458:
attendance of Branch and
Armstrong. A faculty guardian and tutor was secretly appointed for each. The same campus police department which had attempted to railroad Kennard to prison when he attempted to enroll, now had very strict orders to prevent or quickly stop any incident involving the two black students. Student athletic, fraternity, and political leaders were recruited to keep the calm and protect the university from such bad publicity Ole Miss had suffered from its reaction to
120:
63:
22:
360:, president of (then) Mississippi Southern College, to discuss his enrollment application. She found Kennard the kind of person who actually believed in the goodness of man. He even had a good opinion of Dr. McCain, who was a well known racist and segregationist. He thought that he did not need any protection. Branch and others asked him to "Let someone go with you." But Kennard saw no need.
476:
Attending the university was very, very hard on her. At this time (September 1965) she had three young children, aged three, five, and six, to care for. Her first husband had mental illness and wouldn't allow her to study at night. The NAACP paid my tuition, but no money to live on. She did earn $
445:
In 1965, at age twenty-four, Branch was
Secretary of the Forrest County, Mississippi NAACP when it recruited her to integrate the last major holdout of the Mississippi university system, the University of Southern Mississippi. The NAACP offered to pay her tuition but not living expenses – a factor
363:
The meeting with McCain resulted in his arrest on false criminal charges and the beginning of a notorious miscarriage of justice which led to
Kennard's early death at 36 because of bungled cancer treatment in the Mississippi prison system. After a second false arrest, Branch attended the trial and
468:
She majored in Pre-Medicine and had a work-study job on campus in the biology department. The two women attended classes accompanied by six bodyguards, one of them a local policeman who had once violently attacked her in a civil rights confrontation. The university administration appointed Dr.
457:
had been integrated – the former violently, the latter peacefully. University of
Southern Mississippi leaders, such as President William David McCain, had come to realize that the battle to maintain segregation was lost. Therefore, they made extensive confidential plans for the admission and
472:
Today, Branch says that she was treated just like everybody else, and that the poor grades she earned were because of her financial and family situation and that, because of the poor, substandard segregated high school education she had received, she spoke a substandard
English.
504:
over
Kennard's attempt to enter the University of Southern Mississippi and he was equally supportive of Branch's effort. In January 1966, on the evening before Dahmer's home was firebombed by the KKK, he had sent to her boxes of groceries to help feed her family.
546:
Branch returned to
Hattiesburg in 1987, and is very glad that she did. The next year she enrolled in a Master's program at University of Southern Mississippi. She received her master's degree in Community Health Nursing, with a minor in Education, in 1993.
330:. When her family moved from Hattiesburg to Chicago, they were homeless two or three times, living in a park. She does not have good memories about living in the North. She went to schools that were predominantly white where the teacher never spoke to her.
422:
bus stations in
Hattiesburg, and was the first African American ever hired at the local Big Yank clothing factory. She also became the first African American ever offered a position as a switchboard operator at the local telephone company.
446:
which led to her decision to withdraw after the first year. On
September 6, 1965, she (then Raylawni Young) and eighteen-year-old Hattiesburg native Elaine Armstrong became the first African American students at Mississippi Southern.
469:
Geoffrey Fish, an oceanographer who taught biology as her guardian and tutor. Fish took a genuine interest in both women, gave them advice and jobs in work-study. He was very kind, listened to them, was like father figure to them.
356:, whose tragic attempt to integrate the University of Southern Mississippi had begun in 1956 and was to play out before Branch’s young eyes. In 1959 she saw Kennard on the morning of his appointment with arch-segregationist Dr.
508:
After separating from her husband in 1966, Branch left
Mississippi for New York, where she had a scholarship to study nursing at St. John's Episcopal School of Nursing. While in the North for school she was very active in the
340:’s Royal Street (then Rowan) High School and graduated in 1959. There she learned political activism, pride, and how to work the system from Marjorie Chambers, her history teacher. She was also encouraged by listening to Dr.
495:
From the early 1960s she often attended meetings at Dahmer's house where his wife Ellie would watch the road for danger from the KKK while they met. Dahmer had been active in defense of Kennard during his struggle with
148:
333:
She was again homeless in Chicago after the family lost its home over her father's legal problems. After her father died in the Cook County Jail in 1955, the family returned to Mississippi.
870:
514:
382:
From 1959 to 1965 she was a homemaker, married and had three children. When northern civil rights activists became active in Mississippi in the early 1960s with the
820:
780:
364:
was among those who tried to get Johnny Lee Roberts, the prosecution's suborned witness, to tell the truth or flee the state. Roberts refused, fearing that the
775:
543:
in Denver, Colorado. In the Air Force she has been on flying status, been a chief nurse, been the director of an operating room, and assistant director.
352:
As a teenager, she worked in a restaurant named Fat's Kitchen in Hattiesburg’s Mobile Street black business district. There she met a regular customer,
840:
336:
By the time she was graduated from the eighth grade, she had moved eleven times and been in eight schools. Back in Mississippi, Branch attended
152:
665:
855:
845:
815:
795:
860:
850:
82:
You can help by adding reliable sources to this article. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced
395:
624:
830:
501:
403:
399:
835:
128:
76:
71:
825:
558:
of South Central Mississippi. In March 2004 she retired from Instructor of Nursing at the University of Southern Mississippi.
202:
174:
728:
711:
391:
299:
181:
239:
221:
101:
49:
865:
805:
566:
279:
35:
810:
419:
188:
790:
551:
170:
454:
144:
510:
438:. The night Medgar Evers was assassinated, June 12, 1963, she went to Jackson and sat with the widow
323:
311:
785:
669:
562:
427:
268:
133:
750:
137:
800:
536:
407:
341:
439:
303:
291:
195:
770:
540:
497:
357:
295:
41:
465:
As a result, Branch had only one minor negative experience in her year at the university.
8:
622:
525:
555:
532:
386:
and similar groups, she became very active, serving as secretary of the Forrest County
707:
327:
513:. October 21, 1967, she was among the 35,000 anti-war protesters organized by the
732:
628:
415:
379:, living in little shacks with no utilities, then again returned to Mississippi.
159:
517:, gathered for a demonstration at the Defense Department, called the "March on
478:
459:
411:
383:
372:
307:
764:
726:
489:
482:
431:
353:
518:
435:
298:
officer. She is best known for her leading role in the integration of the
337:
402:. She participated in several activities, including the August 28, 1963
704:
My Soul Looks Back in Wonder: Voices of the Civil Rights Experience
450:
376:
757:
at The University of Southern Mississippi (Historical Manuscripts)
477:
80 weekly from the student job and received minimal help from the
158:
from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
387:
754:
371:
After high school graduation she tried the North again as a
302:(Hattiesburg) in 1965, which was peaceful as opposed to the
531:
Having joined the Air Force reserves in 1975, she rose to
515:
National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam
365:
492:, working with him in the NAACP and voter registration.
524:
She received her bachelor's degree in Nursing from the
550:
Branch was Instructor of associate degree Nursing at
871:African-American United States Air Force personnel
706:. New York: Sterling Publishing. pp. 98–102.
306:triggered by white racism after the enrollment of
290:(born 1941) is a black Mississippi pioneer of the
488:She was well acquainted with civil rights martyr
762:
406:at which she was one of the 250,000 to hear Dr.
821:People from Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi
781:20th-century African-American women politicians
701:
322:She was raised in Hattiesburg, Prentiss, and
660:
658:
656:
368:would harm his family left in Mississippi.
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
776:African-American female military personnel
654:
652:
650:
648:
646:
644:
642:
640:
638:
636:
426:In the NAACP she knew well people such as
151:about living persons that is unsourced or
841:University of Southern Mississippi alumni
396:Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
240:Learn how and when to remove this message
222:Learn how and when to remove this message
102:Learn how and when to remove this message
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
608:
606:
604:
602:
502:Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission
404:March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
400:Southern Christian Leadership Conference
347:
633:
600:
598:
596:
594:
592:
590:
588:
586:
584:
582:
763:
294:, a professional nursing educator and
720:
684:
856:20th-century African-American people
846:21st-century African-American people
816:People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi
796:Education segregation in Mississippi
579:
113:
56:
15:
861:20th-century African-American women
851:21st-century African-American women
666:"M335 Branch (Raylawni) Collection"
13:
392:Council of Federated Organizations
300:University of Southern Mississippi
14:
882:
744:
31:This article has multiple issues.
118:
61:
20:
831:American civil rights activists
420:Trailways Transportation System
39:or discuss these issues on the
836:American anti-racism activists
1:
826:School desegregation pioneers
572:
552:Pearl River Community College
414:" speech. She integrated the
317:
455:Mississippi State University
129:biography of a living person
72:biography of a living person
7:
156:must be removed immediately
84:must be removed immediately
10:
887:
751:Raylawni Branch Collection
344:'s speeches on the radio.
511:Anti-Vietnam War movement
449:By the fall of 1965 both
312:University of Mississippi
275:
261:
254:
731:August 28, 2008, at the
563:Mississippi State Senate
561:In 2003 she ran for the
554:and Nurse Coordinator,
269:Hattiesburg, Mississippi
866:African-American nurses
806:Mississippi Republicans
485:, and similar sources.
811:Educators from Chicago
702:Juan Williams (2005).
537:Keesler Air Force Base
408:Martin Luther King Jr.
342:Martin Luther King Jr.
326:, Mississippi, and in
143:Please help by adding
791:American women nurses
672:on September 12, 2006
440:Myrlie Evers-Williams
348:Civil rights activism
292:Civil Rights Movement
627:May 6, 2005, at the
541:Lowry Air Force Base
498:William David McCain
390:and a member of the
358:William David McCain
296:US Air Force Reserve
149:Contentious material
755:Special Collections
539:, and stationed at
526:University of Miami
556:American Red Cross
533:lieutenant colonel
314:(Oxford) in 1962.
328:Chicago, Illinois
285:
284:
250:
249:
242:
232:
231:
224:
206:
171:"Raylawni Branch"
132:needs additional
112:
111:
104:
54:
878:
735:
724:
718:
717:
699:
682:
681:
679:
677:
668:. Archived from
662:
631:
620:
252:
251:
245:
238:
227:
220:
216:
213:
207:
205:
164:
145:reliable sources
122:
121:
114:
107:
100:
96:
93:
87:
65:
64:
57:
46:
24:
23:
16:
886:
885:
881:
880:
879:
877:
876:
875:
786:American nurses
761:
760:
747:
741:
739:
738:
733:Wayback Machine
725:
721:
714:
700:
685:
675:
673:
664:
663:
634:
629:Wayback Machine
621:
580:
575:
416:Greyhound Lines
350:
320:
288:Raylawni Branch
276:Political party
271:
266:
257:
256:Raylawni Branch
246:
235:
234:
233:
228:
217:
211:
208:
165:
163:
142:
123:
119:
108:
97:
91:
88:
81:
66:
62:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
884:
874:
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
759:
758:
746:
745:External Links
743:
737:
736:
719:
713:978-1402722332
712:
683:
632:
577:
576:
574:
571:
479:Delta Ministry
460:James Meredith
412:I Have a Dream
384:Delta Ministry
373:migrant worker
349:
346:
319:
316:
308:James Meredith
283:
282:
277:
273:
272:
267:
263:
259:
258:
255:
248:
247:
230:
229:
153:poorly sourced
126:
124:
117:
110:
109:
69:
67:
60:
55:
29:
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
883:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
801:Living people
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
766:
756:
752:
749:
748:
742:
734:
730:
727:
723:
715:
709:
705:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
676:September 11,
671:
667:
661:
659:
657:
655:
653:
651:
649:
647:
645:
643:
641:
639:
637:
630:
626:
623:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
607:
605:
603:
601:
599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
585:
583:
578:
570:
568:
564:
559:
557:
553:
548:
544:
542:
538:
534:
529:
527:
522:
520:
516:
512:
506:
503:
499:
493:
491:
490:Vernon Dahmer
486:
484:
483:Vernon Dahmer
480:
474:
470:
466:
463:
461:
456:
452:
447:
443:
441:
437:
433:
432:Charles Evers
429:
424:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
380:
378:
374:
369:
367:
361:
359:
355:
354:Clyde Kennard
345:
343:
339:
334:
331:
329:
325:
315:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
289:
281:
278:
274:
270:
264:
260:
253:
244:
241:
226:
223:
215:
212:February 2015
204:
201:
197:
194:
190:
187:
183:
180:
176:
173: –
172:
168:
167:Find sources:
161:
157:
154:
150:
146:
140:
139:
135:
130:
125:
116:
115:
106:
103:
95:
92:February 2015
85:
79:
78:
77:single source
73:
68:
59:
58:
53:
51:
44:
43:
38:
37:
32:
27:
18:
17:
740:
722:
703:
674:. Retrieved
670:the original
560:
549:
545:
535:assigned to
530:
523:
519:The Pentagon
507:
494:
487:
475:
471:
467:
464:
448:
444:
436:Medgar Evers
425:
381:
375:on farms in
370:
362:
351:
335:
332:
324:Mount Carmel
321:
304:violent riot
287:
286:
236:
218:
209:
199:
192:
185:
178:
166:
155:
138:verification
131:
98:
89:
83:
75:relies on a
74:
47:
40:
34:
33:Please help
30:
771:1941 births
428:Aaron Henry
338:Hattiesburg
765:Categories
573:References
567:Republican
410:gave his "
318:Early life
280:Republican
182:newspapers
36:improve it
528:in 1969.
134:citations
42:talk page
729:Archived
625:Archived
500:and the
451:Ole Miss
398:and the
377:Michigan
160:libelous
481:, from
310:at the
196:scholar
710:
434:, and
394:, the
198:
191:
184:
177:
169:
565:as a
388:NAACP
203:JSTOR
189:books
127:This
70:This
708:ISBN
678:2008
453:and
418:and
265:1941
262:Born
175:news
136:for
521:".
366:KKK
767::
753:,
686:^
635:^
581:^
569:.
462:.
442:.
430:,
147:.
45:.
716:.
680:.
243:)
237:(
225:)
219:(
214:)
210:(
200:·
193:·
186:·
179:·
162:.
141:.
105:)
99:(
94:)
90:(
86:.
80:.
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.