Academic Historian

Sheren G. Sanders is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia. She received her B.A. in history from Louisiana State University, M.A. in Social Sciences and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Urban Affairs from Southern University and A&M College. She has served as the managing editor as well as a contributor to the Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America (2015), and published A Book of Readings (2014), with scholar and author, Linda R. Beito. Her current research explores political parties in Virginia, immigration history and policies in the United States, health care policy for minority women, and African American cultural retentions in North America.

Campbell College (1890-1964)

Campbell College, a now-defunct AME college in Mississippi, was founded in 1890 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of one of its bishops, Jabez Pitt Campbell.  The college was originally located about one mile from the center of Vicksburg, Mississippi in … Read MoreCampbell College (1890-1964)

Mary Holmes College (1892-2005)

Mary Holmes College of West Point, Mississippi, initially named Mary Holmes Seminary, was founded in 1892 by the Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church with the purpose of educating black girls from primary grades to high school. The school was the vision of Reverend Mead Holmes and his daughter, Mary Emilie, … Read MoreMary Holmes College (1892-2005)

The Clinton, Mississippi Riot (1875)

The Clinton Riot began on September 4, 1875, in the small town of Clinton, Mississippi at a Republican rally to introduce the party’s candidates who were running for political office in the upcoming November elections.  The immediate death toll included five blacks and three white men.  Over the next several days, … Read MoreThe Clinton, Mississippi Riot (1875)

The Carroll County Courthouse Massacre (1886)

The Carroll County Courthouse Massacre occurred on March 17, 1886 in Carrollton, the county seat of Carroll County, Mississippi.  An incident from earlier in the year led to the bloodshed in March that left twenty-three people dead. The events leading up to the massacre began in January when … Read MoreThe Carroll County Courthouse Massacre (1886)