Long before there was a gallery to curate, babies to raise, classrooms full of students to inspire, courses to pass, miles on the pavement to log, or basketballs to bounce, for little Trista, there were books to read.
Before the interview even began, only minutes after meeting Freeman McKindra, I knew he was an incredibly kind and well-respected man on Lane College’s campus.
It’s 3:00 on a cold and rainy February afternoon — two days before Valentine’s Day, to be exact. The rain is incessant, and parking is sparse on North Liberty Street in Downtown Jackson.
Thank you to JEA for sponsoring the Spring 2024 Issue of Our Jackson Home’s journal.
My mom would always call her friends a colorful thread in the tapestry of her life, and she would always tell us the same is true for our friendships.
Maybe you’ve walked by and spotted us rehearsing through the wide-open windows at Turntable Coffee Counter, seen the light spilling onto the shadowed sidewalks outside, or heard the occasional shout of laughter drifting down the mostly deserted downtown streets.
The American Dream is a national narrative that has been retold and repurposed for more than 100 years, often as a way of keeping hope in a difficult world.
As you enter the city limits of Jackson, Tennessee, on either direction of Highway 45 there is a sign that gives passersby a brief insight into a school, a team, and a tradition that has its home just two miles from the South Fork of the Forked Deer River. If you continue driving south from that river, you will cross the bridge just past the fairgrounds, and enter the territory known as Hawk Nation–the domain of South Side High School and the Hawks.
I knew who Ontoni Reedy was long before I ever spoke to him. He is one of those people whose reputation precedes them, the kind of man who everyone can attribute something positive to even if they do not know him personally. It came as no shock to me that, when polled, our community chose to recognize him as someone who is contributing to building culture. He is always building something and the list of his contributions spans theater and education and cuisine.
In the vibrant tapestry of the Jackson community, few threads shine as brightly as the one woven by Wendy Trice Martin. As a stalwart advocate for equal justice and cultural awareness, Wendy has dedicated her life to fostering unity and empowerment in the Jackson community. She has been a master storyteller, a devoted educator, a community convenor, and a mother to so many. And through her tireless work, she has helped our community witness significant changes, while inspiring countless others.
Paul Taylor is someone who truly cares about this place we call our Jackson home. From his history in Jackson as well as time spent living in other parts of the country, Paul brings a unique perspective and understanding for where we have been as a community and has the vision and skills to help us accomplish better for our community. Paul Taylor is making change in Jackson.
Professional photographer Darren Lykes is driving change in Jackson through a surprising but powerful avenue — connection.
Darren’s involvement in the community is far-reaching. As both an event producer and leader, he was one of the founders of The STAR Center’s “Dancing with the Stars,” producer of Lane College Founder’s Day scholarship luncheon each spring, and chairperson of Jackson TN Pride – Pride in the Park and Pride After Dark. He serves on the board of the Ned, the Miss Tennessee Volunteer and Miss Volunteer America programs, as well as the Community Foundation of West Tennessee.
Iron City, Tennessee sits just north of the Alabama border, tucked right at the bottom of the state line. As its name suggests, the town is tough; its history marked with rebellion and anarchy in a setting that brings to mind Jason Isbell’s “Decoration Day” — a song rife with generational violence, a southern-fried version of the Hatfields and McCoys.
Cody Stooksberry was born and raised in Iron City and describes his hometown as “a town that’s known for being a little outlaw.”
Many of my strongest memories revolve around food. The pancakes at the breakfast table in conversation with my grandfather, the glass of cider at a café while in Paris with a few of my friends, the dinner co-op with meals shared through my first years after college while my friends' children ran around the house. These moments built around food and drink shape our routines and sense and belonging. We build our families and our communities — chosen or given to us — around these rituals.
Bethany Lutz, owner of The Mother Thifter, spent most of her life feeling trapped by the same clothing and the feeling of being un-human, undeserving of beauty. Getting dressed each day was not a joyful ordeal filled with excitement; it was simply a routine, a mandatory part of her day. The pandemic of 2020 was transformational for most people, whether for good or for bad. Thankfully for Bethany, her life was flipped upside down and the heart of her business was born.
"Film is an art I think we take for granted, but it’s more than just entertaining. It can be healing and joyful for both the filmmaker and the viewer. For me, there is just something about when the lights go down in the theater, no one else but you and the screen. Who you are is acceptable here no matter what.”
“When I got crowned, I stood there for the longest,” Mindy Pettigrew said, “I didn't believe it, to be honest. I thought I was still dreaming. The whole night was a dream. It was amazing.”
Mindy Pettigrew is Miss Juneteenth Jackson 2023. She wears her crown proudly. Her smile shines brightly. And her words are well beyond her 16 years.
The Greater Jackson Chamber has a long history of promoting economic growth and stability in the Jackson-Madison County area. With a diverse and talented staff, a board of directors, dedicated volunteers, and over 1,000 business members, the chamber is committed to developing and maintaining an economic climate that creates and retains jobs and enhances the quality of life for all citizens of Jackson-Madison County and West Tennessee.
Ismael and Angelica want the Jackson community to know that they are here to serve and build community. Their bakery is not just about selling bread; it's about breaking bread and building friendships, creating a sense of home for everyone who walks through their doors. They believe it's important to pass down their traditions to their children so that their culture continues to thrive.
As our city has grown, there has been a sort of migration of international families and individuals to Jackson. Of these different people who have ventured overseas to temporarily build a life here, the Japanese community in Jackson is one group that has seen significant growth in the past decade. This growth has flowered into a thriving community that is impacting the landscape, growth, and development of Jackson, Tennessee, and can teach our city valuable lessons about both place and culture.
It’s three-thirty in the afternoon when I walk through the front door of Companion Gallery and East Mitchell Clay. As I enter, I step into a gallery space. The lights are off, but that serves as little distraction from the room’s stark white walls adorned with small shelves that hold a kaleidoscope of ceramics. Every wall is covered. Display tables sit in the middle of the room, also adorned with collections of intricate clay pieces.
“I just need a space to dance,” Mona Lisa Lanier said to me as she flicked on the lights of a former elementary school turned community recreation center. The room, once a classroom, is now a dance studio with mirrors and photos of dancers in brightly colored costumes lining the wall.
Lanier proudly pointed out her students and how much they’ve grown since these photos were taken.
Music is something that has forever been woven into the culture of Jackson. While Carl Perkins and the Rockabilly sound are what most people think of first, that staccato rhythm and piano twang is only a part of what Jackson’s music scene was and is. The musical talent that Jackson has produced — from Full Devil Jacket to Erin Rae to LOLO — is as diverse as the community. The problem, though, is that Jackson never had an infrastructure to develop that talent. At least not until now.
Since 2020, Ellen Bennett has served as the Online Sales Manager of Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) and is widely known in the Jackson community for her item listings in the RIFA Auction Group on Facebook. Twice a month, she conducts an online auction with around 80 unique items — all previously donated to the organization — for the public to bid on throughout the week. The proceeds of every auction item go to RIFA, a Jackson-based nonprofit with a mission to fight hunger locally, so item winners get to help provide meals to food-insecure members of the community with their purchases. For each listing, whether it’s a mid-century lamp, a tricycle, or a vegetable chopper, she comes up with a compelling description that’ll have anyone hooked.
What’s special about photography is the unique eye each person has. In my work, I’m drawn to warmer tones, capturing the moment a perfectly-placed ray of sunshine makes a subject light up, or finding exciting scenes in a normal stroll down the street. Simple colors, light, and composition can make any shot one of great beauty, we just have to train our eyes to see it. My hope in sharing these photos is that you’ll begin to see more of what my eyes see, beauty in the wayside.