Jackson Free Press

Plavise "Patti" Patterson

Born: Detroit, Mich.

Age: 50

Family: Son, Aundreus, 26

Education: Graduated Wayne High School, 1980; graduated Jackson State University School of Business, 1986

Plavise "Patti" Patterson may have grown up in Michigan, but she became an adult in Jackson. Now she's trying to return the favor and help bring Jackson to a role of prominence as Ward 5 councilwoman.

Patterson moved from Detroit to Jackson in 1980 at age 18, but she was familiar with the city long before. As a child, her mother made sure she spent her summers learning about her Mississippi heritage with her grandparents right here in the capital city.

She spent time on the Jackson State University campus, learning about the rich history of civil rights, music and excellent culinary experiences Jackson had to offer. Patterson said the lessons she learned all those summers ago have stuck with her.

It was a foregone conclusion she would attend JSU, near her grandparents. The daughter of a single-parent household that survived on her mother's modest wages as a Detroit hotel manager, she found her niche in Jackson and graduated with a degree in business in 1986.

She grew a foot-care specialist business in west Jackson for 22 years, contracting with local hospitals and nursing homes to care for patients, particularly seniors, who suffered from diseases that affect the feet such as diabetes.

"It's very rewarding work," Patterson said. "Because I get to meet so many people who need help, especially those who cannot afford normal health care. We work with them to make sure they get the care they need."

Patterson watched her 26-year-old son, Aundreus, leave the city for better opportunities in New York City, and watched the economic and social decline around the city until she could stand it no more. Now, the 50-year-old has a vision for Jackson that she wants to implement as Ward 5 Councilwoman.

Why are you running for city council?

I'm running because I care about west Jackson. I became an adult in west Jackson. This community, at present, isn't like it used to be. There are a lot of things that have changed. The heart of Jackson has changed. Nobody cares about each other anymore. We have a tendency to go about our own business, and you don't care about your neighbors now. There's not a voice for people who don't get out--mainly our seniors and our children.

I'm very concerned about the youth. I've been working closely with a young person who aged out of foster care and has nowhere to go, and I've been working with him to be sure he can mainstream into normal society. A passion of mine here is to bring Jackson back to the way it was when I used to come down in the summer. I never got this far into the community then, but I was always on the campus because I had cousins who brought me to Jackson State. ... We always came down Mill Street, and that's the same route I take today. I've just seen a lot of things just go downhill. My main thought, and I contemplated this a while, is that I have worked with the current councilman, and he's done a great job, but the voices of the community have become silent, and I think I can give them a voice again and make this a better ward and a better city.

Jackson Public Schools seem to always be in the headlines for the wrong reasons. If elected, what can you and the council do to stem the tide on a rising drop-out rate?

I've worked with JPS for years. First of all, we have to quit talking about alternatives until we fix our own problem. I'm talking about charter schools. Even if we start charter schools, we still have to fix our city schools. Start at the top. We need a leader at the top that can come in with a strategic plan. Schools are not about the core inside the school. You have to get out into the community and reunite the community with our schools. Drop-out rates are high because kids don't feel like they have to graduate anymore. Let's bridge that gap. School and community are too far apart. ...

If we keep getting superintendents without a plan, we'll keep having these problems. I haven't seen one come in with a comprehensive plan since Robert Fortenberry (who served from 1973 to 1990).

Does the city needs to fix some of its infrastructure and educational problems before we can focus on big development projects such as Farish Street and Old Capitol Green?

We do have to fix our problems first. We want to bring in developers; developers make money. We have small businesses that are struggling because big businesses just left our city. If we focus on small business expansion, then we can entertain these big businesses.

I do support Old Capitol Green. I support any positive development that comes in that can grow our city and bring more attraction to our city. So, first of all, we need to look at why we are losing all our businesses, whether it's crime or there's not enough support, we have to fix that. You can bring in Capitol Green, you can bring in One Lake, but where are you going to get the people from? I've seen the Capitol Green project, and I know they understand the problems of the city. They've lived here, and they understand our problems. That's why I support that particular project.

When it comes to crime, are Jackson's problems more related to the number of badges on the street or is it a systemic problem?

It's an organizational thing. We need to communicate with law enforcement. Any effective law enforcement has to involve the people. Police need to communicate with the citizens, and we've gotten away from that.

The Environmental Protection Agency has fined Jackson for past sewage disposal methods, and the price tag for repairs and legal expenses are now near $400 million. How should the city raise funds to pay for crumbling infrastructure?

First of all, we have to know where our budget is. We have to budget for that. There's money out there for infrastructure within our existing budget. We have to find areas to tighten the belt and find a way to pay for the repairs and fines. We certainly don't need to raise taxes.

So you do not support the 1-percent sales-tax increase?

I do not. We've been taxed enough. I'll leave it at that.

What changes would you like to see made specifically in Ward 5?

Ward 5 has suffered crime. Our streets are not safe or clean, and small businesses are moving out of west Jackson to north Jackson. We have to, first of all, meet the needs of the citizens, and we've gotten away from that.

It seems our best and brightest leave for better opportunities in bigger cities. How can Jackson retain some of the talent we see going to bigger urban areas?

My son left. He left because he said, "Mom, my talents, I have to take them elsewhere, and then I'll come back." And I said, "Well, if you do that, you better come back with a vengeance. Come back knowing that young people want to stay here, but they aren't for several reasons--the jobs situation, the interest in the arts."

A lot of young people (who) are leaving are interested in the arts. Technology is here, no doubt. Health care is here, no doubt. So now we have to figure out where we can build a relationship with our youth. Do we do it through the schools or through the arts? We have to let the children of Jackson see the children from our surrounding cities. We have to cultivate our children and let them see other communities and how things are done. If we get a few involved, one will follow the other. We have to culture our kids so they can see there are things they can create here. A lot of our crime is committed by youth.

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email Tyler Cleveland at [email protected].