Unity Park Committee Seeks Nominations for Honorees

The Unity Park Advisory Committee accepts nominations year around for new Honorees.  The Committee is seeking submission of names of potential Honorees who meet the criteria listed below. The new Honorees will be announced in a ceremony at the Unity Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Unity Park, located on Connor Drive on the left between Main St. and Jefferson St., currently features large plaques honoring Dr. D.L. Connor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Governor William Winter, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers and the Mississippi State University Men’s Basketball “Game of Change.” Beginning in 2018, the Unity Park Advisory Committee began to select up two additional Honorees per year from nominees submitted by the public.

Nominees can be submitted by email to: starkvilleunitypark@yahoo.com, or in writing to the following address: Unity Park Advisory Committee, 108 Grand Ridge, Starkville. Each nominee must meet the following criteria:

1) The nominee must have lived in Oktibbeha County for at least part of his or her life;
2) The nominee must have been deceased for at least five years at the time of the nomination;
3) The nominee must have made a significant contribution to civil rights in Oktibbeha County
4) The nominee must have advanced community unity within Oktibbeha County.

The Committee will consider the names submitted and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

The Unity Park Advisory Committee consists of community members and was formed in 2014 by the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors. It was reorganized in 2017 and tasked with developing the nomination process for future honorees, strategic planning, park upkeep and park projects. More information about the Unity Park, its history and honorees, is available at starkvilleunitypark.com

Jeanne A. Marszalek, Chair
Unity Park Advisory Committee
starkvilleunitypark@yahoo.com