1. In 1865, Mississippi Governor Charles Clark signed a bill establishing the state's first racially integrated school, the University of Mississippi. This was a progressive move for the time, but unfortunately, it would take many years before true equality was achieved in Mississippi's education system.
2. On February 17, 1904, the city of Hattiesburg was incorporated. The city has since grown to become the fourth-largest city in the state and is home to the University of Southern Mississippi.
3. Medgar Evers, a prominent civil rights leader and field secretary for the NAACP, was born in Decatur, Mississippi on February 17, 1925. He later moved to Jackson and played a key role in the civil rights movement in Mississippi, working to end segregation in schools and fighting for voting rights for African Americans.
4. In 1981, Mississippi State University became the first college in the state to offer a degree program in engineering. Today, the university's Bagley College of Engineering is one of the best in the country.
5. February 17, 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and was a major victory for the civil rights movement. However, it would take many more years and continued activism to fully realize the goals of the Civil Rights Act in Mississippi and throughout the country.
5 Fun Facts About February 17 In Mississippi History
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