Sounding remarkably like a Baptist preacher, Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP, returned to his alma mater delivering a rousing message about social involvement. He described the Class of 2015 as the “Class of Now” during Jackson State University’s Undergraduate Commencement Exercises at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
While reflecting on events that have made national headlines such as the deaths of Frederick Gray, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, Brooks said, “This is an extraordinary moment. This is an extraordinary time. This class arrives at a powerful moment in history – uncomfortably situated between the past and present.”
Brooks, a Yale-educated lawyer whose background also includes seminary school at Boston University, paraphrased Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., saying, “If a man has not found anything for which to die, he is not fit to live.”
Brooks recounted his circuitous route to Jackson State.
As a high school senior, he received a number of letters from colleges all over the United States, including several Ivy League schools. He remembered receiving a special letter from Jackson State University at his home in Georgetown, S.C. Describing himself as not being a very well-informed high school senior, he said he told his dad, “There is a school in Mississippi offering me a scholarship located on Lynch Street.”
Brooks threw the letter in the trash.
Later, however, Brooks said he received another letter from JSU telling him to show up in the fall and bring some particular items when reporting to school.
He said when he asked his dad why they were still writing. His father said, “Boy, when I saw that letter in the trashcan I forged your signature and sent it in. He added, ‘Son, never throw away money.’ ” Brooks said the rest was history and credits JSU for playing a pivotal role in his life. “The moral of the story is that I believe you should go to a Historically Black College. It will benefit you; it will shore you up.”
Under brilliant skies with mild temperatures, Jackson State University President Carolyn W. Meyers conferred degrees on more than 700 undergraduates, the largest graduating class in the university’s history. Another first was the graduation of 20 students from JSUOnline, the university’s digital degree program.
Citing American poet John Donne, Meyers urged graduates to be appreciative of their supporters. “No man or woman is an island. You arrived at this day not only through your efforts but also those of your family, your friends, your mentors, and most especially, the fine faculty and staff who make this university a great one.”
Furthermore, she said, “Commencement means a beginning. All of us are looking forward to seeing the difference you will make in this world as you work in your communities to make this planet better than it is today.”
Also during the ceremony, Meyers presented presidential medals to the honorable Phyliss J. Anderson, Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. In 2011, she became the first woman chief in its history. Meyers also presented a presidential medal to the honorable Angela Cockerham, a JSU alum and member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, District 96. Cockerham initiated legislation to award JSU $7 million for the expansion of its engineering school, among other notable achievements.
On Friday, May 1, graduate degrees were awarded to 352 students in ceremonies in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. Dr. Ricardo Brown, dean of the College of Public Service, delivered the commencement address.