Jones College holds 2019 Black History Month program

JONES COUNTY, MISS. – Tuesday morning, both students and local residents made their way to the Bush Fine Arts Auditorium on the campus of Jones College for this year’s Black History Month program. “I really wanted students to be exposed to an example of someone in Mississippi who has traveled the world and still made Mississippi their home, but more importantly learned how to recognize we all have challenges and adversity in our life we have to overcome,” Dr. Samuel Jones, the assistant to the President at Jones College said.

Tuesday’s keynote speakers, Cathy Northington serves as the chief operating officer for the Mississippi Economic Council, which is the state’s largest broad-based organization business organization.

“A lot of these heroes and people that are teaching us things are not always on the TV or in our history books,” Northington commented. “They are sitting on porches right next to us if we just take the time to sit and talk to them.” Northington spoke about how she gained wisdom from conversations with her grandmother, and how those conversations shaped her into the person she is today. “If we take the time to talk to people and ask questions, and just explore… that’s history, and that’s black history,” Northington stated. Northington believes that if people would learn to look at opposing views with an unbiased eye, then more people would gain a better understanding of how others actually feel. “How hard is it to look at that lens and see things the way of other people,” Northington asked. “That’s how we have to be as leaders.” Jones agreed with Northington’s statement, and he explained how important it is to acknowledge the viewpoints of the other people. “If we can meet other people and we can find things we have in common, then move on from there, the world would be a better place,” Jones said.