Where They Stood

After a day in Memphis with my godson and friends, I headed south and stopped in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Mississippi State Capitol dominates downtown, its dome rising above wide lawns and monuments. Nearby, the old Greyhound bus station still wears its sleek blue Art Moderne lines; it’s where Freedom Riders were arrested for challenging segregation. The Eudora Welty Library honors the writer who called Jackson home, and the city’s historic towers and churches line the quiet streets. A retro Sun-n-Sand sign was a fun reminder of an earlier era of road trips.

Jackson isn’t a city that tries to impress, but it carries a lot of history in a few blocks. Standing where ordinary people once risked everything gave the road south a deeper meaning.