Last week Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba delivered the annual state of the city address to an audience of supporters, information seekers, and the media. It was very characteristic of Lumumba in both style and content. It was fairly comprehensive so far as such addresses go.

Among the topics covered in the address were: (1) the water system; (2) relationship to state officials; (3) crime, crime prevention, and trauma recovery; (4) Jackson Police Department improvements; (5) raises for city employees; (6) street and infrastructure improvements; (7) JTRAN services; (8) homelessness, blight, and code enforcement; and (9) Jackson Public Schools. The topics included both accomplishments and remaining challenges. Lumumba attempted to inform the public of the why some things have lingered behind or remained unaccomplished, that is, the major obstacles or impediments.

The address provided a great deal for citizens to reflect upon as the rest of the year unfolds and mayoral candidates engage in their campaigns. It provided a great deal for citizens to recall, both from the past three and a half years and the remaining six months of Lumumba’s administration. It provides a great deal for citizens to realize that they can and need to do if Jackson is to flourish as it can and should.

When it comes to the water system, Lumumba pointed out that it was his administration that secured the federal funding to fix the system, but that much remains to be done, that the management under Ted Henifin has not been perfect and that the state remains poised to take over when Henifin leaves. The JXN Water company certainly has generated a number of questions and concerns regarding which citizens must remain vigilant and active.

When it comes to the aggressive, negative actions of state officials against Jackson – court system, airport, water system, Smith-Wills Stadium, and inadequate revenue allocations – he pointed out how these things cripple and threaten the city. Astute and active citizens will surely recognize the roles that they can play in protecting and promoting the interests of Jackson.

On the one hand, he read the statistics which show human and property crime are continuing to decline. On the other hand, he clearly indicated that because of the proximity of crimes to individuals and the publicity surrounding crime, many people fail or refuse to accept the reality of declining crime rates. He, nevertheless, thanked the police department and pointed to the technological improvements and the increased number of officers hired as well as the raises provided to police officers, fire fighters, and other city employees, which helps to retain those who are seasoned and doing a good job. He also re-emphasized the fact that his administration established a crime prevention and trauma recovery unit to help with crime and mental health needs.

Similar to the matter of peoples’ perceptions of crime, the mayor indicated that his administration has paved more streets than any previous administration. Yet, when people see the streets in their neighborhoods in need of repair, they are skeptical and wonder how long before theirs will be addressed. It appears that there is a reluctance to discuss any realistic comprehensive, city-wide schedule for street repairs. That may be because by the time the city is covered, those streets that were first on the list will need major repairs again.

The mayor mentioned improvements with JTRAN’s services. One would have thought that he would have mentioned the recent resolution of the JTRAN contract dispute, ending the bus drivers’ strike. The same holds for the ending of the dispute over garbage collection in Jackson. Both of those disputes could have spoken to his ability to handle such disputes and his attitude toward workers.

In terms of homelessness and blight in the city, he pointed to his administration’s effort to develop housing for the homeless on Capers Avenue and the continuing effort to enforce the codes governing blight. There was no specific data provided as to the enormity of the problem.

The address did not discuss efforts to attract businesses to the city. While Lumumba talked about “operational unity,” he did not reveal specific plans to generate more revenue for the city. He apparently has some ideas since that has been a major handicap for several administrations, including his own.

Before closing, he offered praise for how the Jackson Public Schools were pulled back from a state take-over and are now in the B to C range. Although the school district is not a direct responsibility of the city administration, the mayor of Jackson appoints its board of trustees and the city benefits from the wealth of the district’s employees and the development of its students.

As he closed, in typical Lumumba fashion, he advised citizens that they should not accept or buy into other people’s narrative of who and what we are; that we should remember and build upon the legacies of the likes of Margaret Walker Alexander, Eudora Welty, Henry Kirksey, Alice Harden, Thalia Mara, and Myrlie and Medgar Evers.