EAST LANSING, Mich. — We’re continuing to celebrate Black History Month here at FOX 47, and this week, we tell the story of the first Black person to graduate from Michigan State University and how his legacy still inspires current students today.
“Pretty much he laid the foundation to help support and promote welfare and interest of Black students,” said Carleen Gardner with the MSU Black Alumni, Inc.
While it has been nearly 120 years since William O. Thompson earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from MSU, his legacy is still very much alive on campus.
“I feel like he set the tone, for future Black graduates at Michigan State, and I think it’s inspiring,” said MSU student Lily Cross.
Cross is a senior majoring in journalism. She said Thompson’s story has motivated her to be proud about being a Black college student, an experience she said is like no other.
“It really gets real to be a Black MSU student,” she said. “I feel like we’re having conversations that our 80-year-old grandparents are having at just 20. We have really heart-wrenching conversations with each other like trauma, but there are happy things we talk about because of the support."
Here's why that support is so important. Recent data from MSU shows that Black students make up only about 7% of the campus population, and the Black graduation rate is 63% compared to the 85% for white students.
“We need to just make sure we are educating our students that we are providing them the resources they need,” Gardner said.
The MSU Black Alumni, Inc. is organization that spends a lot of time coming up with resources for Black students on campus. One of those resources includes financial help. Last year, the organization awarded $40,000 in scholarships.
“We want to be able to take some of that burden off students so that they can focus on the education, graduating and being great leaders in this world,” Gardner said.
And students like Cross say they're ready to take on the world after graduation. But before she walks across the stage, she has one message for William O. Thompson.
“I would just say a very well deserved thank you to him,” Cross said.
