A rose to the Golden Triangle delegation on the Mississippi Legislature for some common sense proposals. Deadline for submitting bills for consideration arrived last week. Our representatives and senators authored dozens of bills for consideration. Of those, several stand the chance of moving through the Legislature and becoming law. Among them an equal pay for women bill (Rep. Kabir Karriem), a law providing children age 6 or younger to have their sight tested upon attending school for the first time (Rep. Rob Roberson), a bill fixing a standard statewide policy of law enforcement body cameras (Sen. Angela-Turner Ford) and a law providing constitutional protection for the use of medical marijuana (Sen. Chuck Younger). There are many more bills authored by our legislators that are worthy of consideration, but we feel these bills, in particular, deserve consideration.
A rose to the memory of Wilson Ashford Sr. and Adelaide Jeannette Elliott, who became the seventh and eighth additions to Starkville’s Unity Park during a ceremony held on MLK Day. Ashford, a veteran and mechanic, and Elliott, a teacher, were in many respects ordinary people who made extraordinary contributions to civil rights in their community. Ashford helped black citizens register to vote after he returned from military service while Elliott helped organize the Oktibbeha County chapter of the NAACP. Attention is often rightly focused on those leaders who captured headlines and inspired the masses. But in Elliott and Ashford, we are reminded that you don’t have to be powerful or famous to play a role in the fight for equality. Now, visitors to United Park will be reminded of that truth and, perhaps, inspired to play their own role in making their community a better place.
A rose to all those who participated in Martin Luther King Jr. Day events around the Golden Triangle on Monday. From parades in West Point and Starkville, to service projects in Columbus and Starkville. In Columbus, the United Way of Lowndes County held school supplies drive at the Columbus Soccer Complex as its “Day of Giving” program while volunteers for Starkville’s “Day of Service” cleaned up the grounds of Oddfellows Cemetery. By making service projects a part of the holiday, organizers and volunteers paid tribute to the memory and legacy of King in a tangible way. We applaud all who made that effort.
A rose to Golden Triangle chapter of the Christian Women’s Job Corp organization for its efforts to help unemployed and under-employed women in Oktibbeha, Lowndes and Clay counties with free educational and life-skills training needed to secure and maintain jobs that pay a living wage. The CWJC is accepting applications for the twice-weekly classes, which begin on Feb. 5. Classes will help women improve their basic computer and work-place skills as well as life-skills that are important in obtaining and keeping jobs. It is open to women regardless of their faith. For more information on times, locations and curriculum, as well as information on applying for the classes, call coordinator Helen Ward at 662-722-3016.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.