Mississippi

‘We could possibly turn Mississippi blue’: Black women in MS rally around Kamala Harris

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2024

Press Room

‘We could possibly turn Mississippi blue’: Black women in MS rally around Kamala Harris

“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.”

Source link

Click to comment

Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

Source link

Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

Source link

Mississippi

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is playing its final regular season game against No. 6 LSU at Humphrey Coliseum on March 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network).

The Bulldogs (18-11, 5-10 SEC) enter the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three consecutive games, so an upset win could secure an at-large bid.

The Tigers (25-4, 11-4) and coach Kim Mulkey have won three straight games. Their only losses of the season are to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina.

The Clarion Ledger is bringing you live updates from the game. Follow along.

Watch Mississippi State vs LSU