JXN People’s Assembly convenes youth and adult residents to discuss local issues, potential solutions

The Feb. 25 event marked the 11-year anniversary of former Mayor Chokwe Lumumba Sr.’s passing. Organizers honored his legacy with remembrances.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba recounts lessons his late father instilled in his children. Brooke Floyd (left), director of programs at the People’s Advocacy Institute, helped organize the event. Photo by JYN

By Hannah King and Laeyla Walters

On Feb. 25, the Jackson People’s Assembly convened about 90 residents of all ages to discuss and propose solutions to various local issues at the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge—a historic civil rights landmark on Lynch St. that has housed the Mississippi NAACP since 1955, when Medgar Evers served as its field secretary.

The building’s history added significance to a gathering that included conversations about past and present social and economic challenges in Jackson.

Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba Sr. died Feb. 25, 2014, at age 66, less than a year into his term in office. Photo by JYN

To kick off the event, Brooke Floyd, director of programs at the People’s Advocacy Institute, opened with a prayer. She then introduced Dr. Safiya Omari, former chief of staff to the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba Sr., who was there to help commemorate the 11th anniversary of his passing. She talked about their relationship and his activism in the community, saying that he cared deeply for Jacksonians. She quoted him as saying, “If you don’t love the people, you will betray the people.”

The air in the room felt heavy as community members mourned his absence.

Then, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, current Jackson mayor, took the stage and shared some memories of his late father. He began by speaking about his childhood and the ideologies that he and his sister were raised to believe in.

“Rukia and I didn’t learn how to play ‘Patty cake, patty cake, baker’s man’… We learned ‘Black hands, Black hands, free the land. Build us a nation as fast as you can. Build it strong and build it free. Build us a nation for you and me,’” he said.

Lumumba briefly addressed the ongoing water challenges and warned that a rate hike might be coming soon from JXN Water, the third-party entity that assumed control of the city’s water system as the result of a court order in late 2022. (A few days after the event, JXN Water issued a financial report that does propose a rate hike. In a March 17 press briefing, Lumumba made it clear that he does not back the proposal and critiqued JXN Water’s spending as well as its collection rates, which he has claimed are lower now than when the city operated the system.)

Now in his second term, Lumumba faces 11 Democratic challengers in the upcoming primary as he seeks a third term.

“Free the land,” he said to close his remarks.

After Mayor Lumumba left the stage, his sister, Rukia Lumumba, executive director of the People’s Advocacy Institute, replaced him.

“The purpose of the assembly is for a mass gathering of people who care about our plight to come together to make collective decisions,” she said. “We’re going to come in with an understanding that we want to improve Jackson. We debate how to do that, and we walk back out in unity. That’s what it’s about.”

Following Rukia Lumumba’s short speech, attendees divided into groups to discuss different issues, including public safety, water, healthcare and education. In these groups, participants collaborated to find solutions and establish a timeline for implementation. People’s Advocacy Institute volunteers facilitated each group, guiding participants with information and encouraging critical thinking.

In the cafeteria, Gus Daniels-Washington, founder of JXNOLOGY, a youth-led “artivism” and wellness collective, facilitated a youth breakout group. She tasked nearly two dozen teenagers and young adults with identifying past, present and future events that affect the community and its power. Everyone had to find a person they did not arrive with and team up to answer questions using Post-It notes.

Qasim Abdul-Tawwab (left) and Lynzi Davis (right) are interns for the People’s Advocacy Institute. Photo by JYN

Youth attendees identified issues such as the closure and consolidation of public schools, potholes and ongoing water quality concerns. They also cited concerns about the new federal administration, including its plans to increase deportations and dismantle the federal department of education.

“There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved to make it better for the future generations,” said Qasim Abdul-Tawwab, a Tougaloo College student and People’s Advocacy Institute intern. “We need to know what’s going on around us so we can make better choices for when we grow up and just make the world a better place.”

Lynzi Davis, a Mississippi Christian College student and fellow People’s Advocacy Institute intern, spoke passionately about the public education system.

“I feel like educators should be more funded,” she said. “My mom has been an educator for 20 years, and she’s been working at Jackson Public Schools for like 15 of those years. She’s just been overlooked, so she feels like she needs to go to another county. Since the funds are so bad over here, it makes nobody really want to stay.”

Toward the end of the breakout session, the youth attendees worked together to build a community action timeline for the next nine to 12 months. It included key dates for upcoming municipal elections, the state legislative session, and a tentative plan to host a larger youth assembly in the fall.

After the breakout groups ended, everyone returned to the main hall for two closing performances. Amanda Furdge recited an original poem titled “A 601 Love Letter” and Jasmine Pye-Hollingshed sang “Glory,” by Common and John Legend, from the Selma soundtrack.

As attendees trickled out of the lodge, Floyd reflected on the importance of gatherings such as these.

“There are so many issues that folks in Jackson, the county, and the state are struggling with, and it's up to us to save ourselves and to fix what's wrong,” Floyd told us.

A longtime educator and youth development professional, she emphasized the importance of having young people in the room.

“Our young people, our children, our young adults, they have to see us trying and working together,” she said. “There's no point of you sitting and complaining and complaining  and then not trying to be part of the solution. And so that's why I enjoy people's assemblies. I like the work that it brings about and the community comes out to work together.”

As the assembly showed, Jacksonians are ready to take action. Soon, they will have another opportunity to make their voices heard—this time at the ballot box. The April 1 municipal primaries will begin the process of electing the next mayor and seven city council members, with the general election set for June 3.

ZyQuria McClendon contributed to this story.