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Hattiesburg – A prestigious panel of journalists and scholars that includes a University of Southern Mississippi administrator will meet tonight to discuss the media’s coverage of the historic integration of Little Rock’s Central High School.
Dr. David R. Davies, dean of the Southern Miss Honors College and an associate professor of journalism, will take part in the panel discussion “Covering Little Rock” at the Clinton School of Public Service from 6 - 7:30 p.m. in Little Rock. The program coincides with the 50th anniversary of the landmark civil rights event, and is a celebration of the publication of “Breaking News: How the Associate Press has Covered War, Peace, and Everything Else.” “The Central High desegregation crisis was a turning point for the nation's media. It was among the first national stories centered on civil rights, and it gave us both incredible journalism and shining examples of editorial leadership,” Davies said. I'm absolutely thrilled to be back in Little Rock to reflect on this." Davies covered the Little Rock school desegregation case as it lingered into the 1980s when he was a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette. He is the author of “The Press and Race: Mississippi Journalists Confront the Movement” and has also signed a contract with Northwestern University Press to do a book on the national press and the civil rights movement. “Dr. Davies’ inclusion on this important panel is a testament to his scholarly research on the role of the press in the civil rights movement,” said Dr. Chris Campbell, director of the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism. “I know his contributions to the discussion about the media coverage of this milestone event in American history will be enlightening.” Davies is joined on the panel by moderator and former Arkansas Gazette reporter Roy Reed, author of “Faubus: The Life and Times of an American Prodigal;” Gene Roberts, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Race Beat” (2007) and Professor of Journalism at the University of Maryland; Hoyt Purvis, a University of Arkansas journalism professor and former press secretary to Sen. Bill Fulbright; and Kathryn Johnson, former AP civil rights reporter who covered the movement throughout the South from her base at the Atlanta bureau. Nine African-American students, known as the “Little Rock Nine,” enrolled in the racially segregated school in September 1957. Their attempt to attend the school was vehemently opposed by many white parents of students at the school and groups committed to racial segregation, and they were initially prevented from entering by Gov. Orval Faubus. But they were able to attend classes after intervention by President Eisenhower, who sent federal troops to quell potential violence and help ensure the students’ safety. The panel discussion will be followed by a reception, book signing and viewing of “With All Deliberate Speed: The AP in Little Rock,” an exhibit on display courtesy of the AP Corporate Archives. For more information about the Clinton School of Public Service’s activities marking the integration of Central High School, visit their Web site at http://www.clintonschool.uasys.edu/
Dr. David R. Davies
About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss, with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu .
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