Jim Jackson

Hernando Memorial Garden Cemetery in Hernando, MS

Read his Biography on the MZMF Research Blog

Six Year Project

The Mt. Zion Memorial Fund dedicated the tall, granite headstone for Jim Jackson at the Hernando Memorial Park Cemetery in Hernando, Mississippi on the afternoon of June 3rd, 2023. The American Historical Association provided funding for the memorialization project through the American Rescue Plan. Columbus Marble Works, of Columbus, Mississippi, installed the marker under the supervision of cemetery sexton Quincy Randle, of Hernando, who worked very closely with the MZMF to make the project a reality.

Members of the 2nd Baptist Church of Hernando [Photo © Shannon Evans 2023]

Filmmaker Joe Marks & Dr. Moore at the headstone dedication in Hernando [Photo © Shannon Evans 2023]

Executive Director

At 5:00 pm the ceremony kicked off with the keynote address by DeWayne Moore, who spoke about the historical legacy of Jim Jackson as well as the trajectory of the project, which took almost five years to complete.

“Kansas City” Jim Jackson’s memorial marks a watershed moment in the history of the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund…

Pastor Quinton Taylor, of the Second Baptist Church [Photo © Shannon Evans 2023]

The dedication of Jim Jackson’s headstone accomplished several goals…

1) It paid tribute to a major influence on the hill country Blues and the early recording industry

2. It funded the restoration of the African American section of Hernando Memorial Garden Cemetery

3. It inspired the city of Hernando to admit its long unequal practices of cemetery maintenance

4. It proffered a new, more equal, cemetery maintenance policy in the city of Hernando, which had not properly maintained the historic African American burial ground in so long…

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Participatory Memorialization

Chip Johnson, the mayor of Hernando, also spoke at the event, as well as Pastor Quinton Taylor, of the Second Baptist Church. Alderman Andrew Miller also offered his remarks over the phone, as he was unable to attend in person.

In addition, Brian Mitchell, the director of research at the Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum in Illinois delivered a brief speech about the importance of historic preservation in African American communities. Robert Long, curator of the Desoto County Museum, moreover, discussed the significance of Jim Jackson in local history, and he invited everyone to visit the museum for a reception after the dedication. In addition, the caretaker of the burial ground, Quincy Randle, served as the guest of honor. Mr. Randle was crucial to the success of the project, and Dr. Moore handed him a $1,000 check from the MZMF to support future maintenance efforts at the cemetery.

Jontavious Willis performs at the dedication ceremony [Photo © Shannon Evans 2023]

Hernando mayor Chip Johnson, Quincy Randle, and an unidentified woman [Photo © Shannon Evans 2023]

Strength in Partners

Quincy Randle turned right around and donated the money to the Second Baptist Church, and he joined Dr. Moore in pulling the shroud off the beautifully crafted monument, featuring a verse of “Kansas City Blues” and a guitar figure perfectly designed by MZMF partner and Houston cartoonist John Branch was unveiled at Jim Jackson’s gravesite. The unveiling was followed by the soulful sounds of Omar Gordon and the intricate guitar picking of Jontavious Willis, who performed a couple of Jim Jackson’s most famous tunes on the guitar.

While taking in the sights and sounds of the early evening, I glanced toward the “white section” of the cemetery with its green carpet of manicured lawn and well-maintained grave sites. My mind veered abruptly into questioning mode. It took a dedicated team of professionals and community-based volunteers to locate a grave forgotten for nine/tenths of a century. Only after the gravesite had been located could the land be cleared, and a headstone installed. Why must it take such a concentrated and devoted team of advocates to rectify such injustice in the year 2023?