Jackson Free Press

With perhaps the best angle on the city's skyline, the Poindexter community—starting just west of Gallatin and bumping up to the Jackson State campus—sits on the edge of downtown Jackson and is on the verge of becoming a much more livable and accessible neighborhood. While many Jacksonians might consider Poindexter one of those neighborhoods too dangerous to venture into after sundown, Poindexter residents and supporters have been working over the past several years to make their neighborhood a safer and more united area. Members of the Poindexter community speak with confidence and optimism about their neighborhood's current state.

Good Place to Raise Kids

Emitt Powe, a resident of Poindexter since 1970, explains that when he first moved to the neighborhood, it did not have the crime or drug problems that developed in the 1980s. When these problems first arose, many residents of Poindexter moved away, businesses changed locations and the neighborhood became a somewhat abandoned terrain.

"For a while the situation got real bad," says Powe, "but now it looks like things are moving back to the way they were in the '70s—it's becoming a good neighborhood to raise kids again."

Poindexter has followed the city's overall trends in dropping crime rates, although it still sees too many. Poindexter is in Precinct 2, which had 53 total crimes committed within it during the week of Nov. 1 - 7, including a number of auto and home burglaries within the Poindexter area. However, crime is down significantly in the area since the crack heyday of the 1990s, and many residents avow that they feel safer in the neighborhood now. Long-time residents like Gerald Thompson and Germany Jones say crime is better, in part due to community efforts to clean up the area. ""The housing is getting better, and there is a little less violence," Jones said.

But, like many neighborhoods that have suffered urban decay and periods of high crime rates, parts of Poindexter look like it's been hit hard—with abandoned buildings, houses in various states of decay and "broken windows," two words that became the basis for a criminal theory developed in 1982 by academics George L. Kelling and James O. Wilson, who said that small examples of decay, like a broken window, can help breed cycles of crime and hopelessness in a community—even one where crime rates are dropping. While much of the men's theory about the direct connection between small nuisances, like a broken window, and violent crime have been debunked, what has resulted is a consensus that the best crime deterrent is, in fact, community presence.

For the past several years, organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Operation Weed and Seed have moved into Poindexter to help the residents restore the neighborhood to its previous condition of safety and unity. In turn, many of the people who grew up in Poindexter and moved out when it declined are now returning to raise their own families.

"They have a choice where they want to live," says Powe. "They can live in any neighborhood, but they choose Poindexter."

In September 2003, Habitat for Humanity began its Nehemiah Project, a plan to build 100 houses in several inner-city neighborhoods of Jackson, including Poindexter. The project seeks to reduce crime in the neighborhoods while revitalizing schools, businesses and the city as a whole. Habitat has already provided 12 Poindexter families with new homes, and more houses are in progress.

The Head of the Poindexter Neighborhood Association, Theresa Gray, says that Habitat has helped tremendously. Many abandoned houses have been torn down in order to make room for new homes and new families.

A Point of Unity

Operation Weed and Seed, a national organization that strives to reduce crime, drug use and gang activity in neighborhoods throughout the U.S., has also helped the progress of Poindexter. The operation consists of two different components: "weeding" (attempting to remove repeated violent or drug offenders from the area through law enforcement and prosecution) and "seeding" (providing human services and revitalizing neighborhoods). Most recently, Weed and Seed has restored Poindexter Park, providing a new, safer playground for the children of the neighborhood.

Theresa Gray credits Poindexter Park as a point of unity for the neighborhood, explaining that the block associations of the area utilize the park for numerous community celebrations, such as May Family Fun Day and Fall Festival. The students of Poindexter Elementary also use the park every afternoon for football practice.

The Poindexter neighborhood is at a stage where living conditions have begun to improve immensely, and the members of the community hope to continue this upward trend by providing guidance for the children of the neighborhood. Both Poindexter Elementary and the Voice of Calvary work to encourage children in their academic and personal pursuits.

Poindexter Elementary, a school of approximately 300 students, welcomed a new principal for the 2003-2004 year. Mr. Evan Caine brings to Poindexter four years of experience as assistant principal of Madison Middle School and professional educational experience from Tunica and Memphis schools. Poindexter Elementary takes an extremely pro-active approach in ensuring that students have the opportunity to reach their maximum potential, both academically and physically. Poindexter employs several intense reading programs, including the Success For All reading model, as well as an organization called the Not Here Club, which is a group open to all fifth graders who pledge to abstain from violence and drug use. The monthly Pride Day honors well-behaved students with celebrations such as "January Jam—Come Watch Us Slide."

Poindexter Elementary finds support from several Jackson businesses and organizations.

Esther McCoy, Poindexter's Adopt-A-School coordinator, has helped forge partnerships with the Mayor's Office, WLBT-TV3 and Church's Chicken. Mayor Harvey Johnson has assigned different departments from the City of Jackson to mentor designated grades at Poindexter Elementary. For example, Public Works mentors the first grade, and the Police Department mentors the third grade. In the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years, Poindexter Elementary became the first elementary school to ever receive the Allstate Helping Hands Award.

Restoring History

While Poindexter has made progress in the construction of new homes and the demolition of abandoned ones, the neighborhood also has several historical houses that have been restored. The National Register of Historic Places recognized the Poindexter Park Historic District in 1995, claiming historical significance to Poindexter's architecture and engineering styles that date to late 19th and early 20th century American movements.

One of these historical homes provides the lodging for the Poindexter Park Inn at 803 Deer Park St., a popular bed-and-breakfast in Jackson. The house sits on the former property of Mississippi's second governor, George Poindexter, who served in the War of 1812 and also became president pro-tempore during the 23rd Congress. Former City Councilwoman Marcia Weaver now serves as innkeeper for the five-room home that dates back to 1907. The home recently underwent historic restoration while still maintaining its charming qualities, such as antique bathtubs with hand-carved wooden feet. In 1997, Poindexter Park Inn received the Heritage Award of Merit for Residential Historic Architecture.

"I have owned this inn for the past 10 years in this community," Weaver explains. " It is a community in transition. There are a number of families that have been here for years and have hung in there for a while. We do have lots of empty space. The neighborhood is good for new businesses and residences. It is a very old neighborhood that has gone from predominately white to predominately black. One thing that hurt the neighborhood, 30 or 40 years ago, was that there were a lot of personal care homes placed in the neighborhood."

While Poindexter has come a long way in the past five or six years, the neighborhood still has much more work to do, say Powe and Gray. There are few businesses in the area besides the Winn Dixie and Family Dollar Store on West Capitol Street where many residents shop. For entertainment, Poindexter residents must go elsewhere due to the lack of options in their neighborhood.

"You got some people who, when you say that you live close to Robinson Road or Jackson State, they take it as a let down; they think it's 'the ghetto.' But what's going on here—tearing down houses and putting new houses with neighborly people who are glad to have a home—is something to be proud of," Powe says.

Project 'Hood is a new feature in the JFP, featuring a different Jackson neighborhood in each issue. Send news and story ideas to [e-mail unavailable] or call 362-6121 and speak to Casey or Ayana. Remember, coverage of a neighborhood does not end after it's featured. Keep the news and events coming.
Next Issue: Daniel Townsend on Briarcliff

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
George Poindexter served as a delegate, representative, senator and governor of Mississippi. Born in Louisa County, Va., in 1779, Poindexter went on to study law. After being admitted to the bar in 1800, Poindexter practiced law for two years in Milton, Va., before pursuing his profession in Natchez in 1802. Poindexter served in the War of 1812 and was elected to the 15th Congress in 1817 upon Mississippi's admission as a state in the Union. From 1819 to 1821 Poindexter served as the second governor of Mississippi and later became president pro tempore of the Senate during the 23rd Congress. Poindexter then practiced law in Jackson until his death in 1853.

'HOOD HEROES
• Theresa Gray is the head of the Poindexter Park Neighborhood Association and an active member of the Voice of Calvary Fellowship. Voice of Calvary organizes an after school program for kids, helping them develop math, reading and music skills.
• Marcia Weaver is a former City Council member and innkeeper of the Poindexter Park Inn, a small bed-and-breakfast in a historical home built in 1907.
• Emitt Powe has been a resident of Poindexter since 1970. When the neighborhood went downhill and many people left the area, Mr. Powe continued to raise his kids in their Poindexter home.
• Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. supports Poindexter Elementary School, assigning different departments from the City of Jackson to mentor designated grades.

SIGNS OF LIFE IN POINDEXTER
Habitat for Humanity: The Nehemiah Project has built several new homes in Poindexter since September 2003 and several more are in progress.

Weed and Seed: This national organization works to reduce crime, drug use and gang activity in inner-city neighborhoods. Weed and Seed recently donated a new playground to Poindexter Park.

Poindexter Park Inn: The home of this popular bed and breakfast dates back to 1907. In 1997, the inn received the Heritage Award of Merit for Residential Historic Architecture.

Poindexter Elementary: The school receives support from the Mayor's Office, WLBT-TV3 and Church's Chicken. In the 2001-2002 school year, Poindexter Elementary became the first elementary school to ever receive the Allstate Helping Hands Award.