A Stone of Remembrance

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” Like any place, Jackson, Tennessee, has its fair share of history, some things worth celebrating and others worth mourning, but all are worth remembering so that we can move forward in hope for change. One of those historically significant events for our community (and hundreds of others across the U.S.) is the brutal lynching of African Americans—not just one, but three. Jacksonians Jesse and Mary Chandler Wooten gave birth to a daughter in 1883.

StoriesGuest ContributorMarch 8, 2019Jackson TN, Tennessee, Cindy Boyles, Jackson-Madison County Community Remembrance Project, racism, reconciliation, George Santayana, lynching, murder, African American, Eliza Woods, Jesse Wooten, Mary Chandler Wooten, Rev. George Hinkle, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Civil War, slavery, poison, Sheriff B.A. Person, Hu Anderson, Robert Cartmell, white supremacy, The Tennessean, New York Times, Ida B. Wells, J.R. Rushing, Eastside Cemetery, Centennial Park, John Brown, Frank Ballard, Equal Justice Initiative, EJI, justice, equality, Indivisible Jackson, Jackson State Community College, Legacy Museum, Montgomery AL, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Maya Angelou, memorial, Mayor Jerry Gist, courthouse, Black History Month, Lauren Kirk, Women's History Month, Melanie Taylor, Mike Booth, A Night of Storytelling, A Night of Storytelling Spring 2019

Windows Into Another World

If you want to see the inside of Jackson’s newest art gallery, call a real estate agent. There are no ropes looped from gold partitions. No security guards standing with their feet spread apart and hands clasped behind their backs. No tourists snapping pictures and scrolling through Yelp reviews to find the best place for lunch. There was no grand opening with trays of silver trays of hors d’oeuvres or patrons of the arts in cocktail dresses. Someone off peeled the blue “for lease, three floors” that sagged in the window.

Missing Jackson, Part 6: "I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me"

In September when I packed up all of my things and started my fall journey I had no idea what to really expect. Not because I hadn’t toured before or worked before, but because this time was different. Working two full-time jobs simultaneously is not my norm, and it felt like I was possibly biting off more than I could chew. But I had to trust that God was not giving me more than He thought I would be able to handle. So off I went to New York City to begin putting Songbird on stage.

Missing Jackson, Part 5: “You Can Take Over The World, If You Can Scare Yourself”

Sitting here again in the van, traveling to Nashville today, and I am about to burst open wide with excitement for this hometown show at the Cannery Ballroom. After thirty or so days now on the road, I could not be happier about being back in a place I know—where everything looks familiar, smells familiar, and sounds familiar. But there’s something even more special about coming back to Nashville this time and I think it has to do with my musical baby, Songbird, being birthed.

EssaysLauren PritchardNovember 16, 2015Jackson TN, Tennessee, Lauren Pritchard, LOLO, Missing Jackson, concert, musician, music, band, Nashville TN, Cannery Ballroom, tour, musical, theatre, Off-Broadway, Songbird, home, love, New York Times, New York City