Vivian Burnett has some big shoes to fill as the new mayor of Jonestown and welcomes to the challenge of making life better for the citizens in her community.
Born and raised in Jonestown, Burnett is a then-Coahoma Agricultural High School graduate of the 1976 bicentennial class and attended Jonestown Elementary School from first through eighth grade. She earned her first higher education degree in administrative office from then-Coahoma Junior College at around 1985.
Burnett’s mother, the late Bobbie Walker, served as mayor of Jonestown for one term. Walker was a Civil Rights activist who brought about change including helping the town’s first black mayor, James A. Shanks, get elected in the 1970s.
Burnett ran for mayor herself in 2017, but lost to former mayor Kenny Lester. When Lester was forced to resign in July after pleading guilty on four counts of embezzlement, Burnett ran unopposed in a special election in September and took office the following day.
She is looking at her mother’s achievements as inspiration.
“We got our first street signs when my mother was mayor,” Burnett said. “We had never ever had any street signs up in Jonestown. During her tenure, she brought Habitat for Humanity to the community and now there are probably about 20 Habitat units, give or take a couple.”
Burnett said streets had names, but some citizens did not know their own address. Others had to find where citizens lived with a map as a GPS was uncommon when Walker was mayor.
Burnett wants to help make life better for the citizens, just as her mother did.
“What can they do to improve themselves?” she said. “Because that’s, for me, the more important. She raised us to believe, ‘I don’t want a hand out. I need a hand up because if you give me a hand up, then I can be self-sufficient. If you give me a handout, I need a handout this week, I need a handout the next week, I still need another handout.’ So, if I can get hands up, if we can provide hands up for people, then they’re still self-sufficient. And then they can reach out and offer other people hands up.”
Obama Street
Burnett is looking to build on her mother’s legacy by implementing some street name changes. There has been discussion about changing a street name to Obama Street in Jonestown and she would see that happen. She believes former President Barack Obama is an inspiration as young people have seen his achievements and made positive changes in their lives.
“Sometimes you have to stop and stand still to see what’s around you, to realize opportunities that are around you,” Burnett said. “As long as you’re moving, sometimes we have tunnel vision. So we can only see the direction that we’re headed, just what’s in front of us, so there’s no inspiration to change or realization that, ‘Hey, I don’t have to continue to go this way, but I can make a left turn here. I can make a right turn there and go to a different direction.’”
Burnett said her cousin, Ruby Lester, who served as an alderman, was instrumental in her running for mayor.
While Burnett has not faced any added obstacles being a female trying to get where she is, she felt being an African-American has made things tougher for her in some ways.
“My biggest challenge, I think, maybe has been in looking at our financial institutions,” Burnett said. “I always feel like when we go to seek funding for different, it just seems like to me, they pull this book out over here to see if we qualify for $10,000. Whereas I feel like we see other people, this business failed and, the next week, they’re renovating, changed the name and they have funding for the next thing.”
Another inspiration for Burnett is Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, an African-American female like herself.
“I do consider her an inspiration,” Burnett said. “She’s a woman of color who’s aspired to the second highest office in the land. That is an inspiration, I’m not going to say me because I feel like I’ve hit the plateau.”
However, Burnett said young African-American girls can see Harris’ achievements and how the sky is the limit if they are willing to do the work.
While Burnett respects everyone’s opinion whether they agree or disagree with her, she said she would like to see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected as President and Vice President of the United States.
Plans as mayor
One of Burnett’s biggest goals as mayor is to bring industry back to Jonestown.
“Unfortunately, through the years, most of our businesses, entrepreneurial businesses fly away,” Burnett said. “When I was growing up, when I was a teenager, the street here was full of stores.”
James Chin’s grocery store and Ray’s, which was a miniature Walmart, were some of the businesses in Jonestown Burnett recalled from years ago.
“We scratched the surface the other day with our grant developer, grant administrator and But God Ministries,” Burnett said. “They came by to introduce some of the people. They’re doing an economic development unit.”
North Delta Planning and Development District out of Batesville is the grant developer.
Burnett said she would like to provide incubators for people who want to have their own business and assistance to get up and be productive.
Shortly after becoming mayor, Burnett already allowed the police department to be fully staffed with three officers. Chief Rico Smith was the lone officer in the police department after Kenny Lester cut the other two positions shortly after becoming mayor.
“I would so love to probably provide an additional scholarship that would encourage more of our children to pursue higher education because education is going to be the key to moving from one economic standard to the next,” Burnett said. “That we know.”
Burnett said a scholarship would help prepare younger people to have productive lives.
She said a lot of people, especially black men, have felonies and the incorrect perception that because they have a felony, they automatically cannot vote.
“Not every felony removes their right to vote,” Burnett said.
Burnett said she would address the issue through education first. She would not pry in one’s business, but help citizens understand whether or not they have the right to vote. She also plans to make sure everyone knows the process to help get their voting rights reestablished.
Political Plans
Burnett plans to run for mayor again in 2021. While her current term is less than one year, she does not feel it will cause any problems in establishing a working relationship with those around her.
“My preferred mode is let’s do this as a team,” Burnett said. “We are all residents of Jonestown. My only promise and pledge to the board, the citizens and the staff is that I’m going to give my best. Together, we are all elected to represent Jonestown to the very best of our abilities. That being said, we are a team. I can agree to disagree with you, but at the end of the day, we are a team. And our job is to do what is in the best interest of the citizens who have given us this opportunity to serve.”
Burnett said she always wants to have an open and learning attitude toward things she does not know about.
In some areas, Burnett said she expects vocal opposition, but that goes with the territory. She specifically mentioned she planned to enforce the loud noise ordinance.
“You will never please everybody,” Burnett said. “Do the right thing. Let the chips fall where they may.”
She said she would enforce the ordinance even when family members were in town. She is the wife of L.M. Burnett, has two sons Christopher Turner and Curtis Simmons and one daughter Taisha Wortham.
Education and Career
Burnett’s education and career took many different directions.
After graduating in the bicentennial class of then-Coahoma Agricultural High School in 1976, she went to Delta State University. She did not finish, but later earned her degree from then-Coahoma Junior College around 1985. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Delta State in 1992, a master’s in education from Delta State in 2008 and is a couple hours away from an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction.
Burnett completed her Mississippi Alternate Path to Quality School Leadership (MAPQSL) in 2010.
Burnett was a special education teacher in the Coahoma County, Clarksdale and Tunica school districts for a combined 14 years.
“From early in my own life, outside of work, I was involved in the church working with our children,” Burnett said.
She attends Mary Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Jonestown. A new church was built in 1981 and a fellowship hall was built a few years ago.
“I always liked working with the children, so it was easy for me to transform from the paper to the people,” Burnett said. “I had a natural affinity for the students who struggled as opposed to those who were excelling – those who needed a little guidance.”
Before transferring to education, Burnett worked for Mississippians for Community Development that worked with daycare homes to reimburse individuals who were providing daycare services in their homes for children.
She spent time as an accountant, auditor and financial analyst.
