Rodney Bennett, president of the University of Southern Mississippi. Credit: usm.edu
Rodney Bennett, who made history as the University of Southern Mississippi’s first Black president, announced his intent to step down in June 2023.
“The time is coming for me to step aside for another individual to chart the path for the next chapter in our Southern Miss Story,” Bennett wrote in a campus-wide email Friday afternoon.
Bennett, 55, wrote that he intends to explore new professional opportunities this spring. He said he will work closely with the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees to “develop a strong transition plan.”
“I am excited about what lies ahead for me and for my family, but this transition will certainly be bittersweet,” he wrote.
The Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees selected Bennett to lead USM, a predominately white institution, in 2013, when the university was struggling financially. Bennett downplayed the significance of his selection, according to a report from Gulf Life.
“I don’t know what message it sends, other than don’t let any barrier that other people may place in front of you, and label that people place on you, stop you from pursuing your dream,” Bennett said at the time. “Race wasn’t going to be an issue for me.”
Bennett started his resignation email by listing USM’s accomplishments under his administration, from “facilitating tremendous growth all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast” to “stabilizing the University’s overall financial position.”
Mississippi will gain five new early learning collaboratives in August 2022 to serve more of the state’s youngest learners.
On Thursday, the State Board of Education approved the additional collaboratives, which will serve 840 new 4-year-old students. These additions were the first to be approved in an expansion of the program that will double the number of students served.
Early learning collaboratives are pre-K programs made up of partnerships among school districts, Head Start agencies, childcare centers, and nonprofit groups. There are currently 18 collaboratives serving more than 3,000 children across the state.
These early learning collaboratives will be located in the Brookhaven School District, Kosciusko School District, Rankin County School District, Scott County School District, and South Panola School District, bringing the total number of early learning collaboratives across the state up to 23.
“When early learning collaboratives increase in Mississippi, it means more of our state’s preschoolers will have access to a quality early childhood education,” Carey Wright, state superintendent of education, said in a statement.
First created in 2013, the collaboratives have been nationally recognized for their high quality and success in preparing students for kindergarten. In 2019, 77% of students in collaboratives tested as kindergarten-ready, 8% higher than other state-funded pre-K programs.
However, the collaboratives have not been widely accessible in the past, serving only 8% of the state’s 4-year-olds in 2021.
The Legislature doubled funding for the collaboratives in the 2021 session, bringing the total state spending on the program up to $16 million. With this increase in funding, the Department of Education has begun approving new collaboratives and will be requesting more proposals in the coming weeks. Once this new funding has been fully allocated, the early learning collaboratives are expected to serve twice as many 4-year-olds.
“It’s thrilling that we have approved additional collaboratives,” said Rachel Canter, director of Mississippi First, a nonprofit that helped write the law to create the collaboratives. “Hopefully we’ll have even more communities approved by the end of the school year (to open in August), and I think MDE is on track to get there.”
When Clinton’s Cam Akers dazzled opponents and spectators alike during his high school football career, opposing coaches — and many sports writers — often referred to Akers as a “freak,” as in freak of nature.
Rick Cleveland
Now that Akers plays for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, the term still applies, although now his achievements astound even the medical community.
Here’s why: On July 20 preparing for training camp, Akers suffered a completely torn Achilles tendon that required surgery. Approximately five months later, on Christmas Day, the Rams put Akers back on the active roster. On Jan. 9, he played in the last regular season game. On Jan. 17, in a playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, Akers carried the ball 17 times for 55 yards and caught a pass for 40 yards in the Rams’ 34-11 victory. Some of his best plays were negated by penalties. Afterward, Rams coach Sean McVay awarded him the game ball — as much for his stunningly rapid recovery and rehab as for his performance.
It was deserved.
You see, Achilles ruptures usually require up to a year of recovery and some are often career-ending. One medical study showed that between 2010 and 2015, 78 NFL players suffered Achilles tears. Of those, 26% never played another down. Another recent study by orthopedic researchers, studying professional athletes in football, basketball, baseball and soccer, found that 24% who suffered a torn Achilles were forced to retire. For those who did continue to play, the average length of time to return to the game was 11 months.
On Sunday, Akers will line up for the Rams against the defending NFL Champion Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFC semifinal game right at six months after surgery.
Clinton Coach Jud Boswell and quarterback Cam Akers in 2016 when Akers led Clinton to the Class 6A state championship. Credit: Rick Cleveland
None of this surprises Clinton football coach Judd Boswell, who says, “Nothing that dude does surprises me. When he was here in September for our homecoming game, he was already two months ahead of his recovery schedule and he was just two months out of surgery. It just shows his work ethic and the kind of person he is. I have never known another person as driven and competitive as he is. He could have taken it a lot easier and a lot safer and just prepared to come back next season. Most would. But that’s not him. That’s not Cam. He would consider that letting down his coaches and his teammates. He’s different now. He’s a different dude.”
Perhaps the most famous return from Achilles injury in sports history was that of the late Kobe Bryant. His return to NBA play in 2014 nine months after surgery was often described as “miraculous.”
And then there’s Akers, who at age 22 returned to the most punishing of sports roughly five and a half months after surgery. In the victory over the Cardinals Monday night, he appeared the best player on the field. Interestingly, both Bryant’s and Akers’ surgeries were performed by Dr. Neal ElAttache, a renowned Los Angeles surgeon, who used a relatively new surgical technique on Akers. Not only did he repair the torn tendon, he added what is referred to as an internal brace that adds stability to the repaired tendon.
University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) surgeon Lori Reed has repaired more torn Achilles than she cares to remember and calls Akers’ recovery “amazingly quick.”
Recovery for normal people — “weekend warriors,” as Reed calls them — is 10 months to a year.
Several factors, she said, could be involved in Akers’ astonishingly fast recovery, including that “elite athletes like these are made differently and you have to realize this is their job.”
“They aren’t coming in for rehab for an hour two or three times a week,” Reed said. “They are spending entire days rehabbing.”
Akers has said he spent as much as 10 hours a day working out and rehabbing his leg.
Again, Boswell isn’t surprised.“Nobody — and I mean, nobody — works harder than Cam Akers. That’s just who he is,” the high school coach said.
Sunday’s Rams-Bucs outcome could hinge on how well Akers runs the ball. He was the Rams’ leading rusher as rookie in 2020. He gives the Rams a combination of speed, muscle and shiftiness they don’t otherwise possess. And he will be going against a Bucs defense that ranked third in the NFL against the run and was especially effective in home games.
It’s a daunting task, and would be even for someone who isn’t six months removed from surgery to the biggest, strongest tendon in the human body.
Says Boswell, “All I know, I darn sure would not bet against him.”
Every Black Mississippi senator walked out of the chamber Friday, choosing not to vote on a bill that sponsors said would prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in the state’s public schools and colleges and universities.
The historic, unprecedented walkout came over a vote on the academic theory that state education officials and Republican lawmakers acknowledge is not even taught in Mississippi. Republicans hold supermajority control of the Senate, meaning they can pass any bill without a single Democratic vote.
“We walked out as a means to show a visible protest to these proceedings,” state Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, said of the unprecedented action.
In 1993, Black caucus members left before then-Gov. Kirk Fordice delivered his State of the State speech in protest of his policies. But no Capitol observer could recall an instance of members leaving en mass in protest before a vote on a bill.
“We felt like it was a bill that was not deserving of our vote,” said Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville. “We have so many issues in the state that need to be addressed. We did not need to spend time on this.
“Even the author of the bill (Michael McLendon, R-Hernando) said this was not occurring in Mississippi,” Simmons continued.
This is chamber now as they call roll. There are a couple of Dems I can still see. pic.twitter.com/ZMsK7QddA5
McLendon, who handled the bill during more than 90 minutes of debate on the Senate floor, did concede that he could not point to an instance of critical race theory being taught in Mississippi.
He said he heard from many of his constituents who had learned of critical race theory “on the national news” and wanted to ensure it would not be taught in Mississippi.
McLendon said all his bill does is “prohibit a child or a student from being told they are inferior or superior to another.”
He said the bill would not prevent the teaching of history and of multiple instances of racism, segregation and violence that have occurred against African Americans and other minorities.
One flashpoint in the debate on Friday is that members, based on their life history, had differing definitions of critical race theory.
In general, critical race theory is an academic discipline that explores the impact of racism on society. But many in the conservative media have said critical race theory attempts to teach white students they are inferior to minority students.
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, said critical race theory does not deal in facts, but instead in subjective theory. He said facts should be taught in public schools.
“Our kids need objective facts and not subjective notions of theory,” McDaniel said.
Black members said it was not supposition that systemic racism existed in America and still does in health care, the criminal justice system and in many other areas.
“We are the only state in the country that does not have a fair housing law,” Horhn said.
Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, asked members why they would not listen to the concerns of the Black senators if all 14 of them were expressing doubts about the legislation. Still, no white Republican voted against the bill. A few did not vote. The only two white senators to vote against the bill were Democrats David Blount of Jackson and Hob Bryan of Amory.
“It is sad we are wasting so much time on something that is not even needed,” said Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, a veteran of the Civil Rights movement and son of a sharecropper.
Jordan, a former public school teacher, added, “If anybody is suffering from racism it is people of color and we feel we don’t need this bill … We are satisfied without it. What do you need it for? We have been the victims of it.”
The fact that the Senate leadership took up the bill on a Friday was surprising. Often, legislative leaders avoid debates on controversial topics on Friday as they prepare to return home for the weekend.
Simmons said African American members did not know until Friday morning that Education Chair Dennis DeBar was taking up the controversial bill. They expressed concern that the bill erases the good will created in 2020 when the Legislature voted to remove the state flag that contained the Confederate battle symbol as a prominent part of its design.
“We cannot continue to stumble into the future backwards,” Jordan said. “That is what this bill does.”
Senate Bill 2444 would provide an average teacher salary increase of $4,700 over two years and restructure the way teachers are paid to provide higher salaries in the long term.
With the state budget flush largely from federal government pandemic spending, the state Senate and House now have competing teacher pay raise bills. Either would be one of the largest teacher pay raises in state history, with the House proposal at $219 million, providing raises of $4,000 to $6,000 a year.
“This will hopefully incentivize people to go into the teaching field and incentivize those already teaching to stay and to stay in Mississippi,” said Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville. He said teachers and experts have called for lawmakers to “remove some of the stagnation” in teacher salaries. The House plan would provide sizeable pay increases for teachers at five-year intervals.
After DeBar introduced the bill on Friday, Sen. Philip Moran, R-Kiln, successfully offered a motion to prohibit debate and vote immediately. Senate Bill 2444 then passed unanimously, 35-0, but with 14 members of the Senate’s Black Caucus having left before the bill was taken up.
Mississippi’s teacher pay by several metrics is the lowest in the nation and the state has been grappling with a teacher shortage. Nationally, nearly 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years, according to the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.
Both legislative proposals aim to increase starting teachers’ salaries, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, House Speaker Philip Gunn and Gov. Tate Reeves have all promised “significant” teacher raises. Reeves proposed a smaller, $3,300 increase over two years.
On Friday, Hosemann in a statement said: “Teachers open the gates of the minds of our future. I am thankful for the work of Chairman DeBar in listening to teachers to devise a pay system that begins the long necessary journey to monetarily rewarding their efforts.”
The Senate plan would bring the starting salary for teachers up to $40,000 and includes raises of $1,325 to $1,624 at five-year intervals as teachers gain more experience. The House plan includes a starting salary of $43,000 and a $2,000 raise for teacher assistants. The House plan would boost starting teacher pay above the Southeastern and national averages.
Each chamber has passed its own measure, sending it to the other. Most likely, a combination of the two will ultimately pass in the 2022 legislative session.
After the vote on Friday, House Minority Leader Derrick Simmons issued a statement about the Black Caucus walkout and the subsequent vote on teacher pay.
“Senate Democrats have always led the charge on teacher pay raises and have championed establishment of fair career plans that show our appreciation for the job our teachers do,” Simmons said. “However, the roll call vote today to pass Senate Bill 2444 – our teacher pay plan – was quickly called up and passed without discussion immediately after members of our caucus walked out in protest of a vague bill that would ban ‘critical race theory’ in Mississippi’s public schools and universities without creating boundaries. We felt it was unfair to have such a bill introduced or passed as it really demeans a large segment of our population. Though our votes were not counted because of the chain of events, Senate Democrats stand in support of raises for our educators.”
Use the calculator below to determine your pay raise under this new legislation:
Walmart is opening its third distribution warehouse in Mississippi this spring, which the mega chain says is part of its plan to grow its supply chain in the South and stay on pace with the online shopping boom.
Walmart is spending about $90 million on the new 1-million-square-foot Olive Branch warehouse. Walmart says the new warehouse will bring 250 new jobs to DeSoto County. The new complex will house millions of items, according to Walmart, and ship them directly to shoppers.
“Northwest Mississippi is an ideal location for companies with extensive shipping needs, like Walmart,” said Laura Hipp, Mississippi Development Authority interim director. “The region offers an abundance of transportation options as well as a dedicated workforce.”
The warehouse is still under construction. DeSoto County and Olive Branch have offered partial property tax exemptions to Walmart. DeSoto County says Walmart has yet to put in an application to cash in on that incentive.
Walmart will also likely receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash rebates back from the state through Advantage Jobs Rebate Program over the next decade. The program allows companies to get back part of their investment in exchange for job creation. Walmart agreed to create a minimum of 202 jobs with annual salaries of at least $39,659 as part of the program.
“Hundreds of employees from our area teaming with Walmart to successfully operate this new fulfillment center speaks volumes about Olive Branch’s workforce potential and amenities,” said Ken Adams, the city’s mayor.
Walmart operates 86 retail stores and more than 25,000 workers in Mississippi. The company is hiring for salaried positions now at the new warehouse, according to its website.
The Mississippi House with an overwhelming, bipartisan vote and little debate on Thursday passed an equal pay bill, which would provide state legal recourse for employees paid less for the same work based on sex.
House Bill 770 passed 111-5 and now heads to the Senate, where a similar measure, Senate Bill 2451, is also pending. Both bills would create a state “actionable right” for any employee paid less for equal work based on sex. Federal law already provides such a right, but taking an employer to task in federal court is a more difficult, and often more costly task for aggrieved employees.
Mississippi is the last state in the nation without an equal pay provision in state law. Bipartisan support has been growing for such a law, but past efforts failed. Opponents’ stated rationale has been that there are already federal equal pay laws, and that they don’t want to put undue regulations on businesses or cause unwarranted lawsuits.
During brief floor debate on Thursday, Rep. Dana Criswell, R-Olive Branch, asked Judiciary A Chairwoman Angela Cockerham, author of the bill, “Do you know how many women have had to use the federal law in the last year?”
“Sometimes we pass laws just for the sake of passing laws,” Criswell said. “We are passing a law now and we don’t even know if it’s going to help.”
Cockerham, an Independent from Magnolia, responded: “If it’s one woman, gentleman, it’s one too many.” She asked male lawmakers to think about their daughters, if they came home from their first job and told them they were making less money than a coworker with the same experience doing the same work.
Rep. Dan Eubanks, R-Walls, asked Cockerham if the bill takes into account “maternity leave … differential costs for the employer for maternity leave” and whether the measure would result in men requesting maternity leave for parity.
“Men can already get maternity leave now,” Cockerham responded. “… This bill does apply to men, too. If they are doing the same work and not being paid as much, it would apply.”
U.S. Census data shows women make up 51.5% of the population in Mississippi and more than half of its workforce. They are the primary breadwinners for a majority — 53.5% — of families in this state, which is the highest rate in the nation.
But women working full time in Mississippi earn 27% less than men, far greater than the 19% gap nationwide. That gap grows worse for Black and Latina women in Mississippi, who are paid just 54 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
Women make up nearly 60% of those in Mississippi’s workforce living below the poverty line. The state has continually ranked worst or near-worst in most every ranking for working women.
Those voting no on the House bill Thursday were: Criswell and Reps. Joel Bomgar, R-Madison, Chris Brown, R-Nettleton, Steve Hopkins, R-Southaven, and Brady Williamson, R-Oxford.
Rep. Carolyn Crawford, R-Pass Christian voted present. Reps. Eubanks, Tracy Arnold, R-Booneville and Steve Horne, R-Meridian, did not vote. Reps. Larry Byrd, R-Petal and Robin Robinson, R-Laurel, were absent.
Judy Young, who most recently worked marketing a city outside San Antonio, will begin her new role as Coastal Mississippi’s executive director on Feb. 1, 2022.
BILOXI – The state’s largest regional tourism bureau has chosen a new director from Texas to take over after the abrupt and controversial exit of its previous leader three months ago.
Judy Young, who most recently worked marketing a city outside San Antonio, will begin her new role as Coastal Mississippi’s executive director on Feb. 1. Young has been working in the tourism industry for the last two decades.
“I was looking for a dynamic destination and it’s an exciting opportunity,” Young told Mississippi Today. “I was always a big travel person. I love travel and tourism. It’s the greatest education there is out there. It feeds the soul.”
Young was the vice president of the visitor’s bureau in New Braunfels, Texas. In her new job, she will be marketing a region rather than one city. Coastal Mississippi covers three counties in a partnership between Hancock, Jackson and Harrison counties on the Gulf Coast.
“Judy is an incredibly accomplished tourism leader and will bring a wealth of industry experience and knowledge to the organization,” Coastal Mississippi commission board president Brooke Shoultz said in a statement. “At this pivotal time for the tourism industry, Judy’s leadership will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the continued growth and prosperity of our destination.”
The Gulf Coast bureau’s previous director Milton Segarra announced his abrupt resignation in September 2021 following criticisms that his annual salary of $225,000 was too high.
With Young’s appointment, commissioners decided to scale back the executive director salary to $175,000 per year.
Segarra also had a prior rift with the board that governs the tourism bureau when they voted not to act on a complaint he filed regarding a remark made by one of its members.
On the heels of Segarra’s resignation, Harrison County leaders were at the center of more disconnect and in-fighting among board members and local leadership. The flare-up threatened the three-county bureau’s future enough that 11 casino executives wrote a joint letter to the group begging them to find a path forward.
In the fall, Shoultz released a statement saying the commissioners resolved all misunderstandings and were committed to the regional tourism model.
“They regret not meeting sooner during the many months of misinformation and rumors that caused tension and divide,” Shoultz said in October.
Coastal Mississippi is funded by a 2-3% tax on hotel stays across Harrison, Jackson and Hancock counties. In a budget report to Harrison County made late last year, Coastal Mississippi said it had about $5.2 million in its budget from the taxes.
The bulk of that tax revenue — about 80% of Coastal Mississippi’s funding — comes from Harrison County’s casino resorts and hotels. As a result, Harrison County has the largest voting bloc within the board of commissioners that approves Coastal Mississippi’s spending.
Young told Mississippi Today she is used to navigating multiple public bodies while leading a tourism bureau. She has also been impressed with the passion from local leaders and business owners.
“I’m excited there’s so much engagement,” Young said. “It’s always a heavy challenge if there’s no passion from stakeholders about their destination.”
Young said she and her husband — a Mississippi native — were house hunting and exploring “all 62 miles” of the Coast for the next few days.
“There is a great balance of generational investments and new economic development here,” Young said, “and amazing special events.”
