Citizens awarded for investment in community

Banqet guest speaker Marc Morial talked about how communities recovered from Hurricane Katrina. Photo by Thomas Douglas

Morial addresses crowd at Jackson Medical Mall Foundation banquet

By Janice K. Neal-Vincent, Ph.D.

Contributing Writer

Banqet guest speaker Marc Morial talked about how communities recovered from Hurricane Katrina. Photo by Thomas Douglas
Banqet guest speaker Marc Morial talked about how communities recovered from Hurricane Katrina. Photo by Thomas Douglas

The center stage of the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center was a road of remembrance for Hurricane Katrina and the Jackson community last Thursday evening.

While sowing seeds for a brighter future, the annual event yielded to the theme “Remembering Hurricane Katrina … A story of Revitalization, Renewal and Resilience.” Coupling a two-part ceremony, the occasion ushered in a speaker and community reinvestment honorees.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans, was the guest speaker. Morial spoke to the crowd about “a medical mall vision.”

“A vision requires action,” he said. “And action requires talented men and women working together.”

Morial commended faith leaders, community leaders, Jackson State University, and Tougaloo College for coalescing into the spirit of community. He referred to this coalescing as a “commemoration” rather than a celebration.

Morial also addressed commemorating Hurricane Katrina.

“Katrina was a wakeup call. Ten years after Katrina we witnessed in America a national Katrina called a great recession. More white people and black people and Latino people are in poverty today than 10 years ago … There are still people in 21st century America locked out and left out … The work is not over. (This nation) is drifting into two nations comprising high and low echelons – the financially abled and the financially disabled,” Morial said.

In identifying the needs of Katrina victims to those of the Medical Mall community, Morial said it was time “to continue to build and to work.” In that regard, he explained that “change and transformation about fairness and equity simply doesn’t come without a fight. That fight has to be a fight of reason and intelligence. We must chart the course we want America to take, (for) Mississippi is a great state, but has great challenges and great problems.” Morial noted that the question to ask is: “Will the people of goodwill who want to prevail against those challenges and problems avail?”

Another high point of the occasion was recognition of outstanding citizenry within the Jackson community. For instance, Dr. Cedric Gray, superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, said, “Now more than ever before we need productive citizens, especially in our Jackson community.”

Referencing Dr. Aaron Shirley Scholarship scholars, the superintendent said, “These award recipients put down their cell phones and (picked up their books). We must continue to pray for our young people. We have the most talented scholars this country can offer.”

Dr. Aaron Shirley Scholarship Scholars included first place – $2,500 recipient Zyria Thomas of Calloway High School; second place – $2,000 recipient Chelsea Luckett of Murrah High School; and third place – $1,500 recipient Justin Coleman of Jim Hill High School.

CRI honorees were as follows: Dr. Christopher Bullin, Outstanding Individual; OPUS RX, Outstanding for Profit; The Neighborhood Christian Center, Outstanding Non Profit; Eddie Jean Carr, The Perry W. Robinson Sr. Community Leader Award; and Monica Cannon-Butler, The Keith Tonkel Community Leader Award.

Humana Mall in Motion Weigh Loss Challenge awardees were: Mt. Elam M.B. Church (first place); Voice of Calvary Ministries (second place); and College Hill Baptist Church (third place).

The event’s co-chairs were Lori Greer and Sen. John Horhn. BRAVO restaurateur Jeff Good and TV 16 Anchor/Reporter Tammye Estwick served as co-hosts.

The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation is a non-profit organization and management arm of the Jackson Medical Mall, based in Jackson that promotes health care and economic development, benefiting underserved populaces in a designated revitalization district.

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