October 27, 2000

A Pivotal Moment for Desegregation

Mississippi and Maryland seek to end disputes; tensions remain on role of black colleges

By Sara Hebel

Twenty-five years have passed, and Lillie B. Ayers is still waiting. Mississippi is waiting with her.

In 1975, Ms. Ayers's late husband, Jake Sr., filed suit in federal court on behalf of his son, who attended historically black Jackson State University, and other students at Mississippi's black public four-year colleges. He and other black citizens demanded that the state provide equal education at historically black colleges by increasing their state resources and improving their