Mayor paints picture of “Jackson – the city with soul and promise”

By Ayesha K. Mustafaa,

Contributing Writer ,

“I want to commend the mayor on the State of the City’s Address. It was reflective of a well thought-out plan to accomplish the long-awaited needs for the City of Jackson,” said Sababu Rashid, a longtime resident of Jackson and graduate of Jackson State University and member of its original Sonic Boom marching band.

“His wholistic approach far outweighs the patchwork approach for fixing the years of our aging infrastructure and the social ills that have been plaguing our city.”

Joining in the assessment of last night’s State of the City Address was Sababu’s wife, Okolo Rashid.

She said, “I continue to be impressed by the mayor’s commitment to a people and community value-added leadership.  I was drawn to the mayor’s explanation of his vision for continuing to build upon the Dignity Economy, which is clearly wholistic and comprehensive.

“This is, as he asserted, ‘a radical departure from business as usual.’ We at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures (IMMC) supports his vision of a Dignity Economy, which fits with our work of building inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities.”

Sababu and Okolo Rashed are co-founders of the IMMC, along with Emad Al-Turk.

Sababu and Okolo Rashid

According to Mayor Chokwe Lumumba in his State of the City 2021 address, Jackson is “The City with Soul … and Promise.” The mayor’s address was livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 26, 2021. 

The “preshow” and the mayor’s State of the City address were pre-recorded and viewed by a select audience at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The opening was a Visit Jackson Tourism promo displaying the blues festivals, Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade and Festival, the Black Rodeo, and Jackson State’s Sonic Boom, to name a few. A diverse population with smiling faces of all hues in the city that is 70 percent African American rounded out the preshow.

There were also clips from the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, one of the most poignant exhibits of black history and black struggle – the price paid for “freedom” – which is one of the most notable “draws” to the city; the family friendly city.

While the presentations were very upbeat, as the mayor described Jackson as “a beautiful city filled with promise and deserves and demands the best out of life, he opened with “some blows to the city from failed water meters and remedies to those problems and billings,” because of “a failed contract.” He said these things resulted in an inability to serve residents consistently. Now, he says with a better system, residents and businesses can budget better.

The screen then shifted to Carla Dazet, deputy director of Public Works Administration for the City, who explained the water woes of Jackson as caused by “data and device.” She said the city was tackling the problem from every direction and bringing operations into the 21st Century.

Charles Williams Jr., director and city engineer of the Public Works Department, referenced the aging infrastructure of Jackson. This failing infrastructure has been the Achilles’s heel – the weakness that creates downfalls no matter the overall strength – of every mayor since Mayor Harvey Johnson – the first African American mayor of the city. 

The mayor followed up with, “Do not fret,” if you see people in your yard at your home, they are there to help and ultimately increase customer confidence. He said, “We have to be far more intentional,” still talking about the failed water meters. But what else is impacting the city’s growth and sustainability? 

As he moved into the State of the City report, then came the hard stuff: the infrastructure, the crime and homicide rate, affordable housing and mental health care, healthy food, clean air and water; “Building an economy with dignity and quality of life in view.” These he said will require “a radical departure from business as usual.”

The mayor said “crime can eclipse many good things,” expressing his own grief to hear of victims of violent crimes and to see the desperation among our youth. “It is heartbreaking as a father when young children are killed in crossfires. All deaths are tragic,” he said. 

The mayor said he had proposed a ban on open carry, pointing out the “unprecedented proliferation of guns in the community.” He said he has challenged bad laws to protect residents. He has not defunded police but raised their base salaries and provided body cameras and new patrol vehicles and hired more officers with 10 separate recruitment academies under his terms as mayor. He has made it mandatory that police serves the community and banned chokeholds. 

He pointed to the new $4 million real time command center for the police department, the new fire station at Hawkins Field, due to be completed in 2022, and that seven new trucks have already been provided. He said the fire department is “almost fully staffed and provides Jackson youth opportunity to become firefighters with a model program at Callaway High School.”

He has provided city employees with a living wage increase, covers health premiums for all city employees during the Covid pandemic and wants to extend this to companies that contract with the city – and is the basis for the contract debate for garbage collection played out in the City Council.

The mayor said he was the first to create mask mandates and set up Covid tracking with resources across the city, addressed stay at home depression issues, initiated vaccination days available to most.

And about the Jackson Zoo, he’s initiated work on surrounding Capitol Street with aims to “keep the zoo in West Jackson.” There is work started on the Planetarium with it to be reopened soon. Parking meters upgrades are coming. 

And there was the recent ribbon cutting for 20-year-old project on West and East County Line Road, opening up the “road to nowhere” now accessing Tougaloo College with the rest of Jackson, to increase a boom in the Tougaloo community. And there is increased development around the Jackson Medical Mall with new homes and retail spaces, the mayor said. 

Somewhere in his presentation, the mayor quoted Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”

Then came the reactions to the mayor’s upbeat family friendly, southern hospitality, “city on a shining hill” description of Jackson. While accepting the mayor’s assessments, other things are also true. 

Some comments about the mayor’s address were: futuristic, promising, wishful, smooth, what city is this?

A citizen who asked not to be identified said, “Yes, the mayor’s talk was a Utopia, everything he said was wonderful. But if you go two blocks away from City Hall, the city is dirty. This is the Capital City and just a few blocks down on Hollywood Street, there are weeds along the street, trash dumping and dilapidated houses.

“The mayor cannot do it all, and the city budget is slim but these are the realities. This observer pointed to newly elected Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique C. Lee who hosts ward clean-up days; more should be like her.”

The city has experienced 122 homicides so far in the year for 2021; last year’s record was 130 homicides. 

The latest Jackson family impacted by senseless gun violence is that of Jordan Elijah Walker, who was shot in his car just a few months shy of his 21st birthday, Fri., Oct. 22, near State and Fortification Streets. He was returning to work when gunfire rang out and he appeared to be trying to get himself to Baptist Hospital when he died; it’s not known if he was the intended victim.

His grandmother Linda Fuller Walker said Jordan was working three jobs to buy his own car; she was so proud when he graduated from high school. His aunt Lindsey Walker posted on Facebook: “My prince, my heartbeat, Jordan from the day you were born you’ve been the center of our world…, love at first sight….” His cousin Savannah Willis explained why she named her son after Jordan, for him to be the role model to her son.

So the city and the mayor showed Jackson as the city of light, of heart along with soul. Some expressed “this is MY city (for better or worse).” 

And often, “newcomers” to the city are asked, “do you have any skin in the game?” This is not an opportunity to dish out disdain and complaints and then have nothing to bring to the table as solutions – every complaint should be accompanied with a solution, even if the complaintiff is not on the payroll.

Because “this is MY city.”

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