By Anthony Howard
Jackson State University invited the greater West Jackson community to celebrate their long-standing relationship with a large cookout held in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on Saturday, July 13. The Office of the President and Jackson State’s Office of Community Engagement organized the event.
Nearly a dozen West Jackson neighborhood associations, businesses, and community leaders attended the family-friendly event. Attendees enjoyed food, fun, music, and the opportunity to meet JSU President Dr. Marcus L. Thompson. He gave remarks expressing his appreciation and roots in the West Jackson community.
“I’m so honored to be a part of this community that I call a family,” said Thompson. “I know many of you have heard the phrase ‘I am SWAC,’ well I am West Jackson. This community is a part of my heart, and I am grateful to be here with you today.”
Thompson continued to share his story about living, working, and raising a family in the area. He expressed that the cookout was orchestrated to demonstrate the university’s commitment to its partnerships with the surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, and associations.
“As I drive up and down the parkway, I have the same concerns you have for this community, and that is why we have to work together,” Thompson added. “We are here to serve you, and we want to bring everyone to the table to not only move Jackson State forward but also the communities in West Jackson.”
Director of Community Engagement Dr. Heather Denne said, “It’s really important to have a relationship of trust, caring, and being a good neighbor. That’s what this event embodies, and we’re super excited that the president is supporting these efforts.”
In a full circle moment, Lillie Williams, a lifelong resident of West Jackson, said she was proud to see Thompson’s growth and accomplishments. She mentored the president when she worked as his high school counselor at Saint Joseph High School.
“I’m excited and grateful because I feel like I played a role in his life by helping him prepare for college and being available to help him,” Williams shared. “It blesses me and makes me proud to know him.”
Williams, a 1985 graduate of Jackson State, reminisced about the significant role the institution played in the lives of the youth living in West Jackson.
“We were able to experience the campus as children by using the library. We saw many dance troupes and attended campus events, which has enhanced our community. Jackson State and the community are one,” she said.
In the present day, the university continues to enrich the lives of the surrounding youth. Members of the Jim Hill High School cheerleading team accepted President Thompson’s invitation to the cookout. Charlee Porter, a high school senior, said her interest in JSU began when her older sister attended the university.
Porter and her family recently moved to Jackson, Mississippi, from Nashville, and praised the university and the community for making her feel welcome.
“I love JSU; I like the hype, and hosting events like this makes people feel comfortable. I look up to my sister a lot, and the fact that she chose JSU makes me feel like I can choose JSU,” said Porter.
Representative for House District 69 Grace Butler Washington attended the event to show support and appreciation for the university’s efforts in the community.
“I am proud of what Jackson State is doing. I am proud of the leadership that it has and how it is opening up to the community and the city,” she said.
