Hello From Where it All Began, But The End of this Journey…
Also known as my teen-hood home (but it’s 9 p.m. Monday so I’m technically back in Baltimore). I thought I’d be writing this from the plane home from my excellent and life-changing speaking tour and you’d get this on Wednesday the 25th. And I planned on being home in the second week of May and basking in all of what that means.
But almost like that time I was in New York and got a call, I got a call in Atlanta.
When my dad died, I had a temporary acceptance. Dad had been struggling for a while. But he was winning again in small ways and I’d hoped that he’d have a chance to naturally pass. But I had that temporary acceptance that he was not suffering, even if he couldn’t be an active part of my life.
It’s different this time. Five years have passed. This nephew of his and cousin of mine was only in his 40s. Of all my “big” cousins, Derek was one of most vibrant, goofy, fun-loving people I know.
One of the last times I’ve spent with my Dad’s family before my big move was with Derek and his young family at his house in the Cary/Morrisville/Maybe Durham side of things. Yes, in the suburbs, but this is when it makes sense to have one of those kinds of houses, because your family is there to fill it with all the love your heart can hold and then some.
If you’ve seen my most recent presentation live (and if not, here it is in the Boise version), I talk about how much the Jeffers Thanksgiving Tradition has created a sense of home and place in my life. Derek was a huge part of that, as we often had Thanksgiving at his parents’ house and all of us younger (Gen X, Millennial and younger) would retire to the basement after the main family meal and cheer on the sport teams, dance (in my case horribly) to the latest jams and play (also in my case horribly), the latest video games on the latest systems.
I could go on, but I’ll leave these two memories here and let my family, especially his immediate family step in here and add more.
One of the key reasons I do what I do, in the way that I do, is because I want it to not be a choice to come home to family. Thanks to tours like I just did, as well as the potential in the podcast and the re-release of my book, I have some flexibility, but even more resilience. I hope to have more, as I help other folks and communities build the same.
And before I get into the rest of the email where I talk about the planned part of the trip, I did release an episode this week!
This is the first of two episodes I’m calling the Atlanta House Episodes and it features Nedra Deadwyler of Civil Bikes.
We talk a lot in the industry about the sense of place. But what about the sense of home?
We sat in Nedra’s home in Atlanta, Atlanta proper, on the East side, and we talked about growing up southern, getting out and why we’ve come back to our homes.
Also, we touch on her inspiration for bikes, who gets to come home, The Chef and the Farmer, the Cooking Gene and food. Lots of food.
Learn more about Civil Bikes and participate in one of their Atlanta-based tours.
The show is live on Radio Public, Patreon, TuneIn, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher and at its hosting home on Libsyn, or you can plug in the RSS feed into whatever podcast reader you’d like. (right click and copy the link location if you want to listen that way). I am actively adding and working on getting approval in other places.
Radio Public and Patreon also provide ways for you to support me financially. And on the other platforms that allow it, rating and reviewing also helps me get heard by more folks.
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My Life as a Professional Urbanist
In addition to this week’s podcast episode in which we talk about our sense of home, I’ve just completed two conference presentations on fair housing.
As we continue to learn almost daily (and sadly live), fair housing is not a human right for many, but it should be. Listen to me talk about my own struggle and my own desire and my own inspirations when it comes to housing (and yes, why I tie that into transportation advocacy,) as I presented it in Boise.
And I want to highlight my quote here from the Chattanooga Times Free Press:
Jeffers said she wants to challenge landlords and developers to rethink service provision and what it means to provide a good home for someone.
“A lot of people use homes as investment vehicles and not as providing shelter or a service,” she said. “People have options and you still have to provide good services — not just make money off the backs of other people.”
Jeffers urges communities to develop a better balance between how we develop and how we maintain an area. For people who want to stay in a neighborhood, it’s about educating them on the things they need to know to stay in that home and that community, she said. For people moving into a neighborhood, it’s about supporting the current “ecosystem.”
“Do your best to come into that ecosystem in a way that doesn’t disrupt it,” she said. “Get to know your neighbors. Say hello. Be a part of the community as much as possible.”
Also, thanks again to the Idaho Business Review, Nooga.com and the Chattanooga Times Free Press for coverage and to the Intermountain Fair Housing Council and the City of Chattanooga for hosting me for these conversations.
Personal Urbanism, Shoutouts and Recommendations
The best part about doing this right after a big trip is that there’s so much to recommend and so many people to shout out. Let’s go in order of cities/states.
Boise
The Boise Airport is small, but has so much pride for its city and it knows exactly what its people need in an airport. First, there’s a nod to rail history with two rail benches from the Boise Depot. Then, there’s a large waiting area for folks who are meeting passengers with glass windows and mirrors (and arcade machines) so that people can see folks approach and get excited, but still satisfy security requirements.
Basically, the airport knows it’s a big deal for folks to come and go and that people still want a place to have those meet-at-the-airport moments. Also, the library has a branch there, that offers computers to rent e-books and also do other online business. And at the Smashburger, a local burger chain, I had the best tater tots ever, a nod to the potato legacy. Lots of souvenirs were potato themed as well, including the Spuddy Buddy I picked up and put into my suitcase (after I paid of course).
Then, when my Uber pulled into the Modern Hotel, I had my doubts. From the outside, it looked like a normal motel. And considering what most normal motels look like, I didn’t know what I had in store. However, after rolling my things into the office, hauling them up the stairs and walking into the enclosed part and then my room, I found a wonderful mid-century modern jewel. I quickly retired to the bed to finish my presentation, got some amazing bread pudding via room service and the following evening, had even more of said bread pudding and let the bed grab me and help me rest until my next destination. Oh and I really enjoyed my loaner bike. More on that in a second, but you can see my on it at the beginning of this letter.
Gordy’s Breakfast Bistro is probably the only place on earth that will scramble just about anything into an egg, cut up your sweet potatoes into hash browns and still slide you a pancake. If you’re like me, you’ll eat that and instead of falling asleep, you’ll still have enough power to give a speech. It also helped that it was right across the street from the venue and for locals and visitors, this is centrally located to a lot of important things, like the convention center and the state capitol.
The Boise River Greenbelt was an absolute jewel. Because of the winter we’ve had, I’ve barely seen spring blooms and leaves on the trees. This was my first opportunity to do so. After taking time on the course (as well as enjoying being able to easily pedal and lock the bike around town), I popped into the Boise Art Museum and just barely missed the Idaho Museum for Black History. There’s an amazing exhibition by Jo Hamilton, a crochet portraitist. Yes. you read that right. It’s only there until May 13th, so hurry up and swing by.
Finally, before we leave Boise on this email, thank you again to the staff of the Intermountain Fair Housing Council and it was great to meet a fellow black urbanist photographer North Carolinian, Lauren Branch! Keep holding it down out there!
Chattanooga
When I return to a city, it’s always nice to see what’s changed, what hasn’t and what new things and folks I can run into. This trip was heavy on the new things and new people.
For starters, food. I hung out with the lovely Beth Bennett and Josiah Golson at The Social. Maybe it was a Friday thing, but we got a chance to chop it up over free chicken wings and amazing faux cocktails. We did it again the following day at the City Diner, where I would like to thank Josiah for allowing me the joy of seeing fried okra on a plate again after so long. I’m also looking forward to that third conversation we’re going to have and everyone should check out your book, visual art (I especially love the parade sketch and if you’re missing Beychella, you will too) and work in Chattanooga. Folks who were in Nashville and in their panel, you already heard about some of it, but I look forward to reading the whole book! And Beth, thanks for just being you. Keep doing more of that. Also special note for Jaleesa Monroe for our chat on being black business owners, women business owners and southern business owners. Plus, I love my lotion sample!
Finally, to James McKissic, first, for recognizing my work way back in my Greensboro days, in front of my mayor, and now allowing me to grace some of your colleagues and friends with a message of not just how to do fair housing, but why it’s so important. And Kerry Hayes for getting the word out, having the mayor’s ear and for introducing me to The Bitter Alibi, its owner and it’s brunch!
Y’all know I’m coming back to see you, so hang tight! And I hope to stay in the Dwell next time, but the Chattanoogan was decent too.
Atlanta
So Atlanta. Let’s start with how most folks encounter you and that’s your airport. I’m forever thankful to former mayor Maynard Jackson, Jr. for having the vision to create an airport that pretty much can take you anywhere in the world, sell and provide just about everything you need in house and make it easy to connect to downtown (hey MARTA hey!) and to getting a rental as needed. And to the Atlanta History Center for helping travelers and locals alike take a moment in the Terminal B to Terminal C tunnel to reflect on this and so many other key moments in Atlanta history!
Meanwhile, Kevin Hamak was one of my first CNU friends and he told me I just had to meet his then girlfriend (now wife) Wanona Satcher. That was in 2011 and in 2013 we made that meetup happen on the streets of Durham at a long community table.
Five years later, it was a joy to return to your West End home and crash after an already long, but amazing trip. Thank you for all that food (especially those cookies and the Sublime Donuts). Thank you for allowing me to see in real life, a place that’s captured my literary imagination for so many years. Thank you for making sure I connected with some of my ATL urbanist squad, namely Ryan Gravel, Marion Liau and Bithia Rathsamy who are pictured at the very beginning of the shoutout section (Ebrik Coffee Room too!) .
And of course, as I said above, for providing a calm space to get another vat of bad family news.
And of course, we are enjoying one of Atlanta’s brightest young residents right now, but I really enjoyed getting to know more of bungalow Atlanta thanks to Kevin and Wanona and King Williams.
King, thank you for telling me what I needed to hear and I’m looking forward to the world seeing your documentary soon! And introducing me to the best sorrell (S/O to the 640 West Cafe) and showing me just how simple Stankonia started (or maybe re-started, I know there was an actual basement involved at first). The art is not easy, but it’s worth it and the stories can be told (and I can afford to eat and know where I’m laying my head too). Thank you, just thank you.
And if you’ve not had a chance to check out and support Wanona’s efforts to reuse shipping containers for affordable housing, get over there and do that.
North Carolina
The skies parted just right so I could say good evening to Raleigh in just the right way. To honor thy hallowed shrine, much like I am in two weeks on commencement day when I celebrate the graduation (from my own deparment), of my cousin Marcus who’s going to become my absolute favorite ATLien very soon.
But for now, it was time to say farewell and I’m thankful that in this farewell time, I got to see so much of my living family and friends and to feel their love and pride in me.
Thank you mom for keeping my bedroom and desk the way it was when I got this idea.
To my Jeffers family, we will miss them. We will honor them. And know that they continue to love and support us from beyond. And yes, I’m going to be at Thanksgiving this year. Maybe host in the future. And again, thank you all for telling me to keep going, for encouraging me to do what makes me the most happy and praying that it all gets done.
To the Mintz side, Lauren especially, thank you for reminding me to dream and believe. I do miss our Friday nights at Europa and I’m glad we had a bit of that (with Maxie B’s Cake!). And thanks always to my Uncle Phil for being on airport duty and for taking me to Harbor Inn even though I know we eat there too much. Thank you to that family for keeping that as a Burlington institution onward through our generation.
Greensboro as a whole, I hated that I couldn’t get to the concert, but I can see that despite all the sad that’s hit us over the past few weeks, we are still resilient. We are strong.
Traona and everyone at Masterminds Design Studio for making sure I didn’t look a hot mess. No matter your texture or length or how you like to look, they will take good care of you!
And finally, Mitchell and Cat, thank you for blessing me to see how bubbly, smart and wonderful Cameron is. And yeah, y’all made a tiny human. But you’re both about to do big things in your careers and I can’t be more proud of you. Thank you both for your friendship and ear over the years.
And with that, that’s all. I know it’s long. I think I got excited because this started on the blog first and you’re reading it there or in email. Plus, I truly had weeks worth experiences in about 12 days, so here you go. And if you’re on the blog and want this in your email next time, drop your info below: