I'm Rodney Bennett. I'm president of the
University of Southern Mississippi, and I
want to thank each of you for joining us
as we honor an unsung hero, Mr. Clyde
Kennard.
Mr. Kennard had the courage to initiate
change so that all individuals
regardless of race, color, or creed could
receive an education no matter where
they happened to be. Before we begin this
morning's program, I'd like to recognize
the family and friends of 
Mr. Clyde
Kennard who are throughout the audience,
and each individual who supported
efforts to exonerate him. I would also
like to recognize Mr. Kennard's
brother-in-law, Mr. Willie Grant, who is seated here right in front
of the podium, and Mr. Grant is an 
aspirational young man to me. He is 90
years old and will be 91 in May, and just
for the record, because I know that
there are lots of recordings and
photographs being taken today, I intend
Aubrey Lucas to still be President of
the University of Southern Mississippi
at 91 years old and still presiding over
graduation and other related programs
just for the record. I'd also like to
thank the city of Hattiesburg, Mayor Toby
Barker, representatives from our federal
legislative delegation, and all other
local and state officials who are with
us this morning. I'd like to thank the
Mississippi Freedom Trail task force for
choosing the University of Southern
Mississippi as the location for its 26th
historical marker honoring Mr. Clyde
Kenner. We are proud to be a part of a
project that commemorates the people and
places in
Mississippi that played a pivotal role
in the American civil rights movement.
More than 60 years after Clyde Kennard
first stepped foot on campus, the
University of Southern Mississippi has
grown to become one of the most diverse
institutions of higher learning in our
state. Our student body represents 72
countries, all 50 states, and every corner
of Mississippi, and we are committed to
diversity and inclusion. We became who we
are today because of Mr. Kennard's courage, because of his perseverance, and because
of his sacrifice. I am proud that the
University of Southern Mississippi is
now home to this new marker — a symbol
that demonstrates the significance of
Clyde Kennard's efforts and serves as a
reminder of a time in our history. This
historical marker will stand firm in the
heart of our campus where all who pass
may see and learn the story of Clyde
Kennard, a man of bravery, a man of great
change. I now would like to invite Reverend
Wilbert Singleton Jr. of Mary Magdalene
Baptist Church to offer our invocation.
Following Reverend Singleton, Student
Government Association President,
Mr. Cameron Cloud, will provide a welcome.
Following Mr. Cloud, student leader
Brandon Routh will offer comments on the
occasion and read a poem written by Mr.
Clyde Kennard as the student group
Harlem performs. Following the
performance of Harlem,
dD. Sherita Johnson, associate professor
of English and director of USM Center
for Black Studies, will read excerpts
from Clyde Kennard's writings that were
published in the Hattiesburg American.
Student leader Lisa Bracken will then
introduce Mississippi Freedom Trail task
force chair Dr. Leslie Worrell McLemore
to preside over the marker unveiling, and
then finally, we will welcome Miss Vivian
Gore Deloach, a USM alumni, who was the
first recipient of a scholarship in
honor of Mr. Kennard who will share
comments, and then, I will return to the
podium for closing remarks. Please help
me welcome to the podium
Reverend Singleton.
First giving honor to God who is the
head of all of our lives and his son
Jesus the great head of the church. To
Dr. Bennett, dr. Holloway, and all that
makes up this great University, we first
say thank you. Now we offer prayer, and we
ask that if you have hats, would
please remove them just for a second?
Heads bowed. Lord God, we thank you
now for being God and being God all by
yourself. We thank you for your son Jesus
who gave us life and we would have life,
but most of all Lord God, we thank you
now this day for brother Kennard, Father,
who exemplified everything that you are,
Father. Who gave His life
unselfishly that we would be able, Father, to enjoy in the privileges that he didn't
have, Father, so we thank you right now
and we give praise and we give honor
that he lived the life that exemplified
you. So God we continue to give you the
praise because if it had not been for
you, Father, that lived on the inside of
him God, Father, where would we be? So
God we want to tell you thank
you for all that you've done for us and
everything that you will do for us. It's
in Christ Jesus name that we asked it all
and we continue to pray, and then let
everybody say Amen.
Good morning. On behalf of our entire
student body, I would like to welcome you
to the University of Southern
Mississippi and to Kennard-Washington
Hall.
We are happy to host you for the Clyde
Kennard Mississippi Freedom Trail marker
unveiling. In 1993, the University renamed
the building we stand in front of today
in honor of Mr. Kennard and Dr. Walter
Washington, the first African-American
student to receive a doctoral degree
from USM in former president of Alcorn
State University. Kennard-Washington Hall
houses important student services. As one
of the most historic structures on
campus, this prominent building is a
recognizable icon and an epicenter of
student activity. We are excited that the
new Mississippi Freedom Trail marker
honoring Clyde Kennard will be located
here next to the building named in his
honor
where so many of our current and future
students will have the opportunity to
learn about Mr. Kennard's legacy. I also
want to extend a special welcome to any
Kennard scholars who are here today. The
University established the Kennard
Scholars Program to continue the legacy
of Mr. Kennard and help students become
future graduates of this institution
offering a variety of resources that
include a mentor program, academic
enrichment, and civic engagement
activities. More than 40 students have
benefited from this program since it began. Again, welcome and we hope
that you enjoy your time on campus today.
Good morning. Today we're here to honor the
legacy of Clyde Kennard, a Forrest County
native.
Mr. Kennard was a pioneer in the quest to
desegregate higher education in
Mississippi, an endeavor that arose from
his own personal desire to achieve his
education which began at the University
of Chicago. During the
1950s, Mr. Kennard made several attempts
to enroll at Mississippi Southern College
now known as the University of
Southern Mississippi, but he was denied
entry by college, state, and local
officials.
But he persisted until
he was falsely accused and stand to
parchment now known as Mississippi State Penitentiary where he worked as a laborer and
taught reading to fellow inmates. While
at parchment, Mr. Kennard was diagnosed
with cancer, and there was not proper medical
attention until he became critically ill
and died at the early age of 36. On March
30, 2006 due to the efforts of local
petitioners and subsequent investigators
that revealed he had been framed, Mr.
Kennard was declared innocent of the crime
he allegedly committed. As we honor him
today,
we'll have an interpretive dance
presented by Harlem, a USM student group. As
they perform, I will recite "Ode to the Death
Angel," a poem Mr. Kennard 
wrote a year before his death. I now
invite you to turn your
attention towards the stage as the
dancers perform.
"Oh here you come again. Oh chilly death of ode
to plot out life and test immortal
soul. I saw you fall against the raging
sea. I cheated you then and now you'll not catch me.
I know your face. It's known in every race.
Your speed is fast and along the way
your shadow you cast. High in the sky you
thought you had me then. I landed safely
but here you are again. I see you paused
upon that forward pew.
When you think I'm asleep I'm 
watching you. Why must you hound me so
every where I go? It's true
my eyes are dim. My hands are growing
cold. Well, take me on then, that I might
at last become my soul.
Good morning. On this honorable occasion
I stand here because Clyde Kennard had
an earnest desire to complete his
education here at Mississippi
Southern College. Evidence of his
determination to do so can be found in a
series of letters that he wrote, and they
were published in the Hattiesburg
American. Each of these letters make a
clear case for integration and asks the
public to consider larger questions
about equality, justice, and a common
humanity. In his first letter, Clyde
Kennard proclaims an integrationist
creed saying, "what we request is only
that in all things competitive merit be
used as a measuring stick rather than
race. We believe that for men to work
together best they must be trained
together in their youth. Ee believe that
there is more to go into school than
listening to the teacher and reciting
lessons. In school, one learns to
appreciate and respect the abilities of
the other." In considering the obstacles
he faced in a segregated society, Kenard
later asked, "the big question seems to be
can we achieve this togetherness in our
time?" Steadfast in his belief in the
power of Education,
Kenard ultimately declares quote the end
product of an education is greater and a
more useful participation in the art of
living in a civilized society. If an
education does not help make out of
people more useful citizens to
themselves and to their community that
it has failed.
Kenard yet remain optimistic about the
future. In his closing letter, he
proclaims, "my love for the state of
Mississippi and my hope for its peaceful
prosperity is equal to any man's alive." May this historical marker make a
lasting impression on all who pause
before it to learn just a little bit
about Clyde Kennard, and may they be
inspired to secure his legacy in their
own pursuit of freedom, equality, and
achievements in higher education. Thank you.
Good morning. Dr. Leslie Berlin McLemore
is a professor emeritus of political
science at Jackson State University.
Throughout his tenor, he has served as
interim president at JSU and founding
director of the Fannie Lou Hamer
National Institute on citizenship and
democracy among others. A native of Vols,
Mississippi, he also serves on the city
city's Board of Aldermen as one of the
very first african-americans to be
elected to the board. Dr. McLemore
attended Rest College in Holly Springs,
Mississippi where he earned a Bachelor
of Arts in social science and economics
and now serves as an adviser to the
office of aluminide development. As a
student, he established the school's
chapter of the NAACP. He also
holds a Master of Arts in political
science from Atlanta University and a
doctoral degree in government from the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
As an activist, Dr. McLemore has been
associated with a southern civil rights
movement, the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee, and has worked as
a Northern Regional Coordinator for the
1963 freedom vote campaign. Because of
his past and current work, he is often
invited to speak to different groups and
organizations in Mississippi and across
the country. I believe I speak for our
University and the community of Hattiesburg
when saying we are absolutely honored
and grateful to have Dr. McLemore with
us today. Please join me in giving a warm
welcome to Dr. Leslie Berlin McLemore
chaired the Mississippi Freedom Trail
task force.
Good morning. This is a beautiful day in
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and y'all had to
be really optimistic to know that it was
going to be a day like today. The sun is
shining and it is as cold as hades. so this is
a special day. Let me start off by
thanking Maggie Stevenson.
Maggie where are you? From Vicksburg, Mississippi
the Mississippi Development Authority.
Maggie thank you and your staff for
working long hours over a long period of
time to to make this happen.
This has been a long time coming.
Let me also recognize any veterans of
the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement.
Raise your hands if you're here. Thank
you for being here. Let me also recognize
any Mississippi Freedom Summer workers.
Anybody who came down here in 1964 was a
part of Freedom Summer, and if you're
still here
thank you. Hands up.
You know there are some Freedom Summer
workers that came down in '64 and never
left.
Thank God they're still here. We wouldn't
be the state we are without their hard
work, and then let me also recognize Miss
Lakeisha Brian Hall former student
president of USM, the African-American
student organization who was involved in
initiating the petition to exonerate Mr.
Clyde Kennard. Where are you sister? Where
are you? She's way in the back. The
tall lady. Okay and let me also thank
all of those who worked very hard to
advance civil rights in our community,
our state, and our country. All of us so
let's give all of our participants let's
give ourselves a rousing round of
applause. You know I had prepared a long
talk quite frankly but I didn't have any
idea it was going to be this cold, and I
didn't have any idea you gonna be
standing so if you are in my generation
my legs my knees will not take but so
much standing. I'm gonna make this
very very quick. I have thought about
what I wanted to say and at my age I
forget part of it so I didn't write it
down, so y'all are in great luck but I do
want to acknowledge the fact that
President Robert Lucas is here at least he
was here.
There he is over there. I've never seen
him without a bowtie on so he has his
bowtie on. I am of the mind
that it is so important that USM is
having this ceremony today, and as a
native Mississippian, I recognize how far
we have come. I recognized also how far
we have to go as a people and a state,
and I want to say to president Bennett
and his staff that this is a step in the
right direction. What happened to Clyde
Kennard is something that should not
have happened to any human being ever.
This is a black mark on the face of our
state, and it says something about the
time the period but on the other hand
what happened to Mr. Kennard is by far
one of the saddest chapters in the
Mississippi narrative. We will live with
this for the rest of our lives, and we
are institutionalizing what happened to
Clyde Kennard at USM which is heroic
in one sense, but it says to us that
never ever again should this happen to
anybody.
A brilliant young man who only wanted to
acquire an education at his hometown
college at the time his hometown
University and it was denied, and I don't
need to remind us what it
took to get James Meredith into the
University of Mississippi and I don't
need to remind you what happened to get
the students admitted to Central High
in Little Rock. But what happened to Clyde Kennard is something that we will
have to atone for the rest of our lives
because he didn't deserve what happened
to him.
So again as chair of the Freedom Trail
task force,
I congratulate USM, I congratulate the
leadership, but I am saying today that we
see this as a step in the right
direction.
But there are many more steps that we
need to take. I am delighted that I stand
on the steps of the Kennard Washington
building. I'm delighted that there have
been more than 40 Kennard scholars at
USM. I'm delighted to hear that ,but I ask
you what else should we do
to ensure the legacy of Clyde Kennard?
What else should we do individually and
collectively? What else should we do? So
McLemore you raised that question so
what are you going to do? For the month
of February, I am going to
every black history talk I give and I'm
slated to give several black history
talks. Paid and non-paid, and I've decided
that I'm going to talk about the legacy
and life of Clyde Kennard. That's what
I'm going to do.
So if you have the occasion to give a
black history speech this month or next
month or the month after, let us decide
collectively as a group but individually
that we will bring up the name of Clyde Kennard.
How many ministers do we have
here today? Let me see the hands are all
the ministers? Okay so Sunday, this Sunday
what you should consider doing is
devoting a part of your text to the life
and legacy of Clyde Kennard. I've met
pastor Davis here who's taking
pictures down in the front. All of you
ministers, evangelists, even the deacons
and the stewards, if you have the
occasion to talk this Sunday from the
pulpit talk about Clyde Kennard. And then
I see on the program they've arranged
for president Bennett to be the last
speaker, so he's going to have an
opportunity to respond to my comments.
I think they designed it that way to
make sure that he could respond to my
comments, so let me start with what you
USM should consider doing. This is a step,
this is only a step in the right
direction,
but why not every person who comes to
USM as a part of freshman studies that
the Clyde Kennard story should be a part
of that conversation, should be a part of
the curriculum. You should not be able to
graduate from USM without knowing
something about Clyde Kennard. Now that
deserves a larger hand than that. and
that's the starting point and president
Bennett why not have and raise money and
get Aubrey Lucas to head up the
fundraising drive?
Why not endow a chair in the name of
Clyde Kennard at USM an endowed chair,
and then why not, because we have a study
center for Black Studies here at USM,
why not we have a center dealing with
the issues of social justice and name
that Center in honor of Clyde Kennard so
the Clyde could not Center on social
justice ought to be at USM and that
deserves a hand too.
So what I'm saying is that the Clyde
Kennard story should be an integral part
of the DNA at USM because he paid a
price that none of us should have to pay,
and we cannot do enough this day or
tomorrow to erase what was done to that
young man. So collectively we all should
remember and let our students know about
the history and legacy of this
outstanding young man. So on this day in
February, long live the legacy in the
life and the good work of brother Clyde
Kennard. Thank you very much.
So we're going to walk down for the
unveiling and I guess I'm going to be
accompanied by two or three people, and
after we do the unveiling, there will be
further remarks but please read the
narrative. Now make sure that you listen
to the next two speakers too, but we're
going to do this very quickly and you
can take lots and lots of pictures and
do slideshows at the church on Sunday.
Good morning. My name is Vivian Gorgaloach, and I was a student of political
science and received my degree, my
bachelor's degree, in political science
in 1974. It's an honor to participate in
recognizing Mr. Clyde Kennard for his
efforts and his sacrifices. I was four
years old when Mr. Kennard first tried to
enroll in the University of Southern
Mississippi and 11 when he passed away. I
didn't know anything about him at that
time, but I have come to learn more about
his life. I grew up during the '60s, during
the turbulent times of the '60s. I marched
with Martin Luther King and remember
quite well the Freedom Summer.
During my time at the University of
Southern Mississippi, I was actively
involved in the African-American
Cultural Society and the Student
Government Association. That organization
was pivotal and we promoted
efforts towards better race relations,
cultural recognition, social justice, and
voter participation. I was a recipient of
the Clyde Kennard scholarship during
that time, and I've been told I was the
first to receive that award. I wanted to
thank the Mississippi Freedom Trail task
force for continuing Mr. Kennard's legacy
and the University of Southern
Mississippi, and I wanted to leave
lasting words that have meant a lot to
me. Words from Reverend Theodore Parker
and it's late Dr. Martin
Luther King. "The arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends towards
justice."
Dr. McLemore ,your challenge and
comments to the University have been
noted. Dr. Lucas, you have a new
assignment. we'll meet in the Lucas
administration building after lunch
today sir. In closing, I'd like to thank
the Clyde Kennard Freedom Trail marker
unveiling planning committee for their
hard work to make today possible. I'd
also like to acknowledge our students,
our faculty, and our staff volunteers who
have been involved in making this day a
success, but I would especially like to
thank Dr. Chris Crenshaw and Loren
Erickson and the University of Southern
Mississippi
physical plant and grounds crew who did
yeoman's work to prepare for today. We
could not have done what we were able to
do today without our physical plant and
our grounds crew employees, and I
appreciate them. I also deeply appreciate
Chief Hopkins and our University Police
Department for helping us to
logistically have class today, but also
welcome each of you to the University of
Southern Mississippi. It has been my
pleasure and the pleasure of the
University of Southern Mississippi to
host each of you on our campus to honor
Mr. Clyde Kennard. Thank you all for
joining us this morning and we are
dismissed.
