A rose to all the organizers and volunteers who devoted their energies to celebrating Black History Month as it comes to an end this year. From schools to churches to civic organizations to arts councils, this year’s celebration filled the calendar with a wide variety of events and opportunities to add to our knowledge and appreciation of Black citizens. For much of American history, the accomplishments of Black Americans were overlooked or marginalized in mainstream narratives. The month serves to honor these achievements. It also promotes a deeper understanding of Black culture and heritage and provides a platform for schools and universities to integrate the study of Black history into their studies.
A rose to our local school districts for their improvements in graduation and drop-out rates over the past five years. With few exceptions Golden Triangle schools saw their graduation rates go up and drop-out rates go down, sometimes dramatically. Outside of MSMS, whose graduation rates and drop-out rates are consistently at the top of the scale, other districts have made great strides. Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District had the highest increase in graduation rates compared to five years ago – a 13.4% improvement to 89.7% – and the greatest reduction in drop-out rate (15.3% to 8.6%). Lowndes County joined MSMS in posting rates better than the state and national average – 93.6% graduation and 4.5% drop-out. Congratulations to our schools for these improvements.
A rose to Main Street Columbus for commissioning the new Debra Mansfield mural that greets visitors at the north entrance of downtown (Fifth Street North and Fifth Avenue). Mansfield’s name has become synonymous with more than 30 of her lively, colorful murals in West Point, Starkville and Columbus. The mural was funded through a Mississippi Main Street Association Community Development Grant. The new mural features the text “Welcome to Downtown Columbus” against the background featuring some of the city’s historic and picturesque downtown buildings. The cheerful mural is indeed a welcoming sign for visitors to our downtown.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
