By Siarra Bennett
Jackson State University hosted its annual Founder’s Day Convocation celebrating 147 years of legacy and enduring spirit on Thursday, Oct. 24. Many Students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered on the Administrative Tower Lawn to reflect on the past and look toward the future.
The National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was performed by Kaytie Jeffries, followed by the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” fostering a spirit of unity and resilience among attendees. Dr. Glake Hill delivered the invocation, guiding the audience in a reflective moment of gratitude and hope.The program featured a warm welcome from the 2024-2025 Miss Jackson State University Anealia Ryant and greetings from JSU Student Government Association President Caleab Pickens.
JSU President Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D. welcomed attendees to the convocation and expressed unwavering gratitude to administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their dedication to success and commitment to elevating the university.
The event marked the first Founders’ Day Convocation for Thompson who will celebrate his one-year anniversary as president on Nov. 27.
He closed his salutations by saying, “As we celebrate our Founders’ Day, we honor those who came before us. The pioneers who laid the foundation for the strong institution we are today. We also look forward, confident in our path and ready to embrace new challenges. [We are] positioned to elevate and committed to make a difference in the lives of our students and our community.”
The university choir, under the direction of Harry Mathurin-Cecil, DMA performed a rendition of “We Shall Overcome,” arranged by Robert T. Gibson, inspiring attendees with its message of perseverance.
Keynote speaker John Henry William Jr., D. Min, a seminary instructor at Selma University and the Ministry Training Program at Samford University, delivered a powerful Founders’ Day address, reflecting on the values and principles that shape Jackson State University.
“As long as the issues and urgencies which produced the founders exist, for that long and even longer. Until those factors no longer raise their destructive heads in continuing cycles of time, so long as these threats continue to shadow the community that was envisioned by the founders, there will be a desperate need for finders and founders. They were the founders, students of Jackson State University, today, you must become refounders,” he said.
Williams, a respected figure in Black church history and organizational leadership, is the author of several noted works, having earned multiple degrees, including a Bachelor’s and Master of Art in history from Jackson State.
During his address, Williams emphasized the roots and foundation that has made JSU the academic institution it is today, noting that students must always remember the pain of those that have come before them. He went on to reflect on past and present heroes and his time at JSU.
In closing, Williams left attendees with inspiration to become the next generation of founders, when he said, “Overlooked, over recognised, under respected, this field had gone unnoticed. This man went home and invested wisely, 147 years ago. This was just a field, a field that was forced upon us…but somebody stumbled upon this land and that man’s name was Henry P. Jacob. “
Symbolizing the university’s rich history and its ongoing journey toward a brighter future, the event concluded with the Centennial Bell Ringing led by one of JSU’s longest serving professors Hilliard Lackey III, Ph.D., associate professor of Urban Higher Education.
