Anna Spencer

The Jackson Center is a hub of creative action dedicated to preserving the future of historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC. Located in the heart of the Northside community, Center staff work in collaboration with Northside neighbors and friends to respect and to serve histories that, even as they are told, make new history out of Emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, civil rights struggle, and desegregation. Today Northside, Pine Knolls and Tin Top are among the most racially, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhoods in the region. Our primary aim is to listen well: to hear and to carry forward histories shaped by abiding values and visions for vibrant community. We want to make sure that the histories of everyday, courageous and faithful leadership that we are privileged to hear—and to hold in From the Rock Wall (www.fromtherockwall.org)—make a difference in our communities now and for generations to come. This is the work of legacy-making. It is multi-generational, community-first work. For the Jackson Center, it is the joy of continuing to be led by the wit and wisdom of all of those who work, worship, play, serve, and live in Northside, Pine Knolls, and Tin Top—and of those who remember the everyday history-making and artful neighboring that make our neighborhoods models of abundant community.