Taylor Bembery
Associate Editor
The 2nd Annual “Black History Makers” forum took place at Jackson State University on Feb. 20 in the Dollye M.E. Robinson Liberal Arts Building. The keynote speaker was seasoned journalist and author, Charles E. Cobb, Jr.
Cobb is a former member of National Geographic Magazine’s editorial staff and one of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalism (NABJ). He is currently senior writer and diplomatic correspondent for AllAfrica.com, the leading online provider of news from and about Africa.
His latest book, “On The Road to Freedom, a Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail,” was published in January 2008. On July 24, 2008 the NABJ honored Cobb’s work by inducting him into their Hall of Fame.
The book operates on two levels. The first level is a straightforward travel guide.
“If you’re interested in the civil rights movement and want to learn more about it. Where should you go? What are the important places of the movement? My book has 400 places to travel to,” said Cobb.
The other dimension of the book is that it gives the back-story of the places that people would not think are significant.
“There are many places more than just geography. It’s the places, also the events, the people and the times that give shape to any particular piece. You could be looking at a field that is empty but 40 years ago may have been the sight of a freedom school in Mississippi or may have been the sight of a church that is no longer there because the Klu Klux Klan blew it up. The book attempts to fill in those gaps that are generally missing from the history and Americans travel, so why not travel to see civil rights sights?” said Cobb.
Cobb also spoke about the importance of the state of Mississippi to him and his book. Mississippi is the biggest chapter in the book.
“Its my own pre-disposition. I worked in the state of Mississippi for almost five years as a civil rights organizer; I’m more knowledgeable about this state than any single state in the south and that’s reflected in the number of pages in my book. All the places in the south where civil rights struggled, Mississippi probably had the greatest impact in not only changing Mississippi but the nation itself,” said Cobb.
Kathy Times, former president of NABJ, is responsible for inviting Cobb to speak at JSU. She is also considered to be a “Black History Maker.” Times was the 18th President of NABJ elected by the membership to serve the 2009-2011 term. The Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter lives in Jackson, Miss. and previously served NABJ as Vice President-Broadcast from 2007-2009.
Times shared some advice for students that plan to successful in any career.
“Shoot for the moon and be prepared be, over prepared. Networking really is key to success in any business especially journalism because people tend to hire people they know and like. If you’re not in the right circle, not getting the right type of exposure, and not getting the right type of advice its tough to succeed in any career. Journalism is a small fraternity so connecting with the right mentors, making the right connections, and getting the best advice is key to your success,” said Times.
Brandon Taylor, a graduate student from Clarksdale, Miss., works in The CoFo Civil Rights and Education Center at JSU. He said that studying history is not only his major but his passion as well.
“Today is our “Black History Maker” day where we celebrate great people as well as upcoming students at JSU. You have so much going on during this era so events like this takes students back to get a sense of who they are, where they are from, and where will they go in the future,” said Taylor.
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