‘A Sight to Behold’: You Can Dance Now, John Lewis
I first met John Lewis in 1966 at the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) office in Atlanta. I last saw him dancing two years ago in Tunica, Miss.
I first met John Lewis in 1966 at the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) office in Atlanta. I last saw him dancing two years ago in Tunica, Miss.
The Confederate soldier could get the last laugh in his new home at the University of Mississippi. Under UM’s Master Plan, he could be adjacent to a new Tad Smith Mall, with the statue’s walkway feeding into what is slated to be called the “New Grove.”
That Confederate emblem that haunted my childhood represented a heritage that brutalized, castrated, lynched and systematically oppressed the rights of my ancestors.
Despite death threats, Tiffon Moore is pushing to move the Confederate statue in front of the Neshoba County Courthouse. Her cousin Malek and her mother Tiffany, all descended from slaves, are helping.
University of Mississippi alumnus and long-time donor Jim Barksdale reached out to the Mississippi Free Press Friday, July 10, to clarify his involvement in fundraising efforts for the Confederate monument relocation and controversial cemetery-enhancement vision one critic called a “CSA statuary.”
A trail of documents and emails shows how a plan to relocate the University of Mississippi’s rebel-soldier statue turned into an enhanced Confederate cemetery some call a “shrine.” But it didn’t happen overnight. The MFP’s investigation unpacks several years of machinations and strategy and lifts the curtain on how it happened.
Growing up, I had heard about Mississippi. I saw the Confederate battle emblem displayed above and inside the government buildings on arrival.
In Mississippi, there were a host of Juneteenth celebrations happening. It was a time of healing, self-care and a deviation from the chaotic social climate.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed “a law to turn a page in Mississippi today,” as he put his signature on legislation that will retire the state’s Confederate-themed flag. With legislative officials and African American leaders surrounding him, the Republican governor said that recent events have changed his mind about what the State of Mississippi should do about the long-controversial symbol.
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