By Anthony Howard and William H. Kelly III
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The 2026 celebrations honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., were held at Jackson State University (JSU) on Friday, Jan. 16. The events, led by JSU’s Margaret Walker Center, included the 58th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Convocation and the 31st Annual For My People Awards.
Daphne Chamberlain, Ph.D., chief program officer at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, served as the convocation keynote speaker, echoing the words of Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, who was with King when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
“Trailblazers don’t often live to walk the trails they blazed,” Chamberlain said, recalling moments with civil rights veterans throughout her career, including Kyles. “Some, but not all, had their stories cemented in history books with scholarly works. Some but not all have captivated audiences with their lived experiences.”
In January 1969, Margaret Walker Alexander began the MLK Convocation at Jackson State to honor King just nine months after his assassination, making it one of the nation’s oldest celebrations of his life.
Chamberlain’s closing remarks encouraged the audience, especially students, to remain awake, active, present and engaged through social change, referencing King’s ‘Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,’ sermon from 1968.
“Young people, don’t be around here sleepwalking, and if you are aware of what’s going on in the world, and there is a lot going on in the world, don’t be easily distracted and don’t be disconnected. There is hope in this moment today,” she said.
Chamberlain’s words challenged the audience to not only preserve history but to remain a part of it.
Immediately following the convocation, the Margaret Walker Center held the 31st annual “For My People” Awards program. Honorees included three influential women committed to the interpretation, dissemination and preservation of African American history and culture, along with the Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC).
Community activist and retired legislator Alyce Clarke, the first Black woman elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives, received a “For My People” Award. Clarke represented the West Jackson community, which includes JSU, for 39 years. The trailblazer served on the House Ethics, Education, Public Health, PERS, Universities and Colleges and other committees. Her legislation established MS drug courts and most recently the state lottery.
In 2024, Clarke became the first woman and African American to have an official portrait on display in the Mississippi State Capitol.
The MHC, founded in 1972 by a group of higher education leaders, also received a “For My People” Award. The council has distributed millions of dollars in grants to museums, libraries, colleges and community organizations.
One of the first grants it ever awarded was to Jackson State and Margaret Walker Alexander for the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival in 1973.
“For many years, I’ve been in the audience for this luncheon watching an incredible, legendary array of people that we call the heroes and ‘sheroes’ of our community receive this prestigious award,” said Stuart Rockoff, Ph.D., executive director of the MHC. “It is humbling to be able to represent the MHC as we receive our own ‘For My People’ Award.”
Rockoff continued his remarks, acknowledging the council’s long-standing partnership with the university and highlighting its value. Several JSU professors have served on the MHC board, including President Emeritus Dr. John A. Peoples, Jr.
Chamberlain, who served as the year’s convocation speaker, and Representative Zakiya Summers received the Doris Derby Legacy award. The award, named after the late Dr. Doris Derby, is awarded to a descendant of activist(s) who worked in the various social justice movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
Chamberlain was instrumental in bringing JSU’s historic COFO project to fruition. During the luncheon, she reminisced about the Lynch Street project and how it laid the foundation for the work she is currently doing with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. The Jackson native is the daughter of long-time JSU educator Dr. Jean Chamberlain and was also a research fellow for JSU’s Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship & Democracy.
Rep. Summers is currently serving her second term as a Mississippi State Representative for House District 68, which covers portions of West Jackson, Flowood, Pearl and Richland. Before serving as a legislator, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors appointed her to the Election Commission for District 3 in 2015. She was elected to the position in 2016.
A proud West Jackson native and current resident, Summers is the president of the Jayne Avenue Neighborhood Association and remains active in the community she says “made her.”
“This award is not for me. This is for you, because the work that I do is for you,” said Summers. “When Dr. Luckett told me I was receiving this award, I cried. I could not believe someone like me would be recognized with all these giants who received this award.”
Media Contact: William H. Kelly III, william.h.kelly@jsums.edu