LESLIE MCLEMORE
1h 22min | English | 31 October 2019
Mr. McLemore was a prominent activist and organizer while a student at Rust College from 1960-64. He was a founding member of the first NAACP chapter at Rust and worked closely with the the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). Mr. McLemore later taught political science for over three decades at Jackson State University and, from 1999-2009, served on the Jackson, Mississippi, city council.
Here, Mr. McLemore discusses his upbringing and educational background, his decision to join the Southern freedom movement, his work in the Northern Mississippi student movement, and his impressions of and relationship with Julian Bond.
An interview with Leslie McLemore for the Julian Bond Oral History Project, sponsored by the School of Public Affairs at American University. Conducted by Gregg Ivers, Professor of Government at American University and Project Director, in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on October 31st, 2019. This project documents the rise of Julian Bond from his early years in the Atlanta student movement to becoming a founding member and later communications director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to his rise to national prominence by 1968.
This video is for educational use only. Copyright restrictions may apply.
Project Director: Gregg Ivers, Professor of Government, American University.
Research and Technical Support: Cayla Fox, Liz Groux