Kenneth Cummings

Audio Transcription
 

00:00.00

Alana Davis

Hi my name is Alana Davis and I have the pleasure of chatting with Mr. Kenneth Cummings of Memphis, Tennessee for an oral history project. Mr. Cummings was a part of the citywide high school newspaper, the Teen Appeal which was produced by students who attended Shelby County schools. The program was hosted by the University of Memphis as an annual week long summer journalism camp as well as monthly staff meetings. Thank you for joining the conversation this afternoon Mr. Cummings, how are you? 

 

00:26.76

Kenneth Cummings

I'm doing well, thank you for having me.

 

00:30.84

Alana Davis

Okay, so I'm just going to jump right into the questions. Um, could you tell me a little bit about your early life and wanting to Pursue Journalism at an early age.

 

00:39.41

Kenneth Cummings

Well I am again from MemphisTennessee I graduated from Sheffield high school in 2004 ah my career in journalism actually started my junior year when I was attended Philip Phils Exeter Academy, I wanted to be architect so I took a lot of architecture classes during that ah summer Academy and a friend of mine had a camera out and I said hey let me take a picture and my friend allowed me to take a photo of something I really liked it I was like hey this this is pretty fun, so I got back to Memphis my junior year in high school and I joined our I joined the teen appeal I was asked to be a part of it and I joined on as a photographer and I actually I didn't write much for the teen appeal I was mainly the photographer and from that met a lot of people got connected with the commercial appeal, Nikki Bortman who was my mentor at the time was a photographer for the commercial appeal and I've loved photography ever since like I said I was a photographer for the Teen Appeal, junior and senior year and became on our year book staff as well in my high school and been saying ever since then that one picture I took during that summer academy that I went to I've been loving photography ever since and it's got me to where I am today.

 

02:06.65

Alana Davis

Um, okay, um, so what years were you active with the Teen Appeal?

 

02:08.63

Kenneth Cummings

I was active with the teen appeal, I started my junior and into my senior year so it was 2000 gets the school year 2003 school year and 2003 2004 school year.

 

02:26.49

Alana Davis

Okay, so you said I know you said that um your friend had a camera he was like let me take a picture so before then like Journalism photography was that like anything like in your repertoire is there something that you wanted to do or?

 

02:39.76

Kenneth Cummings

It was not um, it was not on my radar at all I had no idea the role of Journalism and photography I've always been an artsy kind of person but I didn't know necessarily which side of the art spectrum I wanted to be on I was in the band in high school. Like I said well I picked up that camera and took a photo of I think it was a picture of a building. It's like this this is really cool. Let me try this out so ever since then like I want like so I want to be an architect but realized that there's a lot of math in that and math wasn't really my strong suit but art was so I just stuck with photography ever since then.

 

03:21.93

Alana Davis

Um, okay, and so um, how did you learn about the Teen Appeal, the Teen appeal.

 

03:28.49

Kenneth Cummings

Well I learned about the teen appeal. Um, who was it Dr Gruesen came think she can't no it was another representative think it was Dianne Bragg she came to my high school and talked about it and that's when I Decided to join up with it as a photographer. She saw my work and for those 2 years that I was a part of it essentially honestly it was kind of that summer of my junior year, so I was joined in my junior year but really got active more my senior year. Ah, so they came to our high school and talked about it and that's when I realized Okay, yeah I'll take photographers I'll do that I'll be happy to be a part of that and since then again, that's that's been my life ever since.

 

04:22.20

Alana Davis 

So was it a hard process getting started with the newspaper?

 

04:25.27

Kenneth Cummings

Um, well it wasn't getting started with the teen appeal, it was pretty simple. We, you know she came she told us so you know what we were had to do what was going on. What was what it was about. Um, again, this was back in 2003 about twenty years ago um but she told us what it was about and there were perks as a photographer just working with the newspaper and realizing you know the places we could go the the access that we had to you know be a part of it and also knowing that it was a citywide. Initiative for schools and you know once I joined that got connected with commercial appeal um doing internships with them once I got to college even after I got to college my freshman in college my ah friend of mine I can tell you this story during what we called organizational affairs it was at Tennessee State someone tapped me on my shoulder and I'm a freshman walking around like what's going on. She asked me, she said are you Kenneth Cummings and again I'm a freshman I'm like how do you know my name. How do you know I am and she said I need you to be upstairs in the meter office. You know this day.

This time I was like okay I didn't know what the meter was and I realized that was the college in the newspaper. So realized that Diane at the time and Dr Gruson they reached out to his name was Greg brand and he was on the teen appeal. A few years before me and he was at Tsu and they told him about me and that I was coming there and met with him and got connected with him and joined the college newspaper as a photographer and gosh that it just changed my life on what Journalism was.

 

06:11.36

Alana Davis

And how would you say that the Teen Appeal and photography and college were different?.

 

06:20.49

Kenneth Cummings

Well it the Teen Appeall because I was in high school you know I still had you know I wasn't really driving much? Um, but I would get I guess a assignments we would have the little um I forgot what day it was. But we would all come to ah the university of Memphis during the year so that summer we had teenappeal camp where we learned the ins and outs of layout journalism we would have different speakers come in that's when I really met Nikki Portman the photographer who at the time was with the commercial pill met with her and I just got connected with her. You know she took me under her wing still connected with her now I haven't spoken with her in a while. But um, the difference from high school and college was college was you know you're own your own you you wake up in the morning go to class. You do what you need to do and a lot of the things that we covered at tsu was on campus. So as a photographer on campus you know can tell you that were the perks of you know, getting into certain things for free basketball games football games, the travel. We really didn't start traveling with like our football teams to all the classic, so the like Southern Harris classic circle city classic atlanta classic. We didn't really start traveling with them until the year I think it was my sophomore year when I really got more established with the meter which is the tsu college newspaper at the time up again. The difference is with high school I would get a phone call from either Dianne or whoever was the person in charge with to appeal at time saying hey um, one of your colleagues or one of the other students is doing a story on this. Do you think you can find a picture of this and I can remember 1 specific photo that ran on the front of the Teen Appealwas during I think it was either a wind storm or a tornado or something happened and I was the type of person type of photographer that you know I didn't mind getting in a hole to do something so it was I think it was a windstorm and at east high school and 1 of the trees. It was uprooted so I got down in the hole where that tree was uprooted and got a picture of the school in the background with the tree down so you could kind of get the perspective of how big the tree was how the school was and how deep the hole was and I just remember getting that and it was one that I highlights of

my journalism high school Journalism career and after that realizing that hey you can go places with this. You have eye four it I realized that and got to college and took what I learned seen the teen appeal, took college took what I learned in photography under that mentorship with Nikki took it to college and just went from there.

 

09:09.96

Alana Davis

So um, what were some things that you can remember shooting during a tuna pillo years I mean I know you just was. You're talking about the um, the storm but do you like remember anything that's like got to stick with you for the rest of your life like your first pictures or something like that?

 

09:25.40

Kenneth Cummings

Um, that that storm was I mean that's the main one that I can really remember shooting because at time at the time we had the little point and click wind up camera so we didn't really have DSLR so it was come to the Teen Appeal office. Grab this point and shoot camera and you know see what you can get hopefully it comes out good. You know with those cameras you didn't really know you couldn't see the backup. You couldn't see the picture after you took it like you can now with digital cameras. So it was kind of a snap wine snap wine. Hopefully you get 1 that works. Ah, but that one was probably 1 of my either my favorites or just one that can really stick out to me because I said it was twenty years ago I I couldn't even tell you some of the things that I covered back then but I can tell you that I really was a part of the Teen Appeal I was on the staff and I would come back. You know some summers during college to talk to the newer students who were a part of the 10 appeal but that storm photo of me being in that hole at east high school was probably the main one I can just. Put my eye on right now. Yes.

 

10:39.50

Alana Davis

Um, yeah, the most memorable and I know you said you didn't write but would you have considered it?

 

10:43.88

Kenneth Cummings

Well yes I you know I learned that caption writing was just as important photo caption writing was just as important for if there was no story writing something in long form just talking about the picture that I took so the writing part. It came to me honestly later in college a few of my mentors in college they kind of put me on to writing and they let me know hey you can do you can do this, You can go from just getting pictures and captions to actually writing so. I learned a lot of the journalism writing part when I got to college ah, but like I said the captions on photos are just as important to the story because sometimes the story will tell all this but the first thing people see when they pick up a paper. They're looking at a picture and I can remember. When that particular print came out I was anticipating it when I was at high school they would drop off all the papers at the principal's office or in the main office and I was looking forward to seeing that particular issue to see that particular photo.

 

11:53.80

Alana Davis

Okay, so what were some obstacles if you had any that you had to overcome while at the Teen Appeal?

 

12:03.46

Kenneth Cummings

Ah, for me and I still am this I am a background person, um I don't look for the spotlight I don't I don't want the spotlight so obstacles for me was just making sure got to where I needed to get for if a photo was needed for something in particular. Um I honestly because of the connections that we had at the time ah during high school and a group that I was on the Teen Appeal with we were you know everybody had their nation. We had a few good writers. We had some good layout people who could actually lay out the paper and then you had myself and maybe a few other photographers but they really relied on me a lot not to brag or toot my own horn and I just remember that I was one of the man go to for the the big pictures. Ah, that we could get um but obstacle wise I really didn't have any other than just making sure I could you know either use My mom's car to get to where I need to get to but you know high school you know trying to have a job getting ready to graduate make sure I get to go to college. There were really no obstacles personally joining the teen appeal. I enjoyed every moment of it, especially the connection that we had with the commercial pill. Um Scripts Howard at the time.

 

13:27.52

Alana Davis

And I know you you mentioned um about there being other photographers but were like do you know how many it was or was it like like a handful of you guys or what?

 

13:38.31

Kenneth Cummings

So we would go to it would run like this in the summertime we would have a weeklong camp where we would hear from different people. Um and during that camp. Um, when people would come. To speak to us. We would be in the big conference room and the journalism building and people would come they would speak and I was probably one of the only ones who didn't have to focus on writing a story I would walk around with the camera cause I was kind of the main one I don't know before me if they had photo specific campers A a lot of things had to change after me as far as making some stuff photo specific just for people who just wanted to do photography. Um I was kind of that first person who they said all right. It's a journalism school. It's a journalism course for high school students but we do need to you know allow. Just something for photographers because not everybody is going to be a writer I wasn't at the time a good journalism writer I wasn't focused on that I was focused on the art getting this story through a picture. So ah, Dianne she allowed me to be that person allowed me to just roam around with the camera uh, for all the speakers or whenever we went out but everybody got a chance to do that. There was a particular portion during the camp where it was we talked about photography but for like that whole week I had a camera in my hand taking pictures of everything I could just to document that particular year that I was there for it. So as time went on and I would come back to some of the classes Marcus can't think of his last name right? Off top of my head. Um, he was he came on after Dianne to help with the teen appeal Marcus Matthews yes um Mar's Matthew he he was the high he was the goat.

 

15:54.99

Alana Davis 

Marcus Matthews 

 

16:01.15

Kenneth Cummings

Loved Marcus as a mentor he came on after that and he would ask me to come back after I moved to Jackson he would ask him to come back I would come back and talk to kids about I would be that person so teen appeal students would have somebody who was on the teen appeal come back and talk to them about photography I would I would essentially do what nikki did for my class and Nikki Boman she was sorry for the commercial appeal and and after she I guess couldn't be a part of it anymore. Marcus who called me back to talk photography and we would all still do the tour the commercial appeal and you know I would see like you and I would see some of the people that I I intern with at the commercial appeal and you know like set the connections there were. It was great. But so back to the original question. Yes, photography I was I was kind of it when I was there and again after me more people got interested in a photography.

 

17:02.80

Alana Davis

Um, in this do think you or would you say you had the free will to shoot whatever you wanted to?

 

17:09.28

Kenneth Cummings

Oh yes, that was um during the camp itself. It was essentially for me personally, it was just document what's going on during the camp so that we can have photos for it and then during the school year again I worked my that senior year I worked for our um yearbook so I would take pictures for our yearbook for my my particular high school specifically but when I would get a phone call either or something from someone at the teen appeal saying hey we need can you go find a picture that relates to this story or can you go to can you go to the school board meeting get a picture for this school board meeting that we're writing about I do remember I don't remember what specifically that story was about but I do remember getting a phone cost and hey can you go to the school board meeting so again, just back to the obstacles just hey mom I gotta go to this school board meeting can I borrow your car so that was really it and you know she would let me do it and um, but no I didn't that was that was kind of that was it? 

 

18:21.74

Alana Davis

Okay, um so I don't I did you say that there was like an application process to get into it or what was that like, if you remember?

 

18:31.87

Kenneth Cummings

Um, oh gosh. Ah John yeah, um, so there there a representative from seeing the bill and at the time I do believe it was Diane she came to my high school and the juniors. Yes, it was a you had to be going into your senior year that summer so the summer of my transition between junior senior was the summer of 2003 03 04. Yes, so they will come all the juniors and the high school we would meet we met in our library. Ah she would talk to us about the Teen Appeal. What was about and yes we had to apply ah and if we were even more interested. We would actually go I think go that summer. Ah but we I guess got a call back or email or whatever it was back in 2004 um from Diane or whoever was at other the tina build time saying hey congratulations your part. You know we got this summer camp going on so we would go that that Monday and meet up and everybody who stuck with it stuck with it and those who didn't think they wanted to so yes, it was application process because we had name tags. So I guess the only way you get name tags is if you apply forward and they know you're coming. So yeah, that name tags. No pads for us pencils pens you know, whole goodie bags for us when we started so I don't remember the process for application but yes, there was one.

 

20:12.72

Alana Davis

Um I don't know I think that's really cool. The um just the whole discovery behind the teen appeal because I wish we would had to in here where I grew up in Georgia. Yeah, very cool to experience like I'm sure you have stories for days that you'll probably tell whatever your life that.

 

20:32.86

Kenneth Cummings

Oh yeah, and and just the fact that that's that's where it all started I still tell people Twenty Twenty years later I still tell people like my journalism career started with the teen appeal and ah for me when I realized that it was you know it wasn't going to be anymore I was I was kind of devastated like because where I was at the time I worked for the Jackson Sun in Jackson Tennessee which is where I am now. Uh I got here because of my work at TSU and that was from my work at the Teen Appeal so if I didn't join a teen appeal I wouldn't have got that tap on the shoulder at tsu telling me to come meet them in the newspaper office and I wouldn't have learned more about journalism like that's. The teen appeal is how I knew what I wanted to major in in college and after college you know, get the internship with the commercial appeal in Memphis which is home that was like a dream for me to work for the commercial appeal especially after we on Fridays on that last day of the teen appeal camp on that Friday we would all come to commercial appeal and do a tour of the commercial appeal and that just was ah I mean it was a highlight to me just to be able to be in the newspaper office like wow and then so happened to join to be hired at the newspaper which is a sister paper of the commercial appeal now at the time it wasn't uh, but ah got on here in Jackson Tennessee with the Jackson son. Um and later on Garnett he eventually bought commercial appeal so they became sister paper so I was like okay that's full circle uh but when I found out that you know, but the teen appeal was the done like what's going to happen to the future of Journalism uh, ah as far as young people who want to be a part of the teen appeal was was that out for a lot of us who wanted to be whether we want to be Journalists or not, for people who just want to learn how to write. That's what the teen appeal was there for for us. Yes, and it was a city wide. So I help back then there was no social media. So I only connected with kids who went to my church or went to my school but the teen appeal was that week long of hey these are kids from all over at the time Memphis city schools shout out to Memphis City school um at the time we were were you know we it was a few of them that trying to a few of them that I'm still connected with not like on a you know, text everyday basis but you know I still know them if they were to message me on Facebook I remember them from the Teen Appeal. Um, but Teen Appeal where I am right now sitting in my office as communications director for the city of Jackson Tennessee it all started from the Teen appeal because I wouldn't be here if I didn't say yes I want to do photography for the Tina Appeal so twenty years later I will I will always hype up Teen Appeal even though it's not around anymore like I wish it would be.

 

24:03.78

Alana Davis

Um, yeah, doing all you giving them all their credit. Yeah.

 

24:05.93

Kenneth Cummings

All the credit all the flowers all the credit. All the people that you know brought me from Dianne to Dr G to Marcus again for Nikki who kind of brought me under her wing to Otis Sanford from the course appeal. Um, just everybody who was a part of that for me I give them credit for where I am today.

 

24:34.41

Alana Davis

So what are some skills that you've learned during your time that you learned at your time the appeal that you find invaluable in your career today?

 

24:42.95

Kenneth Cummings

Up for me for one I don't know if you're in the enneagrams, not really into them but I know that I'm a 9 and I'm just a chill layback again I don't do spotlight I don't look for it if I get it. Yay if I don't I know I'm doing the work behind the scenes but it allowed me to essentially step out of my comfort zone um I thought taking pictures was it I didn't think I need to talk to people but I realize you take a picture of there are people in it you need to get their name so you got to talk to them was like ah I guess fine gonna get your name got their names kind of.. It also helped me to be a better person at observing my surroundings as a photographer I'm I'm always looking at what's a good shot even now um there are times where my coworkers are on the business call and standing in their window and I'm looking up there's a picture ah, take it you know I share it with them. Um, that's one of the things That's really um through the teen appeal and just journalism in general that's helped me a lot to be more of a person who can talk to people my communication skills have gotten better over the years but I'm also still um ah I call myself stealthy because I can take a picture from where I'm sitting and you know somebody out in our common space and they won't know it's me or they won't know I'm taking a picture so you know a lot of things Teen Appeal it helped me with but again with the internships that I got after the seen appeal like with the commercial appeal and my mentors at the commercial appeal who taught me more essentially they remembered me from the teen appeal. They remember when I was a student walking around learning about the commercial appeal got the internship at the commercial appeal I think it was in 2006 I was at TSU at the time but came back that summer got that internship and they were like yeah I remember you walking around here as a high school student. You know welcome aboard and we're gonna teach you how to be a better photographer and I learned a lot of things through that internship but again none of that would be possible if I did not. If I was not a part of the Teen Appeal.

 

27:17.81

Alana Davis

Um, okay, is there anything you would go back and change about the teen appeal?

 

27:22.11

Kenneth Cummings

Um, if I could if I had the money to just restart it up some kind of way I would um, other than that the location, the University Memphis school journalism they were ah everything that we needed we had the location. We had the essentially we had the whole campus to ourselves during that summer just to walk around and just essentially being on a college campus even though it was home, you know it was a college campus just to walk around it, you know meet all the people that we met. Um. just the format of how it was even the lunches just back when the old you see at the university of memphis and anybody from memphis who's listening to this know about the old UC at the at Memphis State or University Of Memphis however they want to call it ah but the format the people wouldn't changed for the world from again Dr G to Marcus to Diane everybody who had their hand on it at the time that I was a part of it and beyond from when I was a part of it. Ah I wouldn't change anything and even the people who came before me I'm actually.

Funny story here in Jackson there's a young man. Well he ah, he's a young man. He's older than me but he was on the teen appeal his name's Tony Reed he's doing radio here. Yes Tony Reid he is um.

 

28:47.48

Alana Davis

Um, I actually interviewed him last week.

 

28:54.50

Kenneth Cummings

Ah, with forever communications here in the same city that I'm in so he remembered me from Tina Peel and you know he's got stories from when he was on it like even before I guess the computers that we had so he got Tony Reed Marcus, Greg uh, kia I don't know if you met or interview Keith, Kiana can't think of her last name. Um, she was on a Teen Appeal it was just just a bunch of people the connections that we had it was for those of us who continue in journalism I can guarantee that we would all tell you that the teen appeal is how we got into writing or photography or journalism itself made us better writers made us better ah people who were into news wanting to know what was going on in our city wherever we are even. Where I am today in Jackson Tennessee work for the jackson sun for nine a half years before I was called up by the current mayor to be the communications director for the city. The Teen appeal is that reason for where I am now I I will never deny that it's I will always like I said hype up the teen appeal for where I am currently even if I wasn't on this podcast people ask me oh the teen appeal is where I started my Journalism career.

 

30:26.77

Alana Davis

Is there any advice that you would give to kids in high school wanting to to pursue um for photography/ journalism?

 

30:34.35

Kenneth Cummings

Ah, nowadays you know it's everywhere because of social media. Ah, you can pick up your iphone and take a picture of something and I would do it working for the newspaper if I didn't have my camera with me if I need ah to get a quick picture. I've had my Iphone photo as the front page. Ah I would just say just learn all you can and it's easy to learn all you can nowadays on social media um pick up a newspaper if you can't pick up a actual physical copy. Go online.

Wherever you are focus on local as much as you can your local news. Um, because that's that's where you're living most of your time national news. It's it's gonna be there. 25 hours a day and it's gonna change all the time but you want to focus on what affects you locally. Ah, so for those in Memphis you got any of the newspapers in Memphis see what's going on locally even if it's not newspaper. Ah local Tv local journalism that's where it all starts. Um, focus on that.

Read the papers read the articles online I still say paper because there are some people who still like the physical copy. But you wake up in the morning. First thing you're turning off your alarm from your phone and you're picking up your phone scrolling through Facebook might as well scroll through your local newspaper or local Tv station to see what's going on.

Um, but just learn the format. Um, you know if college is your thing go to school for if it's not you know, hop on Youtube and learn that way but I would just say if if this is make sure this make sure it's a passion. Don't just love it. Make sure it's something that you really really are passionate about getting information out to the people in whatever city you're in whatever you know town city state you're in make sure it's something because it's not a it's it's not a half a million dollar as you're not going to make one $100,000 coming out of college as a journalist is um, eager, you're just not um, it journalism isn't about the money it it will never I don't think it ever will be because true journalists we just want to make sure that people are informed of the facts of what's going on in the city or in the state or wherever you are is I've I've heard the horror stories of not having enough money to you know do whatever there were times where I had to eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner because it wasn't paying you know at the time it wasn't pan ah enough for me to enjoy you know a good dinner every day. Um I'm just keeping it real. Ah, it's not a money business like you're not going to make $70000 straight out of high school and let me me rephrase that back then you weren't making $75000 straight outta high school as a journalist I'm not sure what it is now. But you know there were times where we had sacrifice but I'm with my faith I'm grateful where guy brought me to be able to you know be where I am today. Um, but advice just stick with it. Make sure it's a passion of yours if it's not.

hope I hope you learn early that it's not your passion and hope you move on from that but also Journalism is everywhere, it's not just newspapers anymore. It's podcasting. It's it's video. It's photography. It's blogging. It's all of that. Um, but again make sure it's a passion of yours and if it is stick with it you you can go places with this um, get all the internships that you can because that's another funny story. So in college I majored in communications. But when I got the job here in Jackson for as a photographer you know my manager who hired me the time was like yeah that ah your degree you graduated cool but let me see what you did let me see your clips. Let me see your photos. Let me see your your bylines. Let me see what you did so all the internships that you can get all the bylines that you can get before you get actual job. Do it even if you need to take your iphone out. Get you a microphone and do your own journalism video Um and show that off to news companies newspapers whoever to show that you are have a passion for and that you can do it. You know, learn how to speak learn how to write make sure you can spell um, all those things because you know everybody they want to know people want to know with the facts. What's going on. How are my taxes. How are my tax dollars being spent? What's crime going on what's going on in government? What's going on in the city? People want to know these things and as a journalist that's that's our job, that's our role is to get that information out so that's that's the advice I have stick with it. Make sure it's a passion.

Um, get your clips get your bylines get your internships and go forward with getting that information out.

 

36:20.00

Alana Davis

Would you mind going a little bit more in detail about your current career in personal life sense the teen appeal?

 

36:26.37

Kenneth Cummings

Yes, so again after graduating from my school I attended Tennessee state university from 2004 graduated in 2008. While I was there my sophomore year Junior Year senior year sophomore year I was just break photographer junior year and senior year I moved up to a photo editor for our college newspaper again while I was there. We um, we did a lot more. We traveled with our football team. We would go to basketball games. We did a lot more journalism while I was there maybe the year before and then from there and after I graduated I think few years after that um the meter was the the thing everybody was looking forward to reading the meter which was the name of the newspaper at tsu. Um, after I graduated took a year maybe a year and a half waiting on a job uh, graduate in 2008 I didn't get the phone call to move here to Jackson Tennessee until 2010. So again, there's another thing if you want to do all you can if you're not getting the job right away you know, either find a job or make your own journalism podcast video do what you need to do because again nowadays with social media anybody can do it? Um, so after our graduated TSU in 2008 kind of had a little hiatus of working had a little call center jobs like waiting for a phone call from somebody again. Um my application's out my resume and all that's got a phone call 2009 like the end of 2009 and hey look at your stuff. Um, would you mind coming up to Jackson just to do a in-person M interview else like yeah let's let's go Let's do this so came up here. It's like winter 2009 or maybe like right at the end of 2010 and met with everybody here at the Jackson Sun and I loved it. He told me that they're on a hiring for ease. So for the next few months I'm just sitting waiting and finally in March he called or late February where he called and said hey no off to hi freeze we wantto offer you the job got the job moved here to Jackson Tennessee in 2010 march 2010 so it's been 13 years here in Jackson Tennessee so from there working the Jackson Sun I learned a whole lot more of journalism the Jackson Sun we were West Tennessee newspaper so we covered fourteen fifteen maybe 16 counties not including Shelby or lake or there's 1 other county right on the river that we didn't necessarily cover but we would go state line a state line like right Kentucky line down to the Mississippi line and river to not necessarily Memphis but if they needed us for some in Memphis, we would go but go all the way to the west part of the river so on if you know Tennessee is' 3 parts West East and middle. We were the west tennessee newspaper for like Ganet then stuff happened with newspapers journalism and we were seeing starting to see how newspapers were not as not what they used to be especially with online so you know I I never down the business of journalism. It's more so of the physical copy it might go away but local journalism will always be a thing because it's on the website breaking news nowadays is not what it used to be if something happened at Nine o'clock in the morning nowadays if something happens at two o'clock that nine o'clock thing is now old news. So there was no more you know, get it on the front page type thing front page news now is it's old news now because two o'clock something new has happened so kind of switch to the mobile side of it not but the the digital side of it but again, it's still Journalism still got to get the writing still got to get the pictures I've been all over the state especially on the west the western side of the state working for the newspaper I've captured everything from funerals to shootings to you know kids on tricycles to a man who made his own caskets I've not all ah been all over been on rooftops been on school bus The tops of school buses been in trees been in my car leaned back with my windows tenant getting pictures of a swat raid I've covered a gauntlet of everything and then there's also how where a big little town big little city 68000 people here in Jackson but you see the same people or I saw the same people at everything so it got to a point after my first few years it's oh there's Kenny Kenny's here like I got to a point where I necessarily didn't even have to show my press pass. It was just okay. Kenny's coming to cover it come on in. Um, so nine and a half years of that with Jackson Sun ah I don't I'm grateful for the time that I was there but I do not miss the journalism side of work especially with where I am now. So in 2019 mayor Scott Hunger was voted in for the mayor of Jackson Tennessee and funny story with that I told him back when there were rumors of him you know people were like oh if running from mayor and Scott is running from mayor I told him during those rumors like hey if you ever need communication direct cause I knew him because he was on city council miles if you ever need communication director if you ever run for mayor just call me, let me know this was before I even announced that he was running so when he announced that he was running. You know I didn't bring it back up to him I was just hoping that he would remember and he did so he called me ah, one day I was um, waiting on a football game and he gave me a call and say you ready' like ah yeah, so he told me I could start that day I was like I still need mont two weeks so he's like I so I started working for the city as a communication director in August of 2019 and I've been here since then and my role now is still doing exactly what I did for the Jackson Sun but more focused on the city of Jackson I'm also kind of that midpoint for media and the city so if we're doing something and the media needs to interview 1 of our city department heads they would call me and I would make sure that they get to the right person so they're not getting to run around. They would call me and say hey we want to interview so and so about so and so they want to interview our animal care center director about you know, adopting pets I'd be like cool, let me call that person and get you in contact with them set up the time set of day good to go so it's a smoother process and now than it was prior to me being in this role I'm actually the first communications director for the city In the capacity that I started with now run all of our social media pages. Well I manage them I don't necessarily run all of my kind of run domain city government page. We're on Twitter Instagram and Facebook we essentially making sure that our citizens know what's here in our city and I've been here since then since 2019 and I've even grown in this position and I I love where I am now and again I wouldn't be in this deep if it were not you know for the lord putting me with the teen appeal because the teen appeal got me started in this love for Journalism and love for information, love for photography all of that the teen appeal is where it all started.

 

45:05.30

Alana Davis

And so do you see yourself being the communications director for the rest of your life or is there a different passion for you? 

 

45:14.42

Kenneth Cummings

Um, ah I am I'm one of those types of people and shout out to a girl named Carmen. She was at a panel that I was attending at my church Carmion Hamilton. She mentioned someone asked plans and she was like I don't have plans I'm one of those type of people that when it happens it happens I'm that same way my faith that has me grounded in trusting god wherever I need to be because even back when I worked for the jackson sun I was ready to go I apply for 7 different other newspapers and did not. All 7 of them and I got to point like all right god if this where you want me to be I'm staying fine so essentially staying led me to where I am now is communication director so I don't have plans I don't I don't know but where I am now I will ride to the wheels fall off as the communication director for the city because ah, knowing the people in the city growing with the people in the city especially with what's coming in this city getting the information out to them getting information out to the 68205 people according to the census that was taken last year or last census I enjoy doing it and again I'm not a spotlight person so there are a lot of people who still don't know I'm the one behind the scenes doing it and I'm fine with that. Um, but as long as long as they're getting information out as long as they're receiving the information that I put out and are sharing you know liking and interacting with us on social media and on our website. Um I consider myself doing a good job so I will roll uh, in this position because I enjoy it. But you know I don't know if something comes up I don't know what I don't know I'm just leave it at that because I don't want to close any doors to anything but ah where I am now I'm I'm grateful for where I am now oh gosh that's crazy I ask my wife this all the time but she ah I ask her this all time she always ask me why you keep asking me that so to be asked that question myself it's like Wow I think about it. Um I would if I could reach back to my you know high school self. Um I would tell myself it's gonna be all right? Um, don't stress. Don't worry. You know it's It's going to be all right? That's all I Could really say I wouldn't want to tell myself what's gonna happen but I would just tell myself it's gonna be all right? You're gonna go places you're gonna see things you're gonna be a part of things you're going to get to know people who you know from all over the world all over the walks of life. It's gonna be all right? Just stick with what you're doing you know once you get to those places just handle it with Integrity. Do what you do the way you know how to do it and it's it's going to be okay with work with life. You might not get everything you want but what you get will benefit, you what you get will be exactly what you need to continue on with having a life that you a good life that you really might not want to have a good life.. That's you'll be fine in so that's kind of all I would tell myself

I was if I could see myself as a kid. He probably wouldn't believe me but just be like I Ah okay and just keep moving like so um I would That's really Ill tell myself it's gonna be all right? Just just hang on in there.

 

49:26.83

Alana Davis

I Like that like that do what you do the way you know how to do it I like that and I think we should just end it right there? Yeah so I mean you can go ahead and tell everyone where um, everybody can reach you on social media and all of that. So.

 

49:40.48

Kenneth Cummings

Okay, so my name's Kenneth Cummings I am on Instagram @ _kcummings_ that's K C U M M I N G S and there's another underscore. That's on both Twitter and Instagram um, on Facebook.

 

49:57.62

Kenneth Cummings

Just search kenneth m cummings. That's my Facebook channel I just recently cut my hair after 15 years so you'll see a bald guy with a smile on his face on his Facebook page on his Twitter and Instagram can also follow our city city of Jackson Tennessee we are on Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube so on Facebook it's city of Jackson T in government and on Instagram and Twitter it's at city of jackson tennessee communications director and I'm behind that um, all the tweets, Facebook posts Instagram posts. Ah, it's coming from me again I'm not I don't look for the spotlight but just so people can see a face with what's going on connect with me talk to me I am you know I'm on all the time I got my. Um, my co-workers called my office the control room because I have three computer screens and I'm sitting on a laptop right now for this podcast. Um, but I'm always free to answer questions. You can reach me on my work email at kcummings@jacksontn.gov. 

 

51:10.55

Kenneth Cummings

Reach out I'm I'm always open to talk to future journalists students who want to be journalists students who want to be photographers I don't do as much photography as I did but I still do it in a different role I guess but reach out we're. We're here I'm here. Um I love talking about where I've been ah and where I am I'm not real big on talking about me. But if you want to know a story It's a real chill basic story of the young black man from invis Tennessee where he is now. Um.

 

51:47.54

Kenneth Cummings

Um, willing to tell it if you're willing to listen.

 

51:51.60

Alana Davis

So well. Thank you so much for joining today. Um, just wishing you continued success in everything that you do.

 

51:54.74

Kenneth Cummings

I appreciate it. Thank you so much.