In next week’selection, the Jaguar Nation won’t only be represented at the polls, but on theballot as well. Three Southern University alumni are running for office on thelocal and national elections. Melvin “Kip” Holden is running formayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish; Arthur Morrell is vying for a U.S.Senate seat; and Cleo Fields is running for Louisiana Public ServiceCommissioner.
Holden, acurrent Louisiana State Senator, received a Masters of Mass Communicationdegree from Southern and a law degree from the Southern University Law Center.He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and was involved in lawschool organizations. Morrell received his bachelor’s degree from SouthernUniversity at New Orleans and his law degree from the SU Law Center. He was amember of Delta Theta Phi law fraternity, vice-president of the StudentGovernment Association (1970) and a member of the Moot Court. Fields, a BatonRouge native, received his bachelor’s degree in mass communication fromSouthern and a law degree from the Law Center.
“SouthernUniversity offers unique chances for people to not only get an education, butallows partnership and brotherhood,” Holden said. “You have instructors who arenot concerned with trying to flunk you out of school, but mainly trying to helpyou get a degree so you can be successful in life.”
Despite hishectic political schedule, Holden still finds time to return to the bluff.
“I still teachat the university as an ad-junct professor at the law school. I’ve beenteaching here for the past 11 or 12 years, and it’s been a wonderfulexperience.”
Holden, who iscurrently a Louisiana State Senator for District15, got involved in politics toimplement his drive of servitude to his community.
“I figured outa long time ago that if you’re a politician, you should be about servingpeople, not serving yourself — that’s what propelled me to make a run foroffice. I made that run not only to achieve the goal to make sure the peopleare served, but also to let people know that regardless of the background andcircumstances of which they grew up in, that they can still achieve andsucceed,” said Holden, a native of Scotlandville.
Holden, whosecampaign touts the slogan “One Baton Rouge,” stresses equality among the twomain universities in the Baton Rouge.
“We have twogreat universities in this city and in this parish. Unfortunately, theresources provided by these universities are not being used — they’re not beingviewed as partners. They should be viewed as partners from economic developmentto being a partner to going in and helping out with the school board to educateour children,” Holden said. “They (Southern and Louisiana State University)should also be used as a marketing tool to tell industries what we’redoing…that we’re on the cutting edge of a number of things.”
\With thevoter initiatives aimed at young people, like “Vote or Die” and “Rock theVote,” Holden and Morrell agree that it is an important topic. Fields, who wasnot available for comment at press time, was on campus last month to helptransport SU Band members to register to vote. Morrell, a native of NewOrleans, said that his campaign team has taken voter registration cards toSUNO, SUBR, Louisiana State University and Grambling State University.
“Ithink it (the voter initiative) will be effective. It’s a time for young peopleto make a statement, not only to the parish and state, but throughout thenation. Many people think that young people are not concerned about what goeson around them,” Holden said. “I think this is a moment to be seized — todemonstrate that you’re responsible, that you’re willing to take the stepsneeded to be taken in order to show people who you are truly concerned aboutwhat’s going on throughout this country. It’s (voting) paying respect to ourheritage, especially young black voters –it’s vote or die, but I would transferit and say, what about those who died for our vote?”
Both Southernalumni who were interviewed agreed that Southern plays an important role intheir careers.
“I’ve neverforgotten where I came from,” Morrell said. “I always boast what SUNO and theLaw Center have done. They gave me the opportunity to compete.”
Holden hadsimilar sentiments: “I can tell you that if it wasn’t for Southern University,I’m not sure where I would be right now.”
