Category Archives: Race in Mississippi

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 →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 25 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 →

Posted in Education, Pop Culture, Race in Mississippi | 29 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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

The A Words

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

Just curious: should we consider appropriation and assimilation dirty words? Could we make just as compelling a case that they constitute forms of flattery?

Posted in Pop Culture, Race in Mississippi | 33 Comments

A Quick Correction Regarding Our System

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

In an interview with a radio host this morning, Gov. Phil Bryant responded to a question about legislation to change the state flag by saying that the issue ought to be put before the people because we live in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | 22 Comments

A Chance to be 49th

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

Mississippi doesn’t embrace many chances to avoid winning last place, but here’s an easy one: we’re one of the last two states to recognize “Confederate Memorial Day.” Alabama is the other one. Regardless of what one feels about our state … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Pop Culture, Race in Mississippi | 29 Comments

Surprise

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Thomas_Easterling

I have tests to write and papers to grade, and I can’t think about anything except what happened yesterday. I had always believed that if you can’t convince other people you’re right, you may as well be wrong–which makes it … Continue reading →