Former Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour will speak at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at the Jackson State University Student Center.
Part of the Mike Espy Scholars-in-Residence Series, Barbour will address “The Need for a Two-party Political System in Mississippi,” according to Dr. Otha Burton, director of the JSU Institute of Government, sponsoring the event.
“While he is rightly viewed by many as a prominent national figure in the Republican Party, he is also recognized by many on both sides of the political spectrum as one who finds middle ground in those things that matter – a recent example was his muscle to both fund and locate the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson,” said Burton.
Barbour — a former Republican National Committee chairman and the GOP’s top K-street lobbyist — served two terms as governor, including a two-year stint as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
He returned to private practice after office, joining the law firm Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, in Ridgeland, where he focuses on economic development and related matters.
A native of Yazoo City, Barbour attended the University of Mississippi, where he received his law degree in 1973. Barbour resides in Yazoo City with his wife Marsha. They have two sons, Sterling and Reeves, and five grandchildren.
Barbour will speak for 45 minutes, said Christine Nielsen of the Institute of Government, and be followed by questioning by moderator Rickey Hill, chair, Department of Political Science, and five students: Kiyah Burt, Daysha Brown, Isaiah Brydie, Jordan Carter and Jauan Knight.
The event is free and open to the public.
Parking for visitors will be available at the Walter Payton/College of Business parking lot, said Lt. Janet Samuel of the JSU Department of Public Safety.
“Historians, political party affiliates, and indeed the general public are well aware of Mississippi’s experience with the shameful and oftentimes hurtful political party agendas and propaganda. This has been along racial lines and regional positions. Party labels often were blurred as the basic outcome by those in power rendered the same message to conquer and suppress the opponent. Gov. Barbour’s discussion on the need for a two-party political system is therefore welcomed and timely given his knowledge and political experience. The 21st century political culture in Mississippi is interested in his presentation,” Burton said.
Barbour spoke during a previous Mike Espy Series event in February, holding a large audience spellbound as he recounted the days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the state a decade ago while he was governor. He has written a book on it, slated for release in August, timed to the 10th anniversary of the disaster.
In October, former Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark on “The Dangers of Polarization in American Politics.”
The series began in spring 2014, Burton said, when former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy gave a presentation. Afterward, JSU President Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers named the series in honor of him and his career in public service.
Barbour’s lecture will be accepted as a paper, as have the others, that will become part of the archives of the government institute and will be uploaded to the JSU website for public viewing.
The Espy symposiums provide the general public and university communities with in-depth research topics, seminars on current public policy issues, or forums on executive and legislative roles and problem-solving solutions.
For more information about the lecture, contact Nielsen
christine.m.nielsen@jsums.edu (601) 979-2339 or Burton, otha.burton@jsums.edu at the JSU Institute of Government.
To view previous Espy Scholar Series remarks, see the institute’s web page: https://www.jsums.edu/instituteofgovernment/the-mike-espy-scholars-in-residence-series/