“Black History Happens Everyday” was the theme of the annual Black History Month Celebration and Prayer Rally Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Held in the council chambers of Jackson City Hall, the event was coordinated by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes.
This year’s kick-off featured veteran of the Civil Rights Movement Rev. Clifton Jackson, a Jackson, Miss. native. Jackson told attending youth that some of them might be the next black mayor of this city or some other city, but they have to believe in it.
“First of all, you have to stay in school,” Jackson said. “Whatever you want, you can get it. All you have to do is prepare yourself. You can’t prepare yourself by doing nothing. I found out at an early age, it’s not what people call you; it’s what you answer to. A lot of us get offended by the N-word. Don’t ever be offended, because anybody can be the N-word. Everybody in this room is somebody. You can be whatever you want to be.”
Jackson, who is also a pastor, shared some historical notes with the audience, particularly to the young people. He told them that the Jackson City Hall was built by slaves. “See, you own a slave with your mind,” he said. “When people tell you you can’t do something, you have a slave mentality when you believe you cannot do it.
“I own my own business, but it did not come easy. I worked for a white company for 20 years, never a day late to get where I needed to be. You’re going to have to hustle and bustle. You can’t go around with your pants hanging on the ground. You can’t be going to jail; you got to stay in school.
Jackson, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shared when Dr. King visited Jackson, Miss., he and other members of the movement would use a look-a-like decoy car to pick him up. “We would and pick up Dr. King in one car, and have someone else get off the plane and get in the other car to protect his life.”
He told the young people that he has been to jail in Jackson more times than they have fingers and toes only for the right to vote. “That is why it bothers me when we don’t go to the poll and vote,” said the father of five sons and one daughter.
Speaking of the African-American family, the longtime pastor surprised some with a bit of information about his personal family history. “I’m getting ready to lay something on you that’s going to blow your mind: All of us in here have some white [race] in us,” he said. “The late Gov. Ross Barnett Jr.’s daddy and my daddy’s daddy [were] two brother’s children. I did not have anything to do with it. It’s true. But I thank God that I never got lifted up in pride. My mother instilled in me: ‘You are just as black and will always be black.’”
Jackson told the students that he is proud to be black and that he is proud of the city of Jackson. He said they should feel that same pride in who they are.
Jackson was last year’s recipient of the MLK Henry Kirksey Award for being a trailblazer and he was also honored by the Jackson City Council with a resolution for being an outstanding citizen of Jackson.
Near the end of the celebration Stokes awarded each of the attending students who were mostly from Pied Piper Academy on Capitol Street and McCoy Christian School on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive with certificates from the City of Jackson. “Many of you are future officials of the City of Jackson, the state legislature and may be even the United States Congress,” Stokes said. To allow the youth a sense of how it feels to sit at the desk of the city’s policy makers, he permitted each of them to sit in the chairs of the mayor and council members. Seventh-grader Alexander Shane Clayborne of McCoy Christian Academy was one of them. “I learned that I should be proud to be black and keep growing in faith and stay in school,” he said.
Sixth-grader Lauren Mikayla Clark of Pied Piper, who wants to be a fashion designer, said that learning that City Hall was built by slaves made her feel proud.
In continuation of the Black History celebration, Monday, Feb. 7, Stokes and other organizers took the youth and their teachers on a trip to the Civil Rights Museum (formerly the Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated).
“Later on that day, we’re going to see the Memphis Grizzlies play Los Angeles Lakers,” said LaRita Stokes. She said these participating schools were picked for this special educational field trip because of their active involvement in celebrating black history on a regular basis. “CMMI is another school that has always worked with us in these efforts,” she said.
LaRita Stokes, who also presented the history of Black History during the event, said more Jackson area observances will be announced throughout the month.
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