This memo references A new board that was formed called Mississippi Action For Progress (MAP) to replace the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) and take over Head Start operations in the state. The memo says that this decision was made without any input from CDGM or the people in the communities that Head Start serves.
This flier announces a Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) public meeting at the College Park Auditorium at Jackson State College on Saturday Oct. 8, 1966 at 10am. The purpose of the meeting was to bring the community together to discuss ways to save CDGM from being overtaken by the state and federal governments.
A letter dated March 9, 1967, from Director Frederick R. Mangrum introducing Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc., and seeking volunteers and financial assistance. Mr. Mangrum outlines the history of the organization and gives details about the issues caused by poverty for so many people in the state.
A brief synopsis of Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc., a non profit corporation organized 1964 to assist governmental and private agencies in administering grant funds for Head Start. The position paper discusses issues facing Head Start in Mississippi, such as the need for increased pay and improved working conditions.
Proposal for opening the first Head Start in Mississippi: List of staff positions and hierarchy. This proposal breaks down the entire administrative structure of Mississippi’s first Head Start program, including the board of directors, central office staff, area directors, and medical and food staff.
A photocopy of the program for the Child Development Group of Mississippi/Community Education Extension 25th Anniversary Reunion from June 30-July 2, 1989 in Warren Hall at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. This reunion brought together over 400 former Head Start employees and over 100 students from the Head Start classes of 1965-1969.
A chronology of major events in the development of Head Start in Mississippi from January 1, 1966 to December 27, 1966. This timeline covers the sequence of events leading to the genesis of Head Start in Mississippi. The first date on the chronology is mislabeled.
The estimated budget for funding Head Start in Mississippi from September 26, 1966 to September 29, 1967, the first year of Head Start operating in Mississippi. This budget proposal covered 13,500 Mississippi children in 170 centers across 37 counties. It also funded 20 administrative areas with staff and a central office in Jackson, Mississippi.
A proposal presented at a meeting at the Masonic Temple on Lynch Street in Jackson, Mississippi. The proposal was approved by the people of Mississippi who applied for funds to operate 170 Head Start Centers. Sections: Foreword, HIstory of Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM), The New CDGM, Appendices 1-10.
Lillie Ayers was an employee at the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) from 1965 until 1971. She talks about her husband's involvement with the fight for equal rights and equal pay at his job, and her work with CDGM and Head Start as well as the benefits the programs had for her family and the community.
Jerome Wyatt talks about his work at Head Start, primarily in Jones County, since starting in 1972. He discusses the economics of being employed there, community reaction to the program, and his vision for the future of Head Start. The transcript contains handwritten edits.
Lavaree Jones interviews Major O'Neal; both are students in Dr. Alferdteen Harrison’s Oral History class at Jackson State University. She asks him 3 questions about the origins of the Head Start program in Mississippi and the role Head Start plays in the Black community.
Emma Jones talks about her experiences with early childhood education (through Head Start) when she was younger and the advantages that gave her entering into primary education. She also talks about the Head Start Program in general and how she sees it growing in the future.
The interview was used for a paper that Mr. Langdon wrote for Dr. Alferdteen Harrison's Summer 1977 Workshop on Oral History. He outlines the history of Head Start in Mississippi and writes about his research goals and outcomes and creates a lesson plan for the workshop.
Sen. Johnnie Walls Jr. served on the Mississippi State Senate from 1993-2010. He details the strides made in the Senate for the HBCUs and other institutions in the state. He points to key situations and circumstances that show Robert Clark’s integrity and his influence and thanks him for his leadership of the Black caucus and his mentorship.
Rev. Horace L. Buckley was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1975 to a four year term. In the interview, he reflects on his time in politics and working with Robert Clark. He also discusses what made him run for a representative seat as a pastor, and the connections he made within the church community and the legislature.
Rep. Charles Young Sr. served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1980 until his death in 2009. He explains how Robert Clark was a mentor for him and those elected before him. While detailing his own campaign strategy for 1980, he talks about the calculated and aggressive nature of Robert Clark’s campaign and the effect it had on him.
Rep. David Gibbs served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1992 until his death in 2013. In this interview, Gibbs discusses how he became involved in Mississippi politics. Heavily influenced by his military service, Gibbs explains his campaign strategies and his work with other notable politicians such as Robert Clark and Aaron Henry.
Rep. Thomas Lamar Woods served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1988–2012. Robert Clark eventually appointed him to the Ways and Means committee. Rep. Woods discusses his district’s makeup, bills he supported with Robert Clark, and Clark’s famous fox hunts.
Rep. Leonard Morris served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1993 until his death in 2007. He was head of the House Medicaid Committee. In this interview, Rep. Morris explains the nature of the Black Caucus and his time working with Henry Kirksey, Robert Clark, Ed Blackmon, and other notable Black Mississippi politicians.
Sen. Alice Varnado Harden served in the Mississippi State Senate from 1988 until her death in 2012. She talks about her work with Robert Clark and the Mississippi Black Caucus. She also discusses the many issues she lobbied for as an elected official and her relationships with other members in the state legislature.
Mayor Phillip Curtis West returned to Mississippi from Chicago in 1964 to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Becoming involved with the NAACP at Alcorn State University led him to eventually end up in Mississippi politics, being elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1997 and Mayor of Natchez, Mississippi in 2004.
Sen. Alyce Griffin Clarke served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1984-2004. She talks about her work in education before running for office in 1984. She also discusses Robert Clark’s passion for education, the different committees she is involved in, the Institute of Higher Learning, and more.
Senator David L. Jordan began serving on the Mississippi State Senate in 1993 and has been serving for 31 years. He recounts growing up on a plantation in Greenwood, Mississippi. The interview focuses on the work he did with Robert Clark in the Mississippi Legislature to support and obtain funds for Historically Black Colleges.
Fred Banks Jr. served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1976-1985 and Circuit Judge for the 7th Circuit District from 1985-1981. He details his experiences in the state legislature and his journey running for office. He also describes the early beginnings of the Mississippi Black Caucus and his mentorship under Robert Clark.
