october 2007 copyright © 2007 mississippi department of education 1 mississippi code annotated...

October 2007 Copyright © 2007 Mississippi Department of Education 1

Mississippi Code Annotated Section 37-13-193: Civil Rights/ Human

Rights Education in the Mississippi Public School Curriculum

Chauncey SpearsSocial Studies Specialist


What are Civil Rights/Human Rights?

• According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, human rights are “…the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law."

• Civil Rights are human rights that are protected by the Government or other civil authorities. In the U.S., these rights are explicitly outlined in the U.S. Constitution.


What is Civil Rights/Human Rights Education?

• It is defined as the mastery of content, skills and values that are learned from a focused and meaningful exploration of civil rights/human rights issues- both past and present- locally, nationally and globally.

• This education should lead learners to understand and appreciate issues such as social justice, power relations, diversity, mutual respect, and civic engagement.

• Learners should acquire a working knowledge of tactics engaged by civil rights activists to achieve social change. Among these are: demonstrations, resistance, organizing, and collective action/unity.


MS Code 37-13-193

• “provide assistance and advice to K-12 schools with respect to the Civil Rights Movement and human rights education and awareness programs;

• survey and catalog the extent to which civil rights and human rights education exists in state curricula;

• inventory civil rights memorials, exhibits and resources that could be used in classrooms and other educational programs;

• compile a list of volunteers who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences concerning the struggle for civil rights;

• prepare reports for the Governor and the State Legislature on the inclusion of civil rights studies into the educational systems of the state.” Miss. Code. Ann. Section 37-13-193


Civil Rights Education Commission

• “The Commission shall provide or assist education officials and other organizations with information, coordination, modification of courses or programs that include the Civil Rights Movement…” Miss. Code Ann. Section 37-13-195

• The Commission will be comprised of no more than 15 members, eleven of which appointed by a permanent committee with representatives from the Winter Institute at the University of Mississippi, Tougaloo College, the Oral History Project at the University of Southern Mississippi and Jackson State University.



• Chair- Governor William Winter• Dr. Susan M. Glisson, William Winter

Institute for Racial Reconciliation• Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore, Jackson State

University• Dr. Abdul M. Turay, Tougaloo College• Dr. Eddie Aaron Holloway, University of

Southern Mississippi



• Sarah Alford, Jackson• Jackie Bland, Madison• Dianna Freelon-Foster, Grenada• Dr. Rickey Hill, Itta Bena• John Griffin Jones, Jackson• Therese Palmertree, Summit• Dr. Ollye L. Brown Shirley, Jackson• Dianne Walton, Meridian• Doretha Wiley, Tougaloo• Dr. W. Marty Wiseman, Starkville


Possible Implementation Strategies

• Develop a K-12 supplementary document that will include lesson plans and community resources on civil rights.

• Develop new courses that will illuminate the issues of civil rights, both locally and nationally, that could be required for students.

• Redesign current required courses to emphasize civil rights/ human rights lessons and content.


State Civil Rights Education resources on the Web

• Mississippi Historical Society - http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/mshistsociety.html

• Mississippi Department of Archives and History- http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/arlib/contents/er/index.html

• William Winter Institute- University of Mississippi http://www.olemiss.edu/winterinstitute/ • Oral History Civil Rights Documentation Project-University of

Southern Mississippi - http://www.usm.edu/crdp/ • Tougaloo College-

http://www.tougaloo.edu/content/About/jaxmuseums.htm • Fannie Lou Hamer Institute- Jackson State University

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~hamer.institute/


Contact Information

Chauncey Spears, Social Studies Specialist e-mail: [email protected] Number : 601-359-2586Mailing Address: Central High School Building

P.O. Box 771 Jackson, MS 39205-0771

Website: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/id/curriculum/Curr.htm

october 2007 copyright © 2007 mississippi department of education 1 mississippi code annotated...

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