The Hamer Institute at Jackson State University presents the second installment of the 2013-2014 Medgar Evers/Ella Baker Civil Rights Lecture Series, Aaron Henry and the Mississippi Project Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Fannie Lou Hamer Institue @ COFO, 1017 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson.
A central figure in the Mississippi Freedom Struggle from the 1950s, Aaron Henry was a civil rights icon, community leader, business man and State Legislator. In 1959, he was elected State President of the NAACP, a position he held for 36 years. In 1962, Henry was one of the founders of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), which was established to serve as the coordinating unit for the major civil rights organizations in Mississippi.
Henry was by far one of the most ecumenical of the major civil rights leaders in Mississippi. He was chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City in 1964. Henry, along with Fannie Lou Hamer and others, testified before the Credentials Committee of the National Convention.
This discussion will explore how this outspoken leader helped create the challenge that changed the fabric of Mississippi history and American democracy. Special guests include: Derrick Johnson, President, Mississippi NAACP State Conference; the Rev. Ed King, MFDP National Committee and Freedom Vote Candidate; Dr. K.C. Morrison, Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and Senior Associate in African American Studies at Mississippi State University; and more.
For information, call 601-979-1562 or 601-979-4348.