In 1967, while visiting Mississippi as part of the Senate subcommittee on poverty, Robert Kennedy cradled hungry children, talked with mothers about how they fed their families and examined empty refrigerators. Although he was only in the Delta for a day, Kennedy, the people he encountered, Mississippi and the nation felt the impact of that journey for much longer. What he found in the Delta both shocked and motivated Kennedy to work for significant changes in the nation’s food aid policy. It was a crucial step toward his decision to run for the presidency a year later.
Drawing upon archival research and interviews, Meacham’s presentation outlines Kennedy’s journey through Mississippi and what he saw and heard, concluding with how Kennedy’s visit affected food aid policy, what has changed there and what has not changed since his visit.
Presentation will take place in Patterson Hall Auditorium on the NEMCC campus.
Ellen B. Meacham has worked as a professional journalist since 1991 and earned a master’s degree in southern studies from the University of Mississippi. She has taught in the University’s journalism school for 11 years. Since 2007, she has been researching a book about Robert Kennedy’s visit to the Delta.