Monthly Archives: December 2010

Andrew Young (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Which U.S. Ambassador visited West Jackson in February 2010? That would be (c.) Andrew Young.

Ambassador Young began his career in public service as a civil rights activist and close friend to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1973, he began his term as Congressman for Georgia’s 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Young as the 14th Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Young was the first African American to hold the position and served as Ambassador until 1979.  In 1982, Young began the first of his two terms as Mayor of the City of Atlanta.

In recent years, Ambassador Young has been hard at work with his Andrew Young Foundation–a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance Young’s vision of equality, justice, and peace “for all of God’s Children.” He will also be honored at the 2011 Emmys with the Trustees Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center, located on the Campus of Jackson State University, is preparing for the 2011 Martin Luther King Convocation. This time, the event will feature a free concert by the Mississippi Mass Choir and performances by Poetry Out Loud winners Amber Rose Johnson (National Winner) and John Eze Uzodinma (Mississippi Winner). The convocation takes place on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium on the campus of Jackson State.

There will also be a Luncheon on Friday, January 14th,  which will honor Freedom Rider Hank Thomas, College of Liberal Arts Dean Dollye M.E. Robinson, and the Mississippi Council of National Negro Women. The Luncheon, which will take place in the JSU Student Center, is sponsored by Attorney Isaac Byrd and is free with limited seating.

That’s it for this week’s Westerday Trivia. Have a great week and have a Happy New Year!!!

P.S. Celebrate safely tomorrow!

Willie Heidelburg, Running Back, University of Southern Mississippi, 1970, 1971 (Photo: Student Printz)

So, which Lumberton, Mississippi native and West Jackson resident was the first African-American football player at the University of Southern Mississippi? If you answered (b.) Willie Heidelburg, then you are absolutely correct! Heidelburg was recruited as a running back for the Eagles in the Spring of 1970 and quickly received the nickname “Wee Willie”–a name that referenced his small stature. You see, in a sport that is filled with giants, Heidelburg stood 5′ 6″ tall and weighed 147 pounds.  Nevertheless, he proved that the meaning of the word “giant” was relative as Southern Miss faced the fourth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels and their Heisman Trophy-nominated quarterback, Archie Manning.

Southern Miss, undoubtedly the underdog in this matchup, went on to defeat Ole Miss 30-14. Nearly half of Southern Miss’s points were attributed to the quickness of Heidelburg (not to mention the two touchdowns he scored).

Willie Heidelburg now lives in West Jackson and is an Assistant Football Coach at Belhaven University.

For more information on Willie Heidelburg, you should definitely read the March 2009 Student Printz article by Tyler Cleveland.

Thanks for participating in this week’s trivia! We’ll see you next time!