Jackson Jambalaya

Not the same today.

Never to return-

This was before the race hustlers took over

Well, not sure Bernie was helpful but generally it was a time when knowledge and experience were valued. Our governors' chief source of information during the days of progress was a female genius who got full scholarships to Ivy League schools but who chose to stay close family. We've decided to make government about party loyalty and charisma instead of competence. We also had good community leaders who were WWII combat vets who had time to think about how Europe got taken over so very quickly .They also met some very smart women who were essential to the victory. They worked in factories , got mail delivered, treated the injured and some were first rate spies for the Allies and hid our troops who might otherwise have been captured so they lost their misogynistic attitudes.

Ellen Douglas' North Jackson elite accent is all but extinct. Generations beyond hers just don't really speak that way anymore.

The early 90s was still a good time for the most part, but crime was creeping into formerly safe parts of Jackson by then. By 99 my family had left the neighborhood I grew up in because of crime. By 2010 the neighborhood wasn't safe to even drive through.

I don’t remember much after 9/9/99 except NYE Y2K.
I got my Dreamcast and actually checked out of society’s

An exciting time to be in Jackson with WorldCom, Skytel and MobileCom. Skytel was expanding so fast around 1992/93 that it seemed everybody I knew worked there. By 1999 the decline was well underway and the exodus from South Jackson started around 2002.

Jackson was once a great and wonderful city.

Jackson was such a beautiful city.

Sadly..a civilization..gone with the wind.

Sweet memories !!!!

It's crazy to realize how much Jackson has changed in 27 years, and not for the better.

Watch it and cry.

@11:22 AM
I agree. It was and it is unfortunate that racist whites had to ruin it.

Doty and Ebber's companies failed, they had a common thread, both had troubles with the DOJ and creditors. Sad for all

Jim Dollarhide was a genius and I was proud to call him a friend. Great 1999 film. However, a few years before that I believe he was the creative force behind the Metro Crime Commission TV ads (anyone remember those?) that scared the hell out of a lot of folks and increased property values in Madison and Rankin Counties. In fact, if Jackson Jambalaya had been around in 1999 and you had posted this new film about Jackson, the comments would probably be exactly like they are today: Jackson is gone!; Maybe 1989 it was great but not now, etc. Also, the "exodus" from South Jackson started long before 2002. South Jackson went from about 80-85% white in 1980 to about 80-85% black in 1990. I know this because in the 1990sI knew a person who was considering a run for office and looked at the potential districts. He was stunned by the raped change in the South Jackson numbers.

@12:59. If that is not sarcasm, please elaborate.

It’s still here…it lives in Fondren and NE jackson and it’s growing downtown….commercial buildings turned residential. Restaurants are cropping up and people who were kids not long ago own and operate businesses and coffee shops. It’s nothing like it was for sure but people still want to live near their jobs and as long as that stays the same people will wander into Hal and mals for a good time or martins or the new bars in Fondren or the district. Reminisce about the old days….look forward with a smile to the new days which can bring similar memories and joy.

Closing Whiterock and similar multifamily housing brought down South Jackson and behind Sack and Save on I55 North.

I have been here 78 years, there is more than sufficient blame for all races, the current problem, though very difficult, is not complicated. Jackson simply needs a leader to "bell the cat". If you don't understand that, ask AI. Courage is all that is required.

2:46 please provide me with some of what you are smoking.

2:46 yes it is. Thank you so much for that dose of positivity. All these negative asshats can piss off.

12:59, people may chose not to live around crime and murder. We do still choice in this country to move if we feel it’s in our best interest. Is that really racist?

Fondren at one time was a good place but not anymore. Read about a man who lived in fondren who found bullet holes in his truck.

I live in jackson and love it. I hope you find peace and joy wherever you are.

Jackson was never a safe place to live back in the 90's. My Aunt and Uncle were robbed at their house on Sherida Dr in 1997. People had on their rose-colored glasses thinking Jackson was the next New York, or Atlanta. Jackson is now one big ass Cairo, Il. Come back and tell me if Jackson has change for the better in 20 years.

I had a 6 month contract working in Seattle in 1999 and would’ve loved to have stayed. There is more fascinating culture and creativity in a half acre of Seattle than in the entirety of Jackson or the State of Mississippi. If Dollarhide could’ve progressed beyond extended TV commercials then he would’ve escaped like every other creative.

That’s a wonder selection of music playing over the credit roll. Any of you know what it is?

The negativity of most of those commenting is rather pathetic and says more about them than about Jackson.
Some commenting should never travel as every city and town on earth have their poor areas and have crime. Y'all are the ones that will end up going down the wrong street or offending one of the natives.

I started a new job in downtown Jackson in Feb. 1999. That day, when I returned to my truck, everything had been stolen from it. I ain't watching some dumb "it was better back then" video. Jackson has been a stain on this state for a very very very long time.

Downtown jackson is in the middle of a rising bubble of success. NJ guy bought 600,000 sf of quality space for very little money. Firms are moving back because instead of 20-30 plus a sf of space they can get it at 5-10 per sf. Money talks.
Apartments are planned in the hundreds. Security (Cap police and JPD) are visible. Crime (and street take overs) is/ are way down. Fuel is $5.00 a gallon and will likely be $ 8-10.00 before too long. Being close to where you work will soon pay big. The zoo should (and will likely) close. The mayor will focus on jobs and safety. The governor is helping with that. And the food? It’s second to none.

I happen to agree with 2:46. It has not been a fast, remarkable change, but if you truly stop complaining about Jackson and take a look around, you will see a lot of positive things, in general, happening. There are still people who love Mississippi, and Jackson, and they are trying their best to continue to respect the home they love. I know its all but impossible for some people to understand, but just try.

Downtown Detroit started coming back when the rents fell low enough to attract young people and small businesses. The Quicken Loans guy helps a lot too but the old supply and demand laws worked as they should.