Editor’s Note
Nostalgia is a funny thing. I walked out one morning a few weeks ago when it was slightly warm outside and felt like spring, and the feeling of the air transported me straight back to my childhood home, when I would walk my dog in the morning before heading to school. I could remember what the concrete under my feet felt like and smell the spring bursting through the air. The memories came rushing back instantly, all from that slight change of seasons that was happening in the air here, in Jackson, far from where I grew up back in East Tennessee.
Nostalgia will do that. It will transport you back to a feeling and space and time. In similar ways, that’s what this journal has done for people for the past decade. Writers and photographers and artists have sat down with people to hear their stories, stories of them reliving their past or expressing where they are in the present. And then those personal narratives are retold to you, for you to be transported back to their lives, surroundings, conflicts, and victories. Sometimes the stories have been difficult truths that need to be told, and sometimes the stories are incredibly hopeful and uplifting.
For the past decade, people have filled these very pages with moments of nostalgia and connection. And now, as we celebrate ten years of Our Jackson Home, we find ourselves reflecting on our own story—how this journal has grown, adapted, and remained
steadfast in its mission to document the heartbeat of Jackson. Just like the seasons shifted and brought back memories for me, this anniversary is a moment to pause and remember the voices, faces, and places that have shaped us.
A decade ago, this journal began as an idea—one rooted in a love for Jackson and a belief that its stories were worth telling. Over the years, it has been a place where neighbors see one another more clearly, where history is honored, and where the future is imagined with hope. Every story shared has been an invitation: to listen, to understand, and to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
As we step into the next decade, we carry with us the same purpose that began this journey. We will continue to seek out the narratives that matter and to create a space where Jackson’s stories — past, present, and future — are preserved with care.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you have read, written, photographed, or simply shared in the love of this place, you are the reason this journal exists. It is an honor to be at Our Jackson Home for this moment in time. I hope you read this journal and see the people preserving Jackson’s history, creating connections and places of nostalgia, and imagining all that might change in Jackson into the next decade in front of us.
MADDIE MCMURRY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTENTS
6/STORY
Burger Barn: The Comfort Found in A Jackson Staple
Maddie McMurry
12/STORY
Harnessing the Power of Art, Storytelling, & Collaboration
Lizzie Emmons
18/STORY
The Place Time Cannot Erase
Shelby Tyre
24/STORY
Sabrina Anderson: Mentoring the Next Generation
Olivia Bell
34/STORY
Katie Howerton: Riding the Wave Until It Crashes
Trista Havner
42/SPONSOR FEATURE
United Way: Building a Brighter Tomorrow
Matt Marshall
48/Q&A Stay 731 With Past & Present
52/STORY
DJ Von: The Beat of Optimism
Austin Thompson
58/STORY
The Connection of a Downtown Space
Gabe Hart
BURGER BARN
The Comfort Found in a Jackson Staple
STORY BY MADDIE MCMURRY
PHOTOS BY TRUNETTA ATWATER
Ten years ago, on exactly March 13, 2015, Our Jackson Home published one of its first articles ever, a story about Burger Barn and Wanda Fly, the owner at the time. As we approached the celebration of a decade of Our Jackson Home telling the stories of people all across Jackson, I began looking at how it has evolved over the years. The journal has changed its physical shape, and the online content has shifted. Programming has been added and taken away. It has ebbed and flowed with what the Jackson community has needed yet always remained consistent with the mission: telling real stories.
Now, exactly ten years later, we are retelling the story of Burger Barn, but with new owners, Mary and Isiah. As I was preparing for the interview, I expected to walk in to talk with Mary and Isiah and see a long list of changes and differences, similar to how Our Jackson Home has evolved. Yet, I was greeted with something far different. Change was almost nonexistent. Mary and Isiah had no answer to any question related to how the business is different now. Instead, it was always the words consistency and nostalgia,
simply continuing the work of meeting people’s want for a classic burger, slaw dog, or milkshake in between the mundane patterns of life.
For over four decades, Burger Barn has been a beloved fixture in Jackson, Tennessee. Locals can’t remember a time without its freshly made burgers and homey charm.
Burger Barn originally opened in 1979 and had been owned by Wanda Fly, a longtime member of the Jackson community. For years, she sought the right buyer to take over her business. Wanda went to church with Isiah Johnson and his daughter, Mary Curry. Every Sunday at church, Isiah would ask, “Have you sold Burger Barn yet?” The answer was always no — until one day, Wanda turned the question around and asked, “Do you want it?”
For Isiah, a man who had spent years cooking barbecue around town for his friends, owning a restaurant had always been a dream. “In my opinion, it’s just a God thing,” he said. In May 2021, that dream became a reality when he and Mary took over ownership of Burger Barn.
“We had it for a year before I ever
“We’re a family-owned business serving families. We’re not a corporation. It’s just homey and comforting.”
posted that we were the new owners,” Mary recalled. “When I did post it, it went crazy. It got like 600 shares and had a huge response, especially from the Black community.”
Isiah and Mary stepped into this role of restaurant owners for the first time ever, with zero prior experience. Although they had worked at the same company before and knew that running the restaurant as a family business would be an amazing fit, there was a huge learning curve. Running a restaurant was a new challenge. Staffing proved to be the biggest hurdle, with high turnover making it difficult to maintain a consistent team. Meanwhile, food costs continued to rise, forcing them to navigate price adjustments while keeping their menu affordable and customers happy.
Mary and Isiah wanted to keep the nostalgia and consistency Burger Barn has held for decades in Jackson. The transition going unnoticed by the public was a positive for them. It meant they didn’t drastically change what the community already knew and loved. They kept the same menu, the same food vendors, and the same commitment to quality — never freezing their meat and hand-pounding patties fresh each morning.
“We’re a staple — Burger Barn is consistent,” Mary said.
“People come where the good food is at. It doesn’t matter who owns it,” Isiah added.
Burger Barn is more than just a place to grab a double cheeseburger or one of its famous slaw dogs (which Isiah now deep-fries) — it’s a community landmark. Generations of families have dined here, from 70-year-olds who have been coming since childhood to students at Lane College who credit Burger Barn with getting them through school.
The restaurant has been the backdrop to countless personal stories. One woman, whose mother was in her final days of life, shared that the only thing her mother would eat was a Burger Barn burger. Fulfilling that dying wish was a powerful reminder to Mary of what this small but profound business meant to people.
Burger Barn is a vital piece of daily life to the neighborhoods around it. Isiah spoke about how there aren’t many options for affordable places to eat in this particular part of Jackson, which is on the border of Downtown Jackson and East Jackson. Even if they were to change things about the building or relocate and expand, Mary and Isiah see the importance of this original location for the people it serves. There are no sleek aesthetics or trendy branding to Burger Barn. It’s
simple, exactly how it’s always been since 1979. Burger Barn remains true to its roots.
“We’re a family-owned business serving families. We’re not a corporation. It’s just homey and comforting,” Mary said.
As much as they cherish the history of Burger Barn, Isiah and Mary are also looking ahead. One of their dreams is to remodel and add a drivethru to make ordering more convenient while maintaining their made-to-order process.
Through it all, one thing remains unchanged: their dedication to serving the Jackson community with nostalgic food. Every meal served at Burger Barn carries a sense of familiarity, reminding customers of childhood lunches, late-
night burger runs with college friends, and shared moments with family and friends. Mary and Isiah want to uphold this legacy, ensuring that every burger is hand-pounded, the fries are crispy, and the creamy milkshakes deliver the same comforting taste people have loved for decades. Their commitment isn’t just about keeping the menu the same — it’s about preserving the feeling of home, where everyone who walks up to the window is met with a warm smile and a meal made with care. For them, Burger Barn isn’t just a business; it’s a piece of Jackson’s heart, a place where tradition and community come together.
“There aren’t a lot of places left like this,” Isiah reflected. “Burger Barn has stood the test of time.”
GUIDING FAMILIES THROUGH LIFE’S CHALLENGES
Endurance isn’t just about pushing through—it’s about having the right support along the way. Everyone needs a champion!
In West Tennessee, too many families face chronic poverty and toxic stress, but they don’t have to do it alone. Our Family Champions are here to help, offering guidance for child care assistance, family coaching, literacy enrichment, and critical resource connections like employment services, continuing education, and more.
With compassionate support, United Way is ensuring every family can move forward with confidence. Connect with a Family Champion today and take the next step toward a brighter tomorrow. Call 731-422-1816 or visit uwwt.org.
Harnessing the Power of Art, Storytelling, & Collaboration
WRITTEN BY LIZZIE EMMONS
PHOTOS BY MADDIE MCMURRY
In 2021, I accepted a leadership position at the Jackson Arts Council here in Jackson. As someone from rural West Tennessee whose primary interests in life have revolved around the arts, I felt like this was a dream opportunity to support arts development in my little corner of the world.
During my time at the organization, I had the privilege of getting to know most of the artists and arts leaders in Jackson well; these are the people who are working tirelessly to bring us all entertainment, cultural experiences, and joy in our own backyard. There was energy bursting out of our arts scene at the seams when I started working in Jackson. The AMP regularly hosted free concerts, artist and artisan popups were happening organically, there was discussion of the City of Jackson establishing an Arts District, galleries and shops and restaurants and bars that support local artists and musicians kept opening and programming arts events and live music, and well-
established arts organizations were seeing record growth and ticket sales.
And with any growth, there were, and are, significant growing pains. Every arts organization and artist’s needs are drastically different, and my job at the Arts Council was to support all of them. The most professionally challenging experience I’ve had was trying to meet the needs of such a quickly growing arts community, all with different priorities. However, what I did know with absolute certainty is that a large portion of the community was overflowing with excitement for one specific kind of art — public art.
Jackson has had public art for decades, but the exciting art installations as of late were the murals that kept popping up, created by local artists. I heard about them constantly and listened to person after person tell me we needed more.
In 2023, I decided to leave the Arts Council to join the
collaborative magic that I saw coming out of theCO and its team. Of all of the arts programs in Jackson, the Our Jackson Home program at theCO was something special that I couldn’t stop bragging about since moving here. The way the program harnessed the organic growth of the arts in Jackson was unmatched; from its journal publication created by local artists writing, photographing, and illustrating stories of Jacksonians, to its annual Porchfest festival pumping new energy to a historic district through art and music, to its cultural events and films and mural installations — everything this program produced was the highest artistic quality, created by and for Jacksonians. The program was the epitome of how to build community together through art, storytelling, and collaboration. I couldn’t wait to dig in and keep helping it grow.
public art since he was elected. theCO and its staff have been involved in numerous public art installations, including past directors of the Our Jackson Home program installing two murals in Downtown (Katie Howerton’s Jackson Postcard and Courtney Searcy’s Love Your Neighborhood) as well as collaborating with local businesses, organizations, and homeowners to install both permanent and temporary art.
"Arts organizations and business owners are working every day to bring Jackson incredible opportunities. Artists from near and far are creating art right here in Jackson. All we have to do now is keep supporting them."
Even though each public art installation you’ll find in Jackson has its own backstory of who was involved in its creation, the City of Jackson and theCO have both been working to install public art in the last few years. Jackson’s city mayor and his staff have been commissioning local artists to create
When Dr. Shawn Pitts was hired in 2024 to be a public art consultant for the City of Jackson, he recommended a partnership between the City of Jackson and theCO to grow the City of Jackson’s collection of public art and strengthen our collective efforts through a formal partnership. This year is Our Jackson Home’s first year following Dr. Pitts’ plan of collaborating with the City of Jackson on public art development. This one year alone, we will collectively install a sidewalk art piece with the help of dozens of community volunteers, a mural at the Farmers’ Market, a large mural at the AMP, a functional art piece in Anderson Park, two small temporary murals that will be on display in Downtown for one year, and wayfinding signage for navigating public art exploration in
the Arts District. Just like all of Our Jackson Home’s projects, our goal for these installations is to let artists take the lead in telling our collective Jackson story — one that represents our history, our culture, and our people.
All of these projects coincide with other private developments of public art, with many other murals in the works that will be installed on private property. The fast growth of our public art scene has gained national attention, with Jackson, Tennessee, being nominated and voted as USA Today’s #3 City for Street Art in the country. We are by far the smallest city selected, beating numerous large cities known for incredible public art.
So here we arrive in 2025. I never would have thought a decade ago that Jackson would be nationally recognized for its growing arts
scene and that my career would lead me to getting a front row seat to watching it happen. There’s a buzz and excitement in the air that we can all feel. The infrastructure is now set in place. The growth is happening. The entire country is looking at our art. Arts organizations and business owners are working every day to bring Jackson incredible opportunities. Artists from near and far are creating art right here in Jackson. All we have to do now is keep supporting them. Keep showing up at arts events, keep purchasing work from artists, keep going to their classes and shows, keep taking photos in front of their murals, keep being vocal about loving the cool things being made here. If we keep this momentum going, just imagine what our Jackson home will look like in another decade from now.
THE PLACE TIME CANNOT ERASE
The Jackson-Madison County Library's TN Room
STORY BY SHELBY TYRE
BY MADDIE MCMURRY
PHOTOS
December 13, 2024, Christmas at the Carnegie. That night, I feel the weight of Jackson’s history for the first time. I had been to the Carnegie before, but that night, before the festivities began, I let myself slow down. I wander through the displays, pausing here and there until I find myself standing in front of a collection about Sonny Boy Williamson, the legendary blues musician.
I read every word, study every artifact, and let the presence of his story settle over me. Jack Wood approaches me and says, “That’s me, I was there, I helped find his grave.” He has worked in the Tennessee Room at the JacksonMadison County Library for years. He had actually helped track down the very artifacts on display in front of me.As a lover of history — local, national, and international — I was hooked. We talk for an hour, discussing not just Sonny Boy, but the vast, often hidden history of Jackson that lives within the Tennessee Room.
As a filmmaker, I find my mind spinning with possibilities. Before we part ways, I ask Jack if I can visit the Tennessee Room to hear more about what he and others had discovered over the years.
I imagined something grand — a dedicated space, carefully curated like a museum. But when I arrive, what I find is something different, something denser, something alive.
The room is overflowing. Boxes labeled with names, dates, and handwritten notes line the walls. Shelves, lined with thick binders, groan under the weight of history itself.
It is not a room of displays — it is a room of discovery.
I meet Evelyn Keele, the Tennessee Room Manager, and Miller Coleman,
the Tennessee Room Librarian.
Everything here is fragile, not just because of age but because paper is living history, and time is always trying to erase it.
“Paper is acidic by nature,” Evelyn tells me. “It actually destroys itself over time.”
That’s why every document in this room is placed into acid-free folders, stored in carefully controlled conditions, and sometimes digitized. Preservation is slow, costly, necessary work.
Without this process, the past would crumble away. But in this room, history waits.
Evelyn shows me a pair of wedding shoes from the 1850s, delicate and small.
Church bells ring out the union of Mary Jane Baldwin and Robert Cartmell.
Cartmell’s diaries would become one of the most valuable records of Jackson’s history.
On a low shelf sits a gas pipe from the 1870s, once used to light Jackson’s streets before electricity changed everything. A simple piece of metal, but in its time, it was progress.
The streets are dirt, lined with storefronts and bustling with farmers, merchants, and families.
I’m there, Downtown Jackson in the 1800s.
Inside St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, a quiet ceremony is unfolding. A baby is baptized. A name is written but only a first, no last, no family to claim in freedom. Years later, when emancipation comes, this will change. Some will choose their own names — Bond. Freeman. Washington. Jefferson. Others will carry the names of those who once owned them. Now, hundreds
"They don’t want history to sit in folders, untouched. They want people — especially young people — to know that history is not just something in books. It is ours. A collection of what lived before us."
of years later, those same names rest in a binder, carefully preserved — written, recorded, and finally remembered.
A young poet in Denmark, Tennessee, sits at a desk, writing. He dreams of being published. His correspondence with Edgar Allan Poe is full of hope, full of ideas. But Poe dies before they can ever bring those ideas to life.
It’s 1905, and Avon Kenneth Weaver has brought Coca-Cola to Jackson, situated on Royal Street. Delivery trucks rattle along the brick roads, their wooden crates packed with bottles. The factory hums with motion, workers moving quickly to fill, cap, and load the next shipment. Jackson is alive with industry, expansion, and the sound of progress.
I see all of this in a collection of photos Miller presents to me.
I hear the whistle of a train, transporting people, goods, and soldiers… a young Jackson-born man being sent off to war. Fear and worry rattling his and his family's minds. Not knowing that he would soar through enemy skies, navigating air battles.
Now, almost 100 years later, his memory lives on in a delicate, carefully preserved pair of his aviator goggles.
1936, inside an office in Jackson, Congressman Herron Pearson leans over his desk, reading an invitation from the Japanese Empire. At the time, it was a diplomatic formality, nothing more. He doesn’t yet know that war is on the horizon, that alliances will fracture, that history will soon mark these letters with weight they don’t yet hold.
Sitting nearby is a ticket to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second inauguration. It was meant to be used, but for whatever reason, Pearson never went. Instead, the ticket remains pristine, untouched — like a door that was never walked through, a moment in time frozen forever.
A sharp crack of a gavel echoes in a courtroom.
Judge Q.S. Anderson stands in his office in Jackson, preparing for what would become the most important trial of his career. He was born here, educated here, but fate took him far beyond Tennessee. His role as a Nuremberg Trials judge would place him before Nazi war criminals, hearing testimonies of horror that reshaped the world’s understanding of justice.
His letters home — written in the very hand that once signed legal documents in this town — speak of the awe and weight of his task.
Another moment, another room, mid-1950s.
A young girl stands before the congregation, her voice rising in gospel hymns passed down through generations — the ones history tried to forget.
One day, the world will know her as Ruby Falls, the first Black woman to chart on the country music charts.
And then time will try to erase her. But her voice will soar.
Now, her tombstone is being repaired and her legacy honored in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The dust settles on the documents, the letters, the names. History remains.
Across from me, Evelyn and Miller just smile. This is what they do; they carefully hold time, making sure it is not erased.
I wonder how they handle pieces of our history every day without letting the weight of it consume them.
How one day, our own stories will sit on these shelves. What will they say about us?
Maybe that’s why Evelyn, Jack, Miller, and the volunteers devote their time to this room.
Because they feel it too — this pull of history.
The handwritten names of enslaved individuals, longing for freedom. The words of poets, dreaming of recognition. Forgotten voices, now
rediscovered.
Because it’s more than just records in folders or facts in books — it’s tangible, personal, alive.
"I always tell people I can't believe they pay me to come here. I should be paying something to come here to do this," Evelyn tells me.
They don’t want history to sit in folders, untouched. They want people — especially young people — to know that history is not just something in books. It is ours. A collection of what lived before us.
They encourage volunteers to help preserve and digitize records. They promote history competitions for students, hoping to inspire the next generation to ask questions, to look deeper, to uncover their own city’s story.
Because history should never feel distant. It should feel like home.
Mentoring The Next Generation SABRINA ANDERSON
STORY BY OLIVIA BELL
PHOTOS BY HANNAH GORE
“It takes the whole community to help support the club. Grants are important because they help support what we do, but really, the community has to believe in what we do and who we are,” Sabrina Anderson said.
On my way to interview Sabrina Anderson, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club in Jackson, I had those classic “pre-interview nerves,” the kind of nerves you get anytime you go somewhere you’ve never been or prepare to have an in-depth conversation with a person you’ve never met. I arrived in the parking lot at 9:29 a.m. Perfect timing. I walked up to the door and rang the buzzer for someone to let me in. I had never been to the Boys and Girls Club, and I had never met Sabrina before today. Yet, when she greeted me at the door, I felt as if I had been greeted by a friend.
The Boys and Girls Club of Jackson is an after-school and summer program focused on serving over 800 youth each year, ages 5-18. The Club’s mission is
to provide kids with a safe and enriching environment to nurture them and help them grow as individuals and citizens through programming, homework help, and staff who really care.
One of the first things Sabrina said to me when we walked into her office was that the Club wants children “to understand that this is a safe space and they can talk to people who can be role models for them.” As I sat down in the chair across from Sabrina, I could tell that she deeply believed in this goal and practiced it all the time. At that moment, my pre-interview nerves fluttered away, and I was left in awe that after 25 years, Sabrina continues to work hard to achieve the Boys and Girls Club mission.
“Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to help them realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens,” Sabrina said.
The Boys and Girls Club strives to help kids succeed, and
usually, that starts with meeting their physical needs first. When they arrive at the Club after school, they receive a hot meal, because you can hardly ever be productive if you are hungry. After that, they can go to any of the rooms in the building and start working on their homework.
“We want them to understand that we're going to help them with their homework or help them have fun, but we're going to teach them some things along the way. My whole role is to support that,” Sabrina said.
While the Club focuses heavily on meeting those primary needs, they also care about helping children learn new things.
“You want learning to be fun, and hands-on is typically your best avenue to keep kids engaged,” Sabrina said.
The Club’s building has entire rooms dedicated to STEM with technology, 3D printers, bots, snap
circuits and computers. There are game rooms, fitness rooms with machines to get kids moving after long days of sitting in a classroom, an art room with supplies where they can work on arts and crafts and whatever their creative minds can come up with, a basketball gym, and plenty of outdoor space for them to run and play and just be kids. The Club is more than just a fun place to hangout, however. Often, the team brings in speakers and guests to host lessons on hygiene, nutrition, and even on how many minutes to brush your teeth. They also have people come and speak on more difficult issues, issues that really matter and have a direct impact on kids’ futures.
“We really believe that great futures start at the Boys and Girls Club because we try to give them the foundation of what they need, meaning in their moral compass and character development,” Sabrina said. “We do talk about
alcohol and tobacco and drugs. We talk about gangs. We talk about conflict resolution, we talk about proper touch, we talk about dating. Kids get things from their peers. They get things from the internet. But they need to have a responsible adult to be able to say, ‘Hey, that's not good. This is not the way you treat a lady. This is not the way you talk to a friend or treat a friend and this is how we share.’”
In a very practical way, the Boys and Girls Club is meeting a huge need in our community. There are many parents working multiple jobs who have sought guidance in how to best love and take care of their children when they are not home. For many, the Club has become a safe place people can run to, parents and kids alike.
need right here,” Sabrina said.
At the end of our interview, Sabrina took me on a tour and showed me around the building where many kids in our city spend their afternoons. She showed me the STEM room, the gym, the computer lab, all places that reminded me fondly of the elementary school where I did most of my learning.
“These kids are our future, and so you have to shape them. You have to develop them. You have to mold them into these productive, caring and responsible citizens that our mission shares."
“The hours of 3-6 are one of the peak times for crime. We're providing a safe place in a positive environment and teaching them things other than the negative. Our slogan previously was ‘A positive place for kids’ because you're making sure that they're being nurtured and learning. For me, I think we're keeping the kids when they need us most, when their parents aren't there. We have everything that they
When she took me to the art room, I was immediately hit with the most nostalgic smell known to man: crayons, paint, and glue — the beginnings of creativity. I stood there, thinking about how formative those years were for me, and how many of these kids will hopefully look back and think the same fond thoughts about this place and how it helped them grow and how it made them learn. This place and its people have so much to offer.
“These kids are our future, and so you have to shape them. You have to develop them. You have to mold them into these productive, caring, and responsible citizens that our mission shares. I love the Boys and Girls Club, and I've been a part of it for 25 years. I always tell people I work hard because I believe in what I do. I know who I serve. You
need to have a purpose in life, and I think God is using me as that vessel to help carry out the mission of the Club here,” Sabrina said.
It takes hard-working, resilient, patient, and kind people like Sabrina and her staff to do what they do. As far as CEOs go, Sabrina is one of the most involved and hands-on that I have ever seen. She is there opening the doors in the morning and locking up after the kids go home at night.
“My whole world seems to be the Boys and Girls Club. I know, of course, my family and God are always important, but the Club, no matter what, no matter where I go, I'm seeing people and they recognize me as the Boys and Girls Club. They've given me that identity,” Sabrina said. “I work hard, but my team works hard. My team are the people that help carry out this mission. [The kids] remember the staff, not necessarily
the programs that we run, but the staff that were there for them. And if it's tough love, it's tough love, because you have to remember, if you don't discipline a child, then they can go astray, and it's not going to be a good thing for them. You’ve got to show them love and discipline.”
In so many ways, like Sabrina said, these kids are the future of our community. And if we want a thriving community, we need to pour into the generations that come after us.
“It's called opening their eyes to new opportunities. For me, if you can teach them a different way of life, if you can break the cycles that are negative in their world and show them something new, then you have it. I call my kids diamonds in the rough, because if you polish them and work on them, they'll shine bright,” Sabrina said.
KATIE HOWERTON Riding
the Wave Until it Crashes
STORY BY TRISTA HAVNER
PHOTOS BY CARI GRIFFITH
Over the last ten years, I have interviewed countless women in the pursuit of telling stories. I have sat across from women I just met, asked hard questions of strangers, and learned new things about women I thought I knew well. A journey of a thousand questions, strung together with conversations in coffee shops and schools and living rooms, all predicated on the trust that these women have generously bestowed upon me. Each woman becomes a metaphor, their life and work unfolding like a chapter in a book that I cannot wait to finish. Telling the stories of women in this city who are living and laboring in the direction of kindness and progress and inclusivity has been one of my greatest honors, so sitting across from the woman who created the space for me to start this storytelling endeavor ten years ago felt like a full circle moment.
That woman, of course, is Katie Howerton. The visionary behind the journal arm of Our Jackson
Home, Katie created a mainstay of Jackson art and storytelling. The journal has served as a conduit of culture over the last ten years, important to so many Jacksonians near and far. But I think some backstory here would be really helpful to understand the gravity of just how much the journal, and Katie, has evolved over the last ten years.
In the fall of 2011, Katie arrived at Union University to pursue a degree in graphic design. She had been involved in yearbook in high school, and graphic design seemed the natural direction she would go. Along the way, she added a drawing degree to her repertoire. While at Union, she met Jordan, her future husband, who would play a prominent role in keeping her in Jackson. Katie spent the summer before her senior year in Turkey. While there, she decided that she would love to design a travel magazine. She was drawn to the way that food and entertainment were
celebrated in these publications and began to dream about what that could look like for her current home in Jackson. There had to be a way to highlight the people who make a place, and she was going to design a magazine that would be a “personal rebrand” for Jackson.
As her senior show approached, Katie decided that she would design a journal, in conjunction with Our Jackson Home (a podcast started by Luke Pruett, Jim Wilhelm, Anthony Kirk, and Kevin Adelsberger to tell the stories of our community), that would serve as a small-scale travel guide to navigate the good things happening in Jackson. Knowing this was a monumental task to do alone, she enlisted the help of Joshua Garcia and Courtney Searcy, who encouraged Katie to emphasize food, entertainment,
and storytelling. The journal sought to be a carefully curated collection of the people and potential that made this place. Complete with a portrait of Rita Randolph and a hand-lettered logo on the cover, the first issue of Our Jackson Home: The Magazine was born, full of stories and photographs that highlighted Jackson culture. Katie had no way of knowing that her senior project, which was received with rave reviews, would become something much bigger than herself.
Katie and Jordan had plans to marry and stay in Jackson, and Katie graduated from Union without a job prospect until she was approached by theCO to continue the journal, along with wearing a few other hats — running the OJH blog, redesigning the website — that were in her wheelhouse.
In 2015, she hit the ground running with the second issue of the journal and never slowed her pace, producing four issues a year until eventually settling on three issues a year through her five-year tenure as Editor-in-Chief. As the journal grew and evolved, including more community contributors and expanding its reach through storytelling and celebration of community, so did Katie. She got married, had her first child, and began to feel like her time producing the journal was drawing to a close. Naturally, she struggled with the decision to move on from the journal. Who could she trust to carry on her work? Could she distance herself in a meaningful way to experience new opportunities? Was she allowed to leave a good thing? In 2020, she decided that the time was right to hand the journal over to Courtney Searcy, a trusted fellow artist and contributor from the inception of the journal. Katie was ready to step into the next chapter of her life, knowing that what she had so carefully created was in capable and thoughtful hands.
"'There will always be people to carry the things that matter.' The staying power of any work, the journal included, lies in the goodness of the work. And what a good work the journal is."
I have known Katie for nearly
ten years, and what I know to be true of her is this: if Katie deems something worth doing, she is going to do the hell out of it. Every single thing she does is done well, with care and consideration given to every detail. Since moving on from OJH, she has curated Thatch travel guides, launched an Etsy shop to sell her Disney-themed art, worked as a graphic designer creating branding for businesses, and most recently, begun leaning more into illustration, all while raising two little girls. I have watched in awe as Katie has allowed herself to wildly pursue what interests her, be fully present in that ambition, and, when the time is right, be done with it. She describes her approach as “riding the wave until it crashes,” and that could not be a more accurate metaphor for her creative endeavors — holding tight until the time is right to let go and watch the wave crash and recede. That’s pretty brave by my estimation. The last question I asked Katie to consider was how she felt about her work. All of it, but the journal in particular. I wanted to steer her in the direction of reflection, and I intended to give her flowers. The journal has meant so much to so many, and the fact that it has
lasted a decade, through changing leadership and contributors, means that she has made something special and enduring. Even the very fact that I sat across from her, interviewing yet another woman whose story I get to tell, was because of the space created for storytelling by her journal. But she wouldn’t accept the flowers. Instead, she reiterated to me that “there will always be people to carry the things that matter.” The staying power of any work, the journal included, lies in the goodness of the work. And what a good work the journal is —
an ocean that endures as people and places crash on Jackson’s shore. But what draws us back to the ocean time and time again to see what we have seen before? The sheer power and consistency of the waves. The journal is a mighty ocean, holding the stories and the culture of our home. The people who continue to create meaningful and important art may crash like waves, they may stay or go, but their work matters and will serve as beacons of light on our collective journey. Katie’s vision did that. Her good work did that.
SPONSOR FEATURE
Building a Brighter Tomorrow: United Way’s Mission for a Growing West Tennessee
WRITTEN BY MATT MARSHALL
PHOTOS BY MADDIE MCMURRY, TRUNETTA ATWATER, & KATHERINE CHESHIRE
In December 1941, as Christmas quickly approached, leaders across the Jackson community organized to form a new nonprofit entity whose mission aimed to raise funds that could be distributed through local grants. The first article on this campaign was published on December 7, the same day that marked one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, the attack on Pearl Harbor. These local leaders hoped these grants would provide stability to some of the organizations doing impactful work in the community — those taking care of our most vulnerable populations. And that objective became even more astute as hundreds of local men enlisted in the war, leaving more households financially vulnerable.
Established as the Community Chest, this organization later became known as United Way of West Tennessee. That first year, it raised a little over $25,000, which is equivalent to over $500,000 today! And for the past 84 years, United
Way has continued to serve the community by soliciting donations and granting it back to community nonprofits to help those most in need.
Over the decades, United Way has always provided a hand of support. As new opportunities in West Tennessee emerge, it updates its approach to ensure every resident has opportunities to flourish. Its impact has grown through forging innovative partnerships and launching new initiatives aimed at supporting every stage of community life. From helping children gain confidence in reading to unveiling larger community development projects, the organization’s expansion is a direct response to the needs of a thriving region.
A Community-First Approach to Literacy
At the heart of United Way’s mission is the understanding that our future success begins with our youth. Our state and nation are in
the middle of a reading epidemic, with less than half of third grade students reading on grade level in most places. To break cycles of generational poverty, improve academic performance, and foster a love of learning, United Way has mobilized its resources to create and expand four core literacy programs:
The READ Team: Sponsored by The Leaders Education Foundation, The READ Team recruits volunteers to serve as reading buddies and mentors, meeting weekly with local students to reinforce reading fundamentals and build confidence.
WOW Wagon and Frazier’s Book Bus: Roving “mobile libraries,” the WOW Wagon and Frazier’s Book Bus make scheduled stops in neighborhoods and schools across the region, providing access to free books and ensuring literacy reaches every corner of our community.
Tutor U: This after-school tutoring initiative funded by the Tennessee Department of Education focuses on small-group instruction led by skilled educators and trained volunteers. Lessons are tailored to each student’s specific needs, ensuring that no one is left behind, and every reading hurdle is approached with creative solutions.
All-Star Readers: Sponsored by The Community Foundation of West Tennessee, the Jackson Rockabillys, and UT Martin, this program incentivizes independent reading among kindergarten and
third grade students across the region and rewards them for their progress.
It is not just about hitting reading benchmarks; it is about fostering a lifelong love of learning while strengthening the workforce of tomorrow.
Growing Leaders through Jackson Grown
Addressing community needs extends beyond childhood. As Jackson and West Tennessee evolve, so must the leaders who shape their future. Emerging in 2018 from a series of articles in Our Jackson Home, which profiled the stories behind unique alumni of the Jackson-Madison County School System and deep-rooted community leaders, Jackson Grown aims to cultivate leadership skills in the next generation. JMCSS alumni (high school students called Fellows) are connected with local leaders and influencers who teach them about civic engagement, economic development, and innovative problem-solving.
Lifting Families toward Financial Stability
Even as our region grows, financial hurdles remain significant for many families. To ensure families thrive — not just survive — United Way has partnered with the mayors in Jackson, Brownsville, and Weakley County, alongside local banks, educational institutions, and nonprofits to establish the Greater
Jackson Financial Empowerment Center. Here, individuals can access free financial counseling, learn budgeting strategies, and pursue pathways to bigger dreams like home ownership or entrepreneurship. And when they need more targeted support, they are coupled with one of the center’s Family Champions.
The impact has been tremendous: families burdened by debt have found relief, single parents have gained confidence to plan for their children’s futures, and aspiring small business owners have unlocked the knowledge and capital necessary to contribute to the local economy. It is a testament to United Way’s integrated approach: when families are empowered to manage their finances well, entire neighborhoods see the ripple effect of stability and prosperity.
Ford Community Center: A Hub of Hope
A crown jewel of United Way’s ongoing community impact investments is the Ford Community Center, a facility designed not just for gathering, but for transformation. Conceptualized with community input, the Center will serve as a vibrant hub for after-school programs, workforce training, and essential support services adjacent to Ford’s new Blue Oval City campus. The Ford Community Center will embody the shared vision of a united and inclusive West Tennessee to help move long-
term residents forward and upward.
A Look Ahead
From the vantage point of an enduring 84-year history and five years of rapid organizational and regional growth, United Way’s work has just begun. As more families move to West Tennessee and businesses recognize our region’s potential, the need for comprehensive community development will continue to rise. United Way stands ready — backed by passionate volunteers, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to innovation — to meet that challenge.
United Way will keep showing up: providing literacy support, growing local leadership, strengthening financial stability, and unveiling spaces where hope is turned into tangible action for community impact. Here is to the next five years — and beyond — of championing a West Tennessee where everyone, from our youngest readers to our most seasoned leaders, has the tools to thrive.
As Our Jackson Home commemorates a decade of capturing our city’s heart, United Way celebrates the progress made and remains steadfast in serving as a collaborative force for good. Together, we will write the next chapter of Jackson’s story — one in which every individual’s potential is realized, and every neighborhood thrives.
with past & present
TIMELINE ILLUSTRATION BY CALLIE WRIGHT
WE ASKED THE FOUNDERS AND PAST AND PRESENT STAFF OF OUR JACKSON HOME, "WHY AND HOW DID YOU FIND A HOME/DO YOU CURRENTLY FIND A HOME IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE?"
Luke Pruitt OJH FOUNDER
“Jackson, TN will forever be home. It’s where April and I went to college, grew into adults, built the most formative friendships in our life, and watched our three boys come into the world. As we now work and live in Memphis, TN, we are so excited about the growing relationships between these two macro economies of West TN and believe that the best Jackson and the best Memphis have our futures tied closely together in community partnerships and deep shared business and political interest.”
Kevin Adelsberger OJH FOUNDER
"I came to Jackson for college. That was it. I figured it would be on the road as soon as I had that diploma in my hands. Little did I know that it would become home. Home to my wife and children, home to my small business, home to my church, and home to many of my closest friends. Jackson has welcomed this yankee with open arms and allowed me to not only open but keep a business running that has fed my family and others for over 10 years. I am coming up on 18 years in Jackson, which will make it the longest I have lived in one place. Assuming I am not kicked out at some point, I can see the rest of my life in this community."
"Jackson has taught me what it means to fall in love with a place and its people. It’s admittedly easy for me to feel overwhelmed by the bigness of our collective problems, both locally and nationally, and get anxious about where we’re heading in all of these broken systems. But, when I think about Jackson, I think about my community and the pockets of comfort, creativity, and togetherness here that are deeply good. I think of sharing home-cooked meals with a group of neighbors every week, a warm cup of coffee at the coffee shop filled with familiar faces, my mom’s luscious summer garden full of West Tennessee vegetables and flowers, the clinking glasses of beer at the little bar down the street, going to see community theatre shows and art galleries and music performances of wildly talented friends, walking my dogs through new and old park systems with my husband and maybe picking up our favorite tacos for dinner afterwards. And I think about how all of these little parts of daily life in Jackson make this corner of the world a truly good home."
Lizzie Emmons PROGRAM DIRECTOR 2024-PRESENT
Courtney Searcy PROGRAM DIRECTOR + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 2020-2023
"When I moved to Jackson for college, I had no idea I would eventually spend 16 years here — almost half my life. Living in Jackson has taught me what it means to choose to love a place, and participating in Our Jackson Home for ten of those years has taught me to look beyond surface level and ask who my neighbors are, what they care about, what they struggle with, and what we can create together. Through this Jackson has become a second home to me, and many of its people like a second family. I have become who I am because of each person I've shared life here with. In reflecting, I found these words I wrote for OJH ten years ago that still ring true: I like what the poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote: ‘There is much beauty here, for everywhere there is much beauty.’ I can’t know if I will be here long enough to see if this city and the things I’m invested in will become everything I’ve dreamed. For now, I’m thankful that all around me I see green sprouts shooting up from the dirt. I’m thankful that even when my feet don’t find stable ground, I can put my hands to work at something that might take roots and grow beyond my years. And when it’s time to go, I’ll leave this place with my sense of community transformed.”
"Like many college students, I sort of fell into Jackson postgrad, where I cobbled together my church family, handful of Union friends who stuck around, and a new job running Our Jackson Home into a community while simultaneously starting a marriage. Through the inevitable changes life brings (job shifts, parenthood, and the infamous pandemic), finding home here has had its growing pains and looks very different than it did when I landed in Jackson 14 years ago. But overall Jackson has proven to be a resilient place full of neighbors new and old, and for that I'm grateful."
Katie Howerton PROGRAM DIRECTOR + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 2015-2020
Anthony Kirk OJH FOUNDER
"Jackson has been home since ‘93 after moving to town with Mom when Dad entered recovery at Aspell. I attended public schools, eventually graduating from Madison in ‘09. And for the last almost sixteen years, I’ve been a barista in town. Occasionally, I’ve served celebrities like Julien Baker from boygenius and Tom Skerritt from Top Gun. But daily I’ve brewed coffee for neighbors and fellow Jacksonians. It’s not just about the caffeine. It’s also about the community centers coffee shops can be. I think about our downtown friend Patrick, yoga instructor Keith, Oliver crocheting, the paint group on Sundays, or even our unhoused neighbors. It’s an honor to be a host for daily gatherings. And I’m grateful for the work of Our Jackson Home to tell the stories of people like this through word, visual art, and music. It’s another way to know our neighbor outside of sharing a cup of coffee."
"Jackson has quickly and unexpectedly become the home I’ve always dreamed and longed for since I was young. It has inhabited the place where I became an adult, cultivated new friendships, invested deeply in a church community, met and fell in love with my husband, and shared so many ordinary days with people I love dearly. Jackson has taught me that home doesn’t have to include extravagant activities every weekend or entertainment constantly. That’s not what 'home' means at all. Home is made up of all our mundane and ordinary moments where the days all start to blend together. It’s the feeling of a full home with people laughing, crying, and walking through every season of life with each other. Jackson has become the home of my young adult years, and maybe even beyond that. Home could be found in any city, state, or country, but I’m thankful to have found a home here, in Jackson, Tenn., for this season of my life."
Maddie McMurry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 2024-PRESENT
VON
The Beat of Optimism DJ
STORY BY AUSTIN THOMPSON
PHOTOS BY MIRZA BABIC
"Wake up, Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. Fresh, Mr. By Himself…" The synths swell, the drums kick in, and the world opens up. This is how DJ Von approaches life — like the start of a Kanye West track circa 2007, full of energy, anticipation, and limitless possibility. It’s not just music; it’s a mindset. For Von, every beat is a heartbeat, every transition a metaphor for life’s twists and turns. He doesn’t just play songs; he orchestrates emotions, crafting a sonic journey that leaves no soul untouched.
There are two types of people in this world — those who wait for life to happen and those who make life happen. Von Howard II, better known as DJ Von, is firmly in the second category. He doesn’t just spin records; he spins moments into memories, transforming every event he touches into an experience.
If you’ve ever been in a room where DJ Von is controlling the music, you know the feeling. It’s electric. It’s contagious. It’s the sound of someone who believes in the power of joy, who wakes up every morning determined to make the world just a little bit better, one song at a time. Watching him work is like witnessing a maestro in action. His hands glide across the mixer with precision, his eyes scanning the crowd, reading the room like a book. He knows when to drop a bass-heavy banger to get the energy up and when to slow it down with a soulful groove to let the crowd catch their breath. It’s not just about playing hits; it’s about creating a vibe, a shared experience that lingers long after the music stops.
Von’s journey started at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, but music has been in his blood from the beginning. Guitar, piano, drums —
he played them all. But sheet music never spoke to him the way sound did. He was an ear-trained musician, feeling rhythm in a way that couldn't be confined to notes on a page. That instinct led him to DJing, first in his dorm room with just a computer, then to gigs across campus, and before he knew it, the bookings never stopped. "I played music growing up, but I could never read music," Von recalls. "I was always ear training. So when I started DJing in college, it just clicked. I was using nothing but a computer, and people were like, ‘Where’s your turntables?’ But it worked. Nothing was pre-recorded — it was all live, all feeling."
He hustled — 300+ gigs a year, a staggering 38 events in a single month. He broke barriers, becoming the first DJ in Jackson to meet the mayor, and to turn his craft into a recognized cultural force. And he did it with one goal in mind: to elevate. "I just believe in uplifting and meeting people where they are," Von says. "Even when I’m not DJing, it’s about being a good person." This philosophy shines through in his sets. Whether he’s spinning at a high-energy club night or a laid-back community event, Von has an uncanny ability to connect with his audience. He’s not just playing for them; he’s playing with them, creating a dialogue through music that feels personal and universal all at once.
Von’s love for music transcends genre. If he were stuck on an island with only one album? Graduation by Kanye West — an album that, like Von himself, embodies ambition, creativity, and pushing boundaries. "It was perfect," he says, recalling the fusion of Takashi Murakami’s artwork with West’s anthemic production.
"’Stronger’? Come on. ‘Flashing Lights’? ‘Good Morning’? That’s a soundtrack for moving forward." But his tastes go far beyond hip-hop. "I love new wave and one-hit wonders," he admits with a grin. "I’m a history buff when it comes to music. Did you know the first rap song to make MTV was Blondie’s ‘Rapture’?" He breaks into song, his passion infectious. And moving forward is exactly what Von does. He’s transitioned from a college DJ to a force in the industry, even earning the Memphis Hip Hop Awards’ DJ of the Year. But he’s not stopping there. "Short term, I want to be a name people associate with Jackson,
Tennessee — a positive ambassador, a light wherever I go," he says. "Long term? Who says I can’t own a business? An entertainment company? A radio station?" His vision is as expansive as his playlists, and his relentless optimism fuels his ambition. He’s already taking steps toward his long-term vision, with an audition lined up at Hot 107 in Memphis. And through it all, he remains unapologetically himself — a historian of music who loves deep cuts and one-hit wonders as much as club anthems.
Ask him about the first rap song to make MTV, and he’ll light up. "Blondie’s ‘Rapture,’" he grins before
breaking into song. It’s that genuine passion, that encyclopedic love for music, that sets him apart. It’s also what makes him a standout performer. When Von takes the stage, he’s not just playing music; he’s telling a story. He weaves together tracks from different eras and genres, creating a tapestry of sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh. It’s a reminder that music is timeless, and so is the joy it brings.
If you ask Von where he’s headed next, the answer is simple: forward. Always forward. Whether it’s spinning for sold-out arenas or a neighborhood block party, he approaches every set with the same energy, the same passion,
and the same unshakable belief that music — like optimism — has the power to change lives. And that’s the magic of DJ Von. He doesn’t just play music; he creates moments. Moments that inspire, that uplift, that remind us of the beauty in connection and the power of a shared beat.
So the next time you find yourself at an event where DJ Von is in control of the sound, take a moment to soak it in. That beat you feel? That’s hope. That’s joy. That’s the soundtrack of a man who refuses to let the world be anything less than extraordinary.
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The Connection of a Downtown Space
STORY BY GABE HART
PHOTOS BY MADDIE MCMURRY, CARI GRIFFITH, COLTON CREASY, ABBY PORTER, & KEVIN ADELSBERGER
Twelve years ago, in a Texas town just north of Dallas, my six-year-old daughter and I were leaving a junior theater production of The Little Mermaid when a faint sound caught our attention.
Somewhere in the distance, beyond the darkness, a group of people could be heard talking, laughing, and singing — a faint glow of light emanating from behind the corner of a silhouetted brick building.
All signs of life being lived on a cold December night.
We walked toward the light, the sounds growing more distinct as we approached. The persistent rhythm of a drumbeat broke through the white noise of conversation and was immediately followed by the plucking of a bass guitar. The familiar refrain of an oft-covered classic rock song soared into the night sky just as the darkness of the side street where we walked began to lighten. Turning the corner, we found ourselves in the middle of a vibrant, lively downtown square full of shops, restaurants, and vitality — a setting that immediately evoked feelings of nostalgia and comfort, though I wasn’t sure why.
When I returned to Jackson the following week, I drove downtown. I was struck by how similar the layout of our city’s center was to the place I had been the prior weekend — the old brick buildings lining sidewalks and streets, the courthouse anchoring the square. The light even fell at similar angles, casting late-afternoon shadows
eastward toward North Royal as I walked in golden-hour silence. The nostalgia I had felt in Texas was linked to whatever subconscious memories of Downtown Jackson I had. Still, something else connected deep within me that I couldn’t fully comprehend at the time.
I already had very early, hazy memories of my grandfather taking me to a barber shop in the basement of a building downtown. I vaguely remember the marquee’s shape on the movie theater near the courthouse. I had heard stories from my uncles, aunts, and parents about shopping at Nando Jones and Woolworth’s in Downtown Jackson. But those memories and stories weren’t strong enough or important enough to elicit the sense of connectivity I felt that night in Texas. The more time I spent in each downtown, however, the more I realized the pull that each space had on me had nothing to do with shops, buildings, or restaurants. The inertia drawing me to each place was what downtowns have provided people for centuries: the potential for connection within a community.
A few months after that night in North Texas, the LIFT Wellness Center opened, becoming the cornerstone for a decade of growth in Downtown Jackson. At the time, however, I was skeptical.
I wasn’t sure if The LIFT (and the accompanying Jackson Walk) would be sustainable. Nevertheless, I joined the gym in the summer of
2013, and a few months later, I was eating a slice of pizza next door at Rock’n Dough, thinking, “This may actually work.”
Most of my Friday nights during my 30s were spent in a downtown in Texas or Tennessee; I would unfairly compare the two constantly. On my Friday nights in Jackson, I’d usually leave The Downtown Tavern around 9:30 or 10:00 and look south down North Liberty toward the courthouse. The streets were quiet, and the electric lights lining them would hum so low that they could be heard only in silence. I would think about the ideal spot for a local record store on the square or envision a whitelit patio glowing on a summer night with conversation pouring from it. I could see it in my mind but not with my eyes. Meanwhile, across North Highland, the Jackson Walk, the AMP, and the Farmers’ Market
were beginning to bring people back downtown and sowing the seeds of community connection while signs of life were starting to bubble in the heart of the city.
Throughout the last ten years, Downtown Jackson's progression has sometimes felt like starting an old truck on a cold morning: almost there but not quite, two steps up and one step back. A business would open for a few months or even a year and disappear, but progress was happening in small increments.
Recognizing the need to incubate small businesses, the Jackson Downtown Development Corporation (JDDC) created theLOCAL, a micro-retail development designed to give entrepreneurs an accessible, low-risk space to launch and grow their businesses.
JDDC board member Paul Taylor was an integral part of bringing theLOCAL to the down-
"The inertia drawing me to each place was what downtowns have provided people for centuries: the potential for connection within a community."
town area.
“When I returned to Jackson after college, the momentum for downtown investment was already underway. The AMP was being built, and the LIFT had just opened, signaling a renewed focus on revitalization. Since then, we’ve seen steady, incremental investment, but there were still notable gaps — especially in support for small startup businesses,” Paul recalled. “Recognizing that gap led to the creation of theLOCAL. The goal was to provide a stepping stone, helping small businesses gain traction and eventually move into a traditional downtown storefront, filling vacant spaces and contributing to the broader revitalization of our city’s core.”
theLOCAL is still fully operational, and many of the original tenants have expanded their businesses to the point of relocation to a larger store, many of which are in the heart of downtown.
During the summers, my daughter would spend nearly two months in Jackson. We would spend lazy afternoons downtown walking around the Vintage Market on North Church Street. I would look through old records while she would pick out a funky lamp for her room. We would grab a cupcake from Woodstock Bakery and lunch at the Liberty Street Grill before heading home. I vividly remember being fully aware of that feeling of connection once again — an awareness that I was lucky enough to be expe-
riencing the forward momentum of the reawakening of a vital area of the community in real time.
The Vintage Market and Liberty Street Grill eventually closed, and Woodstock relocated just north of the interstate, but other businesses started popping up. The momentum never slowed.
“That feeling of being right on the edge of something big has been there for a long time, and I think the difference in recent years has been a combination of sustained investment, stronger community buy-in, and a shift in mindset about what downtown can be,” Paul said.
“For years, the pieces were coming together — the AMP, the Farmers’ Market, the LIFT, and individual business investments — but downtown still needed critical mass. In the last several years, we've seen a tipping point where enough businesses, events, and people are present to create real momentum. Investments in public spaces, infrastructure, and mixed-use development have played a role, but equally important has been the commitment of local entrepreneurs who believe in downtown and want to be part of its growth.”
Over the last decade, I’ve seen the evolution of Downtown Jackson and have been lucky enough to feel the connecting qualities of a space that had been dormant for far too long.
During this decade of growth, I’ve perused records at Third Eye Curiosities and sat in the wood-pan-
eled Dixie Castle on a Wednesday night for its Ribeye Special. I’ve enjoyed a cocktail in the garage of Doe’s after attending a play at The Ned and floated out of the door of The Downtown Tavern on a Friday evening. On Saturdays, my partner, Laura, and I have walked to the LIFT and taken one of Keith Davis’s renowned yoga classes before strolling to the Farmers’ Market to pick out the ingredients for our Saturday night supper.
I’ve listened to poetry at Turntable Coffee Counter, eaten early dinners at Icehouse, and ping-ponged back and forth between Hub City Brewing and Franklin’s Little Bar on a Friday night. I’ve stumbled upon a public art show on Shannon Street, met my friends for drinks on the patio at The Blacksmith, and grabbed a pint of Jenny’s from
Grubb’s on my way home. The options here now seem almost endless. Last year, on a warm spring night in April, my partner, Laura, and I found ourselves at Havner’s Frame Shop in Downtown Jackson. Laura had a piece of art on display for the show at Havner’s, and Our Jackson Home was debuting its most recent journal that included a story I had written about The Downtown Tavern.
My daughter, who had moved to Jackson four years earlier and was now approaching 18, stopped by the show with her boyfriend. We all took pictures together in front of Laura’s piece and walked around downtown for a few minutes after leaving the show. I thought back to that night in Texas 12 years earlier and the hope I held for what could be here.
IN THIS ISSUE Contributors
TRUNETTA ATWATER is Owner of Trunetta Atwater photography and Founder of Soul Collective. Trunetta is a photographer, coach, and truthteller. She specializes in challenging entrepreneurs to bring their creative ideas to life through photos. Her philosophy is to empower creatives to be fearless in their businesses, to be real with their audiences, and to maximize opportunities to promote their products and services. She believes creative businesses thrive as a tribe and it's her passion to lead entrepreneurs to their full potential through expressive photography.
OLIVIA BELL is a senior journalism major at Union University here in Jackson with a heart for her family, friends, iced vanilla lattes, photography, writing and storytelling. After graduation in May, she hopes to plant her roots somewhere and pursue a career in editing. Olivia is a profound lover of all things fall, Gilmore Girls (she’s seen it about seven times), sweet treats, being creative, and soaking in the sunshine.
MIRZA BABIC is a multi-talented creative, adept at weaving captivating narratives through both visual and written forms of expression. With a
foundation in photography and content creation, Mirza brings stories to life with a keen eye for detail and a flair for engaging storytelling. Beyond the lens, Mirza's versatility extends to music, where a passion for music production and a commitment to excellence shine through. Mirza is dedicated to crafting compelling narratives and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact.
LIZZIE EMMONS is the Program Director of Our Jackson Home. She is a passionate advocate for the arts and culture sector with experience in arts and nonprofit administration, visual art, and music performance. Lizzie has a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Science in Education, and a certificate in Arts Management. She lives in midtown Jackson with her husband, Jerry, and dogs, Frankie and Rue.
HANNAH GORE is a photographer, writer, and artist from Jackson, Tennessee, who currently lives in the nearby town of Medina. She seeks to capture the heart and soul of Jackson through authentic storytelling in both visual and written form. Hannah currently owns her own photography business and specializes in live music, event, and portrait photography.
CARI GRIFFITH is a gardener and a photographer with a lifelong affection for seed sowing and storytelling. She lives a sweet life in midtown with her husband, Rob. She spends most of her time behind a computer or a camera, or teaching college students to appreciate the good light. Her most treasured moments are eating dinner with her friends both at home and afar.
GABE HART is an Instructional Coach at Jackson Central-Merry High School. A lifelong Jacksonian, Gabe is a product of the Jackson-Madison County School System and has taught English in JMCSS for 14 years. Along with contributing to Our Jackson Home, Gabe also writes monthly columns for Tennessee Lookout, weekly columns for The Jackson Post, and has been published in The Tennessean. When he's not in Jackson, he's most likely traveling with his partner, Laura, or spending time with her in her hometown of Philadelphia.
TRISTA HAVNER is a born-andraised Jackson girl, a mom, wife, and small business owner. She and her husband, Charlie, have a charming local family business and are passionate about the history there. Trista can be found putting together frames in her family’s shop or lettering anything that will hold still. Her love for home grows daily, and she is passionate about being an agent of growth and positive change in her beloved Hub City.
ESTHER JONES is a Maryland native who moved to Jackson in 2019 to complete her English degree at Union University. She lives with her husband, Wesley, and their dog, Otis. Her favorite things are contemporary fiction novels and Pinterest vision boards, and she doesn't know what she would do without em dashes.
MADDIE MCMURRY serves as Editor-
in-Chief of Our Jackson Home and Communications Manager at theCO. She came to Jackson to attend Union University, where she graduated with a degree in journalism and decided to stay in Jackson and make it her home. She is a writer and photographer who loves telling real and authentic stories from behind the camera or on the page. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her husband, Zach, hosting people, traveling, and cooking.
AUSTIN THOMPSON'S path to Jackson took some unexpected turns, but it’s where he found his true home.
Originally from San Jose, California, he built his life and businesses here, finding a sense of community and purpose through theCO. Jackson, once a stop along the way, has become the place where Austin thrives, surrounded by family, friends, and the town that helped shape his future.
SHELBY TYRE is a filmmaker, writer, and storyteller based in Jackson, Tennessee. She runs The Reel Collective and serves as the Festival Director of the Hub City Film Festival. With a passion for storytelling in all forms, she focuses on capturing and preserving meaningful narratives through film, writing, and community-driven projects.
CALLIE WRIGHT is an artist originally from Louisville, Kentucky, who has found herself calling Jackson home for almost seven years. She specializes in celebrating simple, subtle beauty in far-too-often overlooked people and places. In addition to artmaking, she is also a local social worker, and this unites for her in her fascination with and love for people, and desire to bring joy and hope through art.
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