Category Archives: Race in Mississippi

Two Ideas to Contemplate

Posted on January 17, 2022 by admin

Welcome back to MSMS, my intrepid bloggers. Being quarantined for Covid-19 has given me time today to appreciate two miracles. I’d be remiss if I didn’t express gratitude and wonder to the scientists who found an effective vaccine for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Race in Mississippi, Science | 19 Comments

The Arbery Trial

Posted on December 1, 2021 by admin

On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American male, caught the attention of two white men, Travis and Gregory McMichael, who saw him jogging through their Glenn County, Georgia neighborhood. They thought he was a thief and pursued him … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, National Politics, Race in Mississippi | 16 Comments

Crime and Punishment

Posted on January 13, 2020 by admin

For years, psychologists have discouraged parents from using corporal punishment to discipline children. The risks, according to the American Psychological Association, range from increased aggression and antisocial behavior to lifelong mental health issues. Ideally, the APA suggests, parents should punish … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 20 Comments

ICE Raids in Mississippi

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

“Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I’ll piss on ’emthat’s what the Statue of Bigotry says” Lou Reed, Dirty Boulevard Earlier this week, as most Mississippi families found themselves consumed by the excitement and anxiety of going back … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Race in Mississippi | 9 Comments

A Thousand Words–and Then Some

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Last week’s revelation that two statewide office holders in Virginia had taken pictures in blackface–and that a third had been accused by two women of sexual assault–rocked the Commonwealth, and had trickle-down effects here in Mississippi: Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 26 Comments

What’s N a Word?

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Last week, while reading a passage from Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, I saw a student’s jaw drop out of the corner of my eye. “Dr. E,” she said when I completed the passage. “You used the hard -er.” I had indeed. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Pop Culture, Race in Mississippi | 33 Comments

Ideals and alleles

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Thomas_Easterling

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s often mocked claim that she is Native American re-entered the national news last week when she released DNA test results that showed she is about 1% Native American. She promptly called on Pres. Trump to fulfill a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 21 Comments

On Gerrymandering

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Thomas_Easterling

I live in Mississippi House District 37, which stretches from the eastern border of Lowndes County, through a corridor in West Point so narrow that my son could throw a baseball from one side to the next, and on into … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 12 Comments

For Readers of The Hate You Give

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

Following a recent class discussion of Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give, I received an email from a student wanting to know if we could revisit a death scene in the beginning of the book from the perspective of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Race in Mississippi | 16 Comments

Pop the Bubble

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

As most of you know, I am a recovering journalist who deeply appreciates the old adage that if you’re not rocking the boat, you’re not doing your job. When journalists don’t ask difficult questions, they don’t just fail their readers, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Race in Mississippi | 23 Comments