If you listen closely enough, you can hear the footfalls and excited chatter of young, Black shoppers. The ghosts of the shopkeepers greeting customers with “welcome on in,” whisper in the wind.
A once booming Black ecosystem, Farish Street was a bustling hub in Jackson, Mississippi that was founded just before the Civil War and thrived up until the 1970s.
Now, in its stead are barred doors and hollowed buildings.
Aikisha Holly Colon isn’t a medium, but she can feel the spirits of Farish’s past vividly.
“Every time I walk down that street, I can feel my ancestors grab my arms and just push me to walk a little quicker you know? They’re ready for better.”
Holly Colon and her family purchased land on Farish Street in 1896 when it was one of the largest and most successful independent African American communities. After more than 100 years, she, along with her aunt-turned-adoptive mother oversee multiple properties in the area.
After undergoing integration post-Jim Crow era, the community began to feel the effects of disinvestment and have yet to fully recover despite many, many well intentioned efforts.
The revitalization journey is documented on the OWN TV reality series, Belle Collective, following the lives of successful Black women in Jackson, Mississippi. In season 1, the show was driven by their efforts to revamp the formerly prominent business district but has since shifted to focus on personal narratives. Joining in its second season, Holly Colon understands the entertainment value of showcasing different aspect of life, but she’s shifting the spotlight back onto what truly matters to her.
“I am what you would call an heir of Farish Street,” she tells ESSENCE. “I was both born and married there, so it’s incredibly important to use this platform to spread the word about this special part of Black history, and the kind of future I’m trying to create for coming generations.”
Now in its third season, viewers can see Holly Colon sharing the complicated process of overseeing a major development project to purchase multiple properties on Farish and bring in businesses.
“Ultimately, I want to create a new arts and entertainment district there,” she said.
In a recent episode, Holly Colon shared she’d submitted a proposal to complete the project. The rest of the season will reveal how that plays out.
“It’s been really hard to keep momentum going for this because there’s been so many attempts at trying to renovate and revitalize the area {to no avail},” she tells ESSENCE.
According to a Mississippi Today-WLBT report, more than $51 million has been spent or committed to Farish Street projects since 1980. Only $22 million of that was allocated specifically for Farish Street’s redevelopment, according to the outlet.
Holly Colon says she has a winning strategy to avoid the pitfalls of past would-be investors.
“I’m going to start by bringing my bar to Farish,” Holly Colon said, referring Bricks and Hops, the Bronx, NY pub she owns with her husband. “We will pull through themes integral to Jackson’s culture and encourage patronage, so other businesses would want to set up shop there as well.”
Holly Colon said her plan is much larger than her.
“It’s my dream—it the only thing I’ve ever really felt like I was truly destined to do,” she emotionally shared. “It’s above me. This will stimulate the state’s economy, create jobs, and create long-term positive financial impact for so many people. This is for everyone. It really is.”
