Home of the Blues…

Once you’ve visited Clarksdale you will want to keep coming back.  It’s hard to pin point exactly what the allure is, but there is definitely a feeling that somehow you’ve been forever changed in one weekend. Clarksdale is the home of the Blues – Muddy Waters, Son House, and Robert Johnson, were born and raised here.  If you spend some time in the infamous Yazoo Pass coffee shop you might run into anyone from Mayor Chuck Espy, to a visitor from London, to Morgan Freeman.  John Garrott, a local Methodist minister, met me at a conference and invited me to visit and speak.  I was so inspired by the people and raw promise in the area.  Clarksdale is a community of beautiful contradictions.  Most of the population is well into 4 generations of poverty with a deep history of segregation but also powerful reconciliation efforts and stories.  However, some of the most intelligent, driven, cultured and soulful people I’ve ever met live here.  The work in Clarksdale has evolved to be a multi-pronged approach to city revitalization with a central focus on technology and entrepreneurism.   

Location:

• Clarksdale, Mississippi: Blues Capital of the “Delta”

Civic engagement Leaders:

• Vince Jordan

• Josiah Jordan

Impact Goal:

• Revitalize iconic rural “Delta” community through technology and entrepreneurism.   

Regional Needs:

• Community mentors.

• Corporate partnerships.

• Funding to continue Indigo work with teachers and all high school students.

• Virtual Reality equipment and computers.

• Funding to employ more students at the VR Center.

• Training capital for the entrepreneurship/tech program in downtown Clarksdale.

• Full time project manager and community center leader.

Virtual reality

This video describes our core program in Clarksdale in partnership with Lobaki.  Learn more about the Clarksdale Virtual Reality Center on our VR Academies Page.  

Who Is Involved:

• Meraki Cooperative – a hands-on program that allows young men ages 18-24 to be employed working on a 2-acre vegetable farm and in a local restaurant.
• Eoghan Jennings (start-up incubator from Ireland) – launching a tech focused start-up training center for Clarksdale youth. 
• FBI – Second Chance Program and Bridging the Gap school program.
• Countless mentors from the community and local churches.  

• Clarksdale Public Schools – we worked with Clarksdale High School through the Bridging the Gap Program.
• Lobaki – incorporated a VR center in Clarksdale to teach high school students how to be VR Developers.
• Griot Arts – After-school and job training program committed to fostering compassion and creativity.