Every other month, I join residents from across our city—college students, business leaders, grandmothers, men and women, Jacksonians—for a tour of their hometown. Some of you may have heard of what we call the Pride Ride. I serve as tour guide, and we visit every part of the capital city. Among the things we showcase are ongoing or completed developments, infrastructure projects, new businesses, eclectic neighborhoods and celebrated attractions. Inevitably, during every Pride Ride, citizens express amazement at what they see going on in their city. These rides invigorate our citizens and, many times, we find that people on the rides stay in touch and get more involved in partnering with us.
Several weeks ago, the City of Jackson launched a marketing campaign called Celebrate Jackson. One of the overarching themes that we wanted to be sure to convey is that Celebrate Jackson is an inclusive, participatory, and fluid exercise in recognizing all that is wonderful and praiseworthy in our City.
Too many times, we allow others to tell our story, and now is the time for us to take back the message and talk our town up! We need to toot our own horn, as it were.
I personally travel all over Jackson visiting neighborhoods, businesses, community centers and people every day who share their concerns and ideas with me. Yes, there are often problems that we need to address. There are complaints that we need to look into. No one is denying that we don't have challenges facing our city, but more often than not, there is an excitement, an energy, that is shared with me among our citizens. Because, by in large, our citizens see the progress we are making, and citizens share with me the fact that they want to help move our city forward. They understand all that Jackson can be and all that it is becoming.
We need this sustained energy to be able to continue to improve Jackson, from government, citizens, businesses and everyone who has an interest in seeing the capital city of Mississippi continue to improve and to be an even better city than it is today.
I love the fact that we have a widely read periodical like the Jackson Free Press that continues to celebrate Jackson. Every year in the Best of Jackson issue, the writers and staff celebrate our local talent, our local businesses, our local events and attractions, and so many of our people who work hard every day to make Jackson a better city. What's even more impressive to me is the fact that the readers select the honorees. That's what "participatory" looks like.
As we move forward in making Jackson the city that we all know it can be, I suggest that we start like we do on the Pride Ride and what the Jackson Free Press does: Celebrate what we've already accomplished and recognize the outstanding assets that make us who we are. We have a robust economic-development climate that respected local, regional and national media outlets continually celebrate. Our status as an important destination city for the southeast is growing thanks to our convention center, our city's cultural and historical venues, and our array of special events.
Jackson's reputation as a city that's preparing tomorrow's leaders is well established through internationally recognized institutions of higher learning located right here. And we will soon be at the epicenter of medical technology for the entire region with the realization of the Mississippi Medical Corridor.
Individuals who realize that we have to work together to move our city forward have completed developments and made progress. When we harness our collective will and effort, share our ideas with one another and dream together, it's then that we see all the possibilities for an even brighter future for our great city.
So, as we celebrate another Best of Jackson edition of the Jackson Free Press and we applaud the individuals, institutions and businesses each of you chose as the best of the capital city, remember that we have so much to be proud of every day in Jackson.
As mayor of Jackson, I am constantly in awe of the collective vision, energy and hope that comes from our people. I truly love the tenacity of our citizens, and it is my great pleasure to serve them every day. For me, the men, women and children who call this place home are the absolute Best of Jackson.
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