Resident urges transparency on temporary closure of Eboom Watson Center, calls it repository of Black history

Jamal Carter, a Jonesboro resident, told the City Council on Aug. 19 that the temporary closure of the Eboom Watson Center has left members of the Black community without access to a facility he described as “a repository of our history.” Carter urged the city for transparency about the closure and asked officials to identify alternative sites while repairs or relocations are underway.

Carter said the center sits on the site of the former industrial high school built in 1924 and that bricks from an earlier city auditorium were used in the structure later renamed Booker T. Washington High School in 1935. He said the facility houses the Craighead County Jonesboro African American Culture Center, curated by Roger McKinney, and preserves exhibits documenting local Black property owners and community history from the 1880s through about 1960.

The resident recounted that the center was renamed in 1984 to honor Etta Mae Boone Watson, a longtime local educator who taught at Booker T. Washington for more than 40 years and supported early-childhood education programs. Carter said he has received calls from residents who discovered the center was closed only after trying to access it; he asked the city to provide more timely public notice and suggested the city consider an alternative location for community members who need the museum and meeting space.

Carter also said that, to his understanding, parole and probation staff currently operate in the facility and that state regulations prevent certain community uses while those services are present. He asked the council to confirm whether state regulations prevent public access and, if the closure is prolonged, to identify an appropriate temporary site so families can continue to use the museum and community space.

Council did not take immediate formal action on the request during the meeting. The mayor and council acknowledged the comment and noted the city would provide additional information as evaluations continue; Carter said he would follow up with city staff.

Carter closed by asking for transparency: “If we don’t know, then we can’t give you grace,” he said, urging the council to keep the community informed about the center’s status.