Quite a few things have changed since the Jackson Free Press launched in September 2002. Here’s a list of some of them.
A Democrat was still governor (Gov. Ronnie Musgrove), and the Senate and House were ruled by two different parties.
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. was mayor.
George W. Bush was president, and it was politically incorrect to criticize him.
The U.S. was about to attack Iraq because a bunch of Saudis attacked the Pentagon and the World Trade Center the year before.
The King Edward Hotel was a burned-out husk. So was Iron Horse Grill.
Fondren Corner was the Wildlife and Fisheries building.
The Clarion-Ledger was much bigger and thicker.
People wore cargo pants un-ironically.
Local media sensationalized crime worse than they do now. (Seriously.)
Jackson State hadn’t finished its facelift, yet.
“Jackpot Justice” was a meme for limiting lawsuits.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers were Super Bowl champs.
We still had the James O. Eastland Federal Courthouse.
You could still have a drink with Cotton at the Edison-Walthall Hotel.
The old money still dined at Dennery’s.
Jackson hadn’t suffered both airport and JPS takeover efforts.
Everybody was worried about Generation X.
You could still smoke in every damn restaurant in town.
Older millennials were just old enough to drink.
No one had ever done a Best of Jackson contest.
You could still go to The Dock at the reservoir and Crystal’s Lounge on Lynch Street.
No other local media had blogs or story commenting. (We were the first.)
Facebook was still just for the kids.
The Sweet Potato Queens still had a Ball at Hal & Mal’s.
Oscars and Emmys were still #sowhite, and iPhones hadn’t helped #BlackLivesMatter, yet.
Two words: Enron and Worldcom.
People still thought there would be two lakes and resorty islands along the Pearl River.
The Ledger still thought KKK killer/kidnapper James Ford Seale was dead.
No media here had probably ever used the words “southern strategy.”
Politicians still openly campaigned to racist Council of Conservative Citizens members.
