In 1953 the Mississippi State Legislature called an extraordinary session in order to rewrite the laws governing the public school systems throughout the state. As a result of this session, the legislature created the State Educational Finance Commission. One of their mandates was to make sure that each county submitted a plan for the reorganization of its school system. Part of the documentation created as part of this process included photographs of every school across the state. This digital collection offers selected Kodachrome images taken during the mid-1950s in Benton, Clay, Grenada, and Jones Counties. Interested parties can view the slides via the "School Index" or the "Slide Index" area. The images feature students at play, in science labs, home economics classes, and other settings. Overall, it's a fascinating and troubling document that looks at the phenomenon of segregated educational facilities during this historical period.
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