OPINION: PLEASE VOTE – A TRIBUTE TO 833
By Selika Sweet, M.D., FAAFP
JA Guest Writer
Lanier High School is turning 100 this year, and from the energy in the air, it promises to be a celebration worthy of its legacy. My 93-year-old mother, Grace Sweet, is already preparing – rifling through her closet for just the right pair of shoes and calling her few remaining classmates to reminisce and make plans.
It’s also voting season in Jackson, Mississippi. As I glance at her old poll tax receipt, I’m reminded that our family’s tradition of civic engagement runs deep.
“Mom, people are always surprised to hear you were registered to vote back in the 1950s.”
She paused, smiled, and nodded.
“Yes, Mr. I.S. Sanders was the principal at Lanier back then. A real man. He believed deeply in civic duty – and made voter registration a top priority for every teacher. I’ll never forget the day he called me into his office. I thought I had done something wrong.”
She chuckled softly.
“But instead, he said, ‘Tomorrow, have your husband wait for you when he brings you to work. Mr. Lyles will take you both to register to vote.’”
“He was in the Army, right?” I asked.
“Oh yes. He, his father, and his brother all served together and completed full tours,” she replied with pride.
“So this was before the Voting Rights Act of 1965?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “I was registered long before that. Mr. Sanders made sure every teacher at Lanier was.”
She continued, “I may not have my actual poll tax receipt from the 1950s, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I graduated from Tougaloo at 20 and started teaching in Gulfport under Mr. Calbert – thanks to my sister, Alma, and my brother, James, who helped me get the job. I only stayed a year because I met your father, Dennis, on a train headed to Chicago to visit my brother Morris. I came home, got married at 21, and began teaching at Lanier. One of the first things I did was register to vote – must have been around 1954.”
I smiled and asked, “What happened when the lady at the registrar’s office wouldn’t list you as ‘Mrs.’?”
“Oh,” she said, “Mr. Lyles took us in. Your father signed up without issue. But when I gave my name, she wrote ‘Grace Sweet.’ I told her, ‘I’m Mrs. Grace Sweet – please add the Mrs.’ She scratched it off. I put it back. Mr. Lyles whispered, ‘Just register to vote – we’ll get the Mrs. later.’”
As a side note, my father attended Holy Ghost Catholic School – just across from Lanier. They lived only a mile apart, but didn’t meet until they were traveling. Mama said Lanier used to dismiss early so the boys wouldn’t cross paths and fight!
I added, remember when I read “Beaches, Ballots, and Bullets” by Dr. Gilbert Mason? He went to Lanier too. When he moved to Biloxi, he led a movement for voting rights – and talked about how he was originally registered right here in Jackson.
No matter your political affiliation, make voting a habit. It’s more than a right – it’s a sacred responsibility, a generational tradition, and a living tribute to those who came before us.
As the “City of Mayors” election approaches in Jackson, cast your vote – not just for a candidate, but in honor of a legacy. Be like Mr. I.S. Sanders: encourage others, assist where you can, and push for participation. That’s how movements are built.
Lanier High School – 833 – has always been ahead of its time. Let’s keep it that way.
