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Marshall’s Music and Bookstore – Mississippi Today

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Marshall’s Music and Bookstore – 38 years of commitment

The hustle and bustle happening at Marshall’s Music and Bookstore is a wondrous sight. Endless customers, deliveries and phones ringing nonstop keep owner Maati Primm on her toes. And she handles all of it herself.

Marshall’s is one of the oldest Black-owned bookstores in the country, and with the exception of the original founder, Greater Pearlie Grove Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Louis Wilcher, the business has been owned and operated on Farish Street in Jackson by Primm’s female family members since 1938. Until the early 1970s, Farish Street was the epicenter of Black businesses in Jackson.

“When I was a little girl, I’d come in here and play bookstore,” Primm says with a smile at the memory. “This was my Disney.”

The bookstore offers a variety of books and music promoting Black history and excellence. It is a sanctuary for those who want to learn history and continue to learn.

“And maybe find out what they didn’t know, what they weren’t taught in school,” Primm said. “It can be an eye-opening, mind-blowing experience.”

An entire wall in the store is dedicated to notable Mississippians who have reached various levels of fame via books they’ve authored, television shows they’ve hosted, activism they’ve led or movies they’ve starred in.

Primm even plays videos of historical events for customers, sharing snippets of history from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech to Little Richard schooling Arsenio Hall’s audience on their rights as living, breathing human beings.

“My great grandmother was enslaved. When she freed herself, she started a church, school and burial grounds. She was an educator too. To this day, the church and burial grounds still remain,” Primm said, while showing an image taken in 1908 of her grandmother with classmates at Utica Technical Institute.

“Her two daughters, and now I, run this business. We’ve seen some of everything happen economically, socially and racially here and around the world. And Marshall’s is right here, still. That’s commitment,” Primm adds.

“My family has been committed to serving. I’m only three generations born out of enslavement and look at what that commitment has become. I love serving our community, and that’s what Marshall’s Music and Bookstore is … a continuation of the commitment that we have to community.”

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: September 5-7

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-09-05 07:10:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (September 5-7) in Mississippi offers diverse events across the state. In Central Mississippi, highlights include the “Wild Robot” screening in Jackson, the Roosevelt State Park reopening in Morton, the Hurricane Katrina photo exhibit, and art shows at the Mississippi Children’s Museum and Mississippi Museum of Art. Activities also include roller derby, farmers markets, painting classes, and a Woodstock-themed festival. In the Pine Belt region, Hattiesburg hosts charity events, art classes, live music concerts, a food truck festival, and Southern Miss football games, alongside karaoke nights and museum exhibits. These events suit all ages and interests, ideal for relaxation and exploration.

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Mississippi News

Mississippi universities halt funding for student groups, citing DEI law

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www.wjtv.com – Devna Bose – 2025-09-04 12:30:00

SUMMARY: Some Mississippi universities have halted funding for student organizations due to a state law (House Bill 1193) banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, currently blocked by a federal judge for potentially violating First Amendment rights. The law exempts registered organizations but prohibits using student activity fees—considered state funds—for DEI-related programming. Consequently, universities like the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State redirected these fees to campus departments for organizing activities, suspending the student-driven funding process. Students and leaders express concern, fearing loss of support for events and club activities, with efforts underway to find alternative funding amid growing legal uncertainty.

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Mississippi News

Girls, parents and gym owner reported concerns about gymnastics coach years before sex abuse case

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www.wjtv.com – Ryan J. Foley – 2025-08-29 09:49:00

SUMMARY: Sean Gardner, a gymnastics coach, faced multiple abuse allegations from gymnasts and parents dating back to 2018, yet he continued coaching and was even promoted at Chow’s Gymnastics, owned by renowned coach Liang “Chow” Qiao. Despite reports of inappropriate touching and grooming behavior, USA Gymnastics and SafeSport failed to act decisively. Gardner was banned in 2022 after a sexual abuse complaint but was arrested only in 2025 following FBI investigation revealing he installed hidden cameras to exploit young gymnasts. The case highlights systemic failures by gymnastics authorities, law enforcement, and the gym in protecting athletes from abuse.

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