Jerry Mitchell

September 8, 2020 |

The Harding University American Studies Institute, in partnership with its Honors College L.C. Sears Collegiate Seminar Series, hosted alumnus, author and investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell for a virtual lecture event at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sep. 8. Mitchell’s presentation featured his most recent book “Race Against Time,” which was released through Simon and Schuster on Feb. 4. Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of civil rights activists Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, joined Mitchell for a Q&A following the lecture.

"What we do as journalists is profoundly important. You may not realize when you are writing the story that it will have any effect. As journalists, we’re trying to give a voice to the voiceless. Tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may." —Jerry Mitchell

Throughout his career, Mitchell’s stories have helped put four Ku Klux Klan members and a serial killer behind bars, exposed injustices and corruption, and prompted investigations, state reforms, and the firings of corrupt boards and officials. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a longtime member of Investigative Reporters and Editors and a winner of more than 30 other national awards, including a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant. His memoir, “Race Against Time,” tells the story of his pursuit of unsolved murder cases from the Civil Rights era, leading to convictions in some of the nations most notorious murders.

In 2019, after three decades working for the Clarion-Ledger, Mitchell founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit that exposes corruption, malfeasance and injustices, investigates cold cases, empowers citizens and raises up the next generation of investigative reporters.