MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Horhn, Butler (36th), Butler (38th), Frazier, Hickman, Simmons (12th), Simmons (13th), Norwood, Jackson, Barnett, Turner-Ford, Jordan, Thomas, Blackmon
A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY'S DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE.
WHEREAS, Jackson State University's (JSU) Department of Political Science (PS) was founded in June 1972 to offer rigorous study in black and comparative politics, American institutions, international relations, empirical theory, law and society, and public administration; and
WHEREAS, the department's faculty and curricula imparts skills, knowledge, and civics acumen to 1,512 Political Science and pre-law students from Mississippi and across the globe, including 15 foreign nations; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Leslie-Burl McLemore of Walls, Mississippi, in Desoto County was the founding chair; and
WHEREAS, the department's founding faculty included: Leslie-Burl McLemore, Pius Eze, Taunya L. Banks, Ally Mack, George Mitchell, Michael Zifcak, James Harvey and West Lindsay; and
WHEREAS, Charles Henry Holmes, Mary Coleman, the late Eugene McLemore and Isaiah Madison, Rhonda Cooper, Michelle Deardorff, and Charles Irvin were pre-law advisors and faculty mentors to hundreds of students who are now successful and productive practitioners; and
WHEREAS, many of the department's graduates are distinguished professors, elected officials throughout the state and nation; ministers, judges, servant leaders, nonprofit leaders, national security professionals, statisticians, and data evaluation specialists, such as Len Jefferson, Nancy Fortenberry, and Jennifer Shorter; and
WHEREAS, the department's graduates include 310 attorneys, among them Federal Judge Carlton Reeves, U.S. Attorney Felicia Adams, and Harvard Professor of Practice, Cornell William Brooks; and
WHEREAS, the department's graduates include dozens of PhDs from the nation's best universities, accomplished professors, authors, and transformational local and national leaders of nonprofit organizations such as Laphonza Butler, CEO of Emily's List; and Brenda Hyde of Southern Echo; and
WHEREAS, Political Science students are Truman Scholar finalists, engaged community activists, and among the highest award winners, honor society recipients, and admitted graduate school applicants; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the principled public servants who are JSU Political Science graduates for their contributions to our state, nation and our world:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of Jackson State University's Department of Political Science, and acknowledge the compassionate mentorship of all Political Science faculty to students from all backgrounds and extend our appreciation to the administration of Jackson State University for the exemplary productivity of the Department of Political Science.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we do hereby commend Dr. Leslie-Burl McLemore for his founding vision and its bold implementation and the establishment of the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute for Democracy, and Hamer and Isaiah Madison endowed scholarships funds; commend Dr. Ally Mack for her stewardship of Black Elected Officials in Mississippi and the decades-long leadership of Drs. Mack and Mary Coleman to the Mississippi Consortium for International Development; and congratulate Drs. Curtina Moreland-Young, Ricky Hill, and D’Andra Orey for their continuous mentorship of Political Science students entering and succeeding in PhD, MA and MPPA programs in Mississippi and across the nation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the administration and faculty of the Department of Political Science of Jackson State University, forwarded to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.