Jackson Jambalaya

Now some of you hateful, uninvolved shitheads can have a field day.

Sad for his family...good for Jackson

WOW! just got breaking news.May he rest in peace.

Rest in Peace Mayor. Please regardless of you political or personal opinions, remember a man has past and his family is in mourning. Keep him and them in your thoughts and prayers. Please, be kind and keep things positive, or keep them to yourself out of respect for a grieving family and the loss of life

No need to speak ill of the dead.

Always tough to lose a known quantity.

Now the real chaos starts.

This may be a little soon but I am rather angry that as a tax payer of this crappy city we once again have been "had" by those goons. EVERYONE in the universe knew he was terminal with cancer when he ran for mayor except the media. Now, we are going to be saddled with yet another $200,000.00 special election. Just who in the hell has been running the city the last few months? Who is behind the massive cover up in regard to the fact lumumba has been on his death bed and lying about it? First, all of the BS surrounding melton's death, and now, here we go again.

To die:—to sleep:
No more; and, by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished.
Hamlet, Act III, scene 1, line 60

I was one of the first persons who was worried that he would be radical in office. Instead he seemed to be a true leader and was leading the city to greater things. Now I feel a real loss and that so much that could have been is now gone. Prayers to his family... RIP Chokwe...

6:08 - You're right. It is a little soon.

Too sick to be radical? RIP

I had always heard cancer rumors- but this seems sudden. Christ's Peace to he and his family.

Sorry Keith C ...as they say, "that dog don't hunt". Why don't you give Judge Skinner a call and ask him for a statement...I am sure the Judge would tell you there is a place for people like lumumba in the after life and it is not heaven.

Please, be kind and keep things positive, or keep them to yourself out of respect for a grieving family and the loss of life

Certainly ANDERS you'll be as respectful at this time for the death of Lt. LOUIS SKINNER.

EVERYONE in the universe knew he was terminal with cancer when he ran for mayor except the media.

The media KNEW it. The media didn't report on it. Including Kingfish.

Pack your bags Kenyatta. Hope you enjoyed your time in Jackson.

Big ass General coming up. Got the huevos Allen?

The JFP is so woefully behind.

Condelences to the Mayor's Family upon his untimely Death. It sure would be appropriate for us to support his Family during this time and let them grieve - maybe take a break on the negative comments and politics right now.

Remember this? Posted it for a reason. Yes, some of us knew he was ill but its hard as hell to do without documentation or people willing to go even on the record. Not worth the damn slander suit.

Time for that thug Kenyatta to get the hell outa town, we're not gonna let you bring jackson down like you did Detroit.

good point 6:33 PM...Jonathan Lee even knew it but chose not to bring it up during the campaign for what ever reason. SOMEBODY is going to make a lot of money from this I dare say. I am confused KF...just how in the hell can you be sued for reporting lumumba was a dead man walking if it was TRUE?

What kind of cancer was it?

Sounds like you were intimidated Kingfish.

I am a constitution following republican from Rankin County - I grew up in Jackson. I was not sure how I felt when CL was elected mayor - but I must say I was not on eof the rude ones - my attitude was wait and see. He was a good leader - the best leader Jackson had since the years of Danks. Sorry for the loss to Jackson and prayers for his family- now J-town has big shoes to fill.

Brandon Jones? BRANDON JONES?

Excuse me but what exactly is his sorry ass connection, let alone significance, to Jackson?

How bigga shoes can one have in a few months as mayor while doing little more than bringing in friends and handing out jobs? He may have done some positive stuff in time, but please don't insult our intelligence by claiming he had already done anything of substance. And if you must, please accompany your claim with a list.

It would be a good time Mr. K to divulge what you knew and when regarding Chokwe Lumumba's health. Short of coming completely clean with your readers you'll only generate skepticism regarding your cutting edge versus that of the MSM.

Conservative from Clinton....this guy was the best Mayor Jackson has had in decades despite his political leanings. Rest in peace

Here we go. The Kingfish gatekeeping is in full effect.

For people speculating about him having cancer, it doesn't sound like that. He had a "blood" condition that led him to seek a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic. That condition can lead to kidney and heart failure if not successfully treated with chemotherapy and maybe a bone marrow transplant. Sounds like amyloidosis. My suspicion is that his condition was too advanced to undergo treatment at that time.

As such, he failed the City of Jackson in failing to notify them of this terminal diagnosis. His handlers did a remarkable job in silencing this from the media. The CL was cobbled and the JFP was lied to. Both of those less-than-august publications failed the citizenry in their lack of investigation. As someone mentioned earlier, this was a fairly well-known secret, and yet they failed to honestly and dilligently investigate this.

KF can get sued for libel or invasion of privacy, unlike anonymous dimwit commenters.

The truth will set you free Anderson.

Don't you have some other racial shit to get your panties wadded about?

Interesting that Brandon Jones identifies the cause of death as heart failure. Word out of St. D is that he died before noon today. Notice no death vigil being reported by the always unreliable Jackson Free Press.

Both of those less-than-august publications failed the citizenry in their lack of investigation.

As did Jackson Jambalaya.

MDS? Like Robin Roberts?

Katina Rankin (WLBT 3) did an interview with him shortly after he took office. She asked him about health issues. He told her he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 - 2000, had a procedure done and had check ups from time to time. Since that time, from time to time, a rumor would surface that he was terminal - it would die down until the next one surfaced.

Brought the uncertainty on yourself Jackustan. Your media FAILED.

Wonder how the family of the slain police officer feels tonite. Republic of New Africa killed that cop. Some people were never arrested.

8:18, if by "set you free" you mean "cost you thousands of dollars in legal bills, even if you win," then, yeah, sure.

Feel free to link to your own, superior blog. I'm sure it's great.

Robin Roberts developed MDS as a result of her chemotherapy for breast cancer. This is somewhat different.

And Kingfish is under no civic duty as a journalist to inform the citizenry of the mayor's condition, unlike the Clarion-Ledger, the JFP or even the Jackson Advocate. Had he be so inclined, he could have investigated and be stonewalled by HIPAA. Slander and libel are criminal offenses. The newspapers, on the other hand, have more oomph in their access to this information. I blame them in their lack of duty as journalists.

Um, well, ah...

This was pretty sudden and deeply saddening for the family.

My prayers and my family's prayers are.

To those who want some reparations about health matters of rumor, you are fools. Foolish to the point of being, frankly, cold.

Good luck.

What is wrong with you people? Let the guy die in peace. If any of y'all were worth a shit as lawyers or political experts, the national networks would have call you by now. A man with a family just died. Leave it be.

Too bad 9:01 PM didn't condemn the "oomph" journalists prior to today about Lumumba's death and the myriad of other issues they don't cover that Kingfish does.

F-ing lawyers.

clearly the health matters were not just rumors...

When you feel sorry for the mayors death make sure you feel sorry for JPD Willam Skinner who was killed by these thugs of the Republic of New Africa and the FBI agent who was wounded and the other cop who was shot in August 1971. That's who your prayers should go out to.

RE: 8:43 PM ...The ring leader of those murderers that killed Lt. Skinner was a turd named IMARI OBADELE. One of his lawyers was a bigger turd named EDWIN FINLEY TALIAFERRO, yup, you guessed it, the one and only CHOKWE LUMUMBA, the son of LUCIEN & PRISCILLA TALIAFERRO of the Motor City. His nick name was FAT MAN....All that I can say is that all of you ignorant people posting here tonight as to what a great man and leader Lumumba was don't have a CLUE as to what a vile and hateful thug he really was.

If you must discuss how viile and hateful he wasplease discuss the source of that hate. '71 in mississippi was a horrible time for blacks. When men women and children are being lynched for being black they have every reason to revolt. Our country was founded on such principles. or u can pretend that whites were overwhelmingly nice to everyone and these people decided to lash out and harm these nice white people for no reason.

Please 10:10, dom't blow their minds

I will not condone or condemn his life nor his views. A man has passed. He and I had a few professional disagreements and I say that by stating that, I did not know the man well.
A human has passed. He left a family that is grieving. I ask respect for them and their pain. All people should be given a decent baseline respect for the loss of a friend or family member.

I requested and will request again... be civil. If you cannot, hold it internally, or have the pride to post your comments with a name.

9:01; You're misinforming readers with your HIPAA comments. HIPAA pertains to places of employment, insurance programs and health care providers who come into and (might) exchange personal medical information regarding patients, employees and insured clients.

I well remember the hype that accompanied this Act when it first rolled out, such chatter as "The paper can no longer report that Johnny suffered a broken leg in the High School game Friday night" and "The police can no longer say 'we took him to the hospital last nite with what appeared to be a gunshot wound', all incorrect hype.

In his interview with Katina, Chokwe stated that he had "seeds" (radioactive) placed in his "prostrate". I don't know if the "prostate" tumor was the source, or just collateral.

RE: 11:19 PM....First all, the "women and childern lynching in 1971" is a lie. If it happend at all it was in the 1920's and 1930's. The last I heard two wrongs don't make a right and I feel quiet sure Lt. William Skinner of the JPD had NOTHING to to with hanging little black children as you claim. You need to put down your crack pipe and watch something other than CNN for your historical compass.

Two reports from WLBT back in 2005:

Man Convicted in Cop's Death Invited to City Hall, 01/28/05, wlbt
He was convicted in the death of a Jackson police officer nearly 25 years ago. Next week he will speak inside city hall. Imari Obadele was invited by Councilman Kenneth Stokes to speak at a black history program Tuesday, and his appearance is causing quite a stir. The scene was chaotic on Lewis Street in August of 1971 hours after Jackson police officer William Louis Skinner was gunned down during a house raid on Lewis Street. “I heard the shooting. I was there when skinner got shot," said former JPD chief Jim Black. The 32-year veteran of the Jackson Police Department was in the hospital when Skinner died. "It was very emotional for all the police officer that were there," Black said. Police and FBI agents were serving an arrest warrant. Inside were members of the Republic of New Afrika , a separatist militant group. Twenty-six-year JPD vet Jimmy King was nearby. "It was quiet all of a sudden; sounded like a small war going on," said King. "You just didn't lose an officer like that. It was very traumatic," Black stated. In 1972, RNA president Imari Obadele along with several others was found guilty in the killing of Skinner. He served nearly six years. On February 1, 2005, Obadele will stand inside Jackson City Hall in front of an audience to talk about the RNA eleven. "I think it's an abomination a slam on the good black people of Jackson and the good white people of Jackson," expressed Black. The speech is part of a black history program. His host is city Councilman Kenneth Stokes. "To me this would be like promoting Byron De La Beckwith. It's just a travesty," stated King. The police training facility in Jackson is named after William Louis Skinner, remembering and honoring his service. But his colleagues say the invitation by a Jackson city councilman of Obadele will have the opposite effect. Black says, "He is absolutely showing no respect for the man and woman who have given their lives in the line of duty." Inside the training facility, Skinner's picture sits in between others who paid the ultimate price. Above is a sign saying lest we forget. Skinner's colleagues haven't forgotten, and their memories fuel emotional disappointment. An assistant to Councilman Stokes told WLBT he was out of state. When we offered to do a phone interview, she contacted him and Stokes declined. Just before 6:00 p.m. WLBT received a statement from Skinner's son justice court judge bill skinner. He says quote: "For more than 33 years my family and I suffered the loss of my father. This is not a black and white issue; it is a right and wrong issue. The fact that the city would celebrate a convicted felon who murdered my father tells me this is not the best of the new south."

The Real Republic of New Africa, 02/03/05, wlbt
Organizers of the Republic of New Africa came to Jackson in 1971 to build a black republic out of five southern states. They had already killed a Detroit cop in a shoot out there. They came here heavily armed. Their posters showed an AK-47 dripping in blood. Very soon they would assault two reporters on two occasions. I and others were threatened at different times when their assault rifles were aimed at us as we covered their stories. Most of us believed something violent would soon happen. In August the FBI and JPD went to serve arrest warrants at the RNA's 'government' house. The Lewis Street shootout left police Lt. Louis Skinner dead and an FBI agent and another officer wounded. No one in the house was hurt. A few hours later I was allowed in the house. Sandbagged bunkers with hidden firing positions lay all beneath it. Just two weeks before, when RNA president Imari Obadele was arrested for assaulting a reporter, Lt. Skinner told him they would probably be back out there again. Obadele replied, "We'll be ready for you. I'm a commander, and it's going to be a long revolution." How right he was. How sad it all still is.

7:46

I was no supporter of Chokwe in the election, but I'll admit that his push to fix our roads and water system with rate increases and taxes wasn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

I'm concerned now that the money won't be used for its intended purpose.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes, even in the 1970's it was still a tough time to be black in Mississippi. There are two many examples to pull from some very close to home. I am sorry for the police officer's family and I am also sorry for the Mayor's family. If some people would wake up long enough to take their heads out of the sand you would see that racism still exists on both side of aisle.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."-MLK
Rest in peace, Mayor!

Hey 5:56 - How to do you know what is best for Jackson? Who appointed you God? I can see by such an ill timed and cruel comment such as yours why Chakwe might have been angry in his life. I totally get it! -and I'm white- Rest in Peace Mayor.

Larita Cooper-Stokes for mayor?

9:01 is correct about HIPAA. Anyone who access to his medical information AS A PART OF THEIR JOB would face a fine, jail time, and loss of their license if they revealed anything without the patient's express consent. Fines are staggering which is why all covered providers (e.g., hospitals) threaten employees with termination if they even read the chart information about a patient unless they need that information to do their job.

A friend or family member, on the other hand, could tell a reported anything they know, as they are not covered by HIPAA.

Kingfish could get sued for making unsupported claims unless he had documentation. The only way to get documentation would be for someone to risk their job, the fine, the jail time, and loss of their license.

That is why people phrase rumors in such bizarre ways - they are "asking a question" - "are the rumors true that you have terminal cancer?" rather that making a statement: "He has terminal cancer".

In an effort to say something positive about a man who is now dead (which is always the polite thing to do), let me just say this . . .

On two separate occasions, I represented African American clients who were in desperate situations facing serious consequences, and they or their families contacted Chokwe Lumumba, with a "I'm getting persecuted because I'm black, they are throwing me away, this white lawyer is not helping me, etc." story (NOT holding this against them, as both situations were grim). Both times Mr. Lumumba contacted me, and after a brief discussion, he went back and assured them that they had good representation, that I was doing all that could be done, etc. He had every opportunity to play the race card, steal a client, and make some money, and he professionally and ethically chose not to do so. And we represented co-defendants in a few other cases as well, and he was always very courteous to me, and fought hard for his clients, which is more than I can say for a lot of my colleagues.

I did not agree with his politics, but I just wanted to say that about him.

Flags at 1/2 mast if front of the US Post office? What gives? Did a former president die and I haven't heard about it yet? um, if not, it seems a little silly to me?

Clarence...Hope you aren't speaking of instances that occurred since Mr. Lumumba became the Mayor. Otherwise, one could wonder why the Mayor would spend precious time reviewing your clients' concerns instead of responding to Mr. Duckworth's request for a meeting.

"If you must discuss how viile and hateful he wasplease discuss the source of that hate. '71 in mississippi was a horrible time for blacks. When men women and children are being lynched for being black they have every reason to revolt.
February 25, 2014 at 11:19 PM"

Que?

Are you talking about 1971? Or are you referring to 1871? 1471? ...because what you're describing doesn't sound like anything I've ever read about. Definitely wasn't happening in NINETEEN Seventy One.

Friday May 15,1970, at Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) in Jackson, Mississippi. On May 14, 1970, a group of student protesters against the Vietnam War, specifically the United States invasion of Cambodia, were confronted by city and state police. Shortly after midnight, the police opened fire, killing two students and injuring twelve.[1] The event happened only 11 days after National Guardsmen killed four students in similar protests at Kent State University in Ohio, which had first captured national attention.

6:42, Some of us don't have to read about hatred and killings toward blacks in the early 70's because we lived it. Just because your ears and eyes were protected from it doesn't mean it didn't happen. But, injustice is injustice. Let us all pray for the betterment of the State of Mississippi. Let's not let hate win.

um, good try 8:04 PM....You left out the most critical part of your silly drama..The City and State police opened fire ONLY AFTER the thugs holed up inside a building on campus opened fire on them. Number two, the thugs that got shot were not even students but outside agitators and "community organizers" from the north. They probably were some of EDWIN FINLEY TALIAFERRO'S comrades-at-arms.

That HIPPA bullshit act didn't stop him from letting posts about tox screens from the Irby wreck make it to his blog. Hypocrite

Sorry 8:04
as reported this week by wlbt and as known for years by many, that wasn't a war protest by students.
It was a civil insurrection by students and thugs perpetrated at passing cars of white motorists.

It just keeps getting better. I see where yet another white cop killer and "former" black panther" was released from prison in NJ. What gives? In 1971 MARSHALL "EDDIE" CONWAY ( black panther extraordinaire ) assassinated Officer Donald Sager while he was sitting in his patrol car. hmmm. now, at 67 this murderer is free? Not to mention, this was the same time that Lt. Skinner (JPD) was murdered in Jackson by our recently deceased mayors comrades-at-arms. Let me guess, the next thing we will hear is kennuf 'tokes will present this cop killer with a key to our city just like he did in regard to Lt. Skinners killer.