Never Forget...

History matters.

Venerable education reporter, John Merrow, has shared information about a very important project here in Mississippi that will not only keep alive an important part of our collective past, but strengthen our future.

Tougaloo College, a historically Black college near the state capitol, is trying to establish an endowed Mississippi Civil Rights Movement Chair. Here's a slice from John's piece at Taking Note:

Tougaloo is a small predominantly black college
located at the edge of Jackson, MS. During the civil rights movement,
most black colleges took a “hands off” role, especially those under
state control but many private schools as well. Not Tougaloo. Even at
the risk of its survival, Tougaloo backed its students when they got
arrested, provided space for groups to meet, invited speakers whom white
Mississippi deemed controversial if not subversive, and retained and
promoted faculty members who campaigned for an end to racial
segregation. At the time, these were very courageous, dangerous, and
radical actions....

Now, some private individuals with the support of the college have
undertaken a campaign to endow a “Mississippi Civil Rights Movement
Chair” at Tougaloo. In Ladner’s words, “It will be the College’s first
endowed chair and the first such chair in Mississippi devoted to the
Civil Rights Movement.” She goes on to say, “Tougaloo paid a heavy price
for its involvement. It was dubbed “Cancer College” by whites, and the
Mississippi State Legislature attempted to revoke its charter.” To this
day, Tougaloo is not able to draw on the economic elite of Mississippi
for the kind of support that many other colleges get from their areas
and states. That’s one reason this campaign is so important.

I hope you take time to read the entire piece, and to help Tougaloo with this worthy project.