Autopsy: Cause of death 'undetermined' for Black Catholic Mississippi teen Nolan Wells
An independent examination noted missing body parts and the need for further investigation, while authorities remain tight-lipped on their findings.
Mississippi
Why the way we understand the South matters, especially in criminal justice.
by Jamiles Lartey, Louisiana Illuminator June 15, 2026 This commentary was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for The Marshall Project’s newsletters and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. Last month, members of
Review: W. Ralph Eubanks' 'When It's Darkness on the Delta' gives context to a national heartland
Rana Irby reviews a new work from a Black Catholic author on his experiences in and understanding of a complicated, misunderstood region.
Fr Darrell Kelly, SVD, Mississippi-born priest who served in the South, dead at 64
Ordained in his 40s, Kelly served African-American parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, before health issues forced his retirement.
Fr Bill Norvel, SSJ, first African-American male superior general, dead at 90
The Mississippi-born priest combated racism, spread Black Catholic liturgy, and served as the first Black male superior general in U.S. history.
Sainthood cause for Servant of God Thea Bowman moving forward, ceremony scheduled
The Jackson Diocese will formally close the first phase of Bowman's canonization process in February, marking the beginning of the Roman phase.
Indicted Jackson prosecutor’s latest campaign finance report rife with errors
Amid federal corruption charges, the campaign finance report from Jody Owens features bad math, with thousands of dollars unaccounted for.
Sr Thea Bowman Montessori School opening in Memphis this summer
The new project, named for a famed Black nun and saint-to-be, comes after years of Catholic school closures in the nation's largest Black city.
Surviving Catholic clerical sex abuse is not new, and it's not White.
Christopher Gurley on the stories of Black Catholic survivors—a demographic often forgotten in the push to address the Church's living scourge.
Federal trial in Jackson, Miss., government corruption scandal set for July 2026
Hinds County DA Jody Owens II, a Black Catholic, is among three officials denying charges stemming from an FBI sting operation in 2023.
Servant of God Thea Bowman statue to be blessed at Jackson cathedral
The life-size bronzework, a gift from the Catholic bishops of Mississippi and Alabama, was created by a local artist who completed it in October.
Second Black Catholic politician at center of Jackson bribery scandal
City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned in August, and the FBI has now indicted an alleged ringleader in Hinds County DA Jody E. Owens II.
Servant of God Thea Bowman 'right in the middle' of diocesan phase for sainthood
Diocese of Jackson archivist and chancellor Mary Woodward shared an update on the African-American Catholic nun's canonization cause last month.
James Earl Jones, legendary voice and theater actor, dead at 93
The famed stage and film actor was the voice behind Darth Vader and Mufasa, among other iconic roles in his nearly seven-decade career.
Plaque honoring Bishop Joseph Howze, first openly Black U.S. ordinary, to be dedicated in Biloxi
The ceremony will follow a Mass celebrated by Bishop Louis Kihneman III at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, a historically Black parish.
Jackson councilwoman Angelique Lee resigns ahead of bribery guilty plea
The Mississippi Black Catholic was indicted Wednesday after accepting benefits from undercover FBI agents in exchange for political favors.