Field trip to Farish Street

Photo by Bonnie Bowley, Casey parent

Reflections on the field trip to Farish Street by Bonnie Bowley, Casey parent:

"Today I spent the better part of my day accompanying 70+ third graders, their teachers, some parents, and artist George Miles on a fascinating trip to downtown Jackson. As a non-native Mississippian, I learned a lot about Jackson and found this field trip an eye-opening and satisfying experience.

We began with a walk back in time when we stepped through the doors of the Smith Robertson School, for years a school for African American children and now a museum and cultural center celebrating the contributions of many African American artists. With about twelve beautifully crafted quilts made by artist Ravin J. Hill gracing the walls around us, we sat and heard storyteller Diane Williams describe what life was like back in the mid-1800’s through the eyes of “Bessie Sue,” a young black slave girl yearning for freedom in the midst of her hardships.

Photo by Bonnie Bowley

Photo by John Howell, Casey Arts Facilitator

Following lunch in the Senior Center adjacent to Smith Robertson Museum, we strolled historic Farish Street with urban planner Carl Allen and Jackson-based hip-hop artist Kamikaze. They described the hustle and bustle of Farish Street life decades ago. Today, a law firm, shoe repair shop, Peaches’ Café, and renovated Alamo Theater give us a peek into what this area can once again become. Our guides helped us envision the future of the brick-laden street, the now vacant and mostly dilapidated buildings one day transformed into offices, shops, restaurants, blues clubs, and more. As we rambled the sidewalks of Farish Street, we even encountered blues guitarist and vocalist Jesse Robinson. Meanwhile, the dozens of Casey third graders excitedly snapped photos of it all.

Photo by John Howell

Union Station and its adjacent edifice the King Edward Hotel were our trip’s final destinations. While Farish Street’s most glorious days were in years past, Union Station has already been restored and serves its patrons today, and the King Edward Hotel’s current renovations show the promise of a wonderfully restored Jackson landmark in the not-too-distant future. We saw glimpses of the past, present, and future of Jackson all in one day, helping us to better understand this city we call our home. "

On behalf of all Casey parents, thank you to these parents who joined the third grade classes on the field trip: Bonnie Bowley, Amy and Monte Kraus, Bridget Townsend, Melanie and Carl Allen, Shannon Kessee, and Toveta Kent!

Photo by MEO, Casey third grader

Reflections from Mr. Howell, Casey Arts Facilitator:

"Our field trip yesterday was really great. The weather was perfect. The kids saw a lot and took a lot of pictures. At the Smith Robertson Museum they saw Diane Williams act out a piece about a runaway slave who uses quilts to guide her to freedom. The students toured Farish Street so and photographed what they saw. We even ran into a blues musician (Jesse Robinson) who happened to be there, and he's interested in coming to the school. Carl Allen (Maggie's dad) was one of our tour guides along with Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin, and they and Gwen McClellan gave us a fantastic talk about the history of the King Edward. I really think the students got a lot out of the day. They got to see a unique part of their home city in much more detail than usual. It was educational for the teachers and parents who attended as well."

Do you have photos or reflections from the field trip that you would like to share? Please let me know or comment below!