Mississippi
John Lewis’ ‘March’ and ‘Run’ collaborators look to Mississippi visit to continue civil right leader’s legacy
![John Lewis’ ‘March’ and ‘Run’ collaborators look to Mississippi visit to continue civil right leader’s legacy John Lewis’ ‘March’ and ‘Run’ collaborators look to Mississippi visit to continue civil right leader’s legacy](https://i0.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/aydin.jpeg?fit=800,800&ssl=1)
Andrew Aydin listens again to outdated voicemails from John Lewis.
To Aydin, the congressman wasn’t only a mentor and collaborator. He was the closest factor the previous congressional aide needed to a father.
Lewis’ voice was booming and deep, even when playful: “Andrew?” the voicemails play. “The place are you, younger man?”
Aydin recorded cellphone calls as the 2 had been at work on their historic non-fiction graphic novel collection. Lewis would go to sleep speaking, the recordings capturing his snores. The 2 would later joke about these snores throughout guide talks for his or her work on the “March,” a trilogy protecting the lead-up to the voting and civil rights acts.
“I assume the John Lewis I knew shouldn’t be the John Lewis everybody else knew,” he informed Mississippi At this time.
Lewis died on July 17, 2020, from pancreatic most cancers. He was 80. His newest graphic novel, “Run,” revealed the next 12 months selecting up the place the March trilogy left off.
![](https://i0.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/powell.jpeg?resize=340%2C340&is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1)
Now Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell, who labored intently with Lewis on the books, are confronted with a brand new problem: touring and talking about their work with out Lewis at their facet. When the 2 come to talk on the Mississippi Guide Pageant on Aug. 20, it should probably be the primary in-person speak they’ve given because the pandemic started – and since Lewis died.
“I’m excited to go to Mississippi,” Aydin stated. “I’m excited to be again. I’m excited to get to speak to individuals about this work. These experiences that I’ve had to assist preserve John Lewis, the human being, alive for individuals. I don’t need him to turn out to be a mythic determine or one thing that appears unreachable.”
The 2 informed Mississippi At this time that persevering with selling and explaining the comics and their affect is important. Particularly now, when supplies used to show in regards to the civil rights motion in faculties are threatened underneath so-called crucial race idea legal guidelines throughout the South and in Mississippi.
“We all know we’re underneath assault,” Aydin stated. “It’s why it’s so vital that Nate and I get out on the street and go communicate and inform this story. Because the congressman would say: ‘Go preach the gospel.’ As a result of now we have to maintain these works in faculties.”
The three “March” books observe a younger John Lewis and organizers utilizing nonviolent civil disobedience within the battle for civil rights and finish to segregation. They chronicle a slew of occasions, from Lewis first assembly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the Mississippi Freedom Summer season and Bloody Sunday. “Run” reveals the conflicts that come up within the aftermath of the motion’s victories.
They’re comedian books – the identical medium as classics reminiscent of “Wonderful Spider-Man.” There aren’t any tremendous powers, however real-life excessive stakes. Aydin, Powell and Lewis went to nice lengths to make the works traditionally correct, all the way down to the dialogue. The panels transfer rapidly and create one thing simple to digest regardless of the quantity of historic context, which is why they’ve been lauded as an unbelievable educating instrument.
Within the lead-up to engaged on the graphic novels, Lewis recalled a comic book guide about King revealed within the late Nineteen Fifties that coated the Montgomery bus boycotts. The comedian was offered out of automobile trunks and handed out in church buildings. It impressed nonviolent protests throughout the South. Lewis noticed the accessibility comics provided.
“Congressman Lewis’ context for the ability of comics, in educating contextualized nonviolent actions, completely not solely set the precedent for the guide and the mandate for the guide,” Powell stated, “however it was, by itself already, form of a proof of idea in John Lewis’ thoughts.”
Powell has used the books in his private life to show his personal youngsters historical past. They’ve additionally helped him re-examine the gaps in his personal schooling and the sensitized model of the civil rights actions typically delivered in lecture rooms.
The books have received a number of awards – the third “March,” a Nationwide Guide Award – and spent six weeks on the New York Instances best-seller record.
The final time Aydin was in Mississippi it was alongside Lewis. The 2 had been a part of a distribution program for “March” that gave the books to college students within the Delta.
“When the congressman and I might tour locations like Mississippi or Georgia, or North Carolina, he would typically remark about how shut we had been – or drive by – many of those locations that he was both overwhelmed or arrested or the place he staged protests,” Aydin stated. “And it actually drove the significance of what we had been doing and being there.”
“Now doing it with out the congressman,” he added, “it’s actually laborious.”
It may be a problem emotionally, however Aydin stated it’s not solely one of the best ways to guard Lewis’ legacy but additionally guarantee he’s remembered as a full individual not an untouchable historic determine.
“What’s so highly effective about his story and his life is that it’s a mannequin for any of us,” Aydin stated.
READ MORE:
• In ‘The Motion Made Us,’ father and son replicate on the previous, each remembered and forgotten
• Starting to query first impressions: Q&A with creator Matt de la Peña
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Mississippi
‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations
![‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations ‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations](https://gray-wlbt-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3KMJQZPKGBHNRCT7NENQ3O72YY.png?auth=8e7e3183f489f41a63616389bdae4dd45efc187856d208138265c67183c736b4&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It’s been one month since Thalia Mara Hall closed its doors due to a mold outbreak.
Innovation Arts and Entertainment is the company responsible for bringing Broadway productions to Jackson.
Representatives from the company visited Jackson after hearing the building had been closed.
CEO Adam Epstein says the City of Jackson did not inform them of the news.
“We did not find out from anybody within the city. We found out by reading news clippings forwarded to us by other people in Jackson,” Epstein said.
Certified Industrial Hygienic Testing reported visible dirt, debris, and suspected mold growth on many surfaces.
Epstein fears this could change the possibility of bigger shows coming to the capital city.
“They’re going to skip over us because of this mess. We need to show as a community that Jackson cares about this valuable asset and that we demand our elected leaders to support and treat this really, incredibly valuable asset with the TLC it deserves,” he said.
Thalia Mara Hall is the only venue in the state that can host a Broadway production due to the technical needs and accommodations required.
“Touring theatrical shows. If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all,” he said.
Broadway in Jackson is not only a great source of entertainment in the city, but it’s also beneficial economically.
“Those other businesses don’t benefit. The city doesn’t earn tax revenue from events that we present. They don’t earn rental income from the events we present. They don’t earn facility fees from the events we present. This is a real tragedy. It’s unacceptable.”
The well-being of the potential audience is the company’s main priority.
“I will not risk our ticket buyers’ health and safety and comfort. Our shows can and will cancel before we’d ever put somebody in jeopardy. We’ve issued a 100% guarantee of a full refund if the venue is not given a clean bill of health,” Epstein said.
All shows will be canceled on a case-to-case basis.
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Mississippi
Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says
![Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/07/11/USAT/9631b18b-dce5-449d-a448-47f4b71a9b44-MS-01.png?auto=webp&crop=3954,2224,x823,y443&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that killed seven and injured 36 people.
The deadly bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others early Saturday occurred after the vehicle experienced a tire failure, causing it to run off the road and overturn, officials and authorities said.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that left seven people dead and another 36 people injured. The collision occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus left the roadway and overturned.
The bus, which authorities described as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, traveled westbound when its left front tire failed, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference Sunday. The bus then moved onto an embankment and rolled over on its left side.
Inman added that investigators will be at the scene for at least another week and are looking into several factors of the crash, including the vehicle’s mechanical condition, motor carrier safety, the condition and experience of the driver, and environmental factors.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. Records show that in the 24 months before Saturday, the transit company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal crash, two injury collisions, and a crash requiring a tow truck.
The transit company has over 20 years of experience and provides trips between more than 100 destinations throughout Mexico and the United States, according to Autobuses Regiomontanos’ website.
“Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through,” Inman said.
7 killed, 36 injured in bus crash
The bus carried a total of 41 passengers and two drivers, according to authorities. It was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when the incident occurred.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, Stewart said.
Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals.
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said two victims killed in the crash were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, according to The New York Times. Authorities were working to identify the other victims.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
Mississippi
This drive showed where Mississippi State football offense can improve for Arizona State
![This drive showed where Mississippi State football offense can improve for Arizona State This drive showed where Mississippi State football offense can improve for Arizona State](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/01/PNAS/75036945007-usatsi-24127468.jpg?auto=webp&crop=2927,1648,x0,y152&format=pjpg&width=1200)
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football’s offense had a high-flying Saturday in coach Jeff Lebby’s first game.
It scored touchdowns on six of its first nine drives — one of which was a one-play kneel down to end the first half — leaving Eastern Kentucky buried early and deep at Davis Wade Stadium. It was a 56-7 win for the Bulldogs, with them leading 35-0 at one point in the first half.
Baylor transfer Blake Shapen was superb at quarterback and numerous wide receivers such as Jordan Mosley, Kevin Coleman, Mario Craver Jr. and Creed Whittemore made big plays against EKU (0-1).
Even still, Lebby wasn’t completely satisfied with the performance.
“I think there was a whole lot of good,” Lebby said postgame. “Proud of our guys for their energy and their competitive spirit and toughness they played with, but there’s so many things to clean up. I think that’s the biggest takeaway is that you got a chance to go win the way we won, but we’re going to need to play better, play cleaner and that’s where we’re going to look forward to as we get back into it.”
Take Mississippi State’s third offensive drive as an example of where it can improve.
It was the Bulldogs first drive where they didn’t score points, even though it began at the MSU 46-yard line.
MSU (1-0) was penalized for an illegal formation on the first play of the drive, negating a 47-yard catch-and-run from Craver. Three plays later, after Shapen scrambled 12 yards for a first down, MSU was whistled for another illegal formation. Mississippi State then failed to convert on 4th-and-3 from the EKU 33-yard line.
Those were the only penalties committed by Mississippi State’s offense all night, but it’s not the first time we’ve heard of those types of MSU infractions. In the preseason, following Mississippi State’s first scrimmage that was closed to the public, Lebby noted that “non-playing penalties” were a work in progress.
Players have said that Lebby’s up-tempo pace has been an adjustment. Perhaps it’s one that’s still ongoing.
“Looking back at the game, we did a lot of good things, but there were a couple drives that we killed the drive,” Shapen said. “So, we can keep getting better. I think an emphasis for me is just to let everybody know that we haven’t arrived or anything. We got a lot more to prove, especially going in to play a good Arizona State team next week.”
MORE: Jeff Lebby says Mississippi State football didn’t put on a good enough show. Here’s how he’s wrong
Arizona State might be better than anticipated
MSU’s Week 2 game at Arizona State (9:30 p.m., ESPN) was always going to be its most challenging in the nonconference schedule, but it looks even more so now.
Arizona State routed Wyoming 48-7 on Saturday night. The Sun Devils were about a seven-point favorite entering the game in Tempe, and Wyoming, historically, is no cakewalk in the Group of 5. It was an impressive statement from second-year coach Kenny Dillingham after a 4-9 season in 2023.
The Sun Devils (1-0) scored two defensive touchdowns, forced three turnovers and held Wyoming (0-1) to 118 total yards of offense. Sixty-two of those yards came in the fourth quarter with the game already well decided.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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