By Anthony Howard
The Jackson State University 56th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Convocation was held in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium on January 19, 2024. Despite the cold weather, attendees braved the elements to unite for one of the nation’s oldest celebrations of King’s life.
During his welcome remarks, JSU President Marcus Thompson, Ph.D., highlighted the importance of service and a quality education.
“Dr. King’s life and death personifies what walking in our purpose looks like. His activism is a symbol of hope and inspiration. I encourage all of you to find a way to use your talents to serve others as well,” he said.
Professor emeritus Leslie-Burl McLemore, Ph.D., served as keynote and spoke to the audience about leadership. The Rust College graduate began his address by quoting Charles Dickens’s “Tale of Two Cities” before addressing the contradictions he noticed in society.
“Living with the contradictions that we live with every day, the contradictions in Mississippi, the contradictions in America, the contradictions where we live in a country where people are trying to turn back the hands of time,” he stated.
McLemore quoted statistics stating that Mississippi now has more Black middle-class families than in previous years while simultaneously having the highest number of poor people. He continued by saying how the state is 40% African American but does not have any Black statewide elected officials.
“We did better during reconstruction,” said McLemore, who founded the student chapter of the NAACP at his alma mater. “Martin Luther King would ask what progress we have made in 2024. Dickens talked about the contradictions then, and we’re living with the contradictions now.”
A Southern Civil Rights Movement veteran, McLemore, wrote his speech with JSU’s freshmen class in mind. He said he knew they could be inspired and would be the next leaders to change the world.
“You are in a special institution. You’re in a special city. You’re in the best location to study in the state of Mississippi. You are in the center of education, government, culture, arts, and humanities. Take advantage of where you are and learn as much as you can because you will be called upon to lead the world,” McLemore said.
He then spoke about the two types of leaders: transactional and transformational. He identified himself as a transformational leader who aimed to inspire followers to achieve ambitious goals. He explained how he was class president in high school and class president every year at Rust College until his graduation.
“In high school, I led a boycott of classes because we had too many faculty advisors on the student council and no negro history books in the library, and we didn’t like the food in the cafeteria,” McLemore recalled.
While serving as president of the Rust College student government association, McLemore led two boycotts because of the campus’s lack of Ph.D. faculty members. He stated that his leadership abilities originated in the Walls Chapel CME Church in Walls, Mississippi.
“That’s where I learned to give my first Children’s Day speech, Easter speech, Mother’s Day speech, Father’s Day speech, and any speech they were calling for because my grandmother insisted I give a speech, although I had a stutter,” he shared.
McLemore told the audience that young people are needed to help protect the right to vote. He shared how he played a role in forming Freedom Summer in 1964 and fighting for democracy at the age of 23.
He concluded his speech by expressing to the students that leaders are made at Jackson State University. McLemore urged the students to raise questions about issues that impact them, such as the city’s water pressure and the condition of the streets.
“Don’t simply accept anything at face value because you’re being taught by some of the best minds in the world. Take advantage of where you are,” he emphasized.
Following McLemore’s speech, Robert Luckett, Ph.D., director of the Margaret Walker Center at JSU, expressed his gratitude toward McLemore for his historic contributions to the university and the Civil Rights Movement.
“I’m so deeply grateful, personally and professionally, for your legacy here at Jackson State, in the city of Jackson, across our state, and throughout the nation,” said Luckett. “Your passion, integrity, and intellect are matched only by your commitment to this community. It’s an example I aspire to replicate every day.”
Following the MLK Birthday Convocation, McLemore and his son, Leslie B. McLemore II, Esq., were honored during the 29th Annual “For My People” Awards. The awards are presented to honorees for their commitment to interpreting, disseminating, and preserving African American history and culture.
“This is one of the highlights of my life. This is a special honor because I’m being recognized with my son, Leslie II,” said McLemore. “This is special because Jackson State is special.”
Leslie McLemore II is an attorney and activist who expressed gratitude to his parents for influencing him to continue furthering his education. He developed a passion for writing, and his work has been featured in numerous publications, including Black With No Chaser, Jackson Free Press, Mississippi Free Press, Blavity, and the Offing.
“It means everything to be honored with my dad. For the longest time, I’m always introducing my dad. To be honored with him is something new that I will never forget,” said Leslie McLemore II. “This is a very humbling occasion and one of the best days of my life.”
The father and son join a long list of honorees, including James Meredith, Reena Evers-Everette, and Congressman Bennie Thompson.
