Fifty years ago the first African-American undergraduate student, A.P. Tureaud Jr., was admitted to the University.
Although he was only at LSU three months, his tenure helped successfully break racial barriers.
Now 50 years later students reflect on the impact his presence has made on the campus and the changes it still needs to implement.
In 1953, Tureaud Jr. was the first African-American undergraduate student to enroll at LSU.
Tureaud Jr. was the son of civil rights activist A.P. Tureaud Sr., who graduated from Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C., in 1925.
Therefore it should come as no surprise his son would apply to LSU.
Tureaud said his father never recruited him to apply. One day he said wanted to go to LSU and did not think it would be an issue.
“My father always gave you the feeling that you could do what you wanted to do and it would be OK,” he said.
Because of legal and social problems Tureaud Jr. was unable to complete college at LSU. However, a building was named in honor of his father.
Crawford Leavoy, a political science freshman, first learned about A.P Tureaud Jr. this summer during the STRIPES program.
“I’m from Alabama, where the governor stood on the steps of a school and refuted the entrance of African-American students,” he said. “So, I think it’s commendable that under some the same racial pressures, he was able to initiate a change in the structure of LSU.”
Although in there is an obvious change race relations at LSU, some students believe improvements can be made.
David Robbins, an undecided freshman, said some people can’t help their narrow mindedness and racist attitude because it has been instilled in them since birth.
“Even though these people want to change,” he said. “They just don’t know how.”
One suggestion he has is to add meeting people of different cultural backgrounds to the list of 101 things to do at LSU to ease the pressure of exploring different cultures.
Niamh Minion, an international studies freshman, agrees and said education is key.
“As long as we have programs like Harambee’, we are giving college students the opportunity to undergo new experiences,” she said.
Steven Scales, a mass communication senior, said if A.P. Tureaud Jr. came back to LSU he would be very pleased with the strides LSU has taken to make minority students feel at home.
“He would recognize the effort made by [Office of Multicultural Affairs], [Black Student Union] and NAACP and realize the importance in continuing and improving programs aimed at minority recruitment and retention,” he said, “as well as the University’s overall efforts to maintain diversity.”
Katrice Albert, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said Tureaud would be delighted at the programs OMA, the cultural center, department of African and African-American studies, and the black faculty and staff caucus have developed and promoted.
Albert said Tureaud would marvel over programs such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee, Spring Fest, Black History, as well as those courses designed for the study of the African-American culture. He would also advise us to continue putting forth the efforts of systematic recruitment and maintain and increase the level of programming, Albert said.
“He would also want us to realize our role in the greater Baton Rouge community from a university standpoint,” she said.
Albert said she thinks it is OMA’s responsibility to continue dialogue as students, faculty and staff to increase knowledge and appreciation of other cultures.
“Dialogue is action,” she said. “People who are willing to talk are social action agents and need to be applauded.”
Albert said it’s important to remember Tureaud Jr.’s legacy because it denotes the tides of change in our intuition.
“Fifty years was not that long ago,” she said. “Prior to then, exclusion was a way of life. So it’s important we never forget our forefathers and foremothers who were trailblazers.”
Albert said, “We honor their legacy and use it as motivation for students to excel academically and socially. It’s important we as students, faculty and staff pay homage to his trailblazing spirit.”
Each year the A.P. Tureaud Jr. Alumni Association selects an outstanding new freshman student to receive the A.P. Tureaud Jr. Scholarship.
Last night during Harambee’, Datrina Hinton from Houston was named as this year’s recipient.