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As I write this email, I have been running for an obscene number of hours in an ultimate frisbee tournament. I am tired. I am sleepy. Tomorrow, I will be in pain. And it was absolutely worth it. Cooperatives, when explained with purple prose, seem radical or unintuitive. Collective decision-making? Minimal hierarchy? Shared power? Still, we live so much of our lives cooperatively. From washing dishes after a friend cooks a meal to a bunch of sweaty Mississippians supporting one another playing a game in 95 degree weather, we’re at our best when we look out for one another. My favorite part of Riverside is a deep commitment to that ethic. Care for self. Care for others. Care for the environment. Here’s what we got up to in the month of May.
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We are official owners of our beautiful building! Thank you to New Horizons Church for trusting us with this project. This was a long process, but it feels so wonderful to hold the building deed and think deeply about how to make this space a Third Space for all of South Jackson. We’ve ramped up efforts to make the building secure by fixing broken windows, adding aesthetic bars, and securing our massive vault door. We love the massive vault door even more now that it won’t accidentally swing and trap us inside :) With the help of the one and only Ahmad Thompson, we’ll soon have lights and plumbing work done to set up our ice cream and coffee machines. We want to be good stewards of the space. Externally, we’re looking to avoid the harms of lawnmowers on the grassy parts of the parking lot and fill them with plants and native grasses to be in right relationship with our environment.
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For the past several months, we’ve worked closely with the People’s Advocacy Institute to canvas our neighbors and share our hopes for the building space. The feedback we’ve gotten continues to be overwhelmingly positive. Families are excited that there’s a walkable spot to get food and drink, that a business is coming to South Jackson instead of Fondren or Belhaven, and for young people to have a positive and nourishing program available to them. Every day, we’re getting close to making this a reality.
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Our partner artist, Justin Ransburg, has created a final rough draft of the mural that will adorn the outside of our walls. Now, we’re ready to share with our South Jackson neighbors. Our students will give a presentation about their experience with the democratic mural making process, share their vision for Riverside, and invite community members to imagine with us. We’re looking at June 26th for this meeting, so please mark it in your calendars and share it with any South Jackson folks you know!
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We are so thrilled to have Lori Kinsley on board as our newest Riverside co-steward. Lori comes with a wealth of knowledge about business development, is a long-time Mississippi resident, and loves working with young people. Welcome, Lori!
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