Mississippi

Book bans are on the rise. How do Mississippi students feel about it?

Published

2 years ago

September 19, 2022

Book bans are on the rise. How do Mississippi students feel about it?

Serenity Moore stood patiently off the facet of the stage within the Galloway Church reception corridor one afternoon late final month, ready for a flip to ask her favourite creator a query.

The vitality within the room had develop into severe after a neighborhood trainer stood as much as ask the panel of Black feminine authors what they thought of districts in Mississippi limiting entry or banning their books utterly from college libraries.

Angie Thomas answered first.

“We’re being made into the large dangerous wolves which might be coming in,” Thomas stated. “Half the individuals who banned my e-book haven’t even learn it.”

Whereas Thomas spoke, the 12-year-old paced in her white Nike tennis footwear, clutching her copy of “The Hate U Give.” When it was lastly her flip, Moore shared with the panelists — all in attendance for an occasion on the Mississippi E-book Pageant — that she’d truly found Thomas’ e-book by her personal classroom library. Since she picked it up, she’d not been capable of put it down: not at volleyball follow, not on the grocery retailer; she introduced it along with her in every single place. Her query was easy — would Thomas please signal her copy?

Serenity Moore, proper, holds her signed copy of “The Hate U Give” along with her trainer Laura Clark.

“I used to be so stunned as a result of, like, my mother was telling me this e-book was getting banned nearly in every single place,” Moore later advised Mississippi At the moment. “I used to be like, I’ve to learn this. I actually must get this.”

Moore is a pupil within the Jackson Public Faculty District, which has not banned books thus far. She obtained her e-book signed and intends to return it to her classroom for her friends to learn. However in latest months, college districts and libraries throughout Mississippi have begun limiting entry to books deemed to have “mature content material.” This implies college students like her in different districts now not have easy accessibility to a world of literature full of characters and conditions that mirror their very own lives.

Nationally, makes an attempt to ban books hit a report excessive in 2021 for the reason that American Library Affiliation began monitoring the challenges 20 years in the past. The group introduced final week that 2022 is on monitor to surpass final yr, and nearly all of challenged books have been by or about Black or LGBTQ+ people.

In Mississippi public libraries in Ridgeland and Biloxi have debated pulling books off cabinets, with the Ridgeland mayor holding again funding from the library over LGBTQ+ books. After a number of months of negotiations, the library needed to cut back its working hours earlier than an settlement was reached to revive funding.

Within the Madison County Faculty District, the varsity board positioned 10 books in restricted circulation, which means they require parental permission to take a look at. Almost all of the authors are individuals of colour or LGBTQ+.

Adam Maatallah, a senior at Madison Central Excessive Faculty and the president of his college’s Homosexual Straight Alliance (GSA) membership. Credit score: Adam Maatallah

Adam Maatallah, a senior at Madison Central Excessive Faculty and president of the highschool’s Homosexual-Straight Alliance (GSA) Membership, stated he was disheartened, however not stunned, when he realized concerning the efforts to ban books in his college district. He’s encountered loads of prejudice as a child, he stated, and “ … after popping out and being comfy with my sexuality, I’ve seen the true Mississippi, and it’s not a fairly place for queer individuals, particularly queer youth.”

“We by no means actually anticipated that (the restrictions) would come from people who find themselves making an attempt to teach us,” Matallah stated. “We have been very shocked and unhappy that apparently, that’s what our educators in cost assume is greatest for us. In actuality, it solely reveals us that we’re not welcome right here or that we must be excluded and remoted and never uncovered to different individuals.”

He stated he and his friends have been grateful it wasn’t an entire ban of books and so they may nonetheless be accessed with parental consent, however identified this poses a problem for college students with much less accepting mother and father.

“To place that e-book on parental restriction is absolutely banning the e-book altogether,” he stated. “The presence of the e-book within the library is what issues to us. The provision and having the selection to learn that e-book is what makes us really feel secure and safe and like we’re individuals at our faculty.”

College students have additionally felt the affect of those efforts to ban books in communities the place books aren’t restricted.

Alex Palmiter, a highschool pupil in Meridian. Credit score: Alex Palmiter

Alex Palmiter, a tenth grade pupil in Meridian, stated they’ve witnessed classmates and academics having disagreements concerning the subject.

“I really feel kinda disenchanted when it occurs as a result of often, I’m not a part of the dialog, I’m simply an observer,” Palmiter stated. “Listening to them speak about me like I’m not there makes me really feel like I don’t exist and I don’t matter.”

Palmiter emphasised the affect various illustration has had on them personally.

“There was a second once I realized that I don’t really feel love the identical manner others do, and it was bizarre for me, however I’ve come to phrases with it and I settle for myself,” they stated. “However seeing these characters and that illustration in different media actually did assist me. It confirmed me that I’m not the one one within the scenario and there are others who really feel the identical manner.”

Raymond Walker, a trans tenth grade pupil at Northwest Rankin Excessive Faculty in Flowood, echoed Palmiter.

“I’ve an enormous shelf of books in my room all by trans authors or about trans individuals,” Walker stated. “I journey loads, and typically when my dad and I am going as much as St. Louis, he’ll take me to the gayborhoods and homosexual bookstores and purchase me queer books, and I actually discover loads of power in having these.”

Raymond Walker (proper), a pupil at Northwest Rankin Excessive Faculty, and his mom Katie Rives (left). Credit score: Katie Rives

Walker, who switched districts from Madison County to Rankin County Faculties to offer him a contemporary begin when transitioning, stated he has discovered his new district extra accepting.

Although the bans come at no shock, he needs there was extra pushback from the neighborhood.

“They will’t erase queer historical past,” he stated. “It’s inconceivable. The one factor they’re going to achieve doing is complicated younger queer children, pushing the denial that some queer children have even deeper by erasing the a part of themselves they will see in literature.”

Walker’s mom, Katie Rives, stated she believes individuals advocating for e-book bans are simply scared that their youngsters will find yourself figuring out as LGBTQ+.

“I simply at all times assume, I want they might meet Ray, and simply see what he’s, there’s nothing to be fearful of,” she stated.

Jerome Moore, Serenity’s father, advised Mississippi At the moment he thinks it’s factor his daughter has entry to books like “The Hate U Give” and that she enjoys studying.

“Info is at all times factor,” he stated. “She’s being uncovered to issues and studying as she grows, and that’s nice.”

Thomas, the creator who spoke on the panel, is a Jackson native whose books have been placed on restricted lists. This can be a travesty, she stated, not only for the youngsters who received’t have the chance to see themselves mirrored in her work, however for kids to find out about individuals and experiences not like themselves.

“Children that see themselves in my books want these mirrors,” she stated. “However there are different children that want these sliding glass doorways and people home windows as a result of when you might have younger individuals who don’t see lives not like their very own, who don’t perceive individuals not like themselves, they develop as much as be slender minded leaders who don’t care about no one past themselves.”

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Mississippi

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

Published

2 hours ago

September 3, 2024

Press Room

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

The Mississippi high school football rankings saw some drastic changes after an opening week which saw multiple ranked matchups in the Magnolia State.

Brandon, Madison Central and Louisville each won top-10 games while Oak Grove, West Jones, Clinton and Germantown also picked up ranked wins.

Below is the updated Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 2.

The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+3)
Madison Central opened the season in style with a 27-20 top-10 win over Ocean Springs. Ocean Springs shut out Madison Central for nearly the entire first half — until Madison Central running back Glen Singleton rattled off four consecutive rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars are on the road again Friday in the Mississippi game of the week as they travel to face No. 2 Brandon.

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Brandon featured in another Mississippi top-10 game in week one, thrashing then-No. 7 Picayune Memorial 60-34. Star junior defensive back Preston Ashley recorded a 45-yard scoop-and-score touchdown, Logan Drummond returned a punt 61 yards to the house and Trey McQueen returned an interception 38 yards for a score in a night filled with unconventional scoring for the Bulldogs. Brandon will host No. 1 Madison Central on Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-1)
Starkville took down Noxubee County 43-22 in week one. Tyson Knox picked off Mississippi State commit KaMario Taylor on Starkville’s own 1-yard line to keep the Yellowjackets’ 14-point lead in the second half. Two plays later, quarterback Jaylen Ruffin hit Jaheim Deanes for a 97-yard touchdown. Starkville now gets to look forward to hosting No. 20 West Point this week.

Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-3)
Oak Grove fell in the rankings this week simply by virtue of other teams’ impressive performances — as the Warriors won their game over No. 15 Grenada 38-24. Oak Grove quarterback Kellon Hall was 19-of-27 passing for 306 yards with a touchdown. Next up is No. 11 Ocean Springs at home.

Previous Ranking: No. 5
Tupelo escaped upset-minded Whitehaven last week with a 26-19 opening win. Quarterback Noah Gillon and running back J.J. Hill each accounted for two touchdowns as the Golden Wave came away with an ugly win in ugly conditions following a 90-minute weather delay. Tupelo will play Southaven on the road next.

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+3)
Yet another top-10 matchup on opening night in Mississippi. Louisville took down then-No. 10 West Point 15-14 in a nailbiter. Louisville scored the only points of the second half — a 21-yard field goal to put the Wildcats on top. Louisville will hit the road again this week at Neshoba Central.

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
West Jones knocked Laurel out of the Mississippi top 25 with a dominant 34-6 win on Friday. Senior running back Elijah Jones was unstoppable on the ground with 226 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. West Jones will play Northeast Jones on the road this Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 21 (+13)
Clinton pulled off the upset in week one with a 26-20 win over then-No. 11 Warren Central in the ‘Red Carpet Bowl’. Jakobe Williams rushed for two touchdowns while the Clinton special teams and defense scored on a blocked punt and recovered three fumbles. A road game against Northwest Rankin is on deck.

Previous Ranking: No. 16 (+7)
Oxford owned one of the few week one blowouts on this list, beating Lafayette 45-0 in the ‘Crosstown Classic.’ All six of the Chargers’ touchdowns came on the ground. Oxford will play No. 22 South Panola at home this Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+2)
Madison-Ridgeland moved to 3-0 on the season after a 50-6 win over Oak Forest Academy that was never in question. Pulaski Academy — The No. 9 team in Arkansas — is on deck for the Patriots.

11. Ocean Springs (-5)
12. Gulfport (+2)
13. Pearl (+4)
14. Germantown (+10)
15. Hartfield Academy (+3)

16. Grenada (-1)
17. Picayune Memorial (-10)
18. Hattiesburg (NR)
19. Jackson Prep (+3)
20. West Point (-10)

21. D’Iberville (NR)
22. South Panola (-9)
23. Poplarville (NR)
24. Warren Central (-13)
25. Gautier (NR)

Dropped from rankings: Northwest Rankin, Meridian, Columbia, Laurel

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Mississippi

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

Published

9 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. —It winds 650 miles, rushing past the cities, industries and landscapes that make up Minnesota.

However, the Mississippi River has never gotten this type of attention from water quality professionals.

For the first time ever, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is testing the entirety of the river, from Itasca to Iowa, in a single year.

The governor’s office wants the river to be swimmable and fishable, but right now, parts of the river are polluted.

The MPCA says the upper Mississippi is largely healthy up north, but quality drops south of St. Cloud where metro development and tributaries from agriculture muddy the waters. The National Park Service says stretches of the river exceed water quality standards for things like mercury, bacteria and sediment.

Think of the testing like a checkup for one of our state’s most valuable and powerful resources. Researchers will check temperature, transparency and levels of pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia.

Crews also check fish for those contaminants and collect insects to test in a lab to identify any concerning trends.

“If we find the fish community is suffering — maybe the water is too warm and maybe there’s a thermal pollution source upstream or maybe it’s too much runoff — that sort of stuff. Temperature is an important indicator especially for sensitive species,” Isaac Martin with the MPCA said.

Also for the first time, the agency is looking for PFAS contamination with money from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to identify and stop the forever chemicals from streaming into the Mississippi.

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals for industry and consumer products that don’t break down in the environment. While research is ongoing, the EPA says exposure to the chemicals can cause human health issues. It’s why the federal agency just lowered the amount allowed in drinking water.

“They go to parts per trillion, which is incredibly sensitive. You get that low, you’re talking drops in an Olympic swimming pool,” Martin said. “Part of the reason why it was chosen is because it’s a primary drinking source or potentially could be a primary drinking source. We’re just finding them in places we never expected to find them. We’re finding them almost everywhere and being that it is new, there’s just a lot of ‘I don’t know’ that goes with it.”

It’s too early to know what this complete snapshot will reveal, but we know this powerful river is part of our community, economy and health.

“Maybe you don’t use the resource yourself, but maybe you know someone who does or future generations of your own will,” Martin said. “In Minnesota, we’re just trying to be the best stewards we can be.”

The data from this testing will be available early next year. Researchers will use that data and compare it to 10-year pollution averages to determine which parts of the river are improved or impaired.

A full report will be released in 2026.

Erin Hassanzadeh

Erin is back home in the Twin Cities after stops in South Korea and Omaha. The Jefferson High School grad (Go Jags!) is excited to get back to storytelling in the community that raised her.

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Mississippi

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Published

17 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.

DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.

Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.

Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.

Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.

Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.

Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.

Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.

Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.

Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.

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