Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi
formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Jackson, Mississippi
Settlement type	City
Nickname	"The City with Soul"
Pushpin label	Jackson
Coordinates	32, 17, 56, N...
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Mississippi
Subdivision type2	Counties
Subdivision name2	Hinds, Madison, Rankin
Established title	Founded
Established date	1821
Established title2	Incorporated
Established date2	1822
Government type	Mayor–Council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Chokwe Antar Lumumba
Area total km2	293.3
Area total sq mi	113.2
Area land km2	287.6
Area land sq mi	111.0
Area water km2	5.7
Area water sq mi	2.2
Elevation m	85
Elevation ft	279
Population total	153,701
Population as of	2020
Population density km2	534.4
Population density sq mi	1384.7
Timezone	CST
Utc offset	−6
Timezone DST	CDT
Utc offset DST	−5
Postal code type	ZIP Codes
Postal code	39200–39299
Area code	601, 769
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	28-36000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0711543
Website	www.jacksonms.gov

Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. Strategically located on the Pearl River, it serves as the political, economic, and cultural hub of the state. In the context of the Civil Rights Movement, Jackson holds profound significance as a major battleground for racial justice, where activists and organizations like the NAACP and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confronted the entrenched system of Jim Crow segregation and white supremacy.

History and Civil Rights Significance

Founded in 1821 and named for Andrew Jackson, the city's history is deeply intertwined with the antebellum economy of slavery and the Confederacy. Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jackson became a central arena in the struggle for civil rights in the mid-20th century. The city was a stronghold of massive resistance to desegregation, with state leaders like Theodore Bilbo and Ross Barnett vehemently defending segregation. This resistance made Jackson a focal point for national civil rights organizations, which targeted the city to challenge institutionalized racism in education, public accommodations, and voting rights. The city's significance is underscored by the pivotal role of local leaders such as Medgar Evers, the NAACP's first field secretary for Mississippi, whose assassination in 1963 galvanized the movement.

Civil Rights Movement Landmarks

Jackson contains several landmarks that bear witness to its civil rights history. The Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument preserves the home where Medgar Evers was assassinated, serving as a museum and educational center. The former Woolworth's lunch counter on Capitol Street was the site of a famous 1963 sit-in by Tougaloo College students, an event commemorated by the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center. The Mississippi State Capitol building was the scene of numerous protests and the location where Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenged the all-white state delegation in 1964. Other key sites include the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) headquarters, which coordinated movement activities, and the Greyhound Bus Station, where Freedom Riders were arrested and attacked in 1961.

Key Events and Protests

Jackson was the stage for numerous seminal events in the Civil Rights Movement. The 1961 Freedom Rides culminated in Jackson, where over 300 riders were arrested and jailed in the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. In 1962, the city erupted in protests following the University of Mississippi riot over the enrollment of James Meredith. The 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers at his home sparked national outrage and intensified mobilization. That same year, the Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) student body became actively involved in demonstrations. A major campaign in 1963-1964, led by Dave Dennis of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and others, focused on desegregating public facilities and registering Black voters, resulting in the 1963 March 1963, a major protest, and the 1965 Civil Rights Act of .Civil Rights Act of 1965|1965 Civil Rights Movement. The assassination of Voting Rights Act of 1965|voting rights and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Legacy and Continuing Struggles

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