Southern University Founders’ Day 2018: “Southern University: A Global Trailblaze Celebrating the Value and Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities”

Wednesday March 7th the Southern University System celebrated it’s 138th annual Founders’ Day in the F.G Clark Activity Center.
The events for Founders’ day began at 8:30 am with the annual pilgrimage led by the Southern University Laboratory School to the Clark gravesites overlooking the Mississippi River at the back of the campus.
Following, the Community Prayer Brunch and Convocation took place at the F.G. Clark Activity Center at 10 A.M. The day ended with a symposium at the Southern University Law Center at 2 P.M.
Southern had the pleasure of having Attorney and former Louisiana State Senator District 34 Charles Jones share about the makings of Southern. “African American political leaders… P.B.S. Pinchback, T.T. Allain, and Henry Dumas proposed founding a higher education institution for persons of color.”
The convocation consisted of special guest speakers and the attorney that fought in the U.S. Department of Justice vs. The State of Louisiana case also known as the “Consent Decree”.
With the Consent Decree, Southern was promised “enhancement” funds to upgrade physical resources, construct new facilities, and establish new academic programs to better serve its students and employees.
During Attorney Charles Jones’ speech he discusses the trials that Southern went through to be what it is today. He states that, “Every time there was an attempt to shutdown Southern or Grambling, I would simply hold up the Consent Decree, because it was a federal court order protecting Southern and Grambling.”
Before this settlement, LSU denied black students into their law program, causing the birth of the Southern University Law Center.
He says, “There was an attempt to merge Southern with LSU and Grambling with Louisiana Tech. “
The settlement of the lawsuit resulted in $6 million going toward Southern with and an additional $1 million every year to end the merge of Southern and LSU, and Grambling and Louisiana Tech.
Freshman Nursing major from Donaldsonville, LA., Katelyn Brown said, “Southern isn’t LSU, but it’s ours and it’s still something special to us,” after being asked about what it would be like if LSU merged with Southern.
That was merely the start of the school we hold so near and dear to our hearts. Southern now offers more than 30 academic programs awarding associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. Also, Southern has established five campuses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport.
A freshman Music Education major from Baton Rouge Darrin Bedell says, “I’m so glad that I get to be part of such a great legacy.”
As Southern still remains the only historically black school system in the world, we add year 138 to our beloved lifetime.