Reinhardt's First Black Student To Share Experience Integrating University

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Waleska, GA -- The year 1966 was a turbulent one for Georgia and the ongoing march towards integration.

“Separate, but equal” was slowly falling by the wayside, as more people began to realize the phrase was patently false.  It was also the year Reinhardt saw its first black student enroll for classes.

Canton native James T. “Jay” Jordan will discuss his life and experiences as the college’s first black student during a symposium entitled “Race and Reinhardt, Making a Difference Here and Beyond.”

The symposium, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 will be moderated by Reinhardt history professor Dr. Kenneth Wheeler and will be held in the Bannister Glasshouse at the Hasty Student Center.

”Reinhardt has a history of trailblazers among her graduates who have not drawn attention to themselves,” said Reinhardt University President Kina Mallard. “Jay is no different; he came to our campus as a student, not as a headline.”

In addition to recognizing James Jordan, there will be a lecture by historian Dr. Edith Riehm, who has studied President Truman’s Committee on Civil Rights and the post-World War II civil rights movement.

Dr. Riehm will discuss the unheralded trailblazer role Reinhardt alumna Dorothy Rogers Tilly played in the Civil Rights Movement.

Tilly, who graduated in 1899, devoted her entire adult life to reforming race relations in the American South. Her extensive career as an activist, organizer and mentor forged a link between the reform efforts of the early twentieth century and the modern civil rights movement.

She worked with the Women’s Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, the Southern Regional Council and the Fulton-DeKalb Commission on Interracial Cooperation and the Fellowship of the Concerned.

In 1946, President Harry S. Truman appointed Tilly to his Committee on Civil Rights. The Committee produced a famous and influential report, “To Secure These Rights,” which called for an immediate end to segregation. To the end of her life, through example and education, Tilly promoted racial tolerance and acceptance of desegregation during the explosive years of the civil rights movement.

Along with Jordan’s appearance and the lecture, other events hosted by Reinhardt commemorating Black History Month include:

• African Drum and Dance Workshop
  Tuesday, February 16, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  This event will feature master drummer Sister Yomi for a workshop on African style dancing and drum playing.
• Movie Night: “42: The Jackie Robinson Story”
  Friday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  The Office of Student Activities will host the screening of baseball great Jackie Robinson. The film covers Robinson’s signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1945 to his historic 1947 season when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
• The Art of Spoken Word with Lady Caress
  Tuesday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  Poet and public speaker Lady Caress will appear on the Reinhardt campus with her unique set of comedy, music, beat boxing and theatrics. For more than 10 years, Lady Caress has dedicated her life to the art of communication as both a poet and public speaker.

All events will be held in the the Bannister Glasshouse at the Hasty Student Center.

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Photo: James “Jay” Jordan. Credit: Reinhardt University