AMOS ROBINSON

Amos Robinson earned the nickname “The Magic Man” while living in Dixie Homes. He was able to pull a rabbit out of a hat and make it disappear and reappear just like that. As you can see, Amos has a great sense of humor. His personality was shaped by his upbringing in the public housing complex.

Amos’ journey at Dixie Homes began in 1959, when he was two. His father worked as a cab driver while his mother took care of their six children. Amos has fond memories of his close-knit community, saying, “Everyone looked out for one another. The neighborhood helped guide children in the right direction.”

Without hesitation, Amos rattled off 274 Dunlap. The address of their family home. He talks about the camaraderie of his classmates while playing flag football, baseball, and basketball at the Dixie Homes Boys Club. During those steamy summer months, he and his friends were determined to cool off at the Tom Lee Swimming Pool no matter the consequence.

“When we didn’t have swimming pool money, we just jumped the wall.”

Those memories become blurry when Amos was 14. Bad characters entered his life in 1971, and Amos fell for heroin. He continued using drugs until he became institutionalized in 1983. After spending a couple of years cleaning up his life, he returned to his parents’ home on Ayers within Dixie Homes, only to fall victim again. Through all the challenges, Amos kept fighting.

His father passed away in 1989. Into the new century, his mother suffered from dementia. She became bedridden. In 2005, he joined her at 299 Leath to watch over her. “She couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk, couldn’t do anything. When I would hear a noise in the morning, I would get up, [and] wash her face.”

He estimates upwards of 80 hours each week were spent caring for her.

Following the passing of his mother, Amos left Memphis. He continued struggling with drugs and became homeless while living in Chicago. The future seemed bleak until one day he received guidance from the airwaves.

On February 8, 2012, while sitting in his 1992 Cadillac, Amos was switching between radio stations. A program aired asking listeners if they knew anyone addicted to drugs. They encouraged addicts to seek a better lifestyle. Amos fondly remembers the organizations mentioned.

“The Harbor House program wouldn’t take me because it was just a detox program. The Serenity House wouldn’t take me because it wasn’t a court order. The only one that would take me, and I thank God, was the Salvation Army,” Amos praised. “I let everything go that day, and I’ve been sober ever since.”

Amos declares he hasn’t had a bad day in 13 years.

He spent the last 10 years in the Medical District, living at the City View Tower. He never had a lease violation, a failed inspection, and didn’t need a single repair in his apartment throughout that duration. Upon hearing this outstanding track record, he was accepted as the final resident inside the shiny, new Edgeview Apartments.

Edgeview is the site where memories stew of his younger days. An area that shaped Amos for 35 years.

Now he’s creating memories for his granddaughters, Autumn and Aries. Ones that he hopes they will pass on. “They kind of keep the blood circulating,” he smirks.

The girls live twenty minutes away, and visit “The Magic Man” whenever possible. Amos feels at ease that the children can roam the facility while being safe. They’ve also made friends walking the hallways. A quick knock on a door might lead to freshly baked cookies or candy. Amos is eager to get settled and start repaying his generous neighbors. He’s looking forward to continuing his tradition of feeding friends on Sundays.

His apartment is on the third floor and faces his former swimming hole. A few steps from the door is a yoga room. The bedroom closet is organized with his stylish wardrobes, as he counts the days for his furniture to arrive. Amos hands me a picture book from a Dixie Homes reunion in 2019. The images captured dozens of once neighbors together to celebrate the past. As I flip the pages, I notice many are wearing custom shirts representing the neighborhood. They are proud to be from Dixie Homes.

This is a story no magician could’ve scripted. At 68, not only has Amos witnessed the demise and rebirth of Dixie Homes, he’s lived it.

JOHNNIE JACKSON

Jonnie Jackson spent 21 years of her career at Cleo Wrap in Oakhaven. The gift-wrap manufacturer was one of the largest in the world, and Jackson felt honored to be a part of such a substantial workforce. Her role involved standing at an assembly line with thousands of colored bows racing by her. But not all bows.

“We collect the bad bows,” she emphasized. “I’m pretty fast with my hands. I liked that.”

Jackson became an experienced bow picker. Her quick hands also played a role in finding her new home. In 2023, she flipped on the news to see a groundbreaking ceremony. Edgeview at Legends Park was beginning construction on a new senior living center. At the time, she was 74, and living a pretty simple life at Fairway Manor Senior Living since 2014. She believed that moving to a new apartment would put a spark back in her life. Plus, she wanted to be closer to the city, and Edgeview checked all the boxes.

Jackson moved into her new fourth-floor, one-bedroom apartment in May. She is enjoying her new community, the meditation room, and black appliances. A secure parking lot keeps her vehicle safe when she’s not out picking up groceries or driving by Overton Park. Jackson is also closer to her children, to whom she receives a helping hand.