Challenges

An interview piece for how Black students felt on campus in Philadelphia as more and more schools allowed Black students to play among Whites. This piece highlights the idea that Black students were only “somebody” on campus if they played a sport.

On March 15, 1963, the Mississippi State University basketball team played the game that would change the University’s history forever: MSU vs the Loyola Ramblers. Why was this game so important? It was the first game that MSU, a White-only institution, had played against an integrated team. This event brought much controversy among the residents of Starkville, but one thing is for certain– from that moment on, the political atmosphere in the University shifted to one of progressivism. Two years later, in July of 1965, Mississippi State University was integrated.

But how did this integration look for Black students? While it is true that the integration itself was relatively peaceful, there was much work to be done before Black students truly felt equal. This wasn’t just for Mississippi State, but for Universities across the country that made the shift from a white-only student body to an integrated one.

For example, in a 1968 interview of Black students on a campus in Philadelphia, it was found that Black students across the nation felt as though their “worth” on campus was tied to their performance and involvement in University/College sports teams. Without sports, they felt they weren’t regarded as true students among the rest of the student body. This is a stark contrast to how Mississippi State University operates today, where every student's voice is heard and welcomed. So how was this inclusion reached?

A newspaper article that details the cry of the public (mostly other professors) to rapidly integrate the staff at MSU.

Five years after MSU’s integration, it was evident that true equality had not been achieved yet. Although welcoming Black students into the University was now commonplace, this diversity was not represented in the faculty and staff at MSU, which were predominantly, if not all, White.

At this point, other professors noticed the need for multiplicity among their ranks to reflect that of the student body, which is why a public group of mostly professors submitted a petition calling MSU’s hiring staff to action. The request was simple: more Black faculty. While this event does demonstrate the need for more action upon the University at this time in history, it also represents the progressivist mindset of the public, who recognized the need for change and acted swiftly upon it.

Newspaper article detailing requests submitted to the University by MSU’s Black student population.

Updates readers on the progress of the students’ requests– they had not been met 2 months later.

Today at Mississippi State University, there are 300-plus organizations and clubs that people from all walks of life can join and even lead. There are classes about African American history that are available for all students to take. MSU’s Student Association represents all students on campus: anyone can apply to be on this committee no matter what race or ethnicity they may be. This, however, was not always the case.

Two years after the petition for more Black faculty members was submitted, MSU’s Black student body had requests of their own– they may now have been able to freely attend the University, but there was much work to be done before the experience was equal to all students. The requests covered issues such as Student Association representation, African American history course implementation, equality in the grading system, the inclusion of Black faculty in every department, and more. While it is evident that the progress in granting these requests might have been viewed as slow, Mississippi State University today is living proof of the progress that was made since these requests were made.

Newspaper article detailing the approval and introduction of two Black Sororites on MSU's campus.

Newspaper excerpt that provides photos from various MSU athletics in the year 1973: also provides team records from each sport.

In the following years after the requests were made, MSU got closer and closer to what it is today. Both Black and White students were allowed to participate together in a multitude of sports and other forms of entertainment together, growing school pride and spirit as well as unity among the student body. Also, several Black organizations were now being implemented on campus, as the first two MSU Black sororities were approved in 1975. In the 10 years after Mississippi State University’s integration, it is evident that progress was slowly but surely being made in making the school the inclusive and diverse institution that it is today