Holly Springs Civil Rights Reunion

In the 1960s, many heroic men and women dedicated their lives to the struggle for civil rights. These workers, in spite of the well-publicized dangers, came to Mississippi to fight for equality.

Rust College in Holly Springs was the first stop for many of these workers as they traveled into the state from Tennessee, and it continued to host activists up until 1967. Therefore, Rust’s campus was the perfect place to hold a reunion.

In September 2003, The Colom Foundation helped to bring several hundred veterans of the civil rights movement back to Rust College for a reunion and celebration of their accomplishments. The reunion included visits by Frank Smith and Larry Rubin, who were two of the first members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to come to Mississippi in 1962.