The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change

On July 2, 1964—60 years ago today—President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. What a day in American history.

This landmark legislation was one of the most significant acts passed by Congress and signed by a president since the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which also aimed to prohibit discrimination against African Americans.

However, in 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional, undermining efforts toward racial equality and perpetuating the second-class treatment of African Americans until the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Civil rights activists fought tirelessly for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, demanding federal legal protection against the pervasive discrimination African Americans faced in civic life, public spaces, employment, education, and other areas of American life.

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 emerged from legal strategies, civil disobedience, and protest marches led by civil rights activists, its language extended protection from discrimination to all people, including African Americans, women, whites, and others.

Despite strong resistance to this legislation, the advocacy of civil rights activists, the brutal deaths of many civil rights workers (including Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner in 1964 in Philadelphia, Mississippi), and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy united enough members of Congress to pass the law.

Shortly before signing the legislation, President Johnson appealed to “public officials, religious leaders, businesses and professionals,” and every man and woman to “help eliminate the vestiges of injustice” and strive toward a united and peaceful country. President Johnson’s plea remains as relevant today as it was in 1964.

Honor this day by acknowledging the work and sacrifices of many who fought to make this country a more just nation through the passage and enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Photo Credit: Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum/NARA (photo Attached)

Today is “Throw Back Thursday.” In 2019, we created two endowments totaling $100,000 from gifts made by the estate of Dr. Benjamin and Frances Hooks.

They were incredible people whose legacy lives through our work every day. If you have any reflections on the impact of their lives, please share in the comments below.

The Hooks Institute Endows $100,000 in Two Funds Honoring Benjamin and Frances Dancy Hooks.

The Hooks Institute has created two endowed accounts to ensure a lasting impact of the generous gifts made to the Institute by Hooks and his wife, Frances Dancy Hooks, in 2016.

Each fund will be endowed with $50,000 from the family’s initial gift and will enable the Institute to further the work of social change they championed.

Benjamin L. Hooks (1925-2010) was a civil rights activist who steered the civil rights agenda of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) after the seminal decade of the 1960s civil rights movement.

Frances Dancy Hooks (1927-2016) was an educator for 22 years and was also a community organizer and civil rights activist in her own right. She worked alongside her husband at the NAACP in advancing a national civil rights agenda.

The Hooks Institute honors their lifetime achievements with the creation of the two endowments.

Read more about the endowments: https://www.memphis.edu/mediaroom/releases/2019/november/hooksendowments.php

Our friends at The Memphis 13 Foundation will be showing their documentary film in a free public event tomorrow, June 25th starting with a reception at 6pm. Hosted by Temple Israel (Memphis) as part of the temple’s movie night series, reservations are required. The film, ‘The Memphis 13,’ was partially funded with seed money from the Hooks Institute and directed by Hooks Associate Director and FedEx Professor of Law Daniel Kiel. After the film, there will be a panel discussion with Kiel and members of the Memphis 13. This is a powerful experience you won’t want to miss.

Visit timemphis.org/movienights to RSVP.

We could all use a splash in the pool with this heat!

The Hooks Institute and its partners support swimming proficiency among minority children - Splash Mid-South.

Memphis children participate in the "World’s Largest Swim Lesson," hosted by the University of Memphis The global event aims to create awareness about the importance of swimming lessons for young children.

A moment of silence for civil rights heroes -James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

On June 20, 1964, civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner set out to investigate the arson of an African American church and the assault of its members by the Ku Klux Klan in Longdale, Mississippi. Tragically, they never reached their destination. On June 21, 1964, they were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and Neshoba County Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Michael Schwerner, Jewish and a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), had been working alongside James Chaney, an African American and a member of CORE, to collaborate with Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Longdale, Mississippi, to establish an organizing center and to register Blacks.

The K*K, however, retaliated against the church by burning it down and assaulting its members. On June 20, 1964, Chaney and Schwerner, joined by a new CORE member, Andrew Goodman, also Jewish, set out to investigate the church burning and the assaults.

On June 20, 1964, Neshoba County Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price, a member of the K*K, arrested Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner on traffic charges. Price first detained the activists for several hours, then released them, only to rearrest them again on their way to Longdale.

On June 21, 1964, K*K members and Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price, murdered Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Philadelphia, Mississippi (Neshoba County).

The murders drew national outrage. President Lyndon B. Johnson mobilized the FBI and other federal agencies to search for the men. The horrific murders fueled the demands of civil rights activists for greater protection of the civil rights of African Americans, including voting rights, helping to lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Please take a moment of silence to honor Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, and to thank them for their service to the nation. They sacrificed their lives to ensure that African Americans and others on the margins of society could participate more fully in the social, economic, civic, and other spheres of the nation.

Our nation owes Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner a debt of gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice.

As summer kicks into gear, is partnering with YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South for the Lesson to be held in the Mike Rose Aquatics Center today from 11:30am - 1:30pm. Hooks Institute Associate Director Rorie Trammel will be on site to offer remarks on the importance of water safety. The Hooks Institute is a proud partner with , and our research shows that African American and Latino children are more likely to drown than their Caucasian counterparts. Splash Mid-South offers free or low-cost swim lessons or water safety courses to children ages 6-12. For more information, visit: www.splashmidsouth.org

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks a pivotal moment in American history—the end of slavery in the United States. On this day in 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the freedom of all enslaved people, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a time to honor the resilience and contributions of African Americans. It’s a celebration of freedom, culture, and progress, reminding us of the ongoing journey toward equality and justice. Join us in commemorating this historic day and embracing the spirit of unity and liberation.

Time Magazine reports that African American women in the South have been pressured by their doctors into long-term birth control, with some doctors refusing to remove the birth control, even when asked. How can this happen, especially after the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study?

Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control Doctors are more likely to push long-term contraceptives when treating Black, Latina, young, and low-income women.

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change remembers the life and legacy of Reverend James Lawson. We thank you, sir, for your work and sacrifice and send our deepest condolences to your family and friends.

June is and there's no shortage of opportunities to catch Black artists representing all genres of music. Launched in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter declared June Black Music Month, this is a time to recognize not just the cultural impact of Black music, but also to promote it as a business and shine a light on its economic power. So, enjoy some tunes from your favorite Black artists, take a stroll through take in some or crank up some Memphis Rap and celebrate!

Packing up and moving to our newly renovated offices in Wilder Tower. Moving an office that’s been in the same space for 13 years is not for the faint of heart. But oh when the journey ends. . . .

Members of our Student Success programs, HAAMI and ASATT never fail to impress us! Today, we're taking a moment to recognize the students who achieved Dean's List status in the Spring semester! Congratulations!

Happy Pride Month!🏳️‍🌈

Your Guide To Pride Month in Memphis Get ready for the most colorful month of the year, Memphis! June is Pride Month and we're going to do it up big in Memphis where everyone is invited to join in the fun. Celebrate with drag shows, a parade, festival, brunch, and more! Here's your guide.

Daniel Kiel, co-editor of the Hooks Institute's Policy Papers speaks on the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

"The story that most people want to tell about Brown is one of missed opportunities, and I think there’s something to that. But there’s been a huge increase in educational attainment in our society since 1954. . . . If we’re looking at high school graduation and college attendance and employment figures, achievements that were unthinkable in Black communities are now the norm. There has been a lot of progress."

Read his interview here:

Q&A: Legal scholar sees threats to the legacy of Brown v. Board ruling University of Memphis constitutional law professor Daniel Kiel discusses school integration in Tennessee since the Brown decision, and how universal vouchers and ‘race-neutral’ laws could erode it.

My late brother, John McFerren, Jr., was the named plaintiff in 1965 to desegregate Fayette County Schools. My brother was a tiny little 7-year old at the time. I commend his courageousness in facing hostile students and administrators as the named plaintiff and as the son of civil rights activists, John and Viola McFerren.

My brother John, my parents and other activtists stayed the course making educational equity a priority in Fayette County, Tennessee. Even today, the federal court in West Tennessee (Memphis) continues to monitor educational equity in Fayette County in the case John McFerren, Jr. v. Fayette County Board of Education (1965).

This is part of the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision. Myles Wilson, pictured here, is a civil rights activist, former teacher and former Superintendent of Fayette County Schools. Hear his and my perspective on the school district's desegregation efforts today.

Daphene R. McFerren
Executive Director, Hooks Institute

A court order forced Fayette County schools to integrate. Will progress continue without it? Schools in Fayette County are racially integrated, but some fear what could happen if court oversight ends.

TODAY - May 17, 2024 - is the 70th Anniversary of the decision in "Brown v. Board of Education" (May 17, 1954) by the U.S. Supreme Court which held that racially segregated schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

This decision had national implications helping to support efforts of civil rights activists in the 1950s, 1960s, and today to legally eradicate all forms of segregation in public life.

While the Brown decision has had mixed impact in its efforts to remedy second-class citizenship of African Americans and other marginalized students in public schools, there is no doubt that this is one of the seminal decisions in the nation's history that helped to change America into a more just nation.

Yet, more important and seminal work remains to be done to make America a more equitable society.

In feedback from our April 11, 2024 conference on Brown, attendees shared three major take aways:

“Brown v. Board was [a] great achievement but enforcement is key.”
" . . . our efforts to advance equity and justice must be multi-faced and not limited to litigation."
" . . . we all bear responsibility for ensuring equity and the legacy of Brown."

Today, we pause to reflect on the importance of this anniversary and contemplate the next 70 years of working toward educational equity and social justice.

Are you working toward these goals?

For further reading on this subject, please see this article from the Washington Post.

70 years later, 1 in 3 Black people say integration didn’t help Black students Landmark Brown. v. Board Supreme Court decision is revered, but Post-Ipsos poll shows mixed feelings about how to address today’s school segregation

Two African American High School Students show the world how it’s done. How much more genius lies in our youth of color?

Teens come up with trigonometry proof for Pythagorean Theorem, a problem that stumped math world for centuries A high school teacher didn't expect a solution when she set a 2,000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem problem in front of her students. Then Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson stepped up to the challenge.

Join us and our colleagues from around the University to welcome Executive Director Lauren Ferguson-Mimms from Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) to share their work in education for incarcerated individuals. Ms. Ferguson-Mimms will present on the work of THEI in the University of Memphis Libraries Ned McWherter library from 2- 3:30pm on Thursday, May 9th. Parking available in the Fogleman Drive Parking Garage.

It was a privilege to work with RKA in the renovation of the 11th floor of Wilder Tower for the new home of the Hooks Institute. RKA was an amazing partner in helping bring the Hooks Institute dream to reality.

Our New Home - Hooks Institute Grand Opening, April 12, 2024

The Grand Opening of the Hooks Institute's new space in Wilder Tower was an event to remember! © The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. Use is permitted for shares through social media, private online viewing an...

"Thanks to the Hooks Institute for a thoughtful and informative conference."

"This was one of the best conferences. Every segment worked and had impact."

The feedback from our recent Brown v Board of Education Conference has been glowing and we couldn't be more pleased that the event was so meaningful for so many. We couldn't have done it without our guest speakers, panelists, the UofM Event and Catering Teams, and our amazing sponsors. Thank you all for being a part of this successful conference!

On Friday, April 12, we hosted the Grand Opening of our new home in Wilder Tower on the University of Memphis Main Campus. It was wonderful to share our newly renovated offices with the friends, family, and supporters whose investment made it all possible. Special thanks to Nike, Memphis Grizzlies, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Cigna Healthcare, Regional One Health, Greater Middle Baptist Church - GMBC, and Allworld Project Management for sponsoring the event!

Outcomes: The Hooks Institute Conference: 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

70 years post-Brown, racial-equity chasm is wider, experts say The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis brought in national experts to look at the racial-equity divide now.

Finally. We are home.

Hooks Institute takes long view of city in new U of M home Daphene McFerren grew up among people who knew how to make a difference. Her parents, John and Viola McFerren, are folk heroes in Fayette County for helping organize Tent City in the 1960s.

Thank you to The Daily Memphian for their coverage of the Grand Opening event for our new home in Wilder Tower!

Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian - Saturday, April 13, 2024 The Daily Memphian is the must-read, daily online newspaper for in-depth, local journalism in Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for morning and evening editions, plus breaking news.

The Hooks Institute extends its sincere appreciation for the RSVPs from those in Memphis and surrounding areas to attend the 70th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Conference.

We have reached maximum capacity for the conference which will be held tomorrow, April 11, at the Maxine A. Smith University Center. We apologize for not being able to accept additional attendees. However, please stay in touch with us to hear about more of our upcoming public programming in the future!
memphis.edu/benhooks

University of Memphis Department of Philosophy Facing History & Ourselves Memphis 13 Foundation Baker Donelson University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Butler Snow LLP Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association MICAH - Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope U of Memphis Department of English University of Memphis Marcus W. Orr Center for the Humanities University of Memphis College of Education, School of Social Work, Dept of Memphis Anthropology, African and African American Studies, Department of Psychology, and School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy THANK YOU for your support!

Congratulations to Ivan Estevanott (a former member of the Hooks African American Male Initiative) on his upcoming graduation from the University of Memphis. Ivan will graduate with a degree in engineering. Go Ivan!

This April 4th, we pause to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact on Memphis, the United States, and the world.

April 11, 2024, Hooks Conference: 70th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education. We invite you to a conference to explore the continuing impact of the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which held that segregated schools violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

What's your role in ensuring equity in education for our children? Local and national leader, and the community will convene to discuss this For more information, view the video on the Brown decision and the conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfYfexpggg

This Conference, at the University of Memphis, is free and open to the public.

Hooks Conference Brown v Board REV © The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. Use is permitted for shares through social media, private online viewing an...