Jackson Jambalaya

It is with great pleasure that JJ presents to you The Light of Speed. This is an original JJ production. I met Mr. Speed over a year ago in his office. He started out by giving me charts he obtained from the Health Department about the unwed birthrate in Mississippi and discussing this problem that troubled him so greatly. We moved from there to other subjects more historical in nature. He discussed his dad's time as Mayor of Jackson, the building of the Reservoir, and the rise and fall of the State-Times newspaper. It became clear that probably no one under the age of fifty knew anything about such history but its a story that needs to be told.

Kim Wade and I interviewed him in two sessions. The story told by Mr. Speed is one about himself but is also the history of Jackson over the last 50 years. You will hear Mr. Speed discuss many subjects over the next few weeks. The history of the Ross Barnett Reservoir; Jackson in the 1940's and 1950's; The racial problems; the beginnings of the Mississippi Republican Party; the changing of the economy from one based on local businesses to large corporations. He will present his views on how to revitalize downtown Jackson and he will discuss his ideas on moving Mississippi forward. He will even praise the creative class. Other Jacksonians will offer their favorite observations and stories about Mr. Speed. Please keep in mind this is oral history, not a documentary. The story will be told in a series of "webisodes". A new webisode will be posted every seven to ten days. We will probably produce a dvd version once this has finished its initial run on this website.

Special thanks goes to Amile Wilson and his father Bill Wilson for the camera work. A huge thanks to Stacy Putnam who did a tremendous job editing the video. She has never produced anything longer than a commercial before this project.  I offer sincere appreciation to C Spire and the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership. Thanks to them for being patient with the team as this was a learning experience for everyone. We made our share of mistakes and were forced to delay the posting of this video several times but here it is. Yes, we have applied for the copyright. Please thank the sponsors if you have time to do so. We hope you enjoy this presentation and look forward to providing more such videos to you. Please set to HD (little gear on Youtube screen) for best viewing.