Jackson and Memphis mayors discuss fostering change in majority Black cities. See what was said

Hosted by the Change Collective, Jackson Mayor Chowke Antar Lumumba sat down for an armchair chat with Memphis Mayor Paul Young. The pair, both mayors of majority Black cities, discussed ways to activate change within a community.

Executive Director of the Change Collective Dexter Mason moderated the talk. The Change Collective is nonprofit which forms cohorts in different states in order to elevate local leaders and change makers.

Cohort members from Jackson, Chicago and Detroit attended the two-day Jackson event. On Friday afternoon, the cohort members listened as Lumumba and Young spoke in the gallery of the Jackson Convention Complex.

Framed by windows displaying Downtown Jackson architecture against a rainy sky, the mayors swapped stories of what it's like to serve as mayor in majority Black cities.

Issues met with gritty determination

Both mayors spoke about the unique circumstances of their cities. Both Jackson and Memphis struggle with similar issues including poverty, infrastructure and crime.

But, these struggles are always met with the determination of each city's passion to push positive change.

"What I see in Memphis is that gritty spirit where despite the odds that are against us... in the South there are systematic structures that inhibit progress," Young said. "But, still we continue pushing."

Generational differences create holistic change

Both mayors agreed that change requires a combination of the wisdom of older generations and the speed of the younger. Having just one or the other won't work.

Lumumba described what he sees as a "collective genius" made up of all ages. He emphasized the need to encourage young Jackson residents to push for change now, not just in the future when they're older.

"They are here and now," Lumumba said. "They contribute to the view or the quality of life that people enjoy in spaces like Jackson... there's a spirit that I think exists among young people where they're no longer satisfied with the status quo."

Population loss

Lumumba spoke at length on Mississippi's population loss. Jackson in particular has faced population loss issues over the past few decades. In 2021, the capital city's population dipped below 150,000 for the first time since before the 70s.

In order to combat this decline, Lumumba said the city must again turn eyes and ears toward the younger population.

"The demographic that we're losing at the most rapid pace are our younger residents, our young professionals," Lumumba said. "We have to start asking the question and engage them in the process to see why that is happening

Many of the solutions to population loss, Lumumba said, involve creating spaces that appeal to younger residents. In talking with Generation Z and Millennial constituents, Lumumba found those demographics want things not typically found in Mississippi like walkable cities, public art and an urban environment.

"Being a college town where we have more than five institutions in the city of Jackson, our greatest exports are our talent and our money," Lumumba said. "We're trying to figure out how we reverse that."

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Curbing crime

Curbing crime in majority Black cities was another main topic the mayors touched upon. Jackson and Memphis are both notorious for high crime rates, a fact that tends to overshadow other aspects from an outside perspective.

"In Memphis, the conversation is all about crime and how scared people are," Young said. "Everybody is talking about the fears they have around public safety. My goal was to figure out how can we change the narrative where we're not just captives of this negativity, but we are actually proactively trying to address public safety in our communities."

In recent months, Young created an initiative focused on meeting with some of the gang leaders in Memphis to ask them directly what needs to be done to curb crime. He made the decision after hearing from the New Orleans mayor that the city saw a 15-day streak of no homicides after meeting with local gang leaders.

"I came to the table and I said, 'Look. I want to see what it takes for us to get seven days of a ceasefire in our community. No shooting,'" Young said. "And, they said a couple of very simple things. Number one, you got to go tell the other folks not to come shoot at us. Number two, they said, 'Well, our kids need things to do because the reason that our young guys go out and are breaking in these cars is because they're bored."

Another key step in curbing crime, Young said, is to go into these communities and actually connect with people.

"To be sitting in Jackson, Mississippi with the mayor, with all these great people, these are things that are unimaginable to some of the kids in our communities," Young said. "I know it's not just Memphis. This is all across this country. That means that all of us have a responsibility not just to talk about them but to talk to them, to hear from them."

Lumumba said he joined the initiative because it was different approach to crime regulation than he has seen previously.

"What we often do when we talk about public safety is we act like a carpenter with one tool: a hammer," Lumumba said. "So, everything looks like a nail, right? We come up with the same solution: police, police, police, police."

Lumumba said he recognizes the need to support law enforcement, but he also recognizes that America has one of the highest violence rates in the world despite also having one of the highest rates of people incarcerated.

"The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and look for a different result," Lumumba said. "We have to dive into that and understand, well, what are the unique challenges and what are other nations doing? What are the other investments that we should be making in order to create safer conditions?"

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Collaborative efforts between cities

After the armchair talk, Lumumba and Young spoke with the media about the importance of working with mayors in cities with similar issues and communities.

Both said they will continue to exchange ideas, just like they have since the beginning of their political careers.

"We're exchanging best practices," Lumumba said. "Part of it is not just the business of it. These mayors have an ability to understand the pressures of this job."

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson and Memphis mayors discuss fostering change in majority Black cities. See what was said