Jackson State University alumni are ramping up pressure on Mississippi officials to ensure a fair and transparent search for the next president of the HBCU.
Through an initiative called Thee 1877 Project, supporters launched the âFor a Better JSUâ email campaign this week, urging students, faculty and alumni to contact the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) board and state lawmakers. The group says the last three JSU presidents were chosen through a process that lacked openness and community involvement.
âFor too long the leadership selection process at JSU has failed the institution and its stakeholders,â the group said on its website, as reported by Mississippi Today. âIt has bred instability, eroded public trust, damaged our universityâs reputation and squandered taxpayer dollars.â
The campaign follows the abrupt resignation of former JSU President Marcus Thompson, which echoed the unexplained departures of predecessors Thomas Hudson and William Bynum. Bynum resigned after being arrested on a prostitution charge. The school has seen three presidents step down in less than a decade.
Organizers want IHL to publicly acknowledge previous missteps, conduct a national search for a high-caliber leader, and involve students, alumni and community members in the selection process.
According to spokesperson Mark Dawson, the group aims to send 1,000 emails by the next IHL board meeting on June 19. As of Friday, 500 emails had been submitted. The campaign may soon expand to include outreach to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and State Auditor Shad White.
âWe need to let them know this process they have in place is not good,â Dawson told Mississippi Today.
Stepping in the gap for Jackson State
Critics also point to the silence from the JSU National Alumni Association (JSUNAA). Dawson said their group is stepping in to âraise our voice, organize and partner with IHLâ for change.
âWeâre rising up yet again,â he added.
This push for transparency at Jackson State comes on the heels of controversy at another HBCUâFlorida A&M Universityâwhere the recent hiring of Marva Johnson as President has drawn sharp criticism. Johnson, appointed without broad input from stakeholders, has faced backlash over concerns about political ties and lack of engagement with the campus community.
The parallel between both institutions highlights growing calls across HBCUs for more inclusive leadership processes and accountability. As JSU alumni mobilize for reform, FAMUâs situation serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when transparency and community involvement are overlooked in leadership decisions.