Traditions: African American History

History	Updated April 3, 2014

African-Amercian History

Overview

In September 1965, Southern Miss enrolled its first African-American students, Raylawni Branch and Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong. Since that time, the school has seen an enormous increase in African-American enrollment and takes great pride in the diversity of its student body. In 1969, Dr. Walter Washington was the first African-American to earn a doctoral degree from Southern Miss or from any Mississippi institution of higher learning. In 1974, Fred Cook was selected as the University's first African-American Mr. USM, and in 1980, Jacqueline Redd became the University's first African-American Homecoming queen.

In February 1993, Southern Miss held "A Celebration of Diversity," during which time the contributions of African-American faculty, staff and students were honored. At that time, the Student Services Building was renamed Kennard-Washington Hall, in honor of Dr. Walter Washington (then president of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss.) and Clyde Kennard, an African-American who was denied admission to Southern Miss during the 1950s. The February University Forum lecture was named the Armstrong-Branch African-American History Month lecture.

In recent years, an effort to clear the name of Kennard mounted as it became apparent that he had served prison time on false charges of theft. Students from the University joined the fight for Kennard, who died in 1963, collecting more than 1,500 signatures in support of a governor's pardon. A pardon was not required; instead, as Forrest County Circuit Court Judge Bob Helfrich threw out Kennard's original burglary conviction, stating, "To me, this is not a black and white issue; it's a right and wrong issue. To correct that wrong, I am compelled to do the right thing."