From Marks, Mississippi to Madison
Carolyn Stanford-Taylor is a long-time educator — she was with the Madison Metropolitan School District for 21 years (10 years as a middle school teacher and 11 years as a Principal), and has been Assistant State Superintendent with the Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction for the past 15 years.
The Stanford family lived in Marks, Mississippi — the starting point of Dr. King’s “Poor People’s Campaign” of 1968 — a Mule Train of residents travelled from Marks to Washington, D.C. to create Resurrection City on the Washington Mall in May-June, 1968 to demand economic justice.
Dr. King had visited Marks, MS several times in late 1967 and early 1968.
I have just been in the process of touring many areas of our country and I must confess that in some situations I have literally found myself crying. I was in Marks, Mississippi, the other day, which is in Quitman County, the poorest county in the United States. I tell you, I saw hundreds of little Black boys and Black girls walking through the streets with no shoes to wear. I saw their mothers and fathers trying to carry on a little headstart program, but they had no money…..
A Public Affair guest host Bert Ziperer, Ms. Stanford-Taylor, and Stephanie Nash discuss the lessons of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.