Ellington

Jackson shares a perception problem with the rest of the nation, and media are manipulating that perception with the recent Census data. Crime nationwide has been steadily decreasing since about 1990, and today it is at the same level it was in the early '70s. In Jackson, crime is significantly down from the mid-'90s, yet people "feel" more unsafe today than they did then. Why is it taking so long for the perception to match reality?

One answer is the rise of journalism for profit: Good news doesn't sell; sensationalism does. Another is our political atmosphere where pols and pundits use fear and hysteria to garner votes. Faulty reasons shape faulty perceptions, and our perceptions shape our reality—even to our detriment, even if they're illusions.

So how do we change a faulty perception?

There's only one way we're sure of: direct experience. When was the last time you changed your mind about something? Did it happen because someone told you that you were wrong? Doubt it. Until you have an experience strong enough to shift your worldview—an "ah ha!" moment—you will cling to your opinion, even in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary.

Jackson can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in PR campaigns and catchy slogans and never convince anyone who clings to the idea that Jackson is dangerous. We can talk until we're blue in the face about institutional racism and the real causes of poverty, but until those things become more than a concept, it won't influence people to change their attitudes or their behaviors.

Gandhi said: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." Margaret Meade said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." People must be a demonstration to change perceptions. That is the power, and perhaps the only power, of the individual to effect change.

We have a choice: We can continue to try to change the minds of people convinced of their perceptions (good luck with that), or we can be demonstrations of reality. Jackson has so much to offer; let's continue to offer it by making life better for Jacksonians. One good experience in Jackson does so much more to shift perceptions than all the fancy PR campaigns combined.

It's an uphill climb to counter corporate-media drones and the inherent incompetence of bureaucracies. We can and should demand better, and call it out at every opportunity. But leaders alone aren't going to get it done, and no re-branding effort will, either. It just won't.

What works is to constantly improve Jackson for Jacksonians. Fight the good fights in the Legislature to strengthen the city's home rule. Continue to support world-class events like the upcoming Mal's St. Paddy's Parade and the FIGMENT art event. Demand the best from our local artists, residents and city leaders. Making Jackson the envy of the state might take time, but it doesn't depend on whether most of the city's residents are white or black. We just have to want the best and be willing to work for it. Let's try it together.