Jawana Jackson stood before the crowd in the community room of the Selma-Dallas County Public Library and shared the story of her childhood home in Selma, where her parents, Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, lived many years ago. | Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information On Thursday, the Selma- Dallas County Public Library welcomed Selma native Jawana Jackson home. Not only did Jackson return home, but she also brought with her the memories, the legacy, and the story of her childhood home in Selma where her parents, Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, once lived. During the luncheon, Library director Becky Nichols started the event off with a prayer which led to the introduction of Amber Mitchell, Founding Curator of Black History at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Heather Bruegl, Curator of Political and Civic Engagement at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation as well. “They are the curators of the museum where the [Jackson] House is currently residing,” Nichols said. “I laughed and I said, “What is it like to curate a house? Catalogue a house?” “They have gotten quite the challenge, and I want to thank them for the slideshow today that gives you, kind of an idea of how this amazing journey has taken place.” Nichols also recognized several community leaders during the luncheon such as Selma Mayor Johnny Moss, III, Dallas County Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn, Representative for U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell Byron Evans, and the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information Director Sheryl Smedley. There were also several others recognized at the event including members of the Selma City Council. As Jackson came up to the front of the library’s community room, she was welcomed with a big hug from Nichols and a round of applause from a room full of community members that calls the city of Selma their home. “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming,” Jackson said. “To my better half, James Richie, who has been with me on this journey, every step of the way; to the library; Becky Nichols, who is a wonderful, wonderful friend of my mother’s and my family; and to the Henry Ford Museum, who are now the stewards of the Jackson home— if the walls of that house could talk, what would they say?” Jackson said the house would tell a story— a journey of a family here in Selma, Alabama that was rooted and committed to love, peace, justice and community. It also includes the story of several organizational clubs in Selma that impacted her upbringing, like the Chesterfield Club that was established in the city over 90 years ago. “Making sure I made it to school on time,” Jackson said. “Everything that we know is community, right here in Selma. My family actually goes back to the late 1800s and matter fact, I just left— before I came here—the other family home, the Burwell home, which is right around the corner. I could never leave Selma, never ever.” Jackson went on to talk about the Burwell home that was built in 1897 by Dr. Lincoln Laconia Burwell. “You had Dr. Burwell, Dr. R.B. Hudson, who were brother-in- laws by the way and they married my great-grandfather’s sisters both, so a foundation was laid for my parents to open their home to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. many, many years later.” Jackson went on to answer the question, “Why Selma?” “Well, we sit on a major waterway,” Jackson said. “We sit in the Blackbelt, which I don’t know how many of you realize but at one point in history of this country, the Blackbelt was the largest economic engine in America. So, during those years, you had a Dr. L.L. Burwell, a R.B. Hudson and a P.L. Lindsey and all of these people that came together to talk about education, economic sustainability and how to create and maintain community. Then, one day you had a Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, who married and decided to give their lives to Selma and the community. Then I come along at Good Samaritan Hospital which still stands as a beacon of the rich history that we have here in Selma”. Jackson went on to talk about the history of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Selma. “We sit on major waterway and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes into Selma, sees that bridge, sees the vision for America on voting rights, sees Montgomery, a stone’s throw away from Selma and plans a major march on voting rights and democracy for America here in Selma, in my parent’s home with me at four and five years old.” Jackson said King did all the planning of the march with people from all around the world that came into the Jackson home. She said he did that on the footprint of the Burwells and the Hudsons and the people that came into Selma to make it a community that was thriving. “You know, I think about the civil rights history,” Jackson said. “That was made in the Jackson home. I was so very young but somehow, I understood the meaning of now. The urgency of now, then. The importance of democracy in America and what my parents tried to, in their small way, give of themselves in this house to ensure that our country will always be a democratic society. Here are we are, 60 years later; we are still fighting for democracy.” Jackson said to the audience that fighting for democracy is not something they should do but an action that must be done. “And Selma is a place that those ideas, feelings and lessons can be learned,” Jackson said. “When I made the decision for the Jackson House to go to the Henry Ford [museum], it was easy because I knew that house deserved millions of people to be able to touch and see the story.” Jackson said allowing the Henry Ford Museum to curate the house also allowed her to bridge a gap between the North and South because many of the ancestors back then left the South to go up North for a better life. Jackson said when the opportunity came to curate the home, she knew it was a no-brainer and considered it a “win-win” because the Jackson home will stand now for generations to come. Nearing the end of the event, Jackson and the Henry Ford Museum gave away free copies of her mother’s book, The House by the Side of the Road along with a bookmark and a postcard to commemorate the celebration of the Jackson Home. The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan will publicly display the original frameworks of the Jackson Home that was once in Selma in June in its Greenfield Village. For more information about the Jackson Home, visit https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/greenfield-village/jackson-home/.

Community members joined the United Tax Group staff and its owner Tamika Suggs on Thursday to commemorate the business's ribbon cutting ceremony and its grand opening celebration. | Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information On Thursday, The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information proudly invited the public and community partners to the ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of United Tax Group. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and the grand opening celebration for the tax business were held at 11 a.m. at 2901 Citizens Parkway. Tamika Suggs, who is the owner of United Tax Group said the business is not new to Selma but has been in the community for many years. “We are a tax company,” Suggs said. “Formerly known as Money Tax Services and I have been in the tax business for over 16 years. Before, when I was with Money Tax Services [as a business partner], we did a lot of sponsorships and stuff in the community and with me [being the owner now and undergoing a name change in August], I want to continue to do those same things we used to do back then.” Suggs said under the new name, she plans to host school drives just as her and her former manager did before his passing including helping the schools’ football teams when they need any type of sponsorships. “So, we just want the community to know it’s the same,” Suggs said. “Same people, same integrity, same things that Money Tax Services stood for.” Suggs said she was also a little overwhelmed about the United Tax Group’s special day because her role would look a lot different than when she was a business partner. “I have a lot on my plate now,” Suggs said. “But other than that, I’m elated. Everything is going really well business wise, and I do have new team members that came on this year and I also have returning members as well. So, we have been doing really, really good and I’m excited about that.” Suggs said when she thought about her business United Tax Group, the phrase, “providing great customer service” came to mind. “Because without our customers, we won’t stay open,” Suggs said. Suggs went on to say she just wanted to make sure that her business would continue serving the Selma community and provide the best customer service to its customers. For more information, contact United Tax Group at 334-875-0099.

The Yellowhammer Theatre Group debuted its latest theatrical performance called " A complicated Hope" on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30, which led to a "packed house" filled with Selma residents and community members. | The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information Friday night, A Selma -based theatre company known as the Yellowhammer Theatre Group opened the doors of the Harmony Club at 1103 Water Avenue to present its latest theatrical performance called “A Complicated Hope”. “A complicated Hope” was a production that drew guests in from the beginning featuring an array of emotions from grief, love, to the eerie feelings of pain and sadness through the exploration of challenges including losing a loved one. The performance also depicted the inhabiting feeling of joy of finding a family of choice while simultaneously allowing each character to let their true selves be found. The cast of the special performance consisted of Rose Marie, who was played by Sydni Michelle Perry, Marie, who was played by Irene Polk and Arnie, who was played by Jeff Hathcoat. Yellowhammer Theatre Group Producer Patti Siegel, said that the performance’s opening night was considered a success and she said as a producer, she was incredibly proud of how well the cast and production team’s efforts worked together. “[From] the Playwright John Mabey’s words, with Emily McClain’s vision as a director and the incredible performances by these three cast members,” Siegel said. “It was flawless and I loved the reaction from the people who came to see it. I heard wow, amazing over and over and over. It was a very proud moment.” Like Siegel, several attendees of the opening night’s performance said the same or similar comments toward the end of the night during the cast and production team’s meet and greet session. On Saturday night, the Yellowhammer Theatre Group geared up for another amazing night to showcase the performance and to leave the residents and visitors of Selma with a special production that would make a lasting impression for more performances to come. Siegel said she wants those who came to the production no matter what night, to know that theater creates shared experiences within in the community. “We bring stories like tonight, where you see the importance of connection, and in this particular case, connection and family and it’s just a wonderful way to open your mind,” Siegel said. “The more you come to the theater and see stories that maybe you are not familiar with in terms of your own life, it broadens everyone’s perspective and it opens the community up to each other and creates these shared experiences.” The Yellowhammer Theatre Group is focused expressly on bringing theatre performances and arts education programs to Alabama’s Black Belt region expanding opportunity and access to this vibrant and important art form, according to the Yellowhammer Theatre Group mission statement. ______________________________ Exclusive Interviews | provided by The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information |Playwright John Mabey | Writer and storyteller whose plays have been published and produced on stage in nine countries and throughout the United States. SDCC: In the production, there was a lot of emotional pieces from happiness to sadness, grief.. So why was all of that depicted to make this production come to life? John: That’s a great question. Grief is something that is for me, non linear, because when I think of the people that are gone from my life, I flash through different moments that we’ve had together, and sometimes they are more recent moments or sometimes they are moments from far in the past. So that’s why the play is that non linear structure that flashes around in time. I find that when I think of people that I have lost, I remember the happy times, and also the time where we were angry with each other and when we had disappointment that we never resolved and I feel like the totality of that makes up the complexity of grief and also hope and joy. SDCC: So when people see this in person, all the parts together, what is one thing or a couple things you want them to take away? John: Oh, wonderful. I want people to take away the idea that family is not the only people that you are related to but they are also the people that you find and I also want people to take away that no matter how dark and sad life can feel, that there is HOPE for tomorrow. SDCC: How long did it take you to write this? How did you find the people? John: I wrote this play after my father passed away in 2020 and I was thinking and I was in my own grief, and the play came out very quickly during the time. And then after that, I had some amazing creative people that collaborated with to hear the play out loud, to develop the play. I thank Patti Siegel, the founder and producer of Yellowhammer Theatre Group, she has been instrumental in believing in me and this story and helping bring this work to Selma and make it as complete as it really can be. *Mabey said that Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan. 31 was the first time the play, “A Complicated Hope” was shown in Selma. | (Rose Marie) Sydni Michelle Perry | Multidisciplinary creative artist and performer based in Atlanta SDCC: Is this your first time in Selma? How does feel to be in Selma and to be in such a historical place? Sydni: It is super exciting. Never been to Selma and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I think there’s just like an energy in the city that’s buzzing and I think meeting the people has really made me feel like, I guess, at home in a way and very excited to bring this story to them. We had a cocktail party and people were just like , “Wow. Tell us about the play. We are so excited to have art here in Selma.” So just to be apart of that, it’s a gift and I’m really thankful to be apart of that. SDCC: So, tell me a little bit about your journey. How did you start out being an actress? Sydni: I am a military kid, so I was born in San Antonio, Texas and we moved to Maryland, and then we settled in Augusta, Georgia, and I went to Decatur, Georgia at Agnes Scott for college and stayed there and I started my acting journey almost seven years ago. Now, I want to say because before that, I was an athlete for like 14 years, so that was always taking up my time. And I describe it as like a little voice in my head that was like, try acting. And, I’m like, okay. So within a few months, I’ve gotten my first agent and like a couple bookings here and there and I was like maybe I’m kind of good at this. Then fast forward, seven years later, now, I have been in films and TV. This is my first full stage play that I have been in a role like this and in lots of commercials. So, it’s been a very rewarding journey, because I think with the artist’s lifestyle or experience, a lot of people think that it’s hard and things don’t work out how you always think they will, but I would say that perseverance and continuing to just keep going has rewarded me in ways that I just never thought possible. SDCC: So what would you tell somebody that’s inspiring to be an actress? Because we have a lot of theater kids around here. Sydni: I would say, be very clear on your own vision of where you want to go, but also be very flexible on how you get there, because getting here today came through basically being a stage manager for something else, connecting with someone else. From that one project to being a director somewhere else, like just relationships that I have built over time and in positions that I never thought I was going to hold and that wasn’t specifically being an actor in those moments. So I think it’s just being open to what God, what the Universe has in store for you, and not being so laser focused on how you think it should be , because it might be something you could never even imagined and even better than what you hope, hope is your world. SDCC: What was your role? Sydni: I was the daughter of Marie and her name is Rose Marie and basically she grew up not knowing what happened to her father. SDCC: So, is there anything is about your character that you want to say to someone who’s interested in doing theatre? Sydni: This is my very first time doing a full length play and one of the main things that I was afraid of when I started was like, “Am I going to be able to remember all the lines? Are my choices going to be good? Like how is this going to work out? Like, I’m going to suck. But the team behind this project, Emily McClain, the director, Irene, the other actor and Jeff Hathcoat, the other actor and Patti Siegel, the producer, have all been so supportive, and they are true professionals, so I was always open to learning and taking in what they were doing and allowing myself to be in the space, prepare as much as I can but to also know that I don’t have to be perfect. Because I think I thought I had to be perfect for me to be able to do well, or for them to like me and once I let that go and just trusted my co actors and did the preparation that I could, I also spoke up when I had ideas and shared them and committed to those choices. Emily was an amazing collaborator. She’s like, “yeah, let’s try it. I love that. Keep it.” Im like, “Oh, okay.” And my confidence just built all the way through this process. So, I’m just like now, that was easy. Like, the little Staples button. So, I think giving yourself the space to learn, stumble and grow is key and by the end of it, you might just surprise yourself. | (Marie) Irene Polk | Actress, thrilled to make her Yellowhammer Theatre Debut! SDCC: Tell me a little bit about your role. Irene: I play Marie in “A Complicated Hope”. A little bit about Marie, she is a very strong, intelligent lawyer who loses her husband after 12 years of marriage and she finds out that he was having a secret affair. It’s just been such a pleasure to play Marie and be apart of Yellowhammer [Theatre Group] and bringing the theater to Selma. It’s been so beautiful and so wonderful and the community here has been absolutely amazing. It’s not just us that put this together . There are friends of Patti’s and Jerry’s who have come here, who have helped, let us use things and everything and it really shows you like family is what you create. It’s not always who you are born to or who you are born with, but it’s the people around you who you choose everyday to love and I really think that Selma is a great reflection of the theme of this story, which is found family and growing together as one. SDCC: So is this your first time coming to Selma? How does that feel being in such a historic place, seeing the city for yourself and what do you want people to take away from seeing your character? Irene: That’s a great question. I think what I want people to take away from seeing Marie is that you can’t do it alone. You have people who love you, who care about you, let them in. It’s hard, like I’m a victim of this myself, because I like to say, “I can do it all. I depend on myself. I can get it done.” Then, you are worn out, you are burdened, you are overbearing. There are people in this world who love you and who want to help you, let them in, be open, accept the love and accept the community. And again, like the community that we have had in Selma has just been beautiful. It’s been accepting. I don’t think there’s one place that we went to that people didn’t either know Patti and come up to us. We have talked to complete strangers who have just seen us and been like, “What are y’all doing here? What’s going on? And it’s just amazing because you don’t get that really much anymore. People talking to each other and people being like, “Hey, tell me your story.” I think what I want people to receive from Marie is to allow yourself to love, to be loved by other people and to pour into your community and allow them to pour back into you. I would also tell the people of Selma to keep watching for Yellowhammer. They are doing so many great things in this community, besides the shows that they put on here, they do a lot of engagement with an education, with kids at the high schools and middle schools and it’s so wonderful, the powerful work that they are bringing to Selma. So keep looking out for Yellowhammer because we are not done yet. We have a whole season coming out and we’ll be back soon. | (Arnie) Jeff Hathcoat | thrilled to be back in Selma with Yellowhammer Theatre Group. SDCC: What’s your role in tonight’s play? Jeff: Tonight, I played Arnie in “A Complicated Hope” and I was fortunate enough that John, our playwright actually approached us about producing this and asked if I would take on this role. I feel very honored that they trusted me with such a very deep and intense role that I did not realize until we started and I noticed that , “Oh, I’m in every single scene.” SDCC: So what do you want people to take away from your role as Arnie? Jeff: Your family can be truly anyone you choose to love and take care of and that does not necessarily mean, it’s a blood relation. It is just something that connects the two of you through truly the power of love. And that may sound silly or corny, but that is how these characters find each other, even through some of the grief that you see in this play. What brings them together is how they are surviving and they are surviving through love. SDCC: okay, so seeing somebody in the audience, that may be going through the some of the same things at home, what would you tell them? Jeff: The honest advice really is do not shy away from connecting with others when you are in a place of uncertainty, grief or sadness. Frankly in my experience, not even as my character, shutting down is not only going to hurt you and holding on to be alone, while it may feel good in the moment, will not really help you move on and process what you are going through. To dig yourself out of that is really as simple as finding a connection with someone that you love. *Jeff Hathcoat is from Atlanta, Georgia and he went to school in Boston where he studied acting in theater and then from Boston, moved to New York, where he did a bunch of shows like Shakespeare The Park, performed on Broadway and did other things regionally in the area that he considers “beautiful and wonderful”. Hathcoat also said in the interview he has a strong connection to Selma being that his stepdad is from here and said they both have been coming to Selma for 30 years and at this point, he feels being able to bring what he grew up wanting to do and sharing it with his second hometown has been such a beautiful experience. “Especially with how welcoming this community has been and how excited everyone is with this work, it’s honestly been jaw dropping,” Hathcoat said. For more information and upcoming performances from the Yellowhammer Theatre Group, visit www.https://www.yellowhammertheatregroup.com/