The Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (J.U.M.P.) celebrates 21 years of community engagement and cooperative economic development at its annual holiday luncheon, honoring community leaders, business owners and the musical history of Jefferson Street with the 21st annual J.U.M.P. Christmas Extravaganza and Fundraiser on Thursday, December 7, at the Meharry Medical College Cal Turner Family Center located at 1011 21st Avenue North, Nashville. The event begins promptly at noon, lasting to 1:30 pm with registration opening at 11:30 am, CDT.

This year’s honorary chair is Rosetta Miller Perry, publisher of The Tennessee Tribune. Danny Glover, political strategist, will serve as emcee. Candlelight Award recipients include Dr. Phyllis Hildreth, Joe Hall and Linda McClellan. This award honors those who have positively impacted the North Nashville community and demonstrated a dual passion for improving the community and taking the initiative through community-based programs.

In addition to serving as the first lady of Meharry Medical College, Associate Professor Phyllis Hildreth is the academic director of the Institute for Conflict Management and is an adjunct professor for Lipscomb University’s Institute of Law, Justice and Society. She currently serves on the board for The Women’s Fund and the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. She is an entrepreneur, specializing in fiber art.

Joe Hall is a master media and government relations strategist. He is the president/CEO of Hall Strategies and a former member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors. His name often tops the Nashville Post’s In Charge list of Middle Tennessee business, political, and civic power brokers. Hall is a longtime supporter and advisor to J.U.M.P. and North Nashville business owners.

Linda McClellan is a noted research and ethnic disparities expert. She serves as the project coordinator for Nashville’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2020) program, which is a community health initiative, is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It focuses on the delivery of racial and ethnic approaches to community health.

J.U.M.P. is also pleased to present a Jeffersonian Award, which recognizes Middle Tennessee’s unsung musicians and artists with historical ties to Jefferson Street impacting others through musical culture. This year’s honoree is Leonard Morton, Sr., a retired Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) director of music, band teacher and a successful bandleader/performer becoming a Jefferson Street musical institution.