User:Gumper09/Jessie tompkins

Jessie Tompkins (Born August 1959) is a former American athlete from Bessemer Alabama. Tompkins led the nation in the 400 hurdles in high school 1979 and Junior College 1981 with posting a 52.4 and a 50.6 respectfully according to Track and field News. Tompkins is a graduate from Bishop College and the United Sports Academy in Daphne Alabama.(1)

Tompkins organized and developed the East Montgomery Track Club for youth in rural Montgomery, Alabama.(3)

During the Civil Rights era in Alabama, Tompkins family were target of violence and racial attacks in Marion Alabama.(5) In 1958, A Tompkins family member, Jimmy Wilson, an accused black handyman, was sentence to death for allegedly robbing a white women for a $1.95 by an all white jury from Marion, Alabama.(7)

Throughout the south since the civil rights era, Like the Tompkins, rural black have been target for land and homestead rights in the south.(5)(10)

Tompkins is an activist for student rights in Sports and Education, In 1997, Tompkins was the lead plaintiff and one of  four Africa American student whom filed a law suit to eliminate the racial requirement for an exclusive All white-Scholarship at Alabama State University in Montgomery Alabama. The all-white scholarship was established to integrate Historical black colleges. The scholarship brochure echoes memories of the White-Only Signs from the 1950’s and 60’s when blacks had been beaten, attacked by dogs, killed and spray with water hoses to prevent integration in Alabama.(1)

The scholarship only required that the applicant be white, have a GED and received a full tuition scholarship for undergraduate and graduate school.(9)

Tompkins was represented by Ann Coulter and the Center for Individual Rights(CIR) in Washington D.C.(8)

After 24 years from track competition, in 2009 Tompkins ranked 14th in the national in the master long jump competition.(4)

References:

1.Montgomery Advertiser News Paper, Runners Make National Competition, 7.22. 2008, p.2-A

2.Montgomery Advertiser News Paper, Student Fight college Program, ASU Scholarship Program Gains National Attention, January 9th 1998, p.B-1

3.Montgomery Independent News Paper, Eight Grader Ranks Nationally 5.28.2008, P.28,

4.Mobile Press Register, Mobile Superstar Trackster wants to Lecture and write books, by Dennis Smitherman, March 23rd 1986, p B-1.

5.Wall Street Journal, Double Reverse Scholarship program for whites becomes a test of preferences, 12.23.1997, P.1,

6.http://www.mastersrankings.com/rankings.php?pevent=LONG%20JUMP&sort=Desc&sex=Men&pseason=Outdoor&cyear=2009

7.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wilson_(handyman)

8.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ6oq9zzwpA

9.http://books.google.com/books?id=KSn22ZClMwIC&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=jessie+tompkins&source=bl&ots=Ry2k3S7FTT&sig=1eNtlsmiEPNtzUequjJ8HHNlfKk&hl=en&ei=JG-LSuzJGdOwmAeO2viuDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=jessie%20tompkins&f=false

10.http://www.theauthenticvoice.org/Torn_From_The_Land_Intro.html