August 10, 2025
Tougaloo Faculty entered into an settlement with Jacktown All Star Band to create the primary band within the historical past of the 155-year-old non-public HBCU.
On Aug. 5, Mississippi’s Tougaloo Faculty entered into an settlement with Jacktown All Star Band to create the primary band within the historical past of the 155-year-old non-public, traditionally Black liberal arts faculty.
As Dr. Latoya Haymer, Tougaloo Faculty’s Transformation Useful resource Officer, advised WLBT, “We aren’t simply including music to the campus –we’re increasing the heartbeat of this establishment. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this momentous step ahead to our college students and group.”
Likewise, Jonathan Garland, the founder and band director of the Jacktown All-Star Band (JAB), echoed Dr. Haymer’s feedback.
“That is larger than music — that is about legacy, management, and giving college students one thing to be happy with for generations to return,” Garland advised the outlet.
The partnership between the JAB and the college arrived after months of conversations, planning, and prolonged discussions concerning the alignment of values between the college and the JAB, this additionally culminated within the institution of JAB scholarships, which supply members of the band a path to schooling on the college.
Not like many different HBCUs, Tougaloo Faculty doesn’t have a soccer program, which is usually related to marching bands.
Subsequently, the band is anticipated to present the college a further avenue to construct custom, id, and college spirit, in addition to pleasure within the college and the potential to create extra publicity for a college that’s extra well-known for its legacy of contributions to civil rights and because the alma mater of Rep. Bennie Thompson.
In response to Go to Jackson, the college has its roots within the story of the Amistad Revolt, an rebellion aboard the ship of the identical identify whereby captive Africans aboard the ship killed a few of their captors and took over the vessel.
The high-profile case associated to the insurrection, which noticed John Quincy Adams argue on behalf of the rights of these captured Africans to defend themselves from being made slaves, was ultimately despatched to the Supreme Courtroom, the place Senior Justice Joseph Story authored the Courtroom’s resolution in favor of the Africans who rebelled.
That historical past of resistance undoubtedly formed the environment of the college, as Nsombi Lambright-Haynes, an alumnus of the college and the Government Director of One Voice, a nonprofit group, advised Go to Jackson.
“The historical past of Tougaloo Faculty undoubtedly formed my profession path and who I’m as an individual at this time. We have been undoubtedly fed with all the historical past of the Civil Rights Motion no matter what our main was. We needed to attend chapel providers and lessons concerning the civil rights motion. Totally different audio system got here in, comparable to Cornell West, Stokely Carmichael, and Nikki Giovanni. I imply, these individuals got here to our campus on an annual foundation whereas I used to be a pupil right here,” Lambright-Haynes stated.
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