Furman students reflect on Rev. Jesse Jackson on WYFF News 4

In the wake of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s passing on Feb. 17, WYFF News 4’s Miya Payton visited the Furman University campus to get reactions from students. Four Furman seniors appeared in the interview – Alex Black (communication studies), Chaye Bonner (business administration-finance track), Lexia Gianopoulos (a double major in communication studies and psychology) and Corrine Milam (communication studies and visual strategy). They were prompted by Journalist in Residence Nigel Robertson to dig deeper into the life of the Greenville, South Carolina, native. Robertson, an evening news anchor at WYFF, teaches public speaking and social media strategy for the Department of Communication Studies at Furman.

Gianopoulos said, “[Jackson] did apply to Furman prior to Joseph Vaughn (the first African American to enroll at the university), and he was denied because of our segregation laws at the time. Then many years later, back in 2013, he actually came to campus to speak to over 800 people. So, I think it’s a really powerful story of resilience.”

“I think that we also have so much to learn from so many people that have come before us,” Gianopoulos added. “And I hope that in passing away, while it is very sad, I hope that now we’ll be able to investigate a little bit more into what he’s done and the frameworks that he’s left behind.”