Medical marijuana protesters call on Mississippi politicians to ‘stop the steal’
Carolyn Prisock had a brain tumor removed 15 years ago, and suffers debilitating migraines and side effects from medications — one caused her to temporarily lose her eyesight.
Prisock was hopeful that the medical marijuana program Mississippi voters approved in November would offer her some relief and an alternative to pharmaceuticals she said “are like-taking poison.” But she said the state Supreme Court “pulled the rug out from under our feet.”
Prisock, 56, of rural Louisville was among a little over 200 people who rallied near the Supreme Court building and state Capitol on Tuesday morning. They were protesting the high court’s ruling that struck down the Initiative 65 medical marijuana program voters passed, and that also nullified Mississippi voters’ right to change the state constitution.
The protesters called on Gov. Tate Reeves to call the Mississippi Legislature back to Jackson in special session, and for lawmakers to reinstate the medical marijuana program and voters’ ballot initiative right to take matters in their own hands.
Some legislative leaders have joined this call. Reeves said he’s open to calling a session, but still “a long way” from that decision. He said legislative leaders would have to be on the same page first. So far, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann who oversees the Senate said he’s open to passing a medical marijuana program, but believes fixing the ballot initiative process could wait until next year. House Speaker Philip Gunn wants a special session to deal with the ballot initiative, but said medical marijuana could wait.
“If I want to put something natural in my body instead of all these chemicals, that should be my choice,” Prisock said.
READ MORE: Mississippi Supreme Court overturns medical marijuana Initiative 65
Prisock said, “There is still a backward ideology in Mississippi” and the state not legalizing medical marijuana is one of many issues resulting in Mississippi being one of only three to lose population in recent years.
The rally was hastily organized by “We Are the 74,” a group that in a little over a week has garnered more than 8,500 members on its Facebook site. The 74 refers to the 74% of voters that chose Initiative 65 over an alternative placed on the November ballot by lawmakers — although opponents of the initiative note that a smaller majority voted in favor of medical marijuana overall in the two-question ballot proposal.
The rally included live music — with a band striking up a few old 60’s marijuana standards — and several speakers. It drew a diverse crowd of patients and families, cannabis advocates, entrepreneurs hoping to get into the marijuana business, and voters who feel like they’ve been rooked by the court and politicians.
PODCAST: Breaking down the Supreme Court marijuana initiative decision
Wilson Hunt of Tupelo said the rally was the first he’s attended in his 55 years. He came because, “The will of the people has been thwarted, and this is a state that has been vocal about the will of the people being thwarted on a national level.” Hunt carried a poster that said, “New math. 6>766,000?” Referring to the six high court justices that voter to overturn voters’ initiative. A friend of Hunt’s carried a sign that said, “Stop the Steal.”
Will Reed, also of Tupelo, owns an organic farm and produce company, and received the first license in Mississippi to grow hemp after it was federally legalized. He had hoped to start farming medicinal marijuana, and had made some investment in such an operation before the court ruling put a halt to the program.
Chad King, a Jackson attorney, and partners had already invested in Jackson real estate and were moving to open a cannabis business “and were ready to bring at least 90 jobs to Jackson” when the ruling halted it.
King hopes Tuesday’s rally and the ire of many voters prompts action.
“I hope it encourages the leadership to step up and do something,” King said. “Over and above medical marijuana, the Supreme Court struck down people’s voice. Taking people’s voice away with the right to pass amendments is huge.”
The Supreme Court ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler. She argued the initiative process should be voided because the state constitution requires the signatures to be gathered equally from five congressional districts as they were configured in 1990. But in the early 2000s, the state lost a U.S. House seat because of population loss, rendering it impossible to gather the signatures as mandated in the Constitution.
READ MORE: Mississippi’s medical marijuana mess
Voters bypassed the lawmakers and approved medical marijuana after years of inaction on the issue by the Legislature despite growing grassroots support and other states legalizing it.
Jasmine Cochran, a Picayune native, was teaching school in China when she learned her father had been diagnosed with cancer, and she quickly returned home. She spoke to the crowd in Jackson on Tuesday, and lamented Mississippi being historically and continually the unhealthiest state.
“It’s just numbers until one of those numbers is your dad or your mom or your kid,” Cochran said. “… I see my dad struggling for help every day, and we could give it to him with a plant … You’d be hard pressed to find a more divided state, but we all came together (with Initiative 65) because we felt there was a better, smarter, healthier way than with endless opiates … If there is no special session, then the 74% will get together again when it’s the next time to vote and invite (politicians) to leave.”
Puckett native Austin Calhoun also spoke Tuesday. He has suffered terrible seizures and other issues for years, and his mother, Angie Calhoun was a vocal supporter and organizer of the Initiative 65 movement. Austin had moved out of state so he could be treated with medical marijuana, but was planning to return after initiative 65 passed.
He called for the governor and lawmakers to “do what is right by Mississippians.”
“Call a special session as soon as possible,” Calhoun said. “… Be the patients’ and voters’ heroes and bring back to Mississippi what was unjustly taken from us. All I want is to be able to return home to this state. Do not give up the fight for democracy to be carried out in Mississippi.”
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We asked readers about the future of Mississippi. Here’s what they said.
In April, we launched the first stage of NextGen Mississippi, our new reporting project focused on young Mississippians. We published a survey asking people of all experiences to tell us about the internal question many Mississippians ask themselves: “Should I stay in Mississippi, or should I leave?” This survey has already garnered more than 600 responses from a wide range of ages, occupations, locations and perspectives.
Scroll to view some select responses, or click a question below to skip ahead.
- Why do you live in Mississippi? If you left, why?
- Briefly tell us what factors you consider most important as you think about staying in Mississippi or leaving Mississippi.
- If you’re here, how often do you think about leaving? If you left, how often do you think about coming back?
- Do you believe the state of Mississippi’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
- What problems do state of Mississippi leaders need to address for a better future?
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Why do you live in Mississippi? If you left, why?
“I grew up and went to school in MS. I am leaving this fall for law school. The law schools here are not the best, and the environment for young professionals is also not the best. The work force here seems unwelcoming to young people who want to do good for MS.”
“I have no reason to leave yet. I love my job and community. My most valued friends and family still live here and I think I really am and can continue to make a name for myself here in Mississippi.”
“I have deep roots in Mississippi and I decided to stay. I get the advantage of being connected to my roots (but it comes at the cost of not living in a cool place like Austin, Nashville, etc.)”
“I’m leaving this summer for better pay and better quality of life.”
“No other feasible option. I will leave at the first opportunity.”
“I left Mississippi for 11 years – right out of college – for more opportunities. I didn’t think I could grow my career here like I wanted. I also wanted to experience living in cities with more diversity in terms of race, religion, and political thought. I recently moved back with my family six months ago to be closer to family, because a job opportunity worked out, and for the lower cost of living.”
Briefly tell us what factors you consider most important as you think about staying in Mississippi or leaving Mississippi.
“We want to stay for our family, we love our jobs, and our closest friends are here. However we ultimately want to leave for a better education for our daughter and more in line with our political and social beliefs.”
“My husband and I are advocates for creating a stronger ms. Mississippi needs brilliant creative people.”
“Job opportunities. Unfortunately, in my profession it is difficult to find work in Mississippi that pays well. The national average is between $80-$100 grand a year. Here I make just over $42 a year.”
“I say again: The diversity and heritage are things to enjoy and grow in, not change to be like every where else. Second I think politically if any state where going to grow and show democrats and republicans getting along and making bipartisan efforts- it’s Mississippi.”
“Wages. The wages are extremely low. So low that the low cost of living still isn’t affordable. I also don’t feel like I have a political voice because of the way our districts are overwhelmingly controlled by one party. The State’s swiftness in cutting public services like the health department and education is alarming. Their unwillingness is participate in Medicaid expansion is also frustrating. It feels like we are decades behind.”
If you’re here, how often do you think about leaving? If you left, how often do you think about coming back?
“Often. My family is based there, but Mississippi makes it hard for my return to be a reality.”
“I entertain the idea of living in a more exciting city, but never seriously consider it.”
“I think about leaving all the time. It’s a beautiful state with amazing people. But there are no opportunities here.”
“I thought about every single day of my life as far back as I can remember. I always felt out of place in Laurel and the entire state.”
“Years ago, I left for more enlightened surroundings, but came back often to visit family.”
“I didn’t seriously consider moving back for the first 10 years I was gone.”
Do you believe the state of Mississippi’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
“Absolutely not. Why would young people, especially those starting a family, move here, knowing that the state doesn’t prioritize education, lacks good, affordable healthcare for all of its citizens, lacks access to artistic programming and training, has a pathetic track record with civil rights issues, still is littered with Confederate monuments, clings to outdated ideas of the past instead of looking to the future, openly ignores the separation of church and state, has a large percentage of its population who are disenfranchised because of their race, religion, gender, sexuality and economic status, with little opportunity or hope for change. I left at 17 for these reasons nearly 35 years ago and things seem much the same as they were then.”
“No. The state’s leadership keeps doing things that cause young people to leave and then complains that they left. It is the definition of insanity.”
“Not really. But it’s hard to compete with Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, etc.”
“They haven’t done enough, but I believe they’ve put in effort. The numbers just need to start showing that it’s worth it to stay.”
“No. Mississippi directs its attraction and retention efforts towards young people who are already affluent. Mississippi needs to put forth a greater effort in funding things like infrastructure, education, and healthcare that would benefit everyone.”
“Absolutely not. Mississippi isn’t attractive to young folks from outside of the state because of the lack of infrastructure and the political posturing that feeds into “culture wars”. Young people want jobs, clean water, reliable infrastructure and interesting things to do. They want the ability to send their kids to good public schools in the fun neighborhoods where interesting things are happening, if they choose to have a family.”
What problems do state of Mississippi leaders need to address for a better future?
“Listen to the people. The majority and minority. Everyone has a voice, and oftentimes it seems as though decisions are being made based on assumptions without true understanding. Consult staff members and experts in fields. Be willing to support science and and scientists and listen to them. Put forth legislation and support for legislation on bills that support the people and the planet.”
“Focus on education and infrastructure will retain people. Young folx who are about to have families want the best for their children and that is not provided here”
“Not all of Mississippi is white, wealthy, and conservative. They need to stop with the performative Godliness and pay attention to what people in this state actually NEED. Safe water, reliable roads and bridges, access to health care, and better paying jobs. Oh and FULLY FUNDED PUBLIC EDUCATION.”
“Again, main reason young people leave the state is either better career prospects or not feeling welcome (due to race, religion, etc.). Address those two issues as best as they can.”
“Stop focusing on the older generations and older ideas and give newer generations a voice. We cannot improve if we aren’t even trying. The best thing we can do for this state is improve our education system and funding for schools. A better educated generation is an investment into the future of the entire state.”
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We asked readers about the city of Jackson’s role in Mississippi’s future. Here’s what they said.
In April, we launched the first stage of NextGen Mississippi, our new reporting project focused on young Mississippians. We published a survey asking people of all experiences to tell us about the internal question many Mississippians ask themselves: “Should I stay in Mississippi, or should I leave?” This survey has already garnered more than 600 responses from a wide range of ages, occupations, locations and perspectives.
Scroll to view some select responses, or click a question below to skip ahead.
- Do you believe that the city of Jackson must thrive for Mississippi to thrive? Please explain your answer either way.
- How important to you is the city of Jackson’s success?
- What do you desire or need more of in Jackson? In Mississippi?
- Do you believe the city of Jackson’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
- What problems do city of Jackson leaders need to address for a better future?
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Do you believe that the city of Jackson must thrive for Mississippi to thrive? Please explain your answer either way.
“Yes. It’s the heart of the state. And it’s doing an awful job of it. Every time I think that Jackson is about to take a step forward, something falls through and it takes three steps backwards. We will never grow if the status quo is acceptable.”
“Yes, but too much of the power center and money in Jackson has shifted to the suburbs (e.g. Cspire in Ridgeland, Trustmark Park/Bass Pro in Pearl) and the downtown area has been neglected (no grocery stores, gas stations, parking). The momentum is pulling away from Jackson too fiercely to see a shift back in my lifetime.”
“Absolutely. If your capital city is a disaster how can you expect other cities in your state to thrive and be successful. You can’t even get your pinnacle city structured and working properly. There is no decent leadership model in the main place for other cities to borrow ideas from.”
“Yes, Jackson is our capital and it’s a representation of our state. It must be successful and have lower crime in order for Mississippi to grow it’s population, keep people here, and progress this state.”
“I don’t think it “must”, but it certainly should. We ought to be proud of Jackson when visiting. We ought to take pride in our capital city. It’s a great place to start this work and would motivate many other communities.”
“Not necessarily. Our smalls towns have a ton of unique charm that brings in tourism. But in most states, when the big cities offer opportunities, people will move, and putting down roots will make the smaller communities grow too. It’s a domino effect, and having one nice city benefits the whole state.”
How important to you is the city of Jackson’s success?
“Very. I have found ways to love it and see the endless potential it has, but it is miserable to live in.”
“Less every day.”
“Jackson, as the state capitol, should be successful if Mississippi is to be successful, but the rest of the state shouldn’t have to wait on Jackson to improve before they can improve themselves.”
“Very, I hope to see Jackson become the city I know it can be. It is my hometown and I feel bad for leaving it, but I know the state government will do everything in their power to crush Jackson and I do not want to be apart of that environment.”
“Yes because why would the capital of a city not be the biggest, best with extreme resources entertainment opportunities etc”
“Personally, as former resident of Petal, it’s not the top priority; but as the largest metropolitan center in the state, the state’s Blackest urban area, and a major hub of culture and politics, it’s success is essential for us all moving forward.”
What do you desire or need more of in Jackson? In Mississippi?
“More of an investment in the city proper — not Madison or Rankin — to transform the city into a vibrant, bustling representation of Mississippi’s growth and future.”
“Jackson needs a serious PR campaign, and probably more government funding for social programs, and maybe some tax breaks for REAL small businesses and start-ups.”
“We need to encourage businesses to come in and provide incentives, not reasons for them not with out-dated regulations and new, religiously motivated bans that prevent the state from moving forward.”
“In Jackson, physical infrastructure has to be vastly improved. In Mississippi, I would love to see more rehabilitated downtown areas, in both urban and rural areas. In Jackson, it’s disappointing that Farish Street is so empty. In the rest of Mississippi, it’s disappointing that many historic downtowns in small towns are vacant. I am heartened by the efforts of communities like Water Valley and Laurel.”
“Jackson needs infrastructure improvements and better educational opportunities possibly more than any city in America. The elementary schools are decent, but JPS middle schools are consistently underperforming, which is driving young families out of the city in droves. The roads and water system are a complete joke. Mississippi just needs competent leadership – folks who are more interested in moving the state forward by any means possible rather than thumbing their nose at no-brainer solutions to problems that have existed for a decade or more in order to appease rural voters in DeSoto and Harrison Counties.”
Do you believe the city of Jackson’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
“No, but they need funding.”
“No. While I acknowledge there are more pressing issues such as water and wastewater infrastructure, I believe city governments can walk and chew gum at the same time. If there’s been a campaign to attract youth since I’ve left, i have not seen it.”
“Jackson is trying, but it can only do as much as the state will support.”
“No. Look at southern cities like Little Rock, Huntsville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Knoxville, Memphis, etc. All are doing tremendously well in proving more jobs opportunities, affordable housing, and access to great amenities in walking distance of neighborhoods like restaurants, entertainment, parks, etc.”
“No, the majority of my friends from college have taken the path I have taken. We tried to work in MS and eventually left for better opportunities.”
“I think they’re trying, I don’t think it’s been enough. I know there are a lot of obstacles I don’t understand. But I want them to do more.”
What problems do city of Jackson leaders need to address for a better future?
“The basic needs of its citizens. Water, roads, culture, progress.”
“Infrastructure—why would businesses invest when they can’t trust their water is drinkable, their customers can easily get to their establishments on decent roads, have safe parking, can trust the JPD, etc.”
“Infrastructure and safety. The implementation of funding and programs for both road projects (to be done right so they don’t have to happen again and again) and police training/restructuring funding/developing community programs to reduce the crime rate are all things that should have started years ago.”
“Everything. Water and roads to start.”
“We have to focus on improving roads and water systems in all neighborhoods and not just the affluent ones. Our Jackson Public School system has got to improve. How can children be expected to learn and thrive if the schools don’t have decent bathrooms or equipped classrooms?”
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Map: Population change by Mississippi county since 2010
Mississippi saw its first population decrease in 60 years, according to preliminary 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data released last month.
The data reported Mississippi’s resident population as 2,961,279 million people, marking a decrease of 6,018 since 2010. This is only the third time a population decrease in Mississippi has been recorded. The first was a decrease of 6,496 recorded in 1920, and the second was a decline of 773 recorded in 1960.
Mississippi was one of only three states to see a population decline in the 2020 census, though its decline was the smallest among them. Illinois’ population decreased by 18,124 and the state lost one of its 18 congressional seats as a result. West Virginia saw the greatest population decline, losing 59,278 residents.
The map below shows population changes by Mississippi county between 2010 and 2020, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Population Estimates Program. More detailed 2020 Census county-by-county data will be released later this year. Hover over counties to see the population change.
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State leaders won’t acknowledge that young people are leaving Mississippi in droves
Emma McRae, a 20-year-old native of Tishomingo, left Mississippi to attend college in Dallas, Texas.
“I needed more growth to go to other colleges than the colleges down the road,” McRae said. “Dallas is an incredible city, and it has incredible opportunities for young people. I just needed to be in a place where my viewpoints would be accepted.”
Kevin Malphurs, a 38-year-old native of Jackson, left Mississippi to find work in Columbus, Ohio.
“We picked Columbus because there are a lot of jobs and major companies there,” Malphurs said. “There are no Fortune 500 companies in Mississippi. If you want to do financial analysis for a Fortune 500 company, then that type of job doesn’t exist in Mississippi, unfortunately.”
Erin Runnels, a 37-year-old native of Laurel, left Mississippi to find better culture and opportunities in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I just felt like I needed more culture. It’s not that Mississippi doesn’t have culture, but the culture is very homogenous,” Runnels said. “In Kansas City, there’s more people like me here, and there’s more opportunities here.”
Every Mississippian knows the problem: Young people, in search of high-quality education, high-paying jobs or more fulfilling lifestyles, have left Mississippi in droves in recent years.
Thanks to newly released data, Mississippians can now better understand the full scope of the problem: In late April, the U.S. Census Bureau released preliminary 10-year data showing that Mississippi was one of just three U.S. states to lose population over the past 10 years. Only twice before had Mississippi lost residents in a 10-year span: 1920 and 1960.
But since the data was released, nearly all of the state’s most powerful elected officials — the ones responsible for setting agendas and passing policies — have failed to even acknowledge the problem, let alone offer up solutions.
Mississippi Today tried multiple times to get comment about the population decline from the state’s top three policymakers: Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. Hosemann was the only one to respond.
“Traveling out in the state and talking with citizens, the issues which matter to Mississippians are apparent: good schools, affordable healthcare, secure infrastructure, and jobs and opportunities for our children and grandchildren,” Hosemann said in a statement. “These are the issues we must focus on in Mississippi to keep our young people here and attract new residents to the state.”
READ MORE: Young people are running from Mississippi. We’re digging into it.
Young Mississippians have long been underrepresented in the state’s political system. Of the eight current statewide elected officials, just one is a millennial or younger: State Auditor Shad White, who is 35. A 2019 analysis showed the median age of the state’s 174 lawmakers was 56, about 18 years older than the state median.
The only recent inkling of an organized policy effort came in 2017, when seven of 174 lawmakers under the age of 40 created the Mississippi Future Caucus. That group has not been active in several years, and at least three of the members are no longer in the Legislature (Roun McNeal, who lost his 2019 reelection bid; Robert Foster, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2019; and Toby Barker, who is now the mayor of Hattiesburg).
Rep. Trey Lamar, the Senatobia Republican who is among the most powerful lawmakers, notably worked to pass a tax credit bill in 2018 aimed at helping keep young people home. The bill passed the House but died in the Senate without consideration.
Some advocates in Mississippi have held a long-standing theory about why state leaders won’t acknowledge the problem: because their own core agendas haven’t been popular or effective enough to attract or retain young people.
“Mississippi’s leaders don’t need to come up with shiny new ideas to stop the brain drain, because the solutions are embedded in the issues that are already front and center: education, healthcare and infrastructure,” said Jake McGraw, the public policy director at the William Winter Institute who has for years compiled data about and studied the effects of the state’s outmigration.
McGraw continued: “We can keep teachers in Mississippi by paying them a competitive salary, keep doctors and nurses by expanding Medicaid and preserving rural hospitals, and keep engineers and contractors by fixing our roads and water systems.”
Mississippi Today, after receiving hundreds of survey responses from young Mississippians since the Census statistics were released last month, reached out to the three respondents quoted at the top of this article who left the state and started their lives elsewhere.
McRae acknowledged pride in “certain components of how she’s been raised,” but she said that even in parts of its neighboring state like Texas, negative associations about Mississippi still surface and “a greater mode of accountability and listening from the state” could debunk common stereotypes and curtail a fleeing young population.
Malphurs, though he left for a bigger market in financial analysis, expressed both care and hope for Mississippi when explaining that the state is “always so close to change.”
Runnels, after experiencing verbal harassment for her beliefs that differed from those she grew up around, said that Mississippi needs a safer, healthier environment for differing viewpoints where “people can talk about what’s important to them.”
While their individual reasons for leaving varied, a common thread linked their answers: Mississippi’s state leadership and political landscape has created an ideological impasse between older and younger Mississippians.
“Ignoring the problem only makes it worse, because each person Mississippi loses leaves a little bit less behind for those of us who remain,” McGraw said.
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State, Ole Miss split C Spire Awards
Mississippi State and Ole Miss split the C Spire Outstanding Player Awards announced Monday in a virtual awards program co-sponsored by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and C Spire.
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic changed so much about how college sports were played in Mississippi this past school year, it totally changed the way the C Spire awards were presented. Instead of well-attended awards banquets at the end of each season, all the awards were presented at once in a virtual program hosted by CBS television pro football analyst Charles Davis.
The winners:
Boo Ferriss Trophy: Mississippi State’s Tanner Allen, one of the nation’s leading hitters, won over Ole Miss pitching ace Doug Nikhazy, the other finalist. Allen has hit .411 in Southeastern Conference play and .387 overall and ranks in the SEC top 10 in average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, runs batted in and hits. Allen is a finalist for the Dick Howser award as national player of the year. Other Ferriss semifinalists included Mississippi State closer Landon Sims, Ole Miss pitcher Gunnar Hoglund and Ole Miss outfielder Kevin Graham.
Charles Conerly Trophy: Ole Miss record-breaking wide receiver Elijah Moore won over finalist Emmanuel Forbes, a defensive back from Mississippi State, who led the SEC in interceptions. Moore caught 86 passes for 1,193 yards and recently was a second round draft choice of the New York Jets. Other nominees included Southern Miss offensive lineman Arvin Fletcher, Jackson State wide receiver Daylen Baldwin, Mississippi Valley State defensive end-linebacker Jerry Garner, Belhaven running back Brad Foley, Millsaps defensive back Christian Roberts, and Mississippi College running back Cole Fagan.
Bailey Howell Trophy: Ole Miss guard Devontae Shuler won over finalists Tristan Jarrett of Jackson State D. J. Stewart of Mississippi State. Shuler, a first team All-SEC selection, led the Rebels with a 15.3 points per game average and also led the team in assists and steals. He becomes Ole Miss’s sixth Howell Trophy winner over the past nine seasons.
Peggie Gillom Trophy: Ole Miss’s Shakira Austin won over a pair of Jackson State finalists, Dayzsha Rogan and Ameshya Williams. Austin, a Maryland transfer, averaged 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, shooting 52 percent from the field. She breaks a six-year run of Mississippi State players winning the Gillom.
In addition to the C Spire awards, Ole Miss’s versatile senior offensive lineman Royce Newman won the Entergy Kent Hull Trophy as the state’s most outstanding offensive lineman. Newman, who played both guard and tackle for the Rebels, was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Green Pay Packers.
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Mississippi Today announces summer internships
Mississippi Today is pleased to announce Julia James and Richard Lake as 2021 Summer Interns.
Julia James will be serving as Investigative Reporting Intern, working closely with Mississippi Today’s poverty and investigative reporter Anna Wolfe. James is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi, where she studied journalism and public policy. She has been published in The New York Times, Mississippi Today, and the Clarion-Ledger. James is from Mandeville, Louisiana.
“Since moving to Mississippi, I have always been inspired by the careful and comprehensive reporting produced by the Mississippi Today newsroom,” said James. “I am excited to be able to learn from and participate in that process. I am also excited specifically to strengthen my investigative reporting skills and to have the opportunity to take the lead on larger reporting projects.”
In 2020, James interned with the Mississippi Center for Justice. From 2018-2019, James interned with the Prison-to-College Pipeline Program, teaching college classes to incarcerated persons in correctional facilities in Mississippi. During that time, she interviewed more than 30 students about their experiences in the program and created a website and newsletter for the student’s writing projects.
“Julia will be pulling records, gathering data and conducting shoe-leather reporting for stories impacting some of the state’s most vulnerable students and workers,” said Wolfe. “I can’t wait to see what she uncovers.”
Mississippi State University rising senior Richard Lake will be serving as Audience Engagement Intern as part of his year-two placement in the Mississippi Today + NBC News Internship program. During the summer of 2019, Lake served as an intern with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. This summer, he will work with the Mississippi Today audience team and focus on helping reach younger and more diverse audiences. Lake is the host of the Undecided podcast, an exploration of all things sports, politics, pop culture and music.
“Being able to intern at a newsroom that focuses on transparency, integrity, and most importantly accuracy is what is most important to me,” said Lake. “I was drawn to Mississippi Today for the opportunity to continue to accurately represent this state, and its population.”
The Mississippi Today Audience Team serves as a bridge between the editorial and business sides of the newsroom, managing a range of projects from social media, newsletters and web presentation, to community listening, engagement reporting and reader loyalty.
“The Audience Team has some exciting projects in the works, many of which are focused on reaching younger, more diverse readers,” said Hambuchen. “Richard brings a fresh perspective to this work and we’re excited to collaborate with him on a variety of things such as our new video series, podcast projects, social media initiatives and more.”
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Down-home blues and baseball, Pontotoc’s Terry Bean could do it all
PONTOTOC – Sixty-year-old Terry “Harmonica” Bean is known around the world – and especially in Europe – for his down-home Mississippi blues music. In his hometown of Pontotoc, they know he plays the blues, but he is much more famous and beloved for his once-remarkable baseball skills.
Terry Bean, you say? His baseball feats in this small, hill country town are legendary.
“Oh yeah, Terry pitched both right-handed and left-handed, and that rascal was unhittable from either side,” says Bean’s former Pontotoc coach Tommy Wood. “I’ve always believed, had he stayed healthy, he would have pitched in the Major Leagues. He was that talented, that good. And he could hit the ball a country mile.”
Wood points to a building high on a steep hill, at least 40 steps behind the “345 feet” sign on the right field fence at the Pontotoc baseball field known as The Hollow.
“Terry once hit one off that house,” Wood says. “Not many human beings can do that. He did it back in 1980.”
Ah, the spring of 1980, 41 years ago, when Terry Bean and teammate Nikki White pitched and helped hit Pontotoc to its first-ever state championship. When Nikki pitched, Terry played first base. When Terry pitched, Nikki played first base. Nikki had the only first baseman’s mitt, and he was left-handed. So Terry played first base left-handed. He hit left-handed, too.
White remembers a game against Mooreville that season.
“Terry was pitching and I was playing first,” White says. “Their leadoff hitter blooped one just out of my reach, barely in the outfield grass, for a cheap hit to start the game. Well, you could tell it made Terry angry. So he just proceeded to strike out the next 23 batters. Twenty-three straight! They couldn’t touch him. We won 1-0 in eight innings. That was the only hit they got.”
Wood keeps well-preserved newspaper clippings to authenticate the legend of Terry Bean, clippings from the Pontotoc Progress and Tupelo Journal. Photos show Bean pitching both right-handed and left-handed and document him throwing no-hitters and one-hitters and slugging grand slam home runs.
Wood remembers that no matter whether Bean pitched right-handed or left-handed, he used his right-hander’s glove. “He threw a lot harder right-handed, probably in the low 90s,” Wood says. “Left-handed, he was probably mid-80s but he had a lot more movement on the ball from the left side. He mainly pitched right-handed for us. I remember one time we were playing Okolona and had a big district game coming up, so he pitched right-handed for three innings and then left-handed for the next four. Didn’t matter; they couldn’t hit him either way.”
Pontotoc finished 26-4. Bean’s pitching record was 9-1 and he averaged more than two strikeouts per inning.
Wood first heard of Bean when Bean, as a young teen, was pitching for a semi-pro team, the Algoma Sluggers of the nearby Algoma community. “People were telling me about this little, skinny boy who threw from either side and was striking out grown-up men in a pretty good semi-pro league,” Wood says. “When Terry got to the tenth grade, I found him in the hallway and told him he needed to come play for us on the high school team, and thankfully he did.”
So, it’s about time we hear from the blues and baseball man himself, Terry Bean, and you should know on the front end that you will not meet a more upbeat, ebullient human being. Even when he talks about hardship, he says it with a smile. At 60, he retains an athletic build and looks like he could still go a few innings.
“I was born in 1961, and I never knew my mama until I was 12,” Bean says. “She left when I was a baby, and my daddy, Eddie Bean, raised me by himself. I didn’t meet my mama until I was 12 and she came back for the funeral of one of my brothers.”
That would be one of his 18 brothers. He also has six sisters. There are 24 Bean siblings in all. Terry Bean says he has 14 full siblings and 10 more by either his father or mother.
“My daddy was a full-time blues player,” Terry Bean says. “He played guitar and sang. He was also a big gambler. When I was little, he was always taking me to juke joints where he played. Back then, people brought their families to the jukes. My daddy, sometimes he’d gamble until he lost all his money, then go back out and play some more blues to make some money so he could go back and roll the dice. My daddy was a man of many talents…”
Terry pauses, as if to make his point, and then continues with a smile, “And he made a lot of children, too.”
Sometimes, Eddie Bean would bring his son up on stage with him and Terry would play along. “I remember,” Terry says, smiling, “the first time somebody tipped me a whole dollar. Thought I was rich.”
So you, as I did, might wonder: When did the baseball come in?
“I used to play ball by myself,” Terry says. “I’d throw the ball off this old smokehouse building behind the house. It had a hole in the wall and sometimes I’d try to throw it through the hole. It had to be just right to get through that hole, but I kept throwing until I could get it through that hole.”
And then, when he became bored, he started throwing it with his left arm.
“There was this one spot on that old smokehouse that was hard enough that when you hit it, the ball would come right back to you,” Terry says. “That’s how I learned to field. The harder I threw it, the harder it would come back. But Daddy got mad when I started knocking some of the planks off.”
Terry built the house where he lives on the same site where his daddy once lived. In the yard are several older pickup trucks, riding lawn mowers and a van. A self-taught mechanic, he works on those and says he can fix the older models when nobody else can. Behind his house is a one-room cottage that Terry built to store some of his things.
“You want to see it?” he says, and then searches for the right key on his ring, trying two or three before one works.
Terry opens the door and says, “My life is in this place.”
Turns out, it is a one-room museum with posters of events he has played all over the world, a drum set, photos of him pitching both left-handed and right-handed, baseball trophies, at least 20 harmonicas, souvenir baseballs of no-hitters he threw, photos of the many blues icons he has played with and a big poster of one of his heroes, Muhammad Ali.
He shows visitors posters from festivals he has played all over Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. He shows us photos from when he played at the Great Pyramids in Egypt.
The pandemic has curtailed his globe-trotting for the last 14 months, so he has had to make his money locally. He does blues gigs around the state. He works some shifts at a lumber factory. He mows yards. He stays busy while he waits for the world to open back up.
Where, he is asked, does he like best of all the world-trotting music gigs?
Bean flashes that big grin of his, “I am always most happy when I get back home.”
So, you ask, what happened to Terry Bean’s baseball career? The answer: lots. Before the state championship series, his senior season, Bean was riding on the back of a motorcycle with a cousin. The cycle skidded and crashed, Bean flew off and landed on his head. He suffered a bad concussion and apparently more.
He played – but could not pitch much – in the championship series. Says Nikki White, his teammate, “The California Angels had shown a lot of interest. We were sure they were going to draft him, but they backed off after the motorcycle accident.”
Bean suffered excruciating headaches for the next few months. Finally, on the advice of a friend, he went to see a chiropractor who told him he had suffered a pinched nerve in his neck and that he could fix it.
“He did and I never had another one of those headaches,” Terry says. “It was like magic.”
He pitched one season at Northwest Community College in Senatobia, where he compiled a 6-0 record for legendary Northwest coach Jim Miles, for whom the NWCC baseball stadium is named.
“Terry was phenomenal,” says Miles. “He threw hard and he threw strikes, and he had a curveball that just sort of fell off the table. And what a great guy he was, always so positive. He came from a poor background and I used to loan him five dollars for gas every time he had to go back home, which was most every Friday. On Monday morning, he’d come back by my office and try to hand me a five-dollar bill. I never had another player do that.”
Bean once again caught the interest of Major League scouts before he suffered a bad knee injury in a fall scrimmage against Ole Miss later in 1981. That ended his playing days at Northwest and the interest of the professional scouts for the time being.
A few years later, when Bean was back pitching semi-pro ball – throwing shutouts and striking out everybody in sight – people kept telling him he should be pitching professionally. He headed to Greenville for a Major League tryout camp. He never got there. He was headed west. A car heading east swerved into his lane. He jerked the steering wheel, swerved right off the road, flipped three times and suffered injuries that ended his baseball playing days.
So, if you are keeping score: Head and neck injuries from a motorcycle wreck were strike one. A mangled knee from an off-season baseball injury was strike two. The horrific car accident was strike three. As far as baseball was concerned, Terry Bean was out.
But he always remembers what his daddy told him once when they were discussing his career choices: baseball or music. Says Bean, “Daddy looked at me right in the eyes and he said, ‘You can play ball and you can play the blues. But just remember, in the long run, the blues will do something for you. The blues can take you somewhere.’”
If anybody has a story that would make one sing the blues, Terry Bean surely does. “To this day, I miss playing,” Bean says. “I miss ball, I miss competing, but, really, I don’t let it bother me. The blues have taken me all over the world. Yeah, I miss ball but I have my music.”
Noted blues historian Scott Barretta, writer and researcher for the Mississippi Blues Trail, calls Bean a friend and a man “who has certainly made his mark” among the many Mississippi blues legends. Barrett has traveled with Bean to Italy and to the Chicago Blues Festival and says he admires how “Terry has forged his musical career doing it his way.”
“Terry doesn’t have a manager or an agent and never has,” Barretta says. “He’s his own man. He does things his way. He doesn’t have to reach out to festivals or venues. They reach out to him. They find him.
“Terry doesn’t drink or smoke, he’s never done drugs,” Barretta says. “He’s incredibly entrepreneurial. Anything he produces, record-wise, he’s gonna sell it. He doesn’t travel with his own band, and he doesn’t mind playing gigs with pick-up bands, but they are going to do it his way. Terry’s like Chuck Berry in that way. He just shows up, on time, and plays.”
An interviewer asks Bean: Couldn’t you make more money and wouldn’t it make it easier for you if you had an agent?
“That’s what people tell me,” Bean responds. “But I am my own man. I like to be me. I do it my way. Several agents have talked to me but I like to make decisions for myself. I want to be in control of what I do. Sometimes, I’ll make 10 or 20 thousand dollars on a gig overseas and somebody’ll say, well, that’s not really that much money. You could make a lot of money if you got an agent. Well, that’s a lot of money for me.
“Maybe I’m not rich, but I am rich in spirit,” he says. “I am happy being me.”
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