The First Black Homecoming Queen at Ole Miss

A half century after the initial racial integration of the University of Mississippi, Courtney Roxanne Pearson has been named the first African American homecoming queen. She will be crowned on October 13 during halftime ceremonies at the football game between Auburn University and Ole Miss.

Pearson is a 21-year-old senior from Memphis, Tennessee. She is majoring in English secondary education. Both of her parents are Ole Miss graduates. After graduation in May, she plans to join Teach for America.

Pearson’s milestone comes on the heels of the election last spring of Kimberly Dandridge as the first African American woman to be elected student body president.

Related Articles

4 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations. A friend called and said you must see the Ole Miss incoming queen. She stated that you sound and look like I did when I received Miss Rust College in Holly Spring, Mississippi, in 1986. Wow, what a grand accomplishment. Give God the glory and let your light continue to shine daily.

  2. CONGRATULATIONS to Ms. Pearson on such an historic event as she is now in the Ole Miss records along with Medgar Wiley Evers who was the first to apply to the Ole Miss Law School and with James Meredith as being the first African-American addmitted to Ole Miss. Her parents as Ole Miss alums should be as proud as she to will be an Ole Miss by keeping their alma mater in the family.

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs