In celebration of Black History Month and the strong partnership with Jackson Public Schools and the City of Jackson, Jackson State University presented 1,700 copies of a special publication “Reflections From Our Students” to JPS superintendent Cedric Gray, members of the Board of Trustees and a standing-room only audience.
“We are so delighted to join with Jackson Public Schools in this and other partnerships, and we know if our public schools are strong in preparing our students for the next level of their education then our colleges and universities are stronger as we prepare students for a more diverse and global citizenry,” said Dr. Evelyn J. Leggette, JSU provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. She and Dr. Otha Burton, executive director of the JSU Institute of Government (IOG), presented the booklets at the JPS school board meeting Feb. 16. All JPS high school seniors will receive a copy of the booklet, which showcases their writing, analytical, critical-thinking and research skills.
The publication includes essays written by high school seniors through their economics and U.S. government classes. The students were challenged to provide opinions of the 1985 and 1997 Jackson municipal elections. Furthermore, they were asked to give particular regard to the significance of the elections and to consider the relevance of the voting to moving Jackson forward as a progressive city in the 21st century.
The assignment was the brainchild of Burton’s department, which sponsored a forum titled Milestones in Democracy: Thirty Years of a More Representative Government at the Jackson Convention Complex on Oct. 29. Several key figures shared their experiences as “firsts” when the more-representative form of government was implemented in Jackson.