Date of Award
5-2022
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Political Science BA
Department
Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs
First Advisor
Kathanne Greene, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Bridget Hayden, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Sabine Heinhorst, Ph.D.
Advisor Department
Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs
Abstract
This qualitative study analyzed articles from Mississippi newspapers in three regions. In North Mississippi, Greenville and Tupelo were surveyed. In Central Mississippi, Jackson, Meridian, and Natchez were surveyed. In South Mississippi, Hattiesburg, McComb, and Biloxi were surveyed. These newspapers were chosen as they were among the biggest in the state and reported either daily or weekly and would be able to provide a wide range of opinions. These newspapers were surveyed from October 30, 1969, through November 14, 1969, and headlines, editorials, and other opinion pieces were analyzed. This study analyzed articles in order to investigate what the media response, specifically newspapers, was to the 1969 Alexnader v. Holmes County Board of Education case decision.
The materials used for this study were newspapers obtained from the William F. Winter Archives in Jackson, Mississippi. Materials were collected from microfilm. This study found that overall, the newspapers were overwhelmingly negative. There were almost no positive responses to the Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education decision. There was no real difference between different regions of the state in views of the newspapers. Overall, these newspapers represented a homogenous view across the state of overwhelmingly negative views against the Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education decision.
Keywords: Race, Media, Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education, Desegregation, Integration, Desegregation
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Waters, Phoebe, "“Effective Immediately”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Reaction of Mississippi Newspapers to 1969’s Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education Decision" (2022). Honors Theses. 849.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/849