Published 6:00 pm Thursday, February 20, 2025
By Lanell Downs Smith
Lowndes County Public Schools’ seniors have a new opportunity to gain a richer understanding of their civil rights movement heritage, one that pays dividends they can use to pursue higher education.
The Lowndes County Juneteenth Celebration Committee is partnering with the Resilient Village Foundation to offer $1,000 scholarships to two seniors — one from Central High School in Hayneville and one from The Calhoun School. Applicants are asked to submit a 400-word essay detailing the “Who, What, When, Where and Why” of Lowndes County mass meetings held as part of the civil rights movement, the Black Panther logo and what is known as tent city, campsites foot soldiers used during the movement.
According to committee member, Teresa Gresham-Nettles, the initiative is aimed at helping students gain a better understanding of their community’s part in the civil rights movement.
“They have already been introduced to the movement’s history,” Nettles said. “This scholarship is planned so that they can have the knowledge of the importance of their county in the movement. I’m from here and growing up I didn’t know. We want them to know what the people in their county that did was important to the movement.”
The Resilient Village Foundation is an Atlanta-based organization providing education to empower individuals for personal and community growth and fostering a resilient environment that thrives on knowledge and inclusivity. Nettles said the partnership began during a community-leader conference call when foundation representatives learned of grassroots efforts to educate local youths and offered to sponsor the scholarship.
To apply, interested seniors from Central and Calhoun can visit the scholarship website at https://form.jotform.com/250304227577152, where they can learn more about the process. She noted that while essays can be submitted online, a paper copy must be turned into high school counselors for submission.
Applications will be judged by committee members and the recipients will be announced during the March 23 event, An Evening of Elegance.
“We want students to be able to use the scholarship for any college-related expenses,” Nettles said. “Some students can’t even get the things they need to go to college, like bedding, dorm fees or a deposit. So, we want this award to be given to them at graduation. It will be announced at the [March 23] event but it will be awarded at graduation.”
To learn more, visit https://form.jotform.com/250304227577152. Winners will be announced at An Evening of Elegance on March 23 beginning at 4 p.m. at Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church in Tyler.
