MSU’s first Black graduate John Barnes makes summer visit to campus

Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University welcomed its first Black graduate back to campus this week, almost 60 years after becoming a university alumnus.

John L. “Johnny” Barnes of New York City, a 1968 economics graduate, was greeted by MSU President Mark E. Keenum and toured areas of the university including the Division of Access, Opportunity and Success, The Mill, Division of Athletics and the YMCA, a student focal point during that time.

Barnes and Richard C. Holmes, MSU’s first Black student to enroll, were honored by the MSU Alumni Association in early 2024 with the naming of the annual Black Alumni Weekend brunch in their honor. The Dr. Richard Holmes and John Barnes Brunch preceded an afternoon discussion "Ring Your Bell and Tell Your Tale: Stories from MSU's First Black Graduates," featuring firsthand panelists’ experiences as university students following integration in 1965.

While the Tallahatchie County native has reflected on hardships while a student, he said he “stands true” to the faculty. He explained his professor of labor economics had a sincere interest in his future after graduation, purchasing his plane ticket to New York City where he wanted to work.

Barnes continued his studies at the State University of New York and later at Columbia University after being awarded a fellowship from one of his first employers, General Motors. He also has held positions with such companies as PepsiCo, United Media and American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. The Harlem YMCA honored him in 1978 and 1982 with the Black Achievers Award.

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