JSU Black History Moments: Alexander Hall

Built in 1963, Alexander Hall is named in honor of Florence Octavia Alexander, an alumna of Jackson State University and a renowned educator.
In the late hours of May 14 and into the early morning of May 15, 1970, Jackson City Police and Mississippi Highway Patrolmen marched on the Jackson State campus and fired nearly 500 rounds of ammunition in 28 seconds into Alexander Hall. Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, a junior political science major, and James Earl Green, a senior at nearby Jim Hill High School, were killed. Twelve others were shot, and dozens were injured by flying debris, glass, and brick in the ensuing chaos.
Shortly after the shootings, the campus was closed, and graduation ceremonies for the Class of 1970 were canceled. In 2020, as part of the 50th commemoration of the Gibbs-Green tragedy, Jackson State invited the class to participate in the spring commencement ceremonies, but the Coronavirus pandemic intervened. For the second time in 50 years, the class of 1970 had its commencement canceled under tragic circumstances.
But on May 15, 2021, on the 51st commemoration of the Gibbs-Green tragedy, the class of 1970 received its long-awaited commencement ceremony.

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