JANS – On Saturday, July 29, 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), in partnership with the Change Collective and Tougaloo College, hosted the SPLC Advocacy Institute graduation ceremony in Holmes Hall. White House Correspondent April Ryan served as the commencement speaker. 

“We are thrilled that April Ryan addressed the graduates on the importance of advocacy,” said Waikinya Clanton, SPLC Mississippi state director. “Her career is a testament of how to effectively use the power of your voice to bring about positive change for people and community. Her ability to ask the hard, but necessary, questions of government leaders is an example of how to use your form of advocacy to positively influence and impact policy at both a local and federal level.” 

Ryan is the longest-serving Black woman in the press corps.  Her position as a White House Correspondent has afforded her insight into the racial sensitivities, issues, and political struggles of our nation’s past presidents for over 26 years.

She is the author of several books, has served on the board of the prestigious White House Correspondents Association, is the recipient of multiple awards, and was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Social Justice Impact.

Ryan currently serves as the Washington D.C. Bureau Chief for TheGrio. 

Selected fellows of the SPLC Advocacy Institute were awarded prizes totaling $100,000 to invest back into their communities throughout Mississippi.

“The polarizing nature of politics in Mississippi has caught the attention of the nation,” continued Clanton. “It is important that activists have the tools and resources necessary to push back against injustice, counter harmful narratives, and put positive change in motion to protect their respective communities. Through the Advocacy Institute, participants gained an understanding of how to properly champion their cause and how to best galvanize people to support their issue, all with the common objective of creating a fair and equitable Mississippi.”