William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Rev. CJ Rhodes Gives Kickoff Keynote for Black History Month

January 31, 2013 by tbarger

A graduate of the University of Mississippi and Duke Divinity School, CJ is one of this nation’s emerging leaders

On Tuesday, Febuary 5, Rev. C. Edward “CJ” Rhodes II will present the keynote address at the Black History Month Kickoff event. The UM Gospel Choir will perform for the kickoff at noon at the Student Union Lobby. The son of famed civil rights attorney Carroll Rhodes Sr., he is the youngest pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church, the capital city’s oldest historically black congregation.

Prior to graduating from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in philosophy, Rhodes worked closely with the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. He continued his education at Duke Divinity School, where he served as vice president of the Black Seminarians Union in Raleigh, N.C.

Now ordained, Rhodes serves on the boards of the Urban League of Greater Jackson, Center for Ministry and Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference, and is former president of the Farish Street/Main Street Project. The recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, he also serves as host of “The CJ Rhodes Show” on WRBJ 97.7 FM and is the author of Thy Kingdom Come: Reflections on Pastoral and Prophetic Ministry.

For a comprehensive list of events, contact the Office of the Dean of Students, 422 Union, call 662-915-7247 or 662-915-7248, or email Valeria Ross at vross@olemiss.edu.

Filed Under: Music, Philosophy & Religion, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Ole Miss Community Reacts, Moves Forward

November 8, 2012 by tbarger

University students, faculty and staff responded to the disturbance that took place on Tuesday night.

Thomas Graning/The Daily Mississippian

University of Mississippi Students exchanged heated words and were generally disruptive last night in reaction to the results of the presidential election. The Ole Miss community reacted and moved on Wednesday, as hundred gathered in front of the Union for the “We are One Mississippi Candlelight Walk.”

Around 400 students participated in public disagreement close to midnight on Tuesday. No one was injured and only two arrests were made according to both an email sent Wednesday by the Office of the Chancellor and an official press release published by the university. Chancellor Dan Jones stated that the use of the word “riot” was inappropriate in light of the real scale of the event.

“’Incident’ is the term that I have used to describe last night,” Jones said. “There’s not anything that has come to me in reliable reports that would give me any indication that we had anything that approached a riot.” “We had a gathering of students with some inappropriate behavior — particularly the hate language was very, very disappointing – but we didn’t have anything that approached a riot on our campus.” Jones further commented that although the incident is now past, the fact that such disagreements would even occur at the university is disappointing. “First, we have relief that people are safe now that the campus is a safe environment, and no one had personal injury and no property was lost,” he said. “I’m greatly disappointed that this kind of event would happen anywhere in the world but especially that it would happen at The University of Mississippi. Very disappointing.”

Dean of Students Spark Reardon agrees. “The end result was that we had students participating in an activity in total disregard for what we believe as a university,” Reardon said. “It’s reprehensible.” Reardon reaffirmed that campus was in order Wednesday. “First, I’d like to say that the campus is completely safe today,” Reardon said. “It is as safe as it is on any other day, so for anyone who believes that the campus is not safe today, I wish they were here to see it. “Secondly, this behavior is an embarrassment and has no place at this university, and those students who participated in this behavior need to reconsider whether they want to be part of this university. The creed says ‘as a voluntary member of this university.’ My guess is that if they were acting like that, they were the types of students who are probably not going to make it academically to be here next year anyway.” Reardon is optimistic that the Ole Miss community can come together to solve the problem. “I think we have to consider this a basis for dialogue and continued advancement, and we have to be aware that we have not made progress by sitting idly by and talking about how much progress we’ve made,” he said. “We’ve made it through dialogue; we’ve made it through discussion; we’ve made it through patience and tolerance, and so I think we’ve got to continue to teach, we’ve got to continue to educate and we’ve got to continue to hold the tenants of the creed before our community.”

Jones assured the community that the university takes such matters seriously and will work to prevent such disagreements from happening in the future. “The review of this incident will go forward, and students who are found to have broken the law will be referred to the appropriate authorities who are dealing with that, and students who have been in violation of our university’s student policies will be dealt with through the student conduct process,” Jones said. “We will continue to follow the lead of the vast majority of our students who want this to be a place that is a warm and welcoming environment for everyone who, like the university administration, abhors any kind of racial hate, including racial hate language.” Jones commented on the incident in light of this year’s significance as the 50th anniversary of integration. “In remembering the events from 50 years ago, we did a number of things: We expressed regret about the difficulty of the past and the mistakes of the past and we openly recognized significant progress in our university, but we also, very candidly, acknowledged that we still live in a world that’s imperfect and that still needs progress,” Jones said. “This is another piece of evidence that the world that we live in is not the kind of world that we want. “So it is disappointing that an incident would occur on our campus where hate language would be used and particularly because of our university’s difficult history, it’s more painful here than it is in some other atmospheres.”

Steven Ponder, senior executive associate athletics director for external relations, reminded members of the Ole Miss community and outside observers alike that the problems that surfaced last night are neither unique to the university nor the state of Mississippi “Ole Miss has a history that has been well-documented in terms of issues that happened across America, not just Mississippi,” Ponder said. “But 50 years ago, what happened in Mississippi happened all over America.” “It’s an American problem, not a Mississippi problem,” Ponder stated. “But reception follows Mississippi as it relates to race from 50 years ago. “Ole Miss has to deal with that and has to be at the forefront of that.”

Last night, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Union for the “We are One Mississippi Candlelight Walk” sponsored by the The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. Michelle Coffee, assistant professor of southern studies, helped organize the event and said the event that took place on Tuesday evening was “heartbreaking” for students. “You shouldn’t have to process like that while you’re trying to figure out who you are at college,” she said.

Freshman public policy leadership major Cody Smith witnessed the disturbance. “I saw a lot of people just watching,” he said. “I just hope no one gets the bad impression of the university.” Adjunct instructor in finance, Royce White, and his wife Angela went out to show support for the university. “We both love this university very much,” Angela said. Royce said he felt that the disturbance was “people letting their emotions get in the way of them.” The Whites brought candles from their wedding 36 years ago to light at the walk. “We figured it unified us, so it will unify the university too,” Angela said.

The walk began at the Union and ended at the Lyceum steps where Hope Owens-Wilson, southern studies junior and convener of One Mississippi, said that the disturbance on Tuesday evening represents feelings that “are not conducive” to creating a welcoming community. One Mississippi is a multiracial and multiethnic dialogue group on the Ole Miss campus. “This whole year has been focused on commemorating the progress this university has made,” Owens-Wilson said. “And to regress, at this critical juncture, will endanger this university legacy.”

The University of Mississippi Creed was read aloud three times by those present. Jones concluded the event and said that the outcome of the walk was the university’s response to the disturbance. “I can’t tell you what it feels like to stand here and see you there in support of justice and in support of civility and in support of respect for all people,” he said. Jones said the disturbance will not define Ole Miss. “We will not be defined by hate,” he said. “There is no tolerance for hate.”

Filed Under: Public Policy Leadership, Southern Studies, Student News, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Winter Institute 2011 Summer Youth Program Chronicled in Documentary

October 31, 2012 by tbarger

Film follows students as they learn to lead racial reconciliation efforts

When a Spot On Productions camera crew arrived at the University of Mississippi last summer, they weren’t sure exactly what to expect. There was no script, professional actors or special effects.

A year later, their efforts have yielded a buzz-generating documentary about the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation’s annual Summer Youth Institute, a program that helps high school students from around the state become leaders in the process of racial reconciliation.

Philip Scarborough and business partner Tom Beck directed and produced “Growing Our Own” for their Jackson-based company. The film, which features original music by Mississippi artists, premiered at the 2012 Crossroads Film Festival in May. It is scheduled to show at the Sun and Sand Film Festival Nov. 7-11 on the Gulf Coast.

“Our cameraman Alex Warren pretty much lived with the kids during the 2011 Summer Youth Institute,” Scarborough said. “He shot over 36 hours, while Tom and I shot another 15 hours of interviews and other b-roll. With more than 50 hours of footage overall, we were in production for 10 months.”

Funded by a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, the film was created to showcase the Summer Youth Institute and its impact upon the 32 students. Besides first- and second-year program participants and Winter Institute staff, the documentary includes cameos by former Gov. William Winter and Myrlie Evers, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

“I hope viewers of this documentary will see the passion these young people have about changing their communities, the importance of knowing Mississippi’s past and the ability of youth to make a positive difference,” said Elliot Long, project coordinator for the Winter Institute.

Renee Ombaba, a Southern studies graduate student and intern for the Winter Institute, served as a counselor during the summer program and its filming. The Jackson native reflected upon both the process and the finished product.

“It was fun,” Ombaba said. “Having a camera follow us around was kind of like being in a reality show. I’ve seen the film and think the producers did an excellent job of telling our story.”

Ombaba, who became acquainted with the work of the Winter Institute six years ago as a sophomore at Jim Hill High School, sees the importance of exposing Mississippi youth to life-changing opportunities such as the Summer Youth Institute.

“By supporting the school’s Civil Rights Civil Liberties Club, the Winter Institute showed me youth can be empowered to overcome the challenges facing them in their local communities,” Ombaba said. “It is essential that we keep the cycle going for future generations of Mississippi high school students.”

Students from the Summer Youth Institute said they are excited about appearing in the documentary.

“The program was a wonderful experience,” said Timeshia Green, a senior at McComb High School. “The counselors were amazing. We made lots of new friends and were able to freely express ourselves and talk about anything we wanted to. I wish we could go again.

“As for the film, I had no idea that it would turn out like it did when we were being filmed. It feels great to be a part of something that historic.”

In a synopsis of the film, the producers wrote:

“Fifty years after James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi, former Mississippi Governor William F. Winter and the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation bring together students – black, white and otherwise – from around the state to the site of Meredith’s courageous triumph. Led by Winter, historians and civil rights activists of the 1960s, the high schoolers learn how to think about, talk about and change the conversation on race and economic justice in Mississippi.

“Once a site of anguish and violence, Ole Miss becomes a place for discovery and hope, filled with lessons its students can learn, and take back with them to their towns, cities and communities. ‘Growing Their Own’ documents the journey of these students, and a state that continues to evolve.”

There are no immediate plans for the documentary to be screened publicly at the university or to air on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, but officials are hopeful that it will eventually reach a much wider audience.

“We understand from the wisdom of a number of cultures that if you want to create a positive future, or as our Hawaiian friends tell us, ‘If you plan for a hundred years, teach the children,’” said Susan Glisson, executive director of the Winter Institute. “That is why the work of the Summer Youth Institute and the statewide youth work that it encourages is the most important focus of the Winter Institute.”

To view “Growing Their Own,” visit https://vimeo.com/42106612#. For more information about the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, go to http://www.winterinstitiute.org/.

Filed Under: William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Civil Rights Activist Harry Belafonte’s Challenge: ‘Keep the Movement Alive’

October 2, 2012 by tbarger

Battle for human rights continues, iconic humanitarian says

University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones thanks keynote speaker Harry Belafonte Oct. 1 during the university’s commemoration of its 50th anniversary of integration. UM photo by Kevin Bain.

Mixing memories of moments with meditations on the magnitude of the movement, civil rights activist Harry Belafonte challenged a rapt audience observing the 50th anniversary of integration at the University of Mississippi to forge ahead to new human rights victories.

The legendary entertainer, who has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes, delivered the keynote address Monday (Oct. 1) for the university’s ongoing 50th anniversary commemoration of the enrollment of James Meredith, the first African-American to attend UM. Addressing a capacity crowd at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Belafonte encouraged his audience to not only look back on past triumphs, but to deal with present struggles while planning for future victories.

“Civil rights is a not a movement; it’s a way of life,” Belafonte said. “I’m saddened when I hear people say that the movement is over, for nothing could be further from the truth.”

Harry Belafonte delivers the keynote address in Oct. 1 in the University of Mississippi’s commemoration of its 50th anniversary of integration. UM ohoto by Kevin Bain.

With his trademark raspy voice somewhat diminished by age, the 85-year-old mixed levity with seriousness as he reminisced about his associations with Meredith, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer and Nelson Mandela.

“The course of my life is blessed because I was touched by so many people whose lives were dedicated to such great humanitarian causes,” Belafonte said. “The civil rights struggles of African-Americans speak to the good of our common humanity and influenced the course of history.”

In hushed tones, Belafonte recalled his first visit to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. He recruited lifelong friend and fellow actor Sidney Poitier to help him deliver $100,000 raised in support of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in Greenwood.

“There was nothing attractive about it,” he quipped, raising nervous laughter from the crowd. “The three civil rights volunteers had disappeared in Philadelphia. We were caught in a very critical crossroads of wanting to come and help others with voter registration while fearing for our personal safety.”

Escorted by U.S. marshals stationed along the route from Jackson to the Mississippi Delta, Belafonte, Poitier and a small entourage of locals made the journey. Members of the Ku Klux Klan made their presence known but did not stop them, he said.

“We accomplished our mission,” Belafonte said. “It was a defining moment for all of us.”

In opening remarks, UM Chancellor Dan Jones said as the university continues working toward racial reconciliation, it’s important to express regret and apologize for the injustice that was done.

“We must not treat this lightly,” Jones said. “We should also take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to opening the doors of this university for everyone willing to do the hard work required of students in a leading university, regardless of race or ethnicity or income. The events of 1962 made accessibility a core value of our university forevermore.

“We must also acknowledge that we still live in an imperfect world, and that this university, state and country have not yet arrived at that better place we all envision. Injustice still exists in the world today. And we must continue our efforts to right wrongs and to continue our pilgrimage toward full reconciliation.”

Stating that the human rights movement has always existed whenever tyranny and fear oppress any people group, Belafonte championed the effectiveness of nonviolence as a powerful instrument of liberation.

“Some people saw nonviolence as passivism or a capitulation to the oppressors, but this is not true,” he said. “Look at how effectively it brought about the transfer of power in South Africa following the end of apartheid. Or how a lone student faced down an armored tank in Tiananmen Square.

The University of Mississippi Gospel Choir performs before Harry Belafonte’s keynote address as part of the university’s commemoration of its 50th anniversary of integration. UM photo by Kevin Bain.

“The reformation of the former Soviet Union and its ideologies. All these are examples of the higher morality and higher truth of humanity rising above opposition to overthrow tyranny and oppression without the use of force.”

In closing, Belafonte hailed the civil rights movement as a success overall, but not completely. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, raised thousands of dollars to release King and other civil rights protesters from jail and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.

“We lost Martin, but our movement was not for naught as we did accomplish the goals we set out to achieve,” he said. “Our failure was in not realizing the global impact we had and developing a vision beyond what we were striving to attain. The human rights movement lives, breathes and continues to reveal itself everywhere in the world people are yet striving for freedom.”

Belafonte received lengthy, thunderous standing ovations both before and after his address.

Meredith was not in attendance Monday night, but members of his family were, along with former Gov. William Winter and other dignitaries. Special music was performed by the UM Gospel Choir

Belafonte is the recipient of the Albert Einstein Award from Yeshiva University, Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela Courage Award and Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award.

He was the first African-American to win a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989, was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Belafonte was the driving force behind the 1985 “We Are the World” project to help people affected by war, drought and famine in Africa. In a 2007 interview, Belafonte said that he has retired from performing.

Filed Under: African American Studies, Music, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

. . . James Meredith Was First Black Student Admitted to University of Mississippi 50 years Ago . . .

October 2, 2012 by tbarger

A sign marking the begrudged area set aside for ‘coloreds’, over a drinking fountain, ‘whites only’ taped across telephone booths. America’s culture of racial segregation is a concept many still struggle to comprehend. Banned from attending state-funded universities, black citizens suffered economically, socially and academically.

Confronting segregation: James Meredith became the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi in 1962

Groundbreaking: Now aged 79, James Meredith, was the first black student to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962. But all that changed in 1962 when James Meredith broke through racial divide to become the first black student to enroll at the segregated University of Mississippi. Unfazed by the protests of white students and anti-desegregation supporters, the 28-year-old went to class, President Kennedy sending in the National Guard to restore order on campus.

Those riots would lead to two deaths and injuries to 200 others, most of them federal marshals assigned to protect the Lyceum. As Meredith marched onto campus Mississippians got swept up in a ‘hysterical wave of fear,’ former governor William Winter told USA Today. ‘We allowed ourselves to suffer along with everybody else. We were victims of the system as much as black folks. We were all in bondage. (Meredith) helped free us all.’

Protected: In this 1962 image James Meredith, back center, is escorted by federal marshals as he appears for his first day of class

Confronting segregation: James Meredith became the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi in 1962.

Today Meredith’s enrollment is regarded as an iconic moment in the U.S. civil rights movement, and his actions are remembered as the 50 year anniversary is celebrated. He keeps a relatively low profile, turning 79 this year, living happily in Jackson, Mississippi. But on the UM campus he is remembered as a ground breaking hero.

‘The outcome of the civil rights movement was determined by Meredith’s admission at Ole Miss,” said David Sansing, author of The University of Mississippi: A Sesquicentennial History. As such he is celebrated and hailed as a hero.

‘On the anniversary of such an important event, it is important to express regret for past injustices, recommit to open doors of opportunity for all, regardless of race or ethnicity, celebrate the progress achieved together,’ University of Mississippi chancellor Dan Jones said.

The university this year celebrates 50 years since overcoming segregation with Meredith’s enrollment. She added that people must ‘acknowledge that we still live in an imperfect world and must continue to seek to rid ourselves and the world of injustice,’ Susan Glisson, executive director of the William Winter Institute of Racial Reconciliation at the university, told the paper that events recognizing the 50th anniversary are ‘important first steps but should be seen as first steps.

‘If we don’t learn the lessons in the past, nothing substantively changes,’ she added. ‘And with a 33 per cent poverty rate among Mississippi children, we have much yet to learn and to do.’

Meredith, it seems, has similar trepidations quite so willing to forgive and forget. Honoured at the 40th anniversary celebration, he refused to speak and has asked for a statue celebrating him to be torn down.

Rise to fame: Meredith speaks at a press conference

Body guards: Meredith is just visible as he is escorted to his new university

Last week, he declared he wouldn’t attend the 50th anniversary events.

But for Ole Miss it is a momentous event. ‘We want the world to know we’re a 21st-century university,’ said Donald Cole, an assistant to both the provost and chancellor at Ole Miss, adding that freshmen arrive ‘unaware of our history as an institution, unaware of our state’s history’.

He told USA Today he believes the university is preparing itself to be a voice for racial reconciliation.

Ole Miss students hold electric candles and sing during the final commemoration in song at the University of Mississippiís celebration of 50-years of integration

Ole Miss students come together to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the university’s first black student

From Daily Mail Reporter

Filed Under: History, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Winter Institute Receives International Award for Globally Promoting Civil, Human Rights

September 18, 2012 by tbarger

The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi has been honored by the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, or IAOHRA, with its 2012 International Award.

The accolade from the nonprofit organization devoted to promoting civil and human rights around the world was presented in New Orleans. The Winter Institute’s international efforts have been connected to supporting its work in Mississippi.

“We are so grateful to the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies,” said Susan Glisson, Winter Institute executive director. “Most clearly, our work is grounded in the sacrifices and leadership of community leaders throughout Mississippi, with whom we have the honor of working. We share this recognition with all of you.”

Both the Winter Institute and IAOHRA value collaborative leadership and sharing information from sites of conflict around the world, Glisson said. The institute has already begun negotiations to collaborate with both the Youth Link in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the Apartheid Archives Project at the University of WitSwaterrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.“Our network of partnerships continues to expand,” she said. “Most recently, we received an invitation from the University of the Free State, a multicampus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. The new and first black president there wants our help in establishing a high school-oriented curriculum for their new institute of racial reconciliation. I have been invited to be a visiting scholar there in 2013.

“To have others from around the world looking to the state of Mississippi for leadership in racial reconciliation is a testament to all Mississippians.”

The Winter Institute was selected for the award because it demonstrated outstanding work in civil and human rights internationally and has positively impacted the world beyond U.S. shores, said Shawn Martel Moore, IAOHRA president.

“The Winter Institute impressed the IAOHRA committee with its work launched in November of 2011 involving leaders from across the United States, Belfast, Northern Ireland and Cape Town, South Africa to explore and deepen shared understandings, effective practices and strategies and creative collaborations in service to advance civil and human rights internationally,” Moore said. “Inspired by the work of the Mississippi Truth Project and the Welcome Table, clearly this courageous and innovative initiative by the Winter Institute stood head and shoulders above other candidates.”

The institute’s use of specific models, such as truth and reconciliation, conflict transformation and racial reconciliation was viewed as significant and critical by IAOHRA to continue to have human rights become a core value in every society.

“We were excited, especially with the work planned in South Africa in the month of September,” Moore said.

UM officials congratulated Glisson and the Winter Institute for their recognition.

“The award is evidence of the Winter Institute’s rising prominence within the community of race relations and human rights,” said Glenn Hopkins, dean of UM’s College of Liberal Arts.

Established in 1949, IAOHRA is the oldest human and civil rights organization for agencies, directors and commissioners who are engaged in the field of human and civil rights work. The membership has agencies throughout the U.S., with affiliations in Canada and the Virgin Islands.

For more information about the Winter Institute, visit http://www.winterinstitute.org/. For more information about the IAOHRA, go to http://www.IAOHRA.ORG/

Filed Under: Latest News, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Rabbinic Scholar W. David Nelson to Discuss ‘Race, Religion and the Realities of Reading the Bible’

September 4, 2012 by tbarger

W. David Nelson, a noted scholar of rabbinic literature and the Hebrew Bible at Groton School in Massachusetts, will discuss how the Bible has been used out of context in the past to promote anti-Semitism during a Thursday (Sept. 6) public lecture at the University of Mississippi.

Norton’s lecture, “Say Again!: Race, Religion and Realities of Reading the Bible,” is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Overby Center auditorium. The next day (Sept. 7), the scholar will participate in an informal discussion with faculty and students on how the Bible has been misused to advance racist agendas.

“Dr. Nelson’s presentation is the first in the lecture series, titled ‘Intertwining Legacies: Jews and African-Americans in the Deep South,’” said Kirk Johnson, UM associate professor of sociology and African-American studies. “The goal of the lecture series is to bring together scholars, students and community members to explore anti-Semitism, racism and the shared and divergent histories of these two groups.”Other scholars scheduled include Sander Gilman, an internationally-renowned cultural and literary historian from Emory University, who will address the twin legacies of anti-Semitism and racism in the deep South on Oct. 25; and Jonathan Kaufman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Broken Alliance: The Turbulent Times Between Blacks and Jews in America,” who will speak Feb. 6 on the historic relationship between Jews and African-Americans.

Last year, the UM Critical Race Studies Group, an interdisciplinary collection of scholars working to address racial and ethnic inequities on campus and in academia, applied for an Association for Jewish Studies-Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project grant to explore the complex relationships between African-Americans and Jews in the South. The proposal, written by Willa Johnson, associate professor of sociology, was funded for $22,000. The university is among only four institutions in the United States to receive this award for the 2012-13 academic year.

“As a teacher of Jewish studies, I know it is important for the University of Mississippi to join other flagship institutions of higher learning in the South in raising awareness of the powerful and important impact of Jews upon our culture,” Johnson said. “I am equally aware of the sacrifices of Jewish men such as Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who in 1964 died fighting for civil rights alongside James Chaney, an African-American.

“As an African-American woman, I have lived long enough to witness what hate does to marginalized people. Three of my uncles fought, and one of them died, to liberate Jews from tyranny in Europe during World War II. Even if all three had survived the war, they would have been among the nearly 1 million returning African-American soldiers who were denied these same liberties by an ungrateful nation.”

Looking at race in Mississippi and the nation as a whole is particularly important at this time, said Jeffrey Jackson, associate professor of sociology.

“As we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi, we need to recognize the commonalities of racially-oppressed groups that still exist to this day,” Jackson said. “All have had similar experiences of being marginalized in society. African-Americans and Jews have historically strongly supported each other in their respective struggles for civil rights and equality.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of Virginia, Nelson received both a master’s degree in Bible and cognate studies and a doctorate in rabbinic literature and thought from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Before going to Groton, he served as a member of the faculty in the Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern studies program at Washington University and as Rosenthal associate professor and director of Jewish studies at TCU and Brite Divinity School. Nelson has both studied and served as a visiting research professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2004-05, he was awarded its Yad Hanadiv/Beracha Foundation Visiting Fellowship in Jewish Studies.

With a specialized interest in ancient and medieval Jewish biblical interpretation, Nelson is the author of numerous scholarly articles and book chapters and has published the first English translation and commentary of the Mekhilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai, an anthology of early Jewish interpretation of the biblical book of Exodus. He is co-authoring two books: “Exodus: Echoes and Reverberations in Jewish Tradition” and “Exodus in America: White Jewish and Black Christian Experiences of Exodus.” He is an active member of the American Academy of Religion and chairs the Midrash Section for the Society of Biblical Literature.

Co-sponsors lending support to the lecture series include the university’s African-American Studies Program; Center for the Study of Southern Culture; College of Liberal Arts, particularly the departments of history, philosophy and religion, and sociology and anthropology, and the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies; School of Law; Trent Lott Leadership Institute; and William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation.

The Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is designed to foster relationships between scholars and the public and to highlight relationships between Jews and other cultures. For more information, visit http://www.ajsnet.org/legacy.htm.

Filed Under: African American Studies, Center for The Study of Southern Culture, Gender Studies, History, Latest News, Philosophy & Religion, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

New Geological Engineering Alumna Reflects on Past, Eyes Bright Future

July 9, 2012 by tbarger

As president of the 2012 senior class at the University of Mississippi, Toran Dean addressed thousands gathered for annual commencement exercises. Her brief-but-stirring remarks summarized years of growth that continue as she embarks from her alma mater.

“I decided to come to Ole Miss because of the atmosphere,” said the Hattiesburg native who earned a bachelor’s degree in geology and geological engineering. “It truly was a home away from home. It was comforting to know that no matter how large the university was, it was still small, and I would always see a familiar face on campus, whether it was friends or staff.”

Dean’s expectations completely changed — in a good way — once she attended the university.

“Ole Miss was so much more than just a home away from home,” Dean said. “It became a lifestyle. It taught so many life lessons when it came to hard work, hospitality and responsibility.”While maintaining a respectable grade-point average in a rigorous major, Dean also was heavily involved in extracurricular activities. The 2012 UM Hall of Fame honoree also served the ASB as a senator, director of student services and external legislation monitor. She was public relations chair of the Engineering Student Body and a two-time officer of the Geological Society. A Luckyday Scholar, she held an Engineering Ambassador Scholarship and Academic Excellence Scholarship.

Dean belonged to the Black Student Union and was director of policy for One Mississippi. A member of the Chancellor’s Standing Committee-Student Services, she has been an orientation leader and a mentor in the School of Engineering and with Freshman Focus and EDHE, UM’s freshman-year-experience program.

Her volunteer efforts have been recognized with a President’s Volunteer Service Award and include work with the San Mateo Empowerment Project, a road-building effort that Ole Miss students support in Belize. Her other service includes work with the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, Chicago Cares and N.R. Burger Middle School Beta Club.

“The accomplishment I am most proud of is one that didn’t receive any awards,” Dean said. “I think that it is simply an accomplishment not to lose who you truly are when you come to college. It is something that I tried my best not to do while receiving awards or while others may have sung my praises.

“Truly, evaluating my growth by my personal morals and standards and not by others was one of the greatest accomplishments because it was the realization that once I leave the university, no matter how successful I was, there will always be someone just as successful. How humble are others in those successes will make all the difference (between me and them).”

Among the UM faculty members who truly influenced Dean is Cathy Grace.

“She is the last person you would pick out in a crowd as a college professor, not just because of her Hawaiian shirts and visor, but because of her willingness to go above and beyond to truly get to know her students,” Dean said. “I can say the same about so many professors in the geological engineering department, but Cathy not only has the reputation in the department but [also] around campus.”

Specifically, Dean credited Grace with teaching her to prioritize.

“In my sophomore year, Cathy taught me it was school first and everything else second. It’s a concept that seems simple but also something that I — along with many other students — struggled with. Whenever my schedule got a little crazy, Cathy taught me that success comes with the right priorities. That made my schedule a little less crazy.”

Dean’s short-term plans are to travel and enjoy interests that she hasn’t had time for in the past four years or that she won’t have time for once she has to settle down.

“My long-term plans are to work in water resources,” Dean said. “I would really like to start a nonprofit [organization], bringing potable water to communities in need domestically as well as internationally. We all hear stories about villages in Africa or South America not having clean drinking water, but there are also communities two hours away in the Mississippi Delta that may not have that same necessity. Hopefully, my degree in geological engineering will help me out with that goal.”

Dean continues to receive praise from engineering staff and faculty for her commencement address.

“Her speech at the commencement as president of the senior class was outstanding,” Dean Alex Cheng said. “We are proud of Toran, but I don’t think the School of Engineering can take the full credit. It is the Ole Miss liberal arts environment that allows the student with such capability and motivation to grow like that.”

Marni Kendricks, assistant dean of the engineering school, agreed.

“It was indeed exceptional,” Kendricks said. “Toran’s a good success story. She has ambitious plans following graduation too.”

Filed Under: William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Winter Institute Summer Youth Program Inspires High School Students to Lead Communities

June 13, 2012 by tbarger

Twenty-eight Mississippi high school students are preparing to make a positive impact in communities across the state, thanks to an innovative leadership program sponsored by the University of Mississippi’s William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation.

Rising sophomores and juniors were chosen from a pool of 150 applicants to attend the third annual Summer Youth Institute, which began Sunday (June 10) and runs through June 24.

“For many students, it’s a life-changing two weeks,” said Elliot Long, project coordinator. “I’m looking forward to bringing together another group of students, learning about their passions and helping them make a difference in their communities.” The 15-day event provides training in community organizing and leadership, as well as civil rights history. Workshops and activities emphasize the importance of building relationships and knowing state history in order to make positive change in local communities.

“This year we have three special guests,” said Susan Glisson, Winter Institute executive director. “Adin Thayer of Smith College will share conflict resolution and adjustment strategies she used while volunteering in post-genocide Rwanda and Burundi. Two staff members from YouthLink in Belfast, Ireland, will also share tools and skills used by their youth.”

Also included is leadership training that spans areas from how to use social networks and the arts in community organizing to how to give effective speeches to presentations and workshops on the importance of diversity and acceptance, and the effects of privilege.

“We’ve scheduled field trips to Jackson, Holly Springs and Philadelphia, where students will learn about the murders of the civil rights workers and how the community has united over it,” Glisson said. “We’ll also be going to Greenwood, where the students will spend an afternoon involved in community service endeavors.”

Students are coming from Batesville, Indianola, Jackson, McComb, Oxford, Philadelphia, Southaven, Tupelo and West Point.

“At the end of the institute, the students will each present their proposals to partners of nonprofit organizations which might assist them in implementing their ideas once they return home,” Glisson said. “Winter Institute staff will visit the students to see how they’re doing and offer support. This fall, the students themselves will vote for the projects they think have made the most progress. A cash prize will go to the winner of the competition.”

Staff members at the institute anticipate that this year’s program will be a success.

“The students leave with plans of action for community improvement, empowered by the relationships they made with each other and ready not only to enact their plans but also to stay in touch with each other and with the institute and build a statewide network of active young leaders,” Long said.

For more information about the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, go to http://www.winterinstitute.org/ or call 662-915-6727.

Filed Under: Latest News, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

Former Governor Winter to Deliver Law Commencement Address

May 1, 2012 by tbarger

Former Gov. William Winter is the speaker for commencement ceremonies at the University of Mississippi School of Law, set for 11 a.m. May 12 in the Grove.

Winter, the state’s 58th governor, will address 175 law graduates.”If you have ever heard him speak, you’ll know why he was chosen as governor,” said Macey Edmonson, acting dean of student affairs at the law school. “He has been a leader in racial reconciliation and education in the state, and we know he’ll have profound words of encouragement and advice for our graduates.”

The ceremony follows the university’s main commencement, at 9 a.m. in the Grove with guest speaker U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. In the event of inclement weather, the law school graduation will be moved to 5 p.m. in the Indoor Practice Facility. A map of available commencement parking locations is available at http://law.olemiss.edu/img/pdfs/2012-commencement-map.pdf.

Professors E. Farish Percy, Larry Pittman and Robert Weems will perform the hooding of degree candidates.

A Grenada native, Winter is responsible for the passage of the Mississippi Education Reform Act, which helped pave the way for publicly funded primary education in Mississippi. He served in the Korean War and World War II, and he received a B.A. degree in 1943 and a LL.B. degree in 1949 from Ole Miss.

He has been a Jamie Whitten Professor of Law and Government at the law school, and he was editor of the Mississippi Law Journal.

The university’s William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, named in his honor, works to promote diversity and inclusiveness in communities.

For more information, contact Jenny Kate Luster at jkluster@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3424. For more information about William Winter, visit http://www.winterinstitute.org/pages/aboutus.html. For general information on Ole Miss commencement activities, go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/registrar/commencement.html.

Filed Under: William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

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