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TRAVEL: Try Jackson, Mississippi
By Donnell Suggs,
2024-07-23
My 10-year-old son Chase outside of the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson on July 2024. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice The red beans and ANN WHITE rice at Hal & Mal’s in Jackson, Mississippi. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
JACKSON, MS – The scent of the red beans and rice could hit you as soon as you enter the doors of Hal & Mal’s restaurant. An urban oasis of southern food in downtown Jackson, Hal & Mal’s has been in business for decades, serving gumbo, red beans and rice, po’boys, and Mississippi Delta tamales served with hot sauce and crackers.
I took my family on a trip to Jackson this past weekend to discover more than just good food (and the food at Hal & Mal’s and several other restaurants that we ate at was very good indeed). The history of the city and its many Civil Rights era heroes were at the top of my mind when we drove in on Friday night.
The Beacon, located at the corner of North State St. and Duling Avenue in Jackson, has a lot of cool items for sale, including old fully-functional typewriters. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Our hotel was in the Fondren Historic District , a growing and trendy couple of blocks of cool restaurants, stores, and attractions within walking distance. It included a bowling alley and the Beacon, an art supplies and creative supply store owned by Nicole and Jason Jenkins. The old typewriters, vintage comic books, cool stickers, notebooks, and notepads reminded me of the shops we have at home in Atlanta. It was a pleasant surprise to have cool bakeries and coffee shops like The Bean so close to our hotel.
We enjoyed having breakfast, lunch, and dinner at places like Brent’s Drugs, an old-school diner that still has some of the original signage and machinery inside. Opened in 1946, Brent’s Drugs, also known as Fondren’s soda fountain, has all the typical diner menu items, including the “Love Bowl,” a killer grits bowl with cheese, turkey sausage, eggs, and green onions. It was great. Songs from Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald played in the background.
The chicken katsu ramen at Zundo in Jackson, Mississippi. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
For dinner one night, we went to Zundo, a ramen restaurant also within walking distance of our hotel. After enjoying big bowls of delicious ramen—I had the chicken katsu ramen, and it was delicious—we crossed the street and grabbed dessert at Campbell’s Bakery. Established in 1962, the bakery is small but mighty. The cupcakes and ice cream offerings are plentiful, and the cookies are not only good but inexpensive.
Campbell’s bakery has been in business since 1962. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Food aside, the attractions in Jackson are in the heart of the city and, in some cases, on its very walls. The murals around town are colorful and help tell the story of Jackson, in part. But museums truly tell the city’s story.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum ,a low-slung building on North Street, is well worth the price of admission ($15 for adults, $8 for kids). I suggest taking a deep breath before entering the museum. There are so many pieces of this country’s history that are both shocking and disgusting. How Black Americans were treated in the south can leave you stunned, even if you’re someone like me who studies our history in this country and knew what he was going to see before he saw it. From timelines listing lynchings of Black people in Mississippi to exhibits on how white people stopped Black Americans from registering to vote and ultimately failed at it.
Medgar and Myrlie Evers home, located in Jackson, Mississippi, is a registered national monument and free to enter. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta V oice
A personal hero of mine, the late Medgar Evers, a Mississippi native and Civil Rights icon, has an exhibit at the museum, and it was a powerful experience spending time there. A short video on his life, work, family, and murder by racist Byron De La Beckwith can be seen on a loop within the exhibit. I sat and watched it twice. I only cried once. We also had an opportunity to visit the Evers’ home, a national historic landmark that still sits in the original neighborhood in which it was built. It is a must-see and must-visit in Jackson, owned by Tougaloo College and managed and maintained by the National Park Service.
The International Museum of Muslim Culture is located downtown and shares the grounds of the Mississippi Museum of Art . The former is a collection of some of the most beautiful artifacts, writings, and art I have ever seen.
Sundiata, the docent at The International Museum of Muslim Culture, was our guide for the visit. Here he shows off a painting of himself. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Operating under a new Executive Director, Aseelah Rashid, the museum offers guests a walk through the history of the Muslim culture and a direct look at centuries-old artifacts like slave contracts written in Arabic, the jewelry of kings and queens, and even an actual door to a mosque dating back hundreds of years. During our trip, Sundiata, a Jackson native and United States Military veteran, walked us through some exhibits and shared even more insight. Along with visiting the Evers’ home, the Muslim museum was my favorite part of our trip to Jackson.
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