The tragic events at Jackson State College, now known as Jackson State University, occurred on May 15, 1970, in Jackson, Mississippi. The previous night, as the clock approached midnight on May 14, city and state police engaged with a gathering of students, opening fire and resulting in the deaths of two students while injuring twelve others. This incident unfolded just eleven days after the infamous shootings at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, gained widespread attention.
The unrest at Jackson State began on the evening of May 14, 1970, around 9:30 p.m., when African American high school and college students assembled near campus. They were reacting to a false rumor about the assassination of Fayette, Mississippi, Mayor Charles Evers and his wife, Nannie Evers. Charles was the sibling of the late civil rights leader Medgar Evers. The students' agitation led to reports by white motorists to the Jackson Police Department, complaining about rocks being hurled at them as they traveled along Lynch Street. In the ensuing chaos, fires were set, and the demonstrators overturned a dump truck.
In response, 75 police officers from both Jackson and Mississippi State Police forces were dispatched to contain the situation. At approximately 12:05 a.m. on May 15, law enforcement officers began shooting, claiming the lives of Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, a 21-year-old junior pre-law major, and 17-year-old James Earl Green, a high school senior. Gibbs was also a father to an 18-month-old son at the time.
Debate continues over the police's motivations for shooting. Some students asserted that a warning was given to disperse, after which the police shot when the protestors failed to leave. Others maintained that the officers fired suddenly at the group and the nearby Alexander West Hall dormitory. Police defended their actions by claiming self-defense, alleging they saw a flare on the dormitory's third floor and responded defensively.
Prompted by these events, on June 13, 1970, President Richard Nixon established the President's Commission on Campus Unrest to investigate both the Kent State and Jackson State shootings. The commission convened for the first time in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 1970; over thirteen days, it held public hearings in Jackson, Mississippi, Kent, Ohio, and Los Angeles, California. Testimonies from university officials, students, and law enforcement were heard. Despite criticisms against the police forces in both Jackson and Kent, no arrests were made.
In the aftermath, Lynch Street was closed by a vote from the Jackson City Council, and the Gibbs-Green Plaza was erected at the site of Alexander West Hall. The plaza features the Gibbs-Green Monument, a lasting tribute to the students who lost their lives.
Sources:
- Momodu, S. (2017, September 09). The Jackson State Killings, 1970. BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/.../jackson-state-killings-1970/
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