Last week, the University of Southern Mississippi conferred a posthumous honorary doctorate to Clyde Kennard. This recognition had been a major focus of Dr. Leslie McLemore, a past MHC board chair and the recipient of our 2018 Cora Norman Award for his lifetime of contributions to the state of Mississippi. In his remarks during our awards gala, Dr. McLemore shared the tragic story of Kennard, who was framed and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit after he tried to integrate USM in the late 1950s. Dr. McLemore implored the audience to contact the university and urge them to recognize Kennard with an honorary degree. USM's decision to recognize Kennard in this way is a significant milestone for the university and our state.

For over fifty years, the mistreatment of Clyde Kennard has engendered hard feelings between segments of the Hattiesburg African American community and the university. But important actions over the past year, including some funded by the Mississippi Humanities Council, have helped bridge the divide as the university works to come to terms with this dark chapter in its history. Last year, we funded a Clyde Kennard lecture series, organized by the school's Freedom 50th Faculty Research Group. The series was held off campus, at the historic Eureka School, and drew crowds from both the campus and larger community. When I attended one program featuring historian Dr. Curtis Austin, a USM student stood up at the end and commented that she had never heard of Clyde Kennard and now was committed to sharing his story with her fellow students. The buzz I felt after hearing this comment kept me energized as I made the 90-minute late night drive back to Jackson. Later, we funded a short documentary about Kennard that will hopefully be shown to incoming USM students during orientation.

Rather than hiding or ignoring an uncomfortable truth, racial healing requires facing and coming to terms with it.

Earlier this year, a freedom trail marker was dedicated on the USM campus that tells the story of Clyde Kennard. As a member of the Freedom Trail advisory committee, I helped draft the marker text and ensured it reflects an honest account of the events. While I was unable to attend the dedication, by all accounts it was a moving ceremony that marked another significant milestone for racial reconciliation and healing in Hattiesburg. Rather than hiding or ignoring an uncomfortable truth, racial healing requires facing and coming to terms with it. With the help of Dr. McLemore, the Freedom 50th Research Group, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and so many others at USM and in the larger community, they are doing just that in Hattiesburg.

I realize many of my newsletter columns are about race. Frankly, I worry a bit about that. But as the great Mississippi artist William Dunlap once remarked, "There is so much more to Mississippi history than race; give me an hour and I'll think of some examples." There is no avoiding the fact that Mississippi's history and culture have been profoundly shaped by racism. Ignoring this unpleasant fact prevents our building a better, more unified community. Our work supporting the lifting up and highlighting of Clyde Kennard and his tragic story shows the humanities have a central role to play in this process. We congratulate President Dr. Rodney Bennett and the leadership of USM for making this important gesture, and Dr. McLemore and all the people working to help us come to terms with our state's legacy of racism.

Learn More

The Mississippi Humanities Council awarded a grant to Mississippi Today to host a free public reading of the "Beautiful Agitators" This play focuses on the life and legacy of Mrs. Vera Mae Pigee of Clarksdale. She was a very instrumental civil right activist who stood up against inequality. The public reading was held on the campus of Delta State University in Jobe Hall Auditorium April 28 for community members, faculty, staff, and students to learn more about Mrs. Pigee. Some of the attendees had already seen the live play twice, but came to support this significant event. Several cast members talked about how they knew of Mrs. Pigee and the Rev. Rayford who helped her through the civil rights movement. Cast members read sections of the play to help attendees visualize what Mrs. Pigee had to deal with in Coahoma County. Mrs. Pigee was targeted by the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission because of her involvement with the civil rights movement. She talked about her experience in her book The Struggle of Struggles, Part 1 & 2, which is now difficult to find, but project partners are trying to secure funds to republish the book. Learn more about the play here. This project was supported the Mississippi Humanities Council Racial Equity Fund.

Learn More

  Learn More

Learn More