STONEVILLE — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Stoneville Area Office is hosting its 43rd annual African American History Program beginning at 11 a.m. Friday in the conference room of the Charles W. Capps Entrepreneurial Center in Stoneville.
The program is being hosted in partnership with the Forest Service, the Delta Council, the Delta Health Alliance and the Delta Research and Extension Center.
“African Americans and the Vote” is this year’s national theme and keynote speaker for the program is Attorney Andrea La’Verne Edney from Jackson.
Edney joins an impressive list of former keynote speakers for the program which include state senator and attorney Derrick Simmons, Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Leslie King, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, Judge James E. Graves, U.S. Congressman Bennie J. Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, Civil Rights Attorney Charles Victor McTeer, ARS Administrator Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, former President of Mississippi Valley State University Dr. William Bynum, former State Senator and Attorney Johnie Walls, State Representative and Attorney Willie Bailey, Circuit Court Judge Margaret Carey McCray, Associate General Counsel for USDA Office of General Council Arlean Leland, USC Department Chair and Renowned scientist Dr. John Carpten, and numerous others.
Edney is a graduate of the Hollandale School District, Alcorn State University and Mississippi College School of Law where she received her law degree.
Among a long list of prestigious accolades, Edney was chosen as Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year by the Mississippi Women Lawyers’ Association in 2011 and Mississippi College School of Law’s Young Lawyer of the Year for 2005-2006.
Administrative officer Carlean Horton shared the program committee always makes an effort to select the program’s keynote speaker based on the theme, especially with a monumental election taking place this year.
As the administrative officer, Horton usually somewhat takes the lead in coordinating all of the office’s special emphasis programs, along with a committee developed to organize the programs.
“We celebrate a number of special emphasis programs every other month, it just depends on what that national recognition is and of course for the month of February, it’s African American History month,” she explained. “We celebrate it just to bring recognition to our forefathers…we try to make sure our program is in line with that national theme and we just want to make people aware of the recognition of those African Americans who have made great contributions to the African American race and beyond, not just for African Americans but races all over.”
With selecting the keynote speakers year to year, however, Horton credited the area director for always delivering in that aspect.
“He was one of the first members 40 years ago to start the Black History program at USDA for the Stoneville location,” Horton said, “so he’s still a part of it because he’s still employed here...he sort of takes the lead on recommending guest speakers and he always does a great job so we go with that.”
In addition, Dr. Steve Martin, acting head of Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center will participate on the program and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) choir will perform.
Horton added, “We always look forward to the community coming out to support us. This is our 43rd and we plan on continuing it with even bigger and better speakers in the future.”
