Negro Teachers in 1944;. Jackson State College in 1967, after desegregation; and with the addition of graduate programs and expanded curriculum, Jackson State University in 1974.
Many students at Jackson State College became active in the civil rights movement. Work to gain integrated practice and social justice continued after civil rights legislation was passed in the mid-1960s. During an on-campus protest on May 14, 1970, two students were killed by police gunfire, and an additional 12 students injured by gunfire. A dormitory still bears the bullet marks fired on that day.
The university drew national attention in 2023 when the faculty senate voted "no confidence" in university president Thomas Hudson. They alleged that he "repeatedly failed to respect shared governance, transparency, and accountability". Shortly thereafter, the university's board of trustees placed Hudson on administrative leave and appointed Elayne Hayes-Anthony the acting president.
== Campuses ==
The main campus contains over 50 academic …
