Editor’s note: This is the latest edition of Curious Mississippi, a service to the readers of the Clarion Ledger. Other questions answered by Curious Mississippi included road safety, potholes, cicadas and the international nature of the Jackson airport. Last week, we answered the question of why Mississippi roads are brown. Readers can submit questions by email to CuriousMississippi@ClarionLedger.com and editors will pick out the best and reporters will answer them in an upcoming edition.

Looking to take a trip from Jackson? The city’s Amtrak station located in Union Station allows travelers to take a train to a handful of different destinations via a direct route.

However, there are downsides when opting for a train ride.

Getting North and South by train from Jackson is relatively easy. Going East or West, and you are out of luck.

Three major cities with direct routes by train from Jackson include New Orleans, Memphis and Chicago. A trip to New Orleans in your own car takes just under three hours compared to the four-and-a-half-hour train ride from Union Station. A car drive to Memphis takes about one and a half hours less than a train ride. A plane ride to Chicago is significantly shorter and comparative in price.

So, why opt for a train over a plane or automobile?

Some find trains a romanticized mode of transportation, offering a unique experience not found when sitting on a plane or car or bus. Trains often offer passengers with more room and leisurely views of the surrounding scenery. Train stations and trains themselves are also often easier to navigate for those with disabilities.

Jackson resident Khalilah Wright and her daughter Chandler Wright waited in Union Station Tuesday afternoon for the evening train heading to Chicago, where they had moved from four years ago. Khalilah said they opted for a train ride because Chandler doesn’t like planes.

Khalilah said she and her family travel to Chicago often. She takes a plane when traveling with her husband and train when traveling with her daughter. While both have advantages and disadvantages, Khalilah said riding the train provides more bonding time with Chandler because they can chat while waiting in the station and during the longer ride.

The train is “nice and relaxing,” Khalilah said, and she enjoys the views from the train cars with large windows. She also said a train is a much better option for her mother, who is disabled, to travel to Jackson from Chicago.

Like plane tickets, Amtrak ticket prices vary depending on upgrades and when you book the ticket. Read on to find out which cities you can reach directly from the Jackson Amtrak station. These “direct routes” refer to the cities to which you can buy a one-way or round-trip ticket. There are often several stations in between Jackson and these final destinations, so they are not considered “non-stop” routes.

How to get to Chicago by train

A trip to Chicago from Jackson by an Amtrak train takes about 15 to 16 hours. Overnight rides are offered so you can board the train at 6 p.m. and arrive in the Windy City by 10 a.m. the next morning.

A one-way ticket to Chicago from Jackson for one adult will set you back about $150 to $200 for a coach ticket or anywhere from $300 to $900 for a private room with a restroom and shower.

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How to get to New Orleans by train

A train ride to New Orleans from the Jackson Amtrak station takes around four and half hours. A round trip is feasible for a quick weekend get away.

A ticket for a single adult one-way is about $50 to $60 for a coach ticket or about $100-$150 for a private room with a restroom or sink.

How to get to Memphis by train

Memphis is also a good option for a weekend trip. A train ride from the Amtrak Jackson station to the Memphis station clocks in at just over four and a half hours.

Tickets cost anywhere from about $30 to $50 for a single adult coach ticket or from $100 to $300 for a private room.

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Where else can I go by train from Jackson?

There are several other stops on the direct route from Jackson. The stations on this route are not the only Mississippi stations. There is a line that runs from New Orleans connecting stations in Picayune, Hattiesburg, Laurel and Meridian before continuing through Alabama.

Here are all the cities with Amtrak stations on the direct route to and from Jackson, starting with New Orleans and heading north ending with Chicago:

• New Orleans
• Hammond, Louisiana
• McComb, Mississippi
• Brookhaven, Mississippi
• Hazlehurst, Mississippi
• Jackson
• Yazoo City, Mississippi
• Greenwood, Mississippi
• Marks, Mississippi
• Memphis
• Newbern-Dyersburg, Tennessee
• Fulton, Kentucky
• Carbondale, Illinois
• Centralia, Illinois
• Mattoon, Illinois
• Effingham, Illinois
• Champaign-Urbana , Illinois
• Kankakee, Illinois
• Homewood, Illinois
• Chicago

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com

“I see her as someone different.”

With just over 100 days until the 2024 Presidential Election, Kamala Harris took over President Joe Biden’s place as the expected Democratic candidate after the sitting President dropped out of the race Sunday, July 21.

If elected, Harris would not only become the first woman to serve as United States President, but also the first Black woman and South Asian woman in the role.

Black women throughout Mississippi have rallied around Harris since her Sunday announcement to run. Both political figures and community members feel Harris would much better represent their rights over Republican Candidate and former president Donald Trump.

Some Democrats hope Harris is the key in securing Black voters and women voters, two groups that showed dwindling support for Biden’s campaign during its final weeks.

Harris’ campaign has already kicked it into high gear in regard to securing womens’ votes. On Tuesday, the “KamalaHQ” Instagram account posted a video showing pictures of Harris and Trump overlaid with lyrics from artist Chappell Roan’s song “femininomenon.”

Harris has been vocal about her support of abortion rights, another key issue that may persuade women to cast their ballots in November.

On Sunday evening, 44,000 Black women throughout the nation joined a Zoom call hosted by the collective “Win With Black Women.” The call exceeded expectations and raised $1.6 million for Harris’ campaign in under four hours.

Hattiesburg City Council Member Deborah Delgado was one of the women on that Zoom call. Delgado said she supports Harris for one simple reason: she’s qualified.

“(Harris) has a record of supporting issues that are of concern to me as a Black woman and as an elected official,” Delgado said. “A lot of times, government makes decisions or puts policies in place that are not always in the best interest of the people that we’re supposed to represent. I see her as somebody different.”

Mississippi in recent presidential elections leans red. While unlikely to tip the scale blue, Delgado said it’s still important to vote.

“Every election is important,” Delgado said. “It’s not just the people at the top of the ticket, but certainly as a Black woman, I’m mostly motivated by her being at the top of the ticket. I know if we have someone with her capabilities at the top of the government of this country, that we’re going to be better and things are going to change in a big way.”

Delgado said she hopes the next few months leading up to November include a robust campaign from Harris.

“I hope that people who have historically not been excited about voting get the excitement that we need, that we just create a movement that’s going to make us victorious in November,” Delgado said.

Mississippi Dist. 69, State Rep. Tamarra Bulter-Washington, D, shared similar sentiments about Harris’ long resume as district attorney and a former U.S. Senator from California.

Butler-Washington added another crucial trait in Harris’ campaign: “She’s relatable.”

“I truly believe that she will be fighting for the people, and not just certain people, but all citizens of the United States,” said Butler-Washington, who was eating in a restaurant in Chicago on Sunday when her husband looked at his phone and told her Biden had endorsed Harris. She said she was “elated” to hear the news.

“That spoke volumes because that means that the president himself, our current sitting president, believes in her and believes she can run this country and believes she can do it right,” Butler-Washington said.

The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus held a town hall meeting in Jackson Monday evening. Butler-Washington attended after flying back from Chicago earlier that day. During that meeting, the Caucus officially endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.

“We had people of all ages that were there,” Butler-Washington said. “I heard the excitement in their voices … I’ve heard more people talk about a push to mobilize not just African Americans to get out and vote, but everyone to get out and vote in this election. It is imperative that we vote.”

Cassandra Welchlin serves as executive director of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable. While the Jackson-based organization is non-partisan and does not endorse specific candidates, Welchlin did emphasize the general need for representation.

“Our efforts ensure that Black women have a voice at the policy tables that impact our kitchen tables,” Welchlin said. “Representation matters.”

The buzz of Harris’ campaign has been evident in the local Jackson community, Butler-Washington said. She said most of the chatter has been positive and bursting with excitement.

When asked why voting for Harris is important even in a red state like Mississippi, Butler-Washington said, “We could possibly turn Mississippi blue.”

“We have come so far in regards to all economic inequalities — health care, criminal justice reform, and on women’s health issues,” Butler-Washington said.

Along with securing votes with Black voters and women voters, Harris has aimed her campaign toward Generation Z.

Washington said that demographic is crucial. When discussing Project 2025, she predicted Gen Z won’t accept similar projects “as easily as maybe our parents did or our grandparents.”

“(Young voters) have a voice, and they want to be able to project their voice,” Butler-Washington said. “They want to be able to participate with this process.”

Harris could potentially bring representation to groups historically marginalized within the White House: women and people of color.

“As an African American woman in the Mississippi Legislature, my support undoubtedly is for our Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate for our upcoming presidential election,” Butler-Washington said. “I am proud to see that we as women are making strides in politics, that we are making all women — Black, white, Asian, Latino — we’re all making strides in politics.”