Shining a light on the era of integration

Pamela Banks is a licensed clinical psychologist and the chair of the department of psychology at Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, Mississippi. She was instrumental in establishing the American Psychological Association accredited PhD program in clinical psychology at JSU in 1995. She received her BA from Antioch College and MSW, MA, and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has held two gubernatorial appointments to the Mississippi Board of Psychology and chairmanship positions on committees in the Mississippi Psychological Association, the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, and the Southeastern Psychological Association.

Award-winning journalist Jill Lawrence, author of The Art of the Political Deal: How Congress Beat the Odds and Broke Through Gridlock, is a columnist for USA Today and other publications. Previously she was commentary editor and editorial board member at USA Today, managing editor for politics at National Journal, national political correspondent at USA Today, and national political writer at The Associated Press. She serves on the board of the nonprofit Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO), promoting K-12 philosophy and ethics education to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and respectful discussion.

Kevin K. Gaines is a Miller Center faculty senior fellow and the Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the University of Virginia. He received his BA from Harvard University and his PhD from Brown University in the department of American Civilization. He is the author of Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics, and Culture in the Twentieth Century (University of North Carolina Press, 1996), which was awarded the John Hope Franklin book prize of the American Studies Association.