The man of the hour: Mr. Wade Jackson:From the NPM/PJ Archive

The very first article I did on Mr. Wade.

The Man of the Hour: Mr. Wade Jackson

By Peak Johnson

It seems that everyone that I meet is more interesting than the next or has contributed to this community in some way, Ms. Shelli Pennick Howard, Ms. Denise Wade, Mr. Nasir, and Officer Gee. I cannot see, when finishing one edition of the NPM that when I begin the next one I have trouble figuring out what to write about or who to interview. I was invited to a race about three months ago where not only did I see Isaiah and Icsum Smith, (two teens that attend the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs Teen program) race, but where I also spotted Mr. Wade Jackson. While racing, Mr. Wade of course didn’t have time to say much, but after the race I ran over to him knowing that this would be my next interviewee.

PJ: How long have you lived in the North Philadelphia region?

WJ: Forty-Five years.

PJ: Have you seen any changes?

WJ: A lot of changes, I’ve seen it change from bad to worse, but with this building here [Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs] it could be a lot better because this building can save a lot of these kids lives and these kids around here are good kids, but they are just led astray into the wrong direction. Some of their father’s might be dead or incarcerated and they don’t have anybody to grab them by the arm and show them love.  Another thing was that there was always something to do when I was coming up even during the gang wars. We had PALS. We had roller skating around at St. Elizabeth.  There was so much to do. Downtown had penny arcades. There were movie theaters. But now all of that is gone and there’s nothing for the kids to do, so they’re caught up in the streets and it’s sad.

PJ: What do you think of the teenagers that roam the streets? If they were given the chance to come here do you think that the center would help them out?

WJ: Of course, the center helps everyone out. If I had my way I would have ninety percent of these teenagers in this neighborhood right in this building because they need it. Some of them are afraid because they can’t read or can’t write, but when I talk to them I tell them don’t worry about it because you can get tutored and learn the basics and then you can go from your GED to getting into basic computers and keep going up and up.

PJ: What do you think of the new developments that are happening around here, like the projects that Mr. Nasir is working on.

WJ: I like what’s going on, I like what Sister Mary Scullion is doing with the houses. I’m just hoping that some of these other houses that are condemned on these other blocks can also get rebuild. A lot of things that are going on around here is good. I just hope that the people that live around here stay here and don’t get flushed out of the neighborhood.

PJ: What was it like before the center even came about?

WJ: Chaos, but thanks to Sister Mary Scullion and the people who put this project here together its helping a lot of people. Its helping people of all ages, because of the after school program, the K-6 program, and the adult program, the tutoring, so it’s helping a lot of people in different ways. It especially helped my wife who graduated Administration Specialist, my other son Courtney just started coming here and he’s here getting his GED. I’m proud of my son and he’s twenty years old, there’s no age to education.

PJ: Could you tell us what you do here at the center?

WJ: I’m a volunteer, I’m on the advisory board, I put the flyers out, anything anybody need me to do out in different areas, regarding  putting things up I do that. I’ve been doing it for the longest now.

PJ: Could you explain to us what racing means to you.

WJ: Racing means a lot, first thing is that it relieves a lot of stress, and it’s good for your health. Its good competition for whatever you’re trying to go for. Now me, I’ve been running for a while, but my goal is to be the best, be number one, and to beat the Kenyans. I believe in number one, not number two.  

PJ: How did you get into the sport?

WJ: Well I use to run along time ago and if I would have known the talent that I have now, I would have been running for years and years. But now I realize the gifts that I have, the gifts that God gave me, so I’m going to use them.

PJ: Could you tell us about the race that you were in a few months ago?

WJ: The Jefferson run, it was a thirteen mile run and it was about eleven thousand people there in the race, I mean they had kids there also. I finished in about an hour and forty-six minutes. I feel good about it, but I’m not satisfied with it. I think I can do better next year, God’s will.  It was for a good cause and I had fun. There was no violence and I’m around all different cultures who all had fun. My goal for 2007 is to run four races. I want to run the ten mile Broad street run, I want to run the five mile Valley Green run, and I want to do Race for a Cure again, and I want to Run the Jefferson run on September 16, 2007. To be honest, I want to be beat the Kenyans, but whatever happens happens, but I would like to set better numbers than this year.

PJ: What does your son think of you racing, does he want to get into it also?

WJ: My son Nicholas, believe it or not he has it, he’s gifted, but by him being so young he’s not really motivated to run. I did a 100yard dash in sixty seconds and he nearly beat me and he’s only eleven years old. He’s faster than fast. If he were to let me train him and mold him now he would have a chance. Even when he plays football as a wide receiver he blows everybody away. Not only that, but he’s a smart kid too, and he’s real good at math, he says he wants to be like Bill Gates but I tell him he can be better.  

PJ: Could you tell us where you train at?

WJ: I train at home, also I go to Temple track and I run there in the summer time. I go up to Valley Green and go and run up the trails, hills, and mountains up there. And I train at the Bellevue Hotel.  

PJ: What schools do your sons attend?

WJ: Nicholas right now goes to William Dick. Courtney is out of school. I’m working on getting Nicholas out of William Dick, I don’t like it period. He’s too smart for William Dick, but we’re working on getting him out of there, both me and his mother.

PJ: Does Nicholas like William Dick?

WJ: No, he’s too smart to be in there and I don’t like how they treat people over there. Some of the teachers don’t do what they are supposed to be doing. If you’re a teacher making all that money then you can’t be scared of kids. You have to help the kids. Some of teachers do and some of them don’t, but Nicholas will be out of there in a matter of time. This center is a nice outlet for him because he gets to use computers and he likes computers.

PJ: Where did you attend school?

WJ: Roman Catholic High School.

PJ: What do you think about the state of education in Philadelphia?

WJ: It stinks because the teachers are scared of the students and getting an education is not like it was when I was going to school. When the kids know that they can get over the teacher because they are scared of them, it’s a lost cause. Back then, teachers didn’t play they would get right with you, but a lot of them are scared now and it seems that the cloths, jewelry, and cars are more important to students than an education. But kids don’t realize without an education you have no future.

PJ: How important do you think education is?

WJ: Education is the key to life. You need it. You need to learn until the day you die because you’ll learn something new everyday. For example, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world but he’s still learning.