................... EVENTS27 ....................................... MUSIC27 ....................... MUSIC LISTINGS28 ..................................... SPORTS31 .................................... PUZZLES33 ....................................... ASTRO

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7 A Different Abortion DebateA new study finds a drop in the national abortion rate, but no one is really sure whats driving the decline. Abortion supporters in Mississippi have a few theories.

22 Southern Cool Blues and CoffeeIts long days and long nights with the military, and espresso gives you that kick you need. The espresso they make in Milan in Italy remains my favorite to this day. Mike Odom, A Southern Cool Blues Vibe

30 Bringing Gospel BackNighthawk Productions Gospel Showcase is June 13 at Church Triumphant Global.

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by R.L. Nave, News EditorEDITORS note

M y dad started buying me baseball cards when I was 7. By then, baseball was becoming whiter (or there was a perception that it was), but me and my friends were big into the sport. Since our parents could afford ranch-style houses in the suburbs, they could also supply us with bats, pro-style leather gloves and pocket change to spend on packs of cardboard featuring ballplayers pictures. Every year, I tried to collect as many St. Louis Cardinals players cards as I could and, if they made the playoffs, for each game I would lay all my Cardinals in a grid and cheer them on. Like a Wall Street insider, I got seri-ous about the mechanics of the card market. Beckett Baseball Card Monthly was my Wall Street Journal; I studied Becketts price guides intensely and knew how to spot a winner. I also attended card conventions. Sometime, probably in the early 1990s, my parents dropped me and my younger cousin, Michael, off at a sports memo-rabilia collectibles show at the St. Louis Convention Center. We stopped at one booth where the gimmick was to pile thousands of cards into a shallow crate for treasure seekers (think the $5 movie bin at Walmart) in hopes of find-ing a few gems. Michael and I set about sift-ing through the heap. I would set some cards aside, then put them back. After a bit, I wasnt feeling any of the finds, so I tossed my cards back into the pile and started to leave the table. When the booth operator, a white man in his late 20s or early 30s, saw us leaving, he ran after us and shouted: Hey, where did those cards go? Really, he was accusing me of stealing. Luckily, Id seen where Id tossed the five or six cards that Id set aside before discarding. I picked one up and showed it to him before flipping it back

in his general direction (although I wanted to flick it right into his face, Gambit-style) before walking away. I cant recall many overt acts of racism from my childhood. Mostly, its the tone of white adults who seemed to resent having me around that I remember most. When I became a Boy Scout, whenever our racially diverse troop went to camporees in rural Missouri, we seemed to be picked on by other scout leaders. Another time, my cous-

ins and I were hanging out at a baseball field near their house when a group of white men showed up for a baseball game. For some reason, they assumed we 9- and 10-year-olds were members of the parks grounds crew and scolded us for the shabby condition of the field they had reserved to play on. In cities everywhereincluding St. Louis and Jacksonwhen white flight fol-lows new malls to the outskirts of town, the black middle class usually isnt far behind, first as consumers then, maybe, as residents. The driving force is the same for everyone: neighborhoods and schools with fewer prob-lems, less crime. Peace. But we forget that white folks also de-fine their peace in terms of the spatial dis-tance between themselves and blackness. Psychological distance, too. I go back to my experience with baseball, whichright

or notis somewhat of a white thing. For many whites, its their thing. And this came into full focus last fall when St. Louis Car-dinals fans clashed with Ferguson protest-ers outside Busch Stadium. At one point, a white crowd turned a chant of Lets Go Cardinals into Lets Go Darren, referring to Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed teenager Mike Brown in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. Recreational spaces have long been battlegrounds over racial inequality, which is why Jackie Robinsons introduction to the major leagues was such a big deal at the time. As court-mandated integration spread throughout American culture, we also saw racial barriers come down in schools, restau-rants, playing fields and swimming pools. In a piece for Grist last year, my friend Brentin Mock examined the relationship between African Americans, swimming pools and residential segregation. Black kids couldnt access public pools because they were placed in neighborhoods that black people couldnt access, he wrote. James Baldwin observed that in his time, the black experience in America was largely about trying to make white people comfortable with us. I do think one of the achievements of integration is that we now have a whole generation of young blacks, maybe myself included, who move relatively freely about the world without a thought about white folks comfort. However, in many corners of America, black freedom is still unwelcome. A painful re-minder of this came last weekend, when black teenagers showed up for a pool party in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, Texas, and, ac-cording to media accounts, were told by white adults to go back to Section 8 housing. What came next was horrifying and heartbreakingand Im not easily horrified or heartbroken. A video shows Eric Casebolt, a patrol

officer with the McKinney Police Depart-ment, grabbing just about every small black body within arms reach, including a 14-year-old, whom he used as a rest stool after he tired himself wrestling her to the ground. One of the most striking things about the McKinney video, which a white teenager named Brandon Brooks recorded, is how freely Casebolt let whites move about the chaotic scene, how close he let whites get to him. At one point in the video, Brooks walks up to Casebolt to return a flashlight the of-ficer had dropped. We dont need to wonder what would have happened had a black teen approached Casebolt holding a small, silver object. Later in the video, when a group of boys rushed toward Casebolt, presumably to help Rhodes, Casebolt drew his sidearm. Its not clear where the black kids came from, but it also doesnt matter. The person who called the police said the children hadnt been invited so its possible they did come from a public-housing project, wanting an afternoon escape to suburbia for a dip at a friends pool party. Maybe they were black suburban kids who had the good fortune of growing up not thinking they had a place that theyre supposed to stay in. Its another reminder that, for a lot of us, closeness to whiteness always means safe-ty; proximity to blackness, danger. Of course, I dont fault my parents, or anyone else, for wanting to raise their families where their kids might receive better-quality schooling, have a commu-nity pool to cool off in the hot summer months and open space in which to run freely and play safely. After all, everyone was sold on the American Dream. The trouble is, when scenes like McKinney play out, its hard to make a case that black people who bought into the dream shouldnt get every penny of their money back.

CONTRIBUTORS

Blackness, Leisure and an American Dream

Web Editor Dustin Cardon is a graduate of the Univer-sity of Southern Mississippi. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and wants to write them him-self one day. He wrote a food story.

Freelance writer Brinda Fuller Willis often plays tricks on people with her identical twin. Shell go anywhere to hear the blues, and she is a real farmers daughter. She wrote a music story.

Sports writer Bryan Flynn is a lifelong Mississippian. He is a husband and stay at home father to a baby girl. He con-stantly wonders, If it didnt happen on ESPN or Disney Jr., did it really happen? He wrote a sports story.

Design Intern Josh Sheriff is a senior at Jackson State Uni-versity. Hes come from many places, but hes sure of where he wants to go in life. Thanks to some great teachers, he is making his way toward becom-ing a pro in the design industry.

Ad Designer Zilpha Young left her heart in San Francisco, which would be a weird premise for a Home Alone reboot. She believes in UFOs, but doesnt believe in the pop group LMFAO. She designed many ads.

Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam is an art lover and a native of Jackson. He loves to be behind the camera and capture the true essence of his subjects. He took photos for the issue.

Account Manager Gina Haug is a self-professed information collector who has a love for all things fun. She is a huge Ole Miss and Saints fan, and her birthday is her favorite holiday.

Editorial Assistant Adria Walker likes existentialism and astro-physics. She enjoys debat-ing about Star Wars, reading Camus, Kafka, and Kundera, and learning about peoples belief systems.

In many corners of America, black

freedom is still unwelcome.

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F ifty years ago, at least 13 people were arrested and charged with disturbing the peace in Mississippi. As far as any-one can tell, these people were not be-ing drunk and disorderly, trespassing or even whooping and hollering at a commencement ceremony. In the eyes of Mississippi authori-ties, they were doing something much more disturbingregistering blacks to vote. According to the University of Mis-sissippis Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive, during Freedom Summer in 1964, local police regularly arrested young people during voter registration drives. On July 31 of that year, two white organizers with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com-mittee, were assaulted by a white mob at a doctors office. The Rev. Edward K. Hein-inger and John Polacheck were arrested and charged with disturbing the peace because the doctor claimed the men used profanity while they were assaulted. In August of that year, a volunteer named John Luther Bell was jailed in West Point for disturbance of the peace and larceny during voter canvassing. The same month, in Amory, black volunteers Adair Howell, Andrew Moore and Essie Carr were charged with disturbing the peace and coercing a woman to sign a voter registration form. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed explicit racism discrimination in public-accommodation segregation laws, authorities had to find more creative ways to

punish African Americans for drinking out of a whites-only water fountain or attempt-ing to exercise the franchise. Usually, that was relying on Mississip-

pis disturbance of the peace statute, which legal experts say is broad enough to mean whatever police and judges want it to mean. Legal experts say its important to know the history of this sweeping law when it comes to understanding Senatobia City Schools Superintendent Jay Fosters decision to press charges against people for cheering at a high

school graduation last month. This week, Foster dropped the charges. Before that hap-pened, Ursula Miller told WREG-TV that when her niece, Lakaydra Hearn, walked

across the stage, I just called her name out. Lakaydra! Just like that. Henry Walker, whose daughter, Lanarcia, also graduated, yelled on his way out of the auditorium, You did it baby! Walker, Miller and two other people who were not identified in media reports were asked to leave because Foster said

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Wednesday, June 3 Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer tells a U.S. federal judge that he and others on the govern-ing bodys ruling panel agreed to receive bribes to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.

Thursday, June 4 The Department of Homeland Se-curity reports that hackers broke into the U.S. government personnel office and stole identifying information of at least 4 million federal workers.

Friday, June 5 Jolene Burdge of Billings, Mont., says the FBI interviewed her last month about her allegations that Dennis Hastert sexually abused her brother while Hastert was a teacher, possibly explaining why Hastert allegedly agreed in 2010 to pay a $3.5 million bribe to someone to stay quiet about prior misconduct.

Saturday, June 6 Thousands of demonstrators gather in the German town of Gar-misch-Partenkirchen to protest a wide range of causes ahead of the arrival of the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies for a two-day summit. American Pharoah becomes the first racehorse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown, with a final quarter-mile dash to the finish even faster than the famed Secretariat.

Sunday, June 7 Italian politicians vow not to shelter any more migrants saved at sea, even as European military vessels rescue nearly 6,000 more over the weekend.

Monday, June 8 The Supreme Court strikes down a disputed 2002 law that would have allowed Americans born in Jerusalem to list their birthplace as Israel on their U.S. passports. A grand jury in South Carolina indicts former North Charleston officer Michael Slager for murder in the shooting death of Wal-ter Scott.

Tuesday, June 9 A federal appeals court throws out a pair of high-profile lawsuits challeng-ing the Obama administrations sweep-ing plan to address climate change, saying its too early to challenge a pro-posed rule that isnt yet final.

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UP, UP AND AWAY!

The Jackson Free Press internship program is in full swing. In all, there are about 15 interns from Jackson-area high schools and Mississippi colleges, plus about six students training with super-intern-turned-super-editorial-assistant Adria Walker on a Youth Media Project. A few of them revealed their intern superpower and how they plan to use it this summerfor good instead of evil.

Disturbing the Peace Law: Ludicrous?by R.L. Nave

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The charges were dropped against several people, including Henry Walker (left) and Ursula Miller (right), who cheered last month at a Senatobia graduation. Still, legal experts question whether the law that almost landed the people in jail is too broad to be enforced fairly.

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M ichelle Colon, 40, a volunteer pink-house defender at the states only abortion clinic, the Jackson Womens Health Or-ganization, says she can see the effects of the abortion laws in surrounding states at JWHO. Although she believes JWHO is seeing slightly less traffic overall compared to this time last year, the clinic is drawing more patients from surrounding states. Sometimes, we get patients from Alabama and Tennessee all daywe are getting some of those people who cant get in (to see abortion doctors) in other states, Colon said. This is because Alabama now enforces a 48-hour waiting period before women can have abortions, and some clinics in Tennes-see have been backed up for three to four weeks, Colon said. The experiences at JWHO, which is still in the midst of a legal battle with the state of Mississippi over a 2012 admitting-privileges law, mirror a broader trend going on nationwide, where abortion rates have declined in just about every state, Mississippi included, an Associated Press report released June 8 shows. In Mississippi, abortions con-ducted in the state are down 5.5 percent since 2010. The U.S. Supreme Court could de-cide in the coming weeks whether to hear the Mississippis appeal of two lower court decisions striking down that law. A federal court in Mississippi and an appeals court both ruled that the law, which would close down the only clinic in the state, infringes

on womens constitutional right to have an abortion. Exactly what is driving the decrease has prompted debate on all sides of the abortion question. Colon said that abortion numbers could be down for multiple reasons, includ-ing higher distribution of contraceptives and

the lowering of teen-pregnancy rates in states like in Colorado. I think a lot of the other reasons the rate is down is because of a lack of money and transportation, Colon said of women needing abortion services. Data show that in 2010 there were

2,297 abortions performed in Mississippi; by 2013, there were 2,170 abortions performed in the state. In Louisiana, however, abortion numbers are up 11.9 percent. Nationwide, the AP survey showed a decrease in abortions of about 12 percent since 2010. Diane Derzis, owner of JWHO, said although she was not surprised to see the

numbers go down in Mississippi, she thinks the decreasing rate of abortions in the state is negligible. Derzis said the likely reasons for the national decline is two-fold. She said the Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provid-ers, or TRAP laws, that prevent access for women such as Mississippis ban of abor-

tions after 20 weeks are part of the reason for the decrease. Access to contraception and the morning after pill available in pharmacies has also likely helped numbers decrease. These laws are designed to make it more difficult for women, and do they do so? Absolutely, Derzis said. Even with the drop, Derzis doubts the activists who want to see abortion disappear in Mississippi will let up. I think these (anti-choice) people will not be happy until they see every clinic closed, she said. The purpose of these laws is to make it tougher and tougher on women to have an abortion. Louisiana was one of only two states with increased abortion rates in the past four years, according to the AP report, and Derzis said it is likely that women from Mississippi are a part of those increased Louisiana numbers. Women are going to any state that is easier (to) access and if most states pass legislation that does the same thing, then thats when you will have major problems, she said. Derzis said that some of those women that go to Louisiana are farther along in their pregnancies and go because of the TRAP laws. 9,932 abortions were performed in 2014 in Louisiana. The recent Mississippi state law that banned abortion after 20 weeks does not af-fect JWHO. The clinic only performs abor-

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June 13, 8:30 p.m., at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). The comedian does stand-up to promote his album, Dont Ever Touch Any-body You Dont Know! For ages 21 and up. $20 in advance, $25 at the door; call 601-292-7121; email arden@ardenland.net; dulinghall.com.

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i>}>622 Duling Ave.)U>>i>`June 12, 9 p.m. European

Theatre and Young Valley also perform. $5 in advance, $10 at the door; call 601-292-7121; email arden@ardenland.net; ardenland.net.U,``7>E/iiJune 17,

8 p.m. Sleepwalkers also performs. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; call 601-292-7121; email arden@ardenland.net; ardenland.net./>i>>piViJune 13,

7:30-10:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The actress and gospel singer performs. Darrel Petties and Blest by Four also perform. $39-$69; call 601-353-0603 (tickets), or 601-960-1537 (information).

7>June 13, 8:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m., at One Block East (642 Tombigbee St.). Enjoy music from Jeffy D, Dekane, Chance4Life, Imprince, Radiologix and guest deejays. Food served until 2 a.m. or later. For ages 18 and up. $10-$15; call 601-944-0203.

,)4%2!29 3)'.).'3Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202)U/i>ViJune 11, 5 p.m.

Chad and Rick Rhoden sign books. $17.99 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuria-books.com; lemuriabooks.com.U/iV}L` i\vi7

Harper Lee June 15, 5 p.m. Marja Mills signs books. $17 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.U/\/i/>iiv}

Clegg June 16, 5 p.m. Ronald F. Borne signs books. $35 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

%8()")4 /0%.).'3"i}v-`i-ViVi`\/i-iiLJune 13, 9 a.m., at Mississippi Childrens Museum (2145 Highland Drive). The interactive exhibit includes hands-on activi-ties is based on the popular PBS show. Open through Sept. 6. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

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}i>>June 13, 8 a.m.-noon, at New Dimensions Ministries (110 Alta Woods Blvd.). Clothes and shoes are available for people of all ages. Free; call 769-243-1655.

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.

Call To Book your Private Party!

Open Mon-Fri 11am-2am Sat 4pm-2am 601-960-2700

facebook.com/Ole Tavern 416 George St, Jackson, MS

Call To Book your Private Party!Wednesday 6/10

Karaoke w/DJ Stache @ 9pm

Thursday 6/11

Ladies Nightw/ DJ Glenn Rogers

LADIES DRINK FREE!9pm - Close

Friday 6/12

SASSER

Saturday 6/13

SOLAR PORCH

Monday 6/15

Pub Quizw/Daniel Keys @ 8pm

Tuesday 6/16

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ALL STADIUM SEATINGListings for Fri. 6/12 Thurs. 6/18

Online Tickets, Birthday Parties, Group& Corporate Events @ www.malco.com

Movieline: 355-9311

DAILY BARGAINS UNTIL 6PM

Jurassic World PG13

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Aloha PG13

Tomorrowland PG

Poltergeist(2015) PG13

Far From the Madding Crowd PG13

Mad Max: Fury Road R

Pitch Perfect 2 PG13

Avengers: Age of Ultron PG13

Home PG

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W hen Percy Davis and his daughter, Parkisha Davis, started Nighthawk Produc-tions in 2005, he hoped to bring gospel music back to the forefront in the city of Jackson and around the state. His first step toward that goal was creating the Gospel Artist Showcase. With gospel being a longstanding tradition in Jackson and throughout the state of Mississippi, we wanted the music of our southern heritage to be showcased for the world to see and with all the fanfare that it deserved, Davis says. We decided that wed use the contest format of Sun-day Best (on BET), which Kirk Franklin had utilized and had so much success. But just because it was a contest didnt mean that Nighthawk would be turning away droves of gospel hopefuls. Davis says that the showcase has main-tained an open-door policy for performers of all backgrounds and abilities. Each year, about 20 contestants com-pete in the showcase, singing traditional and contemporary gospel or rapping in what Davis calls holy hip-hop. While some competitors are Mississippi natives, others have traveled to Jackson from Ala-

bama, Texas and even Oklahoma. We want everyone to come out and participate, thereby reaching as many people as possible to demonstrate their talent, whether its a vocal or instrument performance, he says. The contestants can come from any part of the state or country with or without a sponsor. Those sponsors can help cover trav-el, equipment, attire, food, lodging costs and entry fees. For the youth category, which is for ages 17 and under, the cost is $30 for a solo performer or $70 for a choir. The price for adult contestants ages 18 and up with some performing experience is $40 for a soloist or $80 for a choir. Entry for the professional cate-gory, which is for experienced artists that are not signed to a label, is $60 for a solo performer or $160 for a choir. Each division has its own first, second and third-place winners. Better yet, each winner will be considered for the opportunity to perform at the gos-pel portion of this years Jackson Music Awards Sunday, July 12. Davis had the idea of teaming up with the JMAs after hearing WOAD and WJSU radio personality Stacia Hunter

talking up the award shows star-making power for R&B artists. So, why not do the

same for gospel singers? Thats when I thought Id do better with the Gospel (Artist) Showcase hav-ing a guaranteed spot on the lineup at

the JMAs as part of the first prize for the showcase winners, Davis says. Other prizes consist of trophies, re-cording studio time, gift cards and a na-tional promotion contract. Judges for the showcase include representatives from the Malaco and Blackberry record la-bels, as well as national gospel recording artists. Past judges have included Doug Williams of The Williams Brothers, Da-vid Curry of the Mississippi Mass Choir and Benjamin Cone. Many of our contestants, (such as) Ashford Sanders and Tonya Boyd Can-non, have gone on to perform on Sun-day Best and The Voice, respectively, Davis says. That caliber of talent has also brought in big names to headline the showcase, such as Emtro Gospel owner and recording artist Troy Sneed, who will also serve as a judge this year. Nighthawk Productions Gospel Artist Showcase is at 5 p.m., Saturday, June 13, at the Church Triumphant Global (308 New Mannsdale Road, Madison) in the St. Joseph Fine Arts Building. Acts can regis-ter online at nighthawkproductionsllc.com. The showcase is free to the public. For more information, call 601-927-7625.

DIVERSIONS | music

Growing the Gospel Artist Showcaseby Brinda Fuller Willis

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