Former Gov. William Winter says Mississippi needs to make more progress in public education and race relations. Winter, who delivered a special lecture at Jackson State University on Thursday, April 24, said he’s proud of the progress Mississippi has made over the last several decades, but he still sees “vestiges” of the Jim Crow society that once choked the state.
“I believe Mississippi may have come further than any other state, but we still have a long way to go. That’s the message that I will leave with your students here at JSU today. They have the opportunity to really enable this state to provide the quality of life that everybody is deserving of,” Winter said.
The lecture was sponsored by the College of Public Service. Curtina Moreland-Young, Ph.D., professor emerita, Public Policy and Administration, moderated a panel discussion following the lecture.
Winter said the elimination of Jim Crow, a rigid set of laws and practices that relegated black Americans to second-class status, and the increased recognition of public education are among the achievements that have had the most impact on Mississippi since 1948.
“We owe it to the next generation of young Americans to see that systetm of education is strengthened in every way possible. That surge of support for education isn’t as strong as it was several years ago. We cannot afford to get left behind anymore,” Winter said.
Winter served as Mississippi’s governor from 1980 to 1984. His term as governor has been nationally recognized for the groundbreaking passage of education reform legislation. He was instrumental in the founding of the William Winter Institute of Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi.
Prior to serving as governor, Winter had been elected to the offices of state representative, state tax collector, state treasurer and lietuenant governor. He has served as chairman of numerous boards, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, the National Civic League and the Foundation of the Mid South. He also was a member of President Clinton’s National Advisory Board on Race.
The panel discussion participants were Rhonda Cooper, Esq., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Political Science; Portia Espy, chief administrative officer of the Children’s Defense Fund; Mukesh Kumar, Ph.D., interim chair, Urban and Regional Planning; Donna Ladd, editor of the Jackson Free Press, and Sylvester Murray, Ph.D., visiting professor, Public Policy and Administration.
Dr. Otha Burton, director of JSU’s Institute of Government, said Winter shared valuable knowledge with the JSU community.
“He’s had a powerful influence on generations of leadership in Mississippi,” Burton said. “All those he touched years ago are now touching others to take up the torch. We should groom the next generation of leaders.”