A new Mississippi Freedom Trail marker has been unveiled in Grenada, memorializing the events surrounding the integration of schools nearly six decades ago.
The marker, which is located on the corner of Line and Green streets, includes photos and information about the violence and intimidation faced by students and their families, as well as the outcome as schools across the district were fully integrated.
“The Civil Rights movement in Mississippi was a pivotal and tumultuous period in American history,” Visit Mississippi Director Rochelle Hicks said. “This marker stands as a testament to the bravery and resilience of those who fought tirelessly to ensure that every student in Grenada, regardless of their background, had access to quality education.”
Grenada Vice Mayor Fredrick Wilson, Ward 3 City Councilman Lewis Johnson, Elder Henry Ingram of Battle Temple Church of God in Christ, and Two Museums Director Michael Morris were present for the unveiling ceremony on Saturday morning.
1966 Grenada school student James Conley was also in attendance, as well as Ewunike Kimble, Rashida Watson, and Jameelah Hudson-White, who are the children of former students who witnessed the integration.
“There has been a ‘legacy of silence’ regarding the 1966 Grenada County Freedom Movement, which was the catalyst for the local school desegregation,” Diana Freelon-Foster of the Grenada County Freedom Movement Legacy Committee explained. “Having this event chronicled in Mississippi history with a historical marker on the Mississippi Freedom Trail will help to further break that silence and hopefully create more honest community dialogue.”
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