The Stories We Tell

Courtney Searcy has been an integral part of Our Jackson Home since its inception. Last October, Courtney stepped down as Director of OJH, leaving a lasting legacy of storytelling, creativity, and style. Throughout this episode, Courtney and I discuss her formative years growing up in Middle Tennessee, what brought her to Jackson, and how art can enhance community. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Tennessee Lookout reporter Adam Friedman joins ATA to discuss his most recent piece concerning charter school donations to the Lee campaign. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Dr. Paul Jackson joins Chuck and Gabe to tell his story and shed some light on some often misinterpreted scripture pertaining to the "end times." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

We deviate from the formula a little bit in this episode. While Jenci is definitely the focal point, the majority of this episode is spent talking about the work she does at W.R.A.P. WRAP was founded in 1975 as a volunteer-led rape crisis hotline. Since its founding, it has expanded to serve survivors of both sexual and domestic violence, as well as supporting children and families through the Relative Caregiver Program. WRAP is the largest agency of its kind in Tennessee in terms of geographic coverage. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

My favorite episodes are the episodes where vulnerabililty is evident throughout the conversation. This is one of those episodes. Darin Hollingsworth sits down to have a conversation about mental health and how he's working to raise awareness for suicide prevention. In this episode, Darin tells his story of early trauma in childhood and how that manifested later in his adult life. He also opens up about how therapy and theatre have both helped him navigate some of the tough spots in his life. Most importantly, we discuss his work with Out of the Darkness and the movement to help bring awareness to suicide prevention. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Cody Stooksberry loves beer. In fact, he loves it so much that his job is to create new flavors and styles of beer. Yes, he's actually paid to do that. Cody is the brewmaster for Hub City Brewing and Rock-N-Dough Pizza, two staples of Downtown Jackson. On this episode, we discuss the how and why of Cody's start in brewing and how the process for him is both artistic and scientific. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

This episode has everything - a heart-wrenching story, the science behind cannabis, and how a family is keeping the memory of their loved alive while helping others. Patrick Nelson is the Operating Manager of Hemphill Pharms - an organic, hand-harvested hemp farm. The farm began as a family labor of love after Patrick's sister, Kelly, passed away from cancer. During the final stages of her life, Kelly switched from traditional pharmaceutical drugs to a lot more CBD-infused healing products and the results were so much better. Seeing what CBD was able to do for Kelly, Patrick and his family studied more about the product and eventually began planting and harvesting. Four years later, it's a full-fledged business built on honoring Kelly's memory and helping others live a healthier life. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

A.J. Massey is the mayor of Madison County, but I knew him long before he held that title. Over the course of an hour and a half, AJ and I talked about growing up in Jackson, attending JCM and Union, local politics, and the surprising turn the mayoral primary took last year. While AJ and I do disagree on most socio-political issues, our conversation on this episode was light and focused on AJ's story as a person, not a politician. Sometimes, conversations that allow commonalities to be shared can be the best way to combat the tribalism that seems to be prevalent in our political society today. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

I've known Sabrina Parker for several years. I knew her son before I knew her, though. Sabrina's son, Tyler, was in my Language Arts class at Northeast Middle School during the 2017-2018 school year. Tyler was a quiet student with a distinct sense of humor. He was one of the calmest students I have ever taught in class. On May 20, 2022, I received a text from someone telling me that Sabrina's son had been killed. Over the next few days, I learned that Tyler was shot and killed while driving on North Highland. A year and a half later, there are still no answers or suspects. Sabrina's story is one of immense pain, a story that every parent wants to avoid. Her story doesn't end there, though. Sabrina moved to Jackson in 2016 to start a non-profit that helped elderly people navigate the Medicaid for Oral Healthcare system. It's a system that is complex and confusing for people who don't have a guide. Sabrina finds herself in a similar situation now - navigating the gray waters of grief while also feeling her way through the maze of the investigative system of law enforcement as she searches for answers about her son's death. This episode doesn't fall under the umbrella of True Crime or Unsolved Mysteries; this is the real story of a person living in Jackson, Tennessee. It's a story of pain, incalculable grief, and the beginnings of hope. This is Sabrina's story and Tyler's story. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Dr. Mark Fowler joins Chuck and Gabe for Part 2 of this WAY Across the Aisle episode. The subject of this episode is public education. Check it out! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Chuck always likes to bust out the political number line when gauging the conservative or liberal leanings of people. Well, on this episode of ATA, Dr. Mark Fowler (a 6 or 7) on the conservative side joins Chuck (a 0-1) and Gabe (a 7 or 8) on the liberal side to discuss some national narratives such as education, the LGBTQ movement, and much more. The conversation was productive, informative, and respectful. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Chuck and Gabe hit on some wild Tennessee topics such as Sexton's task force to discuss rejecting federal dollars for education. Billions of federal dollars. We also have an in-depth conversation about ACE Charter Schools with Dave Wicker. Dave is working on his doctorate and focusing on the cost and sustainability of charter schools. Hint: there's not a history of success. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

ATA episodes will currently drop under the umbrella of TSWT. The purpose of ATA is to have informed, productive conversations from different ideological perspectives. On this episode, we talk with Lauren Kirk about the housing situation in Jackson and clear up some misinformation about Airbnb rentals. During the first 30 minutes, Chuck and I discuss some local news - charter school review, Deaton's resignation, and housing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Devante' Chaney is a fighter - literally. Devante' is an amateur MMA fighter in pursuit of professional status, but that's not his only goal. Devante' is a trainer and coach, too, helping people achieve their personal fitness goals as well helping kids gain confidence and skill in combat sports. In the Season 1 finale of TSWT, Devante and I discuss growing up in Jackson, why his grandmother put him in a self-defense class when he was eight years old, and how being a good fighter involves focus and control. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Chris Felder opened Grubb's Grocery eight years ago in Jackson. Before moving to Jackson in 2015, Chris lived in Nashville for 30 years. The move to Jackson was reminiscent of Chris's childhood hometown in rural Mississippi. Throughout this conversation, we touch on a variety of topics including the duality of beauty and ugliness in the culture of the south, 90s country music, the importance of a supporting family, and why Grubb's Grocery is a unique business in Jackson. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

On this episode, we sit down with Oliver Rieger and discuss our mutual love for reading, Oliver's past careers, and the personal journey to authenticity. Oliver's story, like most people's, is filled with times that were challenging, struggles to be seen, and a continuing perseverance to live an authentic life even when society doesn't seem so welcoming. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

On this episode of TSWT, Trunetta Atwater sits down and discusses her work as a photographer and creator in Jackson. I've admired Trunetta and her work for a long time simply by following her on Facebook, but being able to sit down and hear her story face to face helped me gain an even greater appreciation for the work she's doing for women and for the African-American community in Jackson. The episode is divided into three parts: Trunetta's photography business, the importance of her relationship with her late father, and the work the S.O.U.L. Collective is doing in the community and specifically on South Royal. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Lee Wilson is the founder and owner of Jackson Escape Rooms. JER is a business that's left its mark on Downtown Jackson, and it's a place that has meant a lot to me on a personal level over the span of its existence. JER is locking its doors for good at the end of May, and Lee was kind of enough to sit down and tell us his story and the story of Jackson Escape Rooms. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

I've known Hunter Cross for nearly twenty years; he's been creating the whole time. Most likely, you know Hunter as the photogenic musician and talented guitar player who plays and sings all over Jackson; he also bears a striking resemblance to a certain early 90's grunge rock god. On this episode, Hunter and I discuss his creative evolution - from a burgeoning eleven year old independent filmmaker to an arts cultivator in Jackson. Not only does Hunter care about his art, but he also has a heart for members of his community. We discuss Krewfest and the need he felt to do something to help the homeless population in Jackson. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support

Our final episode of Conversations with the Candidates is none other than Mayor Scott Conger. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Mayor Conger has had to deal with a lifetime of challenges in his first term as the mayor of Jackson. Only eight months after he took office, the Covid-19 pandemic hit Jackson. After navigating everything that went along with managing a pandemic, Mayor Conger was still faced with trying to balance a budget that had been passed with a defecit prior to him taking office. He and his team were able to balance it and come out with a surplus on the other side. Along with being fiscally conservative, Mayor Conger has also focused on progressive approaches to invest in parts of the city such as the Love Your Block Program and the public/private partnership the city entered into in order to help build Madison Academic and Jackson Central-Merry Middle and High School. Throughout our conversation, we discuss our shared history of growing up in Jackson, what it meant to have his grandfather as mayor, and how he plans to maximize the potential for growth in Jackson by being smart about how that growth happens. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabe-hart1/support