Mississippi

The statewide professional association for black teachers in Mississippi began in 1893 under the efforts of Dr. John D. Burrus, the second president of Alcorn A&M College (now Alcorn State University). In 1906, John A. Martin, eighth president of Alcorn A&M College reorganized the group to form the Mississippi Association of Teachers in Colored Schools. The purpose of the association was to better prepare teachers to do honorable work in schools, to advocate for better school facilities, to improve home life for Black communities, and to demand longer terms and better compensation for teachers. The Mississippi Association of Teachers in Colored Schools, later incorporated as the Mississippi Teachers Association (MTA) in 1940, was the primary association for black educators in the state of Mississippi. In 1970, the Mississippi Teachers Association (MTA) became the official affiliate of the National Education Association when Mississippi Education Association (MEA), the white counterpart organization, refused to merge. In 1973, MTA and MEA merged to form the Mississippi Association of Educators.