Jerry Mitchell
@jmitchellnews.bsky.social
Leading investigative reporting team at Mississippi Today. Stories helped put 4 KKK members & serial killer behind bars. Author, Race Against Time.
Happy Birthday, Zora Neale Hurston, who was born in Alabama #OnThisDay in 1891. Wrote “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” a seminal work in African-American literature & female literature.
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January 7, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Happy Birthday, Zora Neale Hurston, who was born in Alabama #OnThisDay in 1891. Wrote “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” a seminal work in African-American literature & female literature.
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#OnThisDay in 2021, Amanda Gorman was writing her Inauguration poem when she saw the Capitol attacked. "We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it ... there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it ... be it."
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2021: Poet Amanda Gorman adds lines about insurrection - Mississippi Today
On this day in 2021, Amanda Gorman wrote new lines in her inauguration poem after witnessing the insurrectionion at the U.S. Capitol.
mississippitoday.org
January 6, 2026 at 1:41 PM
#OnThisDay in 2021, Amanda Gorman was writing her Inauguration poem when she saw the Capitol attacked. "We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it ... there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it ... be it."
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#OnThisDay in 1939, news broke that Pauli Murray had applied to a Ph.D. program at UNC, sparking white outrage across the state. In 1942, she helped form the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1977, she became the first Black woman to serve as an Episcopal priest.
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1939: Pauli Murray applies to UNC - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1939, Pauli Murray applied to a University of North Carolina doctoral program, sparking white outrage across the state.
mississippitoday.org
January 5, 2026 at 12:47 PM
#OnThisDay in 1939, news broke that Pauli Murray had applied to a Ph.D. program at UNC, sparking white outrage across the state. In 1942, she helped form the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1977, she became the first Black woman to serve as an Episcopal priest.
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#OnThisDay in 1965, 5 busloads of Black Mississippians challenged the seating of Mississippi’s all-white congressional delegation. 149 members of Congress sided with them. “That vote just really turned things upside down,” said SNCC leader Victoria Gray.
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1965: MFDP challenges congressional delegation - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1965, five busloads of Black Mississippians arrived at the U.S. Capitol to challenge the seating of Mississippi’s all-white congressional delegation.
mississippitoday.org
January 4, 2026 at 9:18 PM
#OnThisDay in 1965, 5 busloads of Black Mississippians challenged the seating of Mississippi’s all-white congressional delegation. 149 members of Congress sided with them. “That vote just really turned things upside down,” said SNCC leader Victoria Gray.
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#OnThisDay in 1933, civil rights pioneer Dr. Aaron Shirley was born in Gluckstadt, Mississippi. He became the first Black pediatrician in the state. His pioneering approach to helping the impoverished with their medical needs won him a MacArthur “genius” grant.
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On this day in 1933, Dr. Aaron Shirley was born in Gluckstadt, Mississippi - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1933, medical and civil rights pioneer Dr. Aaron Shirley was born in Gluckstadt, Mississippi.
mississippitoday.org
January 3, 2026 at 1:38 PM
#OnThisDay in 1933, civil rights pioneer Dr. Aaron Shirley was born in Gluckstadt, Mississippi. He became the first Black pediatrician in the state. His pioneering approach to helping the impoverished with their medical needs won him a MacArthur “genius” grant.
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#OnThisDay in 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt shut down Indianola MS post office to prevent a mob from pushing out Minnie Cox, a Black female postmaster they tried to kill. (Black postmasters were killed in SC & GA.) The Indianola Post Office now bears her name.
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January 2, 2026 at 1:15 PM
#OnThisDay in 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt shut down Indianola MS post office to prevent a mob from pushing out Minnie Cox, a Black female postmaster they tried to kill. (Black postmasters were killed in SC & GA.) The Indianola Post Office now bears her name.
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#OnThisDay in 1960, nearly 1,000 Black protesters marched 10 miles through the rain & sleet to the downtown airport in Greenville SC to protest its segregation policies and its mistreatment of Jackie Robinson. The walls of segregation soon fell at both airports.
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1960: Marchers protest Jackie Robinson's mistreatment at airport - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1960, nearly 1.000 Black protestors marched to a South Carolina, airport to protest Jackie Robinson's mistreatment.
mississippitoday.org
January 1, 2026 at 4:10 PM
#OnThisDay in 1960, nearly 1,000 Black protesters marched 10 miles through the rain & sleet to the downtown airport in Greenville SC to protest its segregation policies and its mistreatment of Jackie Robinson. The walls of segregation soon fell at both airports.
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Mafia hitman Gregory Scarpa Sr. shot to death so many people that he stopped counting at 50. Oh, and he helped the FBI solve who killed Mississippi NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. Mark Wahlberg portrays Scarpa in a fictional movie based on this, “By Any Means.”
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December 31, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Mafia hitman Gregory Scarpa Sr. shot to death so many people that he stopped counting at 50. Oh, and he helped the FBI solve who killed Mississippi NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. Mark Wahlberg portrays Scarpa in a fictional movie based on this, “By Any Means.”
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Between 1916 & 1970, 6M+ Black Americans migrated from the South, changing the landscape of the nation. Before “The Great Migration,” 90%+ lived in South & only 20% lived in urban areas. By 1970, 80%+ of Black Americans lived in cities.
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1970: 80% of Black Americans live in cities - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1970, 80% of Black Americans lived in cities as a result of the "Great Migration."
mississippitoday.org
December 31, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Between 1916 & 1970, 6M+ Black Americans migrated from the South, changing the landscape of the nation. Before “The Great Migration,” 90%+ lived in South & only 20% lived in urban areas. By 1970, 80%+ of Black Americans lived in cities.
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December 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
#OnThisDay in 1875, state senator Charles Caldwell was assassinated by a mob of white men in Clinton, Mississippi. He participated in writing the 1868 Constitutional Convention, which gave the vote, integrated public schools & legalized interracial marriages. mississippitoday.org/2024/12/30/o...
On this day in 1875, a white mob killed state Sen. Charles Caldwell - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1875, Mississippi state senator Charles Caldwell was assassinated by a mob of white men in Clinton, just west of the state’s capital in Jackson.
mississippitoday.org
December 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
#OnThisDay in 1875, state senator Charles Caldwell was assassinated by a mob of white men in Clinton, Mississippi. He participated in writing the 1868 Constitutional Convention, which gave the vote, integrated public schools & legalized interracial marriages. mississippitoday.org/2024/12/30/o...
#OnThisDay in 1865, abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison produced last issue of “The Liberator.” Worked w/ Underground Railroad & Harriet Tubman, whom he nicknamed “Moses.” A pro-slavery mob tried to lynch him but failed. Memorial now honors him in Boston.
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1865: William Lloyd Garrison produced last issue of 'The Liberator' - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1865, months after the end of the Civil War, abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison produced the last issue of “The Liberator.”
mississippitoday.org
December 29, 2025 at 1:14 PM
#OnThisDay in 1865, abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison produced last issue of “The Liberator.” Worked w/ Underground Railroad & Harriet Tubman, whom he nicknamed “Moses.” A pro-slavery mob tried to lynch him but failed. Memorial now honors him in Boston.
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#OnThisDay in 1954, 2-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He won Best Supporting Actor for the 1989 film Glory and Best Actor for the 2001 film Training Day. In 2022, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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December 28, 2025 at 12:44 PM
#OnThisDay in 1954, 2-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He won Best Supporting Actor for the 1989 film Glory and Best Actor for the 2001 film Training Day. In 2022, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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#OnThisDay in 1919, Black WWI veteran Powell Green, 23, was lynched by a mob of white men near Franklinton NC. He never got a chance to defend himself in court. No one was ever prosecuted for his killing, one of at least 80 lynchings that took place in 1919.
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1919: Mob lynches Powell Green - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1919, Black World War I veteran Powell Green was lynched by a mob of white men near Franklinton, North Carolina.
mississippitoday.org
December 27, 2025 at 2:09 PM
#OnThisDay in 1919, Black WWI veteran Powell Green, 23, was lynched by a mob of white men near Franklinton NC. He never got a chance to defend himself in court. No one was ever prosecuted for his killing, one of at least 80 lynchings that took place in 1919.
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#OnThisDay in 1908, pro boxing pioneer Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns, becoming the 1st Black heavyweight boxing champion. Two years later, he successfully defended his title in the “Battle of the Century.”
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December 26, 2025 at 2:56 PM
#OnThisDay in 1908, pro boxing pioneer Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns, becoming the 1st Black heavyweight boxing champion. Two years later, he successfully defended his title in the “Battle of the Century.”
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#OnThisDay in 1957, Fred Shuttlesworth survived the KKK bombing that took out his home next to the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. The city’s airport bears his name. The Bethel church, which was bombed three times, is now a historic landmark.
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December 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
#OnThisDay in 1957, Fred Shuttlesworth survived the KKK bombing that took out his home next to the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. The city’s airport bears his name. The Bethel church, which was bombed three times, is now a historic landmark.
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Christian Dedmon, imprisoned in the “Goon Squad” case, talked about the fraternity he found in law enforcement & his descent into cruelty. “I see Michael Jenkins bleeding in my sleep sometimes. It is a nightmare I will spend the rest of my life paying for.”
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Goon Squad: ‘The Devil Come to Me’ - Mississippi Today
Christian Dedmon found a brotherhood in law enforcement, but inside the Rankin County Sheriff's Department "Goon Squad," the deputy descended into cruel judge and jury.
mississippitoday.org
December 23, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Christian Dedmon, imprisoned in the “Goon Squad” case, talked about the fraternity he found in law enforcement & his descent into cruelty. “I see Michael Jenkins bleeding in my sleep sometimes. It is a nightmare I will spend the rest of my life paying for.”
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#OnThisDay in 1946, University of Tennessee refused to play a basketball game with Duquesne University, because they had a Black player, Chuck Cooper. He became the first Black player ever drafted in the NBA — drafted by the Boston Celtics. In 2019, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
December 23, 2025 at 1:21 PM
#OnThisDay in 1946, University of Tennessee refused to play a basketball game with Duquesne University, because they had a Black player, Chuck Cooper. He became the first Black player ever drafted in the NBA — drafted by the Boston Celtics. In 2019, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
#OnThisDay in 1997, the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the conviction of white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith for the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers. The conviction helped clear the way for other prosecutions of unpunished killings from the Civil Rights Era.
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1997: Byron De La Beckwith's conviction was upheld - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1997, the state Supreme Court upheld Byron De La Beckwith's conviction for the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers.
mississippitoday.org
December 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
#OnThisDay in 1997, the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the conviction of white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith for the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers. The conviction helped clear the way for other prosecutions of unpunished killings from the Civil Rights Era.
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#OnThisDay in 1911, Josh Gibson, Negro League’s “Home Run King,” was born in Buena Vista GA. He was such a talented catcher players were reluctant to steal. Hall of Fame estimates he hit nearly 800 homers & had a lifetime batting average of .359.
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December 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
#OnThisDay in 1911, Josh Gibson, Negro League’s “Home Run King,” was born in Buena Vista GA. He was such a talented catcher players were reluctant to steal. Hall of Fame estimates he hit nearly 800 homers & had a lifetime batting average of .359.
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#OnThisDay in 1918, a white mob hung 4 African Americans on Mississippi’s “Hanging Bridge.” 24 years later, 2 Black teens were lynched on the bridge. The killers walked free, but the injustice helped fuel the “Double V” campaign led by Black newspapers.
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1918: White mob kills four at 'Hanging Bridge' - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1918, a white mob carried out a quadruple homicide at Mississippi’s “Hanging Bridge” — an incident so horrific it inspired a conference.
mississippitoday.org
December 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM
#OnThisDay in 1918, a white mob hung 4 African Americans on Mississippi’s “Hanging Bridge.” 24 years later, 2 Black teens were lynched on the bridge. The killers walked free, but the injustice helped fuel the “Double V” campaign led by Black newspapers.
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#OnThisDay in 1924, 3-time Emmy winner Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem. 1st Black actor to appear as a series regular on a prime-time dramatic TV series. 1st Black actress to win an Emmy. In 2018, she received an honorary Oscar at the age of 94.
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1924: Cicely Tyson is born in New York - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1924, three-time Emmy winner Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York.
mississippitoday.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:56 PM
#OnThisDay in 1924, 3-time Emmy winner Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem. 1st Black actor to appear as a series regular on a prime-time dramatic TV series. 1st Black actress to win an Emmy. In 2018, she received an honorary Oscar at the age of 94.
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#OnThisDay in 1917, actor Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell GA. In 1946, he landed lead role in Broadway play “Jeb.” He & his wife Ruby Dee appeared in “A Raisin the Sun” & joined civil rights movement. Became friends with #MLK. Davis delivered Malcolm X’s eulogy.
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1917: Actor Ossie Davis is born - Mississippi Today
On this day in 1917, actor, playwright and civil rights activist Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell, Georgia.
mississippitoday.org
December 18, 2025 at 12:43 PM
#OnThisDay in 1917, actor Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell GA. In 1946, he landed lead role in Broadway play “Jeb.” He & his wife Ruby Dee appeared in “A Raisin the Sun” & joined civil rights movement. Became friends with #MLK. Davis delivered Malcolm X’s eulogy.
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Thanks, Square Books! Very cool to be in the same section with Willie Morris.
December 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Thanks, Square Books! Very cool to be in the same section with Willie Morris.