JXN // legacy TRIP BURNS
For Her People // by Mike McDonald
L
ike so many African Americans before and after World War II, Margaret Walker Alexander traveled across America for better opportunities. Still, her early years in Louisiana and Alabama shaped her writing, including the poem “For My People,� which won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition in 1942. Walker was the first African American woman to win a national writing award. She often wrote about the struggles of African Americans, including in her book “Jubilee,� which responded to nostalgic fiction about the Reconstruction-era South. If Alexander were alive today, she would celebrate her 100th birthday this year. The Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University is celebrating for her with events at locations across the state. “We want to celebrate her legacy as a scholar, writer, educator (and) mentor, and increase awareness of her contributions to a state, national and even international level,� Angela Stewart, the center’s archivist, says.
Leading the Youth // by Julie Skipper
IWHU VWXG\LQJ LQ WKH *OREDO /HDGHUVKLS ,QVWLWXWH DW -DFNVRQ 3UHSDUDWRU\ 6FKRRO &DUD /HH &UDZIRUG DQG $QQD *UDFH %XFKDQDQ RUJDQL]HG 3RXQGLQJ WKH 3DYHPHQW IRU D &XUH LQ 7KH QRZ DQQXDO HYHQW UDLVHG IRU FDQFHU UHVHDUFK DW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0LVVLVVLSSL 0HGLFDO &HQWHU WKDW \HDU ³,WœV VXFK DQ H[DPSOH RI ZKDW SHRSOH ZLWK D SDVVLRQDWH KHDUW FDQ GR ZKHQ WKH\ OHDUQ KRZ WR OHDG LQ VHUYLFH ´ WKH GLUHFWRU RI WKH SURJUDP &LQG\ 7RZQVHQG VD\V 7RZQVHQG IRXQG KHU FDOOLQJ LQ FUHDWLQJ OHDGHUV $IWHU REWDLQLQJ D EDFKHORUœV GHJUHH LQ DUW DQG D PDVWHUœV GHJUHH LQ HGXFDWLRQ IURP 0LVVLVVLSSL &ROOHJH VKH EHJDQ KHU GRFWRUDO VWXGLHV LQ OHDGHUVKLS ,Q VKH VWDUWHG WKH *OREDO /HDGHUVKLS ,QVWLWXWH ZKLFK DIIHFWV VWXGHQWV WKURXJK FODVVURRP
14
Jackson State University will honor Margaret Walker Alexander’s 100th birthday with a series of events from March through July.
LQVWUXFWLRQ IRUXPV PHQWRUVKLS DQG UHDO ZRUOG H[SHULHQFHV 2QH H\H RSHQLQJ DVSHFW RI WKH SURJUDP LV WKH DQQXDO *OREDO /HDGHUVKLS 6XPPLW /DVW \HDU D JURXS WUDYHOHG WR 6KDQJKDL &KLQD ZKHUH VWXGHQWV IURP GLIIHUHQW
FRXQWULHV FROODERUDWHG RQ LGHDV WR HQKDQFH WKH ZRUOG HFRQRP\ ³,W RSHQHG WKHLU H\HV DQG KHOSHG WKHP VHH KRZ WKH\ FDQ PDNH WKH ZRUOG EHWWHU ´ 7RZQVHQG VD\V )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ YLVLW MDFNVRQSUHS QHW
TRIP BURNS
A
Events include the Oxford Conference for the Book, March 25-27 in Oxford, Miss.; JSU’s 9th annual Creative Arts Festival, April 10-11, titled “This is My Century: The Life & Legacy of Margaret Walker�; and “Black Arts Movement,� a photography exhibit featuring works by Doris Derby from April 23 through the summer. “Reflecting in the 21st century on Margaret Walker (Alexander), we should recognize her belief in self-pride, promotion of the free individual who challenges events intellectually, as well as a ... reexamination of racial and gender identity,� Stewart says. “She aimed for a bettering of worlds through education, and I hope these events can honor and continue her mission and passion.� For more information about Margaret Walker Alexander and the events honoring her legacy, visit jsums.edu, call 601.979.3935, or visit the Margaret Walker Center office in Ayer Hall on the Jackson State campus. The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The Global Leadership Institute at Jackson Preparatory School helps turn students into servant leaders.
March - April 2015 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine
7HAT )S 3ERVANT ,EADERSHIP
5REHUW . *UHHQOHDI FRLQHG WKH SKUDVH ³VHUYDQW OHDGHUVKLS´ LQ KLV HVVD\ ³7KH 6HUYDQW DV /HDGHU ´ 2Q KLV ZHEVLWH *UHHQOHDI RUJ KH H[SODLQV WKH FRQFHSW ³$ VHUYDQW OHDGHU IRFXVHV SUL PDULO\ RQ WKH JURZWK DQG ZHOO EHLQJ RI SHRSOH DQG WKH FRPPXQLWLHV WR ZKLFK WKH\ EHORQJ ª 7KH VHUYDQW OHDGHU VKDUHV SRZHU SXWV WKH QHHGV RI RWK HUV ¿UVW DQG KHOSV SHRSOH GHYHORS DQG SHUIRUP DV KLJKO\ DV SRVVLEOH ´ +HUHœV ZKDW D VHUYDQW OHDGHU GRHV IURP KLV OLVW IURP EXWOHU HG ‡ /LVWHQLQJ LQWHQWO\ DQG UHFHSWLYHO\ ‡ (PSDWK\ IRU RWKHUV ‡ +HDOLQJ RI RQHVHOI DQG RWKHUV ‡ $ZDUHQHVV RI RQHVHOI DQG RWKHUV ‡ 3HUVXDVLRQ DQG FRQVHQVXV EXLOGLQJ RYHU ZLHOGLQJ DXWKRULW\ ‡ &RQFHSWXDOL]LQJ JUHDW GUHDPV ‡ )RUHVLJKW DQG LQWXLWLRQ OHDUQLQJ IURP SDVW IDFLQJ UHDOLW\ DQG FRQVLGHULQJ FRQVHTXHQFHV RI GHFLVLRQV ‡ 6WHZDUGVKLS ‡ &RPPLWPHQW WR WKH SHUVRQDO SURIHV VLRQDO DQG VSLULWXDO JURZWK RI DOO ‡ %XLOGLQJ FRPPXQLW\ RXWVLGH WKH RU JDQL]DWLRQ boomjackson.com