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.