Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of and the
most populous city in the
U.S. state of
Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of
Hinds County
Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents. Hinds Co ...
, along with
Raymond. The city had a population of 153,701 at the 2020 census, down from 173,514 at the 2010 census. Jackson's population declined more between 2010 and 2020 (11.42%) than any
major city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. Jackson is the anchor for the
Jackson metropolitan statistical area, the largest
metropolitan area completely within the state. With a 2020 population estimated around 600,000, metropolitan Jackson is home to over one-fifth of Mississippi's population. The city sits on the
Pearl River and is located in the greater
Jackson Prairie
The Jackson Prairie is a temperate grassland ecoregion in Mississippi. It is a disjunct of the Black Belt (or Black Prairie) physiographic area.
Description
The prairie is a narrow strip across the state from the Mississippi River to the bor ...
region of Mississippi.
Founded in 1821 as the site for a new state capital, the city is named after General
Andrew Jackson, who was honored for his role in the
Battle of New Orleans during the
War of 1812 and would later serve as U.S. president. Following the nearby
Battle of Vicksburg in 1863 during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, Union forces under the command of General
William Tecumseh Sherman began the
siege of Jackson and the city was subsequently burned.
During the 1920s, Jackson surpassed
Meridian to become the most populous city in the state following a speculative
natural gas boom in the region. The current slogan for the city is "The City with Soul". It has had numerous musicians prominent in
blues,
gospel,
folk, and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
. The city is located in the
deep south halfway between
Memphis and
on
Interstate 55 and
Shreveport, Louisiana and
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
, Alabama on
Interstate 20. Being at this location has given the city the nickname the "crossroads of the south".
The city has a number of museums and cultural institutions, including the
Mississippi Childrens Museum,
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science,
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is a museum in Jackson, Mississippi. Its mission is to document, exhibit the history of, and educate the public about the American Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. state of Mississippi between 1945 and 1970. ...
,
Mississippi Museum of Art
The Mississippi Museum of Art is a public museum in Jackson, Mississippi. It is the largest museum in Mississippi.
Location
It is located at the corner of 380 South Lamar Street and 201 East Pascagoula Street in Jackson, Mississippi.Lee Ellis, ''F ...
,
Old Capital Museum,
Museum of Mississippi History
The Museum of Mississippi History is a museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The museum opened December 9, 2017, in conjunction with the adjacent Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in celebration of Mississippi's bicentennial. The theme of the history m ...
. Other notable locations are the
Mississippi Coliseum
The Mississippi Coliseum is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Jackson, Mississippi, built in 1962 and located on the Mississippi State Fairgrounds complex. The arena has 6,812 seats available for basketball, and can be expanded to 10,000 for ...
and the
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of the
Jackson State Tigers Football
The Jackson State Tigers football team represents Jackson State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
After joining the ...
Team.
The Jackson metropolitan statistical area is the state's second largest metropolitan area overall, due to four counties in northern Mississippi being part of the
Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area.
In 2020, the Jackson metropolitan area held a
GDP of 30 billion dollars, accounting for 29% of the state's total GDP of 104.1 billion dollars.
History
Native Americans
The region that is now the city of Jackson was historically part of the large territory occupied by the
Choctaw Nation. The Choctaw name for the locale was ''Chisha Foka''. The area now called Jackson was obtained by the United States under the terms of the
Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820, by which the United States acquired the land owned by the Choctaw Native Americans. After the treaty was ratified, American settlers moved into the area, encroaching on remaining Choctaw communal lands. One of the original Choctaw members, in 1849, described what he and his people experienced during this turbulent time when the Europeans had come to take their land. "We have had our habitations torn down and burned" as well as their "fences burned" while they constantly faced personal abuse and have been "scoured, manacled and fettered".
Under pressure from the U.S. government, the Choctaw Native Americans agreed to
removal after 1830 from all of their lands east of the
Mississippi River under the terms of several
treaties.
Although most of the Choctaw moved to
Indian Territory in present-day
Oklahoma, along with the other of the
Five Civilized Tribes, a significant number chose to stay in their homeland, citing Article XIV of the
Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. They gave up their tribal membership and became state and United States citizens at the time. Today, most Choctaw in Mississippi have reorganized and are part of the federally recognized
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ( cho, Mississippi Chahta) is one of three federally recognized tribes of Choctaw Native Americans, and the only one in the state of Mississippi. On April 20, 1945, this tribe organized under the Indian R ...
. They live in several majority-
Indian communities located throughout the state. The largest community is located in
Choctaw northeast of Jackson.
Founding and antebellum period (to 1860)
Located on the historic
Natchez Trace trade route, created by Native Americans and used by European American settlers, and on the Pearl River, the city's first European American settler was Louis LeFleur, a
French-Canadian trader. The village became known as
LeFleur's Bluff.
During the late 18th century and early 19th century, this site had a
trading post. It was connected to markets in
Tennessee. Soldiers returning to Tennessee from the military campaigns near
in 1815 built a public road that connected
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from w ...
in Louisiana to this district. A United States treaty with the Choctaw, the
Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820, formally opened the area for non-Native American settlers.
LeFleur's Bluff was developed when it was chosen as the site for the new state's
capital city. The
Mississippi General Assembly decided in 1821 that the state needed a centrally located capital (the legislature was then located in
Natchez). They commissioned
Thomas Hinds
Thomas Hinds (January 9, 1780August 23, 1840) was an American soldier and politician from the state of Mississippi, who served in the United States Congress from 1828 to 1831.
A hero of the War of 1812, Hinds is best known today as the namesake ...
, James Patton, and William Lattimore to look for a suitable site. The absolute center of the state was a swamp, so the group had to widen their search.
After surveying areas north and east of Jackson, they proceeded southwest along with the
Pearl River until they reached LeFleur's Bluff in today's Hinds County.
Their report to the General Assembly stated that this location had beautiful and healthful surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and proximity to the
Natchez Trace. The Assembly passed an act on November 28, 1821, authorizing the site as the permanent seat of the government of the state of Mississippi.
On the same day, it passed a resolution to instruct the
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
delegation to press
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
for a donation of public lands on the river for improved navigation to the
Gulf of Mexico. One
Whig politician lamented the new capital as a "serious violation of principle" because it was not at the absolute center of the state.
The capital was named for General
Andrew Jackson, to honor his (January 1815) victory at the
Battle of New Orleans during the
War of 1812. He was later elected as the seventh
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
.
The city of Jackson was originally planned, in April 1822, by
Peter Aaron Van Dorn in a "
checkerboard" pattern advocated by
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
.
City blocks alternated with parks and other open spaces. Over time, many of the park squares have been
developed rather than maintained as
green space. The state legislature first met in Jackson on December 23, 1822. In 1839, the Mississippi Legislature passed the first state law in the U.S. to permit married women to own and administer their own property.
Jackson was connected by public road to
Vicksburg and
Clinton in 1826. Jackson was first connected by railroad to other cities in 1840. An 1844 map shows Jackson linked by an east–west rail line running between Vicksburg,
Raymond, and
Brandon. Unlike Vicksburg,
Greenville, and
Natchez, Jackson is not located on the
Mississippi River, and it did not develop during the
antebellum era as those cities did from major river commerce. The construction of railroad lines to the city sparked its growth in the decades following the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
.
American Civil War
Despite its small population, during the Civil War, Jackson became a strategic center of manufacturing for the
Confederacy. In 1863, during the military campaign which ended in the
capture of Vicksburg,
Union forces captured Jackson during two battles—once before the fall of Vicksburg and once after the fall of Vicksburg.
On May 13, 1863, Union forces won the first
Battle of Jackson, forcing
Confederate forces to flee northward towards
Canton. On May 14, Union troops under the command of
William Tecumseh Sherman burned and looted key facilities in Jackson, a strategic manufacturing and railroad center for the Confederacy.
After driving the Confederate forces out of Jackson, Union forces turned west and engaged the Vicksburg defenders at the
Battle of Champion Hill in nearby
Edwards Edwards may refer to:
People
* Edwards (surname)
* Edwards family, a prominent family from Chile
* Edwards Barham (1937-2014), a former member of the Louisiana State Senate
* Edwards Pierrepont (1817–1892), an American attorney, jurist, and or ...
. The Union forces began their siege of Vicksburg soon after their victory at Champion Hill. Confederate forces began to reassemble in Jackson in preparation for an attempt to break through the Union lines surrounding Vicksburg and end the siege. The Confederate forces in Jackson built defensive
fortification
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere ...
s encircling the city while preparing to march west to Vicksburg.
Confederate forces marched out of Jackson in early July 1863 to break the siege of Vicksburg. But, unknown to them, Vicksburg had already surrendered on July 4, 1863. General
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...
dispatched General Sherman to meet the Confederate forces heading west from Jackson. Upon learning that Vicksburg had already surrendered, the Confederates retreated into Jackson. Union forces began the
siege of Jackson, which lasted for approximately one week. Union forces encircled the city and began an
artillery bombardment. One of the Union artillery emplacements has been preserved on the grounds of the
University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Another Federal position is preserved on the campus of
Millsaps College.
John C. Breckinridge, former United States
vice president, served as one of the Confederate generals defending Jackson. On July 16, 1863, Confederate forces slipped out of Jackson during the night and retreated across the Pearl River.
Union forces completely burned the city after its capture this second time. The city was called "Chimneyville" because only the chimneys of houses were left standing.
The northern line of Confederate defenses in Jackson during the siege was located along a road near downtown Jackson, now known as Fortification Street.
Because of the siege and following destruction, few
antebellum
Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to:
United States history
* Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States
** Antebellum Georgia
** Antebellum South Carolina
** Antebellum Virginia
* Antebellum ar ...
structures have survived in Jackson. The
Governor's Mansion, built-in 1842, served as Sherman's headquarters and has been preserved. Another is the
Old Capitol building, which served as the home of the Mississippi state legislature from 1839 to 1903. The Mississippi legislature passed the ordinance of
secession from the Union on January 9, 1861, there, becoming the second state to secede from the United States. The
Jackson City Hall, built in 1846 for less than $8,000, also survived. It is said that Sherman, a
Mason, spared it because it housed a
Masonic Lodge, though a more likely reason is that it housed an army hospital.
Reconstruction
During
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
* Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, Republicans granted African Americans civil rights. Schools were established and African Americans held political offices.
Eugene Welborne,
Charles Reese,
Weldon Hicks, and
George Caldwell Granberry
George Caldwell Granberry was a state legislator, postmaster, and teacher in Mississippi. He was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives during the 1882 session, representing Hinds county. He was a member of the Committee on Propos ...
were among the legislators who represented Hinds County in the legislature. African Americans also served in local offices, as judges, and as marshalls.
Mississippi had considerable insurgent action, as whites struggled to maintain white supremacy. Jackson’s appointed mayor
Joseph G. Crane was stabbed to death in 1869. The assailant,
Edward M. Yerger, was arrested by military authorities but, after a U.S. Supreme Court case (
Ex parte Yerger), he was bonded out, moved to Baltimore and was never tried.
The economic recovery from the Civil War was slow through the start of the 20th century, but there were some developments in transportation. In 1871, the city introduced mule-drawn streetcars which ran on State Street, which were replaced by electric ones in 1899. In 1875, the
Red Shirts were formed, one of the second waves of insurgent
paramilitary organizations that essentially operated as "the military arm of the Democratic Party" to take back political power from the Republicans and to drive black people from the polls (
Mississippi Plan
The Mississippi Plan of 1875 was developed by white Southern Democrats as part of the white insurgency during the Reconstruction Era in the Southern United States. It was devised by the Democratic Party in that state to overthrow the Republican Pa ...
).
Post-Reconstruction
Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1876. The constitutional convention of 1890, which produced Mississippi's Constitution of 1890, was held at the capitol.
This was the first of new constitutions or amendments ratified in each Southern state through 1908 that effectively
disenfranchised most
African Americans and many poor whites, through provisions making voter registration more difficult: such as
poll taxes, residency requirements, and
literacy tests. These provisions survived a Supreme Court challenge in 1898. As 20th-century Supreme Court decisions later ruled such provisions were unconstitutional, Mississippi and other Southern states rapidly devised new methods to continue disfranchisement of most black people, who comprised a majority in the state until the 1930s. Their exclusion from politics was maintained into the late 1960s.
The so-called
New Capitol replaced the older structure upon its completion in 1903. Today the Old Capitol is operated as a historical museum.
Early 20th century (1901–1960)
Author
Eudora Welty was born in Jackson in 1909, lived most of her life in the Belhaven section of the city, and died there in 2001. Her
memoir of development as a writer, ''
One Writer's Beginnings'' (1984), presented a picture of the city in the early 20th century. She won the
Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for her novel, ''
The Optimist's Daughter,'' and is best known for her novels and short stories. The main library of the
Jackson/Hinds Library System
Jackson/Hinds Library System (JHLS) is the public library system of Jackson and Hinds County in Mississippi.
Branches
; Jackson
* Eudora Welty Library - It is the main library and is in a former Sears building, built circa 1938. As of 2018 the se ...
was named in her honor, and her home has been designated as a
National Historic Landmark.
Richard Wright Richard Wright may refer to:
Arts
* Richard Wright (author) (1908–1960), African-American novelist
* Richard B. Wright (1937–2017), Canadian novelist
* Richard Wright (painter) (1735–1775), marine painter
* Richard Wright (artist) (born 19 ...
, a highly acclaimed African-American author, lived in Jackson as an adolescent and young man in the 1910s and 1920s. He related his experience in his memoir ''
Black Boy
''Black Boy'' (1945) is a memoir by American author Richard Wright, detailing his upbringing. Wright describes his youth in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, and his eventual move to Chicago, where he establishes his writing care ...
'' (1945). He described the harsh and largely terror-filled life most African Americans experienced in the South and Northern ghettos such as
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
under
segregation in the early 20th century. Jackson had significant growth in the early 20th century, which produced dramatic changes in the city's skyline. Jackson's new
Union Station downtown reflected the city's service by multiple rail lines, including the
Illinois Central.
Across the street, the new, luxurious
King Edward Hotel
The Omni King Edward Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hotel is located at 37 King Street East, and it occupies the entire block bounded by King Street on the north, Victoria Street on the east, Colborne ...
opened its doors in 1923, having been built according to a design by New Orleans architect
William T. Nolan. It became a center for prestigious events held by Jackson society and Mississippi politicians. Nearby, the 18-story
Standard Life Building, designed in 1929 by Claude Lindsley, was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world upon its completion.
Jackson's economic growth was further stimulated in the 1930s by the discovery of
natural gas fields nearby. Speculators had begun searching for oil and natural gas in Jackson beginning in 1920. The initial drilling attempts came up empty. This failure did not stop Ella Render from obtaining a lease from the state's insane asylum to begin a well on its grounds in 1924, where he found natural gas. (Render eventually lost the rights when courts determined that the asylum did not have the right to lease the state's property.) Businessmen jumped on the opportunity and dug wells in the Jackson area. The continued success of these ventures attracted further investment. By 1930, there were 14 derricks in the Jackson skyline.
Mississippi Governor
Theodore Bilbo stated:
This enthusiasm was subdued when the first wells failed to produce oil of a sufficiently high gravity for commercial success. The barrels of oil had considerable amounts of saltwater, which lessened the quality. The governor's prediction was wrong in hindsight, but the oil and natural gas industry did provide an economic boost for the city and state. The effects of the
Great Depression were mitigated by the industry's success. At its height in 1934, there were 113 producing wells in the state. The overwhelming majority were closed by 1955.
Due to provisions in the federal
Rivers and Harbors Act, on October 25, 1930, city leaders met with U.S. Army engineers to ask for federal help to alleviate Jackson flooding. J.J. Halbert, city engineer, proposed a straightening and dredging of the
Pearl River below Jackson.
Jackson's Gold Coast
During Mississippi's extended
Prohibition period, from the 1920s until the 1960s, illegal drinking and gambling casinos flourished on the east side of the Pearl River, in
Flowood along with the original
U.S. Route 80 just across from the city of Jackson. Those illegal casinos, bootleg liquor stores, and nightclubs made up the Gold Coast, a strip of mostly
black-market businesses that operated for decades along Flowood Road. Although outside the law, the Gold Coast was a thriving center of nightlife and music, with many local blues musicians appearing regularly in the clubs.
The Gold Coast declined and businesses disappeared after Mississippi's prohibition laws were repealed in 1966, allowing Hinds County, including Jackson, to go "wet". In addition,
integration drew off business from establishments that earlier had catered to African Americans, such as the
Summers Hotel. When it opened in 1943 on Pearl Street, it was one of two hotels in the city that served black clients. For years its Subway Lounge was a prime performance spot for black musicians playing jazz and blues.
In another major change, in 1990 the state-approved gaming on riverboats. Numerous casinos have been developed on riverboats, mostly in
Mississippi Delta towns such as
Tunica Resorts,
Greenville, and
Vicksburg, as well as
Biloxi on the
Gulf Coast. Before the damage and losses due to
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the state ranked second nationally in gambling revenues.
World War II and later development
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
,
Hawkins Field (at that time, also known as the Jackson Army Airbase) the American 21st, 309th, and 310th Bomber Groups that were stationed at the base were re-deployed for combat. Following the
German invasion of the Netherlands and the
Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attemp ...
, between 688 and 800 members of the Dutch Airforce escaped to the UK or Australia for training and, out of necessity, were eventually given permission by the United States to make use of Hawkins Field.
From May 1942 until the end of the war, all Dutch military aircrews trained at the base and went on to serve in either the British or Australian Air Forces.
In 1949, the poet
Margaret Walker
Margaret Walker (Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander by marriage; July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998) was an American poet and writer. She was part of the African-American literary movement in Chicago, known as the Chicago Black Renaissance. ...
began teaching at
Jackson State University, a
historically black college
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
. She taught there until 1979 and founded the university's Center for African-American Studies. Her poetry collection won a
Yale Younger Poets Prize. Her second novel, ''
Jubilee'' (1966), is considered a major work of African-American literature. She has influenced many younger writers.
Civil rights movement in Jackson
The
civil rights movement had been active for decades, particularly mounting legal challenges to Mississippi's constitution and laws that disfranchised black people. Beginning in 1960, Jackson as the state capital became the site for dramatic non-violent protests in a new phase of activism that brought in a wide variety of participants in the performance of mass demonstrations.
In 1960, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Jackson's population as 64.3% white and 35.7% black.
At the time, public facilities were segregated and
Jim Crow was in effect. Efforts to desegregate Jackson facilities began when nine
Tougaloo College students tried to read books in the "white only" public library and were arrested. Founded as a
historically black college
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
(HBCU) by the
American Missionary Association after the Civil War,
Tougaloo College helped organize both black and white students of the region to work together for civil rights. It created partnerships with the neighboring mostly white
Millsaps College to work with student activists. It has been recognized as a site on the "Civil Rights Trail" by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...
.
The mass demonstrations of the 1960s were initiated with the arrival of more than 300
Freedom Riders on May 24, 1961. They were arrested in Jackson for
disturbing the peace
Breach of the peace, or disturbing the peace, is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries and in a public order sense in the several jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It is a form of disorderly conduct.
Public ord ...
after they disembarked from their interstate buses. The interracial teams rode the buses from
Washington, D.C. and sat together to demonstrate against segregation on public transportation, as the Constitution provides for unrestricted public transportation. Although the Freedom Riders had intended
as their final destination, Jackson was the farthest that any managed to travel. New participants kept joining the movement, as they intended to fill the jails in Jackson with their protest. The riders had encountered extreme violence along the way, including a bus burning and physical assaults. They attracted national media attention to the struggle for constitutional rights.
After the Freedom Rides, students and activists of the Freedom Movement launched a series of merchant
boycotts, sit-ins and protest marches, from 1961 to 1963. Businesses discriminated against black customers. For instance, at the time, department stores did not hire black salesclerks or allow black customers to use their fitting rooms to try on clothes, or lunch counters for meals while in the store, but they wanted them to shop in their stores.
In Jackson, shortly after midnight on June 12, 1963,
Medgar Evers, civil rights activist and leader of the Mississippi chapter of the
NAACP, was assassinated by
Byron De La Beckwith
Byron De La Beckwith Jr. (November 9, 1920 – January 21, 2001) was an American murderer, white supremacist and member of the Ku Klux Klan from Greenwood, Mississippi. He murdered the civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963. Two tria ...
, a
white supremacist associated with the
White Citizens' Council. Thousands marched in Evers' funeral procession to protest the killing. Two trials at the time both resulted in
hung juries
A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. Hung jury usually results in the case being tried again. ...
. A portion of
U.S. Highway 49
U.S. Route 49 (US 49) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with US Route 62/ Highway 1/ Highway 139 (US 62/AR 1/AR 139). Its southern terminus is ...
, all of Delta Drive, a library, the central post office for the city, and
Jackson–Evers International Airport were named in honor of Medgar Evers. In 1994, prosecutors Ed Peters and
Bobby DeLaughter finally obtained a murder conviction in a state trial of De La Beckwith based on new evidence.
During 1963 and 1964, civil rights organizers gathered residents for voter education and
voter registration. Black people had been essentially disfranchised since 1890. In a pilot project in 1963, activists rapidly registered 80,000 voters across the state, demonstrating the desire of African Americans to vote. In 1964 they created the
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party
The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), also referred to as the Freedom Democratic Party, was an American political party created in 1964 as a branch of the populist Freedom Democratic organization in the state of Mississippi during ...
as an alternative to the all-white state Democratic Party, and sent an alternate slate of candidates to the national Democratic Party convention in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, that year.
Segregation and the disfranchisement of African Americans gradually ended after the Civil Rights Movement gained Congressional passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
Voting Rights Act of 1965. In June 1966, Jackson was the terminus of the James Meredith March, organized by
James Meredith, the first
African American to enroll at the
University of Mississippi. The march, which began in
Memphis, Tennessee, was an attempt to garner support for full implementation of civil rights in practice, following the legislation. It was accompanied by a new drive to register African Americans to vote in Mississippi. In this latter goal, it succeeded in registering between 2,500 and 3,000 black Mississippians to vote. The march ended on June 26 after Meredith, who had been wounded by a sniper's bullet earlier on the march, addressed a large rally of some 15,000 people in Jackson.
In September 1967 a
Ku Klux Klan chapter bombed the synagogue of the
Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, and in November bombed the house of its rabbi, Dr.
Perry Nussbaum.
[ History of Beth Israel, Jackson, Mississippi](_blank)
, Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life website, History Department, Digital Archive, Mississippi, Jackson, Beth Israel. Retrieved August 17, 2008. He and his congregation had supported civil rights.
Gradually the old barriers came down. Since that period, both whites and African Americans in the state have had a consistently high rate of voter registration and turnout. Following the decades of the
Great Migration, when more than one million black people left the rural South, since the 1930s the state has been majority white in total population. African Americans are a majority in the city of Jackson, although the metropolitan area is majority white. African Americans are also a majority in several cities and counties of the
Mississippi Delta, which are included in the
2nd congressional district. The other three congressional districts are majority white.
Mid-1960s to present
The first successful cadaveric
lung transplant was performed at the
University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson in June 1963 by Dr.
James Hardy. Hardy transplanted the cadaveric lung into a patient suffering from lung cancer. The patient survived for eighteen days before dying of
kidney failure.
In 1966 it was estimated that recurring flood damage at Jackson from the Pearl River averaged nearly a million dollars per year. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
spent $6.8 million on
levees and a new channel in 1966 before the project completion to prevent a flood equal to the December 1961 event plus an additional foot.
Since 1968, Jackson has been the home of
Malaco Records, one of the leading record companies for
gospel,
blues, and
soul music in the United States. In January 1973,
Paul Simon recorded the songs "Learn How to Fall" and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras", found on the album ''
There Goes Rhymin' Simon'', in Jackson at the Malaco Recording Studios. Many well-known Southern artists recorded on the album, including the
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins, Barry Beckett),
Carson Whitsett, the
Onward Brass Band from New Orleans, and others. The label has recorded many leading soul and blues artists, including
Bobby Bland,
ZZ Hill,
Latimore,
Shirley Brown,
Denise LaSalle
Ora Denise Allen (July 16, 1934 – January 8, 2018), known by the stage name Denise LaSalle, was an American blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who, since the death of Koko Taylor, had been recognized as the "Queen of ...
, and
Tyrone Davis.
On May 15, 1970,
Jackson police killed two students and wounded twelve at
Jackson State College after a protest of the
Vietnam War included students' overturning and burning some cars. These killings occurred eleven days after the
National Guard killed four students in an anti-war protest at
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in ...
in
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, and were part of national social unrest. ''
Newsweek'' cited the Jackson State killings in its issue of May 18 when it suggested that U.S. President
Richard Nixon faced a new
home front
Home front is an English language term with analogues in other languages. It is commonly used to describe the full participation of the British public in World War I who suffered Zeppelin raids and endured food rations as part of what came t ...
.
The influx of illegal drugs occurred nationally as smugglers used the highways, seaports, and airports of the Gulf region. The 1980s in Jackson were dominated by Mayor
Dale Danks Jr. until he was unseated by lawyer and legislator
J. Kane Ditto, who criticized the deficit funding and the politicized police department of the city. Federal investigations of drug trafficking at Jackson's
Hawkins Field airport were a part of the ''Kerry Report,'' the 1986 U.S. Senate investigation of public corruption and foreign relations.
As Jackson has become the medical and legal center of the state, it has attracted
Jewish professionals in both fields. Since the late 20th century, it has developed the largest
Jewish community in the state.
In 1997,
Harvey Johnson, Jr. was elected as Jackson's first African-American mayor. During his term, he proposed the development of a
convention center to attract more business to the city. In 2004, during his second term, 66 percent of the voters passed a referendum for a tax to build the Convention Center.
Mayor Johnson was replaced by
Frank Melton
Frank Ervin Melton (March 19, 1949 – May 7, 2009) was the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, United States, from 4 July 2005 until his death on 7 May 2009. Melton, an African American, defeated the city's first black mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr ...
on July 4, 2005. Melton generated controversy through his unconventional behavior, which included acting as a law enforcement officer. A dramatic spike in crime ensued during his term, despite Melton's efforts to reduce crime. The lack of jobs contributed to crime. In 2006 a young African-American businessman, Starsky Darnell Redd, was convicted of
money laundering in federal court along with his mother, other associates, and Billy Tucker, the former airport security chief.
In 2007,
Hinds County
Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents. Hinds Co ...
sheriff Malcolm McMillin was appointed as the new police chief in Jackson, setting a historic precedent. McMillin was both the
county sheriff and city police chief until 2009, when he stepped down due to disagreements with the mayor. Mayor Frank Melton died in May 2009, and City Councilman Leslie McLemore served as acting mayor of Jackson until July 2009, when former Mayor Harvey Johnson was elected and assumed the position.
On June 26, 2011, 49-year-old
James Craig Anderson was killed in Jackson after being beaten, robbed, and run over by a group of white teenagers. The district attorney described it as a "
hate crime", and the
FBI investigated it as a civil rights violation.
On March 18, 2013, a severe
hailstorm hit the Jackson metro area. The hail caused major damage to roofs, vehicles, and building siding. Hail ranged in size from golfball to softball. There were more than 40,000 hailstorm claims of homeowner and automobile damage.
In 2013, Jackson was named as one of the top 10 friendliest cities in the United States by ''CN Traveler''. The capital city was tied with
Natchez as Number 7. The city was noticed for friendly people, great food, and green and pretty public places.
On July 1, 2013,
Chokwe Lumumba
Chokwe Lumumba (; August 2, 1947 – February 25, 2014) was an American attorney, activist, and politician, who was affiliated with the black nationalist organization Republic of New Afrika and served as its second vice president. He served as a ...
was sworn into office as mayor of the city. After eight months in office, Lumumba died on February 25, 2014. Lumumba was a popular yet controversial figure due to his prior membership in the
Republic of New Afrika
The Republic of New Afrika (RNA), founded in 1968 as the Republic of New Africa (RNA), is a black nationalist organization and black separatist movement in the United States popularized by black militant groups. The larger New Afrika movement ...
, as well as being a co-founder of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America.
Lumumba's son,
Chokwe Antar Lumumba, ran for the mayoral seat following his father's death, but lost to Councillor
Tony Yarber on April 22, 2014. In 2017, however, Chokwe Antar Lumumba ran for mayor again, and won. Following his victory, on June 26 he was interviewed by Amy Goodman on ''
Democracy Now!'', at which time he declared a commitment to make Jackson the "Most Radical City on the Planet".
For several years, the city water supply failed to meet
federal drinking water standards and was subject to many
boil water orders in 2021 and 2022. Due to deteriorating water infrastructure, some parts of the city experienced low water pressure, and in some neighborhoods residents reported untreated sewage flowing in city streets. In August 2022,
Jackson lost access to water when its largest water treatment plant failed, leaving tap water untreated.
Geography
Jackson is located primarily in northeastern Hinds County, with small portions in
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
and
Rankin counties. The city of Jackson also includes around 3,000 acres (12.1 km
2) comprising
Jackson-Medgar Evers International Airport in
Rankin County and a small portion of
Madison County. The
Pearl River forms most of the eastern border of the city. A small portion of the city containing
Tougaloo College is the portion of Jackson that lies in Madison County, bounded on the west by
Interstate 220 and on the east by the
U.S. Route 51 and
Interstate 55. In the 2010 census, only 622 of the city's residents lived in Madison County, and only 1 lived within the city limits in Rankin County. The city is bordered to the north by
Ridgeland in Madison County, to the northeast by
Ross Barnett Reservoir
The Ross Barnett Reservoir, often called the Rez, is a reservoir of the Pearl River between Madison and Rankin counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The lake serves as the state's largest drinking water resource, and is managed by the Pe ...
on the Pearl River, to the east by
Flowood and
Richland in Rankin County, to the south by
Byram in Hinds County, and to the west by
Clinton in Hinds County.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.94% of the total, are water.
Cityscape
Downtown Jackson is situated directly on the banks of the Pearl River. The downtown district has direct connections to both Interstate 55 via Pearl Street and Pasagoula Street and Interstate 20 via State Street (US 51). Much of the downtown was constructed before the 1980s and only small additions to the skyline have been made since then.
Major highways
*
Interstate 55
*
Interstate 20
*
Interstate 220
*
US 51
*
US 49
U.S. Route 49 (US 49) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with US Route 62/Highway 1/ Highway 139 (US 62/AR 1/AR 139). Its southern terminus ...
*
US 80
Geology
For the most part, Jackson is built on acidic, variably drained silt loam
soil.
Loess forms the topsoil in western sections, where the Loring soil series is common. The Tippo series, also a silt loam, is found in the central flood plain. Farther east, common soil series include Guyton silt loam, Providence silt loam and Smithdale fine sandy loam.
Jackson sits atop the extinct
Jackson Volcano
Jackson Volcano is an extinct volcano beneath the city of Jackson, Mississippi, under the Mississippi Coliseum. The uplifted terrain around the volcano forms the Jackson Dome, an area of dense rock clearly noticeable in local gravity measureme ...
, located underground. It is the only capital city in the United States to have this feature. The buried peak of the volcano is located directly below the
Mississippi Coliseum
The Mississippi Coliseum is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Jackson, Mississippi, built in 1962 and located on the Mississippi State Fairgrounds complex. The arena has 6,812 seats available for basketball, and can be expanded to 10,000 for ...
.
[
] The municipality is drained on the west by tributaries of the
Big Black River and on the east by the Pearl River, which is higher than the Big Black near
Canton. The artesian groundwater flow is not as extensive in Jackson for this reason. The first large-scale well was drilled in the city in 1896, and the city water supply has relied on surface water resources.
Climate
Jackson is located in the
humid subtropical climate zone (
Köppen ''Cfa''). Rain occurs throughout the year, though the winter and spring are the wettest seasons, while September and October are usually the driest months. Snow is rare, and accumulation very seldom lasts more than a day.
Average annual precipitation is , see climate table. Much of Jackson's rainfall occurs during thunderstorms. Thunder is heard on roughly 70 days each year. Jackson lies in a region prone to
severe thunderstorms which can produce large
hail, damaging winds, and
tornadoes. Among the most notable tornado events was the F5
Candlestick Park tornado on March 3, 1966, which destroyed the shopping center of the same name and surrounding businesses and residential areas, killing 19 in South Jackson.
The record low temperature is , set on January 27, 1940,
and the record high is , last recorded August 30, 2000.
Demographics
Jackson remained a small town for much of the 19th century. Before the American Civil War, Jackson's population remained small, particularly in contrast to the river towns along the commerce-laden
Mississippi River. Despite the city's status as the state capital, the 1850 census counted only 1,881 residents, and by 1900 the population of Jackson was still less than 8,000. Although it expanded rapidly, during this period
Meridian became Mississippi's largest city, based on trade, manufacturing, and access to transportation via railroad and highway.
In the early 20th century, Jackson had its largest rates of growth but ranked second to Meridian in Mississippi. By 1944, Jackson's population had risen to some 70,000 inhabitants, and it became the largest city in the state. It has maintained its position, achieving a peak population in the 1980 census of more than 200,000 residents in the city. Since then, Jackson has steadily declined in population, while its suburbs have boomed. This change has occurred in part due to
white flight after the
desegregation of public schools in 1970 but also demonstrates the national
suburbanization trend, in which wealthier residents moved out to newer housing. This decline slowed in the first decade of the 21st century.
Race and ethnicity
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
According to the 2010 census,
the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was predominantly
Black and African American, and
non-Hispanic white; in 2020, they remained the largest racial and ethnic composition for the city.
With
white demographic decline
White demographic decline is a decrease in the White populace as a percentage of the total population in a city, state, subregion, or nation. It has been recorded in a number of countries and smaller jurisdictions. For example, according to their n ...
and white flight, its non-Hispanic white population has declined; this was also due to the increase in other traditional minorities within the city, state, and nation.
Income
According to census statistics in 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $30,414, and the median income for a family was $36,003. Males had a median income of $29,166 versus $23,328 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,116. About 19.6% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over. At the publication of the 2020
American Community Survey, the city's median household income increased to $35,070; families had a median income of $44,348, married-couple families $74,893, and non-families $22,061.
Crime
In 1993 Jackson had the nation's 12th highest
homicide rate among cities with more than 100,000 residents, according to the FBI. The 87 slayings in the city in 1993 gave Jackson a homicide rate of 41.9 per 100,000 residents, the FBI reported, and set a new record for the most violent deaths in one year. 1994 had higher homicides, with 91, and the record would be broken again in 1995 with a total of 92.
In 2020, the city's homicide rate reached its highest in history with 79.69 homicides per 100,000 residents, with a total of 128 homicides. Of major U.S. cities, only
St. Louis surpassed Jackson's homicide rate. The homicide rate in 2020 represented a significant spike after years of declining homicide rates in the early 2000s. Property crime remains much lower than in the 1990s and overall violent crime has not increased as significantly as homicide in recent years and is below the peak in 1994 as of 2020. In 2021, a record number of homicides were recorded - 155 - and at a rate of 101 per 100,000 amongst the highest in the world.
In late 2020, Police Chief James Davis along with the Mayor and other city leaders unveiled the virtual policing concept. After months of struggling to move the concept forward Chief Davis began discussions with
Eric B. Fox, a veteran Jackson Police Officer to return to the department. Fox returned officially in January 2022 and launched a new concept, the Real Time Command Center.
Economy
Jackson is home to several major industries; these include electrical equipment and machinery, processed food, and primary and fabricated metal products. The surrounding area supports the agricultural development of livestock, soybeans, cotton, and poultry.
According to the city's government, its top three employers are the
University of Mississippi Medical Center,
Jackson Public Schools, and
Nissan North America as of 2020. Other notable corporations with a large presence in the city and area have included or currently include
Amazon (in nearby
Madison County),
Burlington, and
Walmart.
The city is home to
Cooperation Jackson, which is an economic development vehicle for
worker-owned cooperative business. The organization has led to the creation of several businesses including lawn care provider The Green Team, organic farm Freedom Farms, print shop The Center for Community Production, and The Balagoon Center, which is a cooperative
business incubator
Business incubator is an organization that helps startup companies and individual entrepreneurs to develop their businesses by providing a fullscale range of services starting with management training and office space and ending with venture c ...
.
Arts and culture
Jackson is home to a number of cultural and artistic attractions, including the following:
*
Ballet Mississippi
* Celtic Heritage Society of Mississippi
* Crossroads Film Society and its annual Film Festival
*
International Museum of Muslim Cultures
*
Jackson State University Botanical Garden
*
Jackson Zoo
*
Light and Glass Studio
* Margaret Walker Center
*
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum
*
Mississippi Arts Center
* Mississippi Chorus
*
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is a museum in Jackson, Mississippi. Its mission is to document, exhibit the history of, and educate the public about the American Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. state of Mississippi between 1945 and 1970. ...
*
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which contains the state archives and records
* Mississippi Heritage Trust
* Mississippi Hispanic Association
* Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet
*
Mississippi Museum of Art
The Mississippi Museum of Art is a public museum in Jackson, Mississippi. It is the largest museum in Mississippi.
Location
It is located at the corner of 380 South Lamar Street and 201 East Pascagoula Street in Jackson, Mississippi.Lee Ellis, ''F ...
* Mississippi Opera
*
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (MSO), formerly the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1944
* Municipal Art Gallery
*
Museum of Mississippi History
The Museum of Mississippi History is a museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The museum opened December 9, 2017, in conjunction with the adjacent Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in celebration of Mississippi's bicentennial. The theme of the history m ...
*
Mynelle Gardens
* New Stage Theatre
*
Russell C. Davis Planetarium
* Smith-Robertson Museum and Cultural Center
* USA International Ballet Competition
Sports
The city of Jackson and its metropolitan area are home to collegiate and semi-professional sports teams;
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
's
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...
minor affiliate, the
Mississippi Braves, plays in the area.
Mississippi Brilla
Mississippi Brilla is an amateur American soccer club based in Clinton, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League Two. The team's colors are sky blue, navy and white.
Brilla is associated with Brilla Soccer Minis ...
of
USL League Two also operates in the area.
Government and infrastructure
Municipal government
In 1985, Jackson voters opted to replace the three-person mayor-commissioner system with a
city council and mayor. This electoral system enables a wider representation of residents on the city council. City council members are elected from each of the city's seven wards, considered single-member districts. The mayor is elected
at-large citywide.
Jackson's mayor is
Chokwe Antar Lumumba (
D). Who was elected on July 3, 2017.
Jackson's City Council members are:
*Ward 1: Ashby Foote
*Ward 2: Melvin Priester, Jr.
*Ward 3: Kenneth Stokes
*Ward 4: De'Keither Stamps
*Ward 5: Charles H. Tillman
*Ward 6: Aaron Banks
*Ward 7: Virgi Lindsay
State government
The
Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) operates the Jackson Probation & Parole Office in Jackson. The MDOC
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, in
unincorporated Rankin County, is located in proximity to Jackson.
Federal representation
The larger portion of Jackson is part of Mississippi's 2nd congressional district. U.S. Representative Bennie Gordon Thompson, a Democrat, has served since 1993. Until 2011 he was Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and has been the ranking member since 2011.
The
United States Postal Service operates the Jackson Main Post Office and several smaller post offices.
Education
Higher education
Jackson is home to the most collegiate institutions in Mississippi.
Jackson State University is the largest collegiate institution in Jackson, fourth largest in Mississippi, and the only doctoral-granting research institution based in its region.
Colleges and universities
*
Jackson State University
*
Tougaloo College
*
Millsaps College
*
Belhaven University
*
University of Mississippi Medical Center
*
Mississippi College School of Law
*
Hinds Community College
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Jackson Public School District
The Jackson Public School District (JPSD) or Jackson Public Schools (JPS) is a public school district serving the majority of Jackson, the state capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. Established in 1888, it is the second lar ...
(JPS) operates 60 public schools. It is one of the largest school districts in the state with about 30,000 students in thirty-eight elementary schools, thirteen middle schools, seven high schools, and two special schools. Jackson Public Schools is the only urban school district in the state.
the public schools have few children who are middle or upper class, as 99% of the students in JPS qualify for free or reduced school lunches. In 2017 Susan Womack, president of the Parents for Public Schools Jackson (PPSJ) from 2000 to 2012, stated that middle to upper-class families in Jackson tended to leave public school after elementary school, with parents who remained in Jackson enrolling their children in private school, and those who wished to continue enrolling their children in public schools moving to
Madison County. The PPSJ decided circa the mid-2000s that it was not feasible to encourage middle and upper-class parents to put their children in JPS schools.
The district's high schools include:
*
Callaway High School
*
Capital City Alternative School
* Career Development Center
*
Forest Hill High School
Forest Hill High School is a public high school located in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It serves students from grades 9 12, and is part of the Jackson Public School District. The current principal is Torrey Hampton.
Demographics
A tota ...
*
Jim Hill High School
Jim Hill High School is a public high school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, hosting the state's first International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) program. It hosts Advanced Placement courses, a JROTC, and a SOAR program.
History
Jim Hi ...
*
Lanier High School
*
Murrah High School
*
Provine High School
John W. Provine High School is a public school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Jackson Public School District. Nicknamed "Ram City", the school serves students in grades 9–12 in the West Jackson area. Students from th ...
*
Wingfield High School
While most of Jackson is in Jackson PSD, there are parts in Hinds County that are instead in
Hinds County School District
The Hinds County School District is a public school district based in Raymond, Mississippi (US).
In addition to Raymond, the district serves the communities of Bolton, Byram, Edwards, Learned, Terry, and Utica, as well as sections of Jackson. ...
. This part is zoned to
Terry High School in
Terry. The portion of Jackson in Madison County is within the
Madison County School District.
There are state-operated K-12 public schools for special purposes;
*
Mississippi School for the Blind
*
Mississippi School for the Deaf
Private schools
Private secondary schools include:
* Christ Missionary & Industrial (CM&I) College High School
*
Hillcrest Christian School
Hillcrest Christian School is a private Christian school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. The school traces its history to a segregation academy founded by the White Citizens Council.
History
Racial segregation
Hillcrest was established ...
*
Jackson Academy
*
Woodland Hills Academy (closed)
Some schools are in nearby municipalities:
*
St. Andrew's Episcopal School (the elementary school is in Jackson but the secondary school campus is in
Ridgeland)
*
Jackson Preparatory School (
Flowood)
*
The Veritas School (
Ridgeland)
*
St. Joseph Catholic School (
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
), of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson
*
Hartfield Academy
Hartfield Academy (or simply known as Hartfield) is an independent private school in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The school hosts K3–12th and has two campuses, West and East. Hartfield's main west campus, located in Flowood, M ...
(
Flowood)
*
Canton Academy (
Canton)
*
Tri-County Academy (
Flora)
Private primary schools include:
*
Jackson Academy
* First Presbyterian Day School
* Magnolia Speech School
*
St. Andrew's Episcopal Lower School – South Campus
* St. Richard Catholic School
*
St. Therese Catholic School
Public libraries
Jackson/Hinds Library System
Jackson/Hinds Library System (JHLS) is the public library system of Jackson and Hinds County in Mississippi.
Branches
; Jackson
* Eudora Welty Library - It is the main library and is in a former Sears building, built circa 1938. As of 2018 the se ...
is the library system of Jackson.
Infrastructure
On March 27, 2015, Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued a state of emergency for transportation (potholes) and water infrastructure (breaks in water mains).
The quality of Jackson's water infrastructure system decreased after the severe winter weather of 2014–2015. Jackson's office estimated the cost to fix the roads and water pipes at $750 million to $1 billion.
After issuing the state of emergency, the City of Jackson filed a letter of intent to Department of Health to borrow $2.5 million to repair broken water pipes. The Jackson City Council must approve the mayor's proposal.
Additionally, Mayor Yarber asked for help from both FEMA and the state Governor's office.
Calling for a state of emergency increases the likelihood that the U.S. Department of Transportation would give the city money from a "quick release" funding account.
In late August 2022, the Pearl River overflowed, flooding much of the city and contaminating the water supply. Mayor Lumumba declared a state of emergency and shut down all businesses and schools.
Transportation
In 2015, 11 percent of the city of Jackson households lacked a car, which decreased to 7.6 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Jackson averaged 1.68 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.
Jackson has an increasing number of bicycle lanes.
Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is located east of city in
Rankin County.
In popular culture
In 2011, the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
named the
USS ''Jackson'' (LCS-6) in honor of the city.
In 2002, the Subway Lounge (of the Summers Hotel on the Gold Coast) was featured as the subject of the film documentary entitled ''Last of the Mississippi Jukes.''
[
]
The popular film ''
The Help'' (2011), based on the bestselling
novel by the same name by
Kathryn Stockett, was filmed in Jackson. The city has a two-part, self-guided tour of areas featured in the film and the book.
["'The Help' in Belhaven Neighborhood Tour"](_blank)
, Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau
In the song "
Uptown Funk" by
Mark Ronson and featuring
Bruno Mars Jackson is mentioned in the lines "Julio! Get the Stretch! Ride to Harlem; Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi."
''
Get on Up'', a movie released in August 2014, had some scenes filmed in Jackson, and nearby Natchez. The movie is based on the life of
James Brown.
The movie ''
Speech & Debate'', an adaptation of the
stage play of the same name of
Broadway theatre, was filmed entirely in Jackson.
Notable people
:''See:
List of people from Mississippi''
Further reading
*'' Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in Jackson, Mississippi'', edited by Kali Akuno and Ajamu Nangwaya. (2017) Daraja Press. .
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
*
Jackson Convention & Visitors BureauMetro Jackson Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in Mississippi
Cities in Hinds County, Mississippi
Cities in Madison County, Mississippi
Cities in Rankin County, Mississippi
1792 establishments in the United States
Andrew Jackson
County seats in Mississippi
Cities in Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi
Mississippi Blues Trail
Planned cities in the United States
Populated places established in 1792