There have been several efforts to revitalize North 24th Street in Omaha. One of the latest efforts is thanks to a pair of twin brothers. Together, it's a labor of love that's bringing them closer together. One of the twins is Vershan Jackson, a former Nebraska Husker tight end. His brother is Antoine Jackson.
"We passed here almost every day as a kid, grew up right down the street. So just to be back in the area and bringing something that our area needs, and been needing for a long time is definitely a great joy," Antoine said.
Antoine and Vershan own Jackson's Fair Deal Cafe. At one point, there was a Fair Deal Cafe in the same building before it closed in the early 2000s. "The people that it's bringing back together is probably the biggest aspect of the whole situation," Antoine said.
When people sit down there for a meal, they often recognize Vershan.
"Coach Osborne, he always taught us to get to know all people from the janitors all the way up to the athletic director ... you know that nobody is bigger than the next person," Vershan said.
While many Nebraskans are proud of him, Vershan can't help but be proud of Antoine.
"He gets tired ... he can't do a lot of the things he used to do. He can't do it anymore. But he can tell us and lead us and tell us what to do, how to do it," Vershan said. Antoine has survived cancer, and he has a heart condition. Although people can't usually see it, Antoine had surgery in 2021 to get an LVAD, or left ventricular assist device.
Vershan admires Antoine's "resolve, his resiliency." To say that Vershan is proud would be an understatement. "The fact that he's upright is a testament to who he is as a man, and as a person and uh ... I'm lucky to have him.
You can find Jackson's Fair Deal Cafe at the Fair Deal Village Marketplace on North 24th St.
Article Courtesy of Quanecia Fraser, KETV, May 3, 2023