Our First Year - a recap

By Val Vickery
Founding Member of J4J

      JACKSON, MS   I was one of several people in the upstairs room at Whole Foods one day in April, last year. We only knew one another through our Next Door discussions. We were a group of people gathered to explore what it would look like for ordinary citizens to come together for the good of our city. We all agreed that Mississippi needs a vibrant Capital City, and we were willing to work towards a solution for our friends, family, neighbors, and everyone in Jackson. 
     We have made some amazing strides. Since our beginning days in the seating area at Whole Foods, to a small meeting room at the Briarwood Arts Building, to our present outpost, The Cedars on Old Canton Road, we have made friends throughout the city and are starting to see a bigger influx of people to our meetings and our newsletter. We are looking for meeting places in all 7 wards of Jackson so we can grow. We have a name, a mission statement, and goals. We have a growing mailing list of people who get regular reminders of upcoming events, and news. We have a 9-member Board and a website in the works. We are starting on the journey to getting a designation that will allow us to accept tax-deductible donations.

     We have a You Tube Channel with many of our speakers recorded there, including Jeff Good, Jonathan Lee, Neddie Winters, Ted Henifin, Senator John Hohrn, Mayor Chockwe Antar Lumumba, local State Representative Shanda Yates who with Amile Wilson, her opponent in the last general election laid out their platforms and their ideas before the voting began. Sandy Tucker (Fondren Forward) spoke of plans for the Fondren area that are already in the works. Finally, Bo Luckey, Chief of Police for the Capitol Police, was our most recent speaker and talked about the strides and goals of the Capitol Police.

     We have, to date, met with six of the seven City Council people. We have heard what they have to say and are eager to speak with the Mayor to hear his side of the issues. We’ve been educated concerning duties assigned to each of our elected officials and we know to what extent the Council has been in conflict with the Mayor.

      The Council and the Mayor are both the Executive and Legislative branches of government in our City and with that comes conflict. The Judicial branch in Jackson and Mississippi has been involved in these disagreements too much. The conclusion after a year is that there is still a large lack of communication between the Council and Mayor which in turn causes gridlock.

     Lack of communication between the Mayor and the Council isn’t the only problem we have noticed in the year we have been working on this. We, the citizens of Jackson, seem to have a large apathy problem. Just looking at the number of people who turn out at the polls says a lot about how NOT concerned we are about the state of the city. There is hopelessness in abundance. Too many of us have been affected by the myriad problems in Jackson - high crime, unpaid or bills paid late, not enough tax revenue, population decreases and transparency between the citizens, political parties, and officials. Our streets need help. Keeping department heads in their positions seems to be a continuing problem that underlines the continuity issues. When citizens do voice their opinions, especially in court, it seems that they are concerned about how things look rather than how things are working. What do you see yourself as, victim? If not, are you willing to step up and help? If you are willing to step up, CONGRATULATIONS, you can make a difference in your life, the lives of your children and grandchildren, and your neighbors.

     There is a great deal to be done, but with your help, we can do it. We can make our Capitol City vibrant, teeming with opportunities, and a shining example of how you can turn things around. This is our prayer, that in the days, weeks, months, and even years ahead, we keep our eyes on the prize we want. If any of this resonates with you, will you join wherever you can, and will you share this with your friends? Will you help us grow our community of volunteers? Can’t wait to meet you on the way to a BOLD NEW CITY. 

Advocacy and Engagement

Our services include voter education, community advocacy, and citizen engagement. Through voter education, we provide resources, workshops, and information to empower citizens to make informed decisions at the polls. We also offer opportunities for community engagement and advocacy, encouraging citizens to get involved and demand positive changes for their city. Please stay tuned as we gear up for another year of work!!

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