The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change The Hooks Institute's mission is advancing social change and strengthening democracy through research, service and historical preservation.

The Hooks Institute implements its mission of teaching, studying and promoting civil rights and social change through research, education, and direct intervention programs. For 25 years we have addressed disparities related to education, diversity and inclusion, economic mobility, and civic engagement.

Happy Juneteenth!Juneteenth celebrates what is recognized as “Second Independence Day” in the United States. The longest...
06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth!

Juneteenth celebrates what is recognized as “Second Independence Day” in the United States.

The longest-running African-American holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned that they were free after the arrival of federal troops in Galveston Bay, TX. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on January 1, 1863, it did not free enslaved people in Confederate States until close to the end of the Civil War, since those states did not recognize the authority of the federal government. Texas was the last state reached by the Union troops, and thus the last state where enslaved people learned of their freedom.

Celebrated throughout the U.S. since 1866, Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when then President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

How will you celebrate Juneteenth? Let us know in the comments! And if you need ideas for how to celebrate this Day of Freedom, check out Choose901 for events in Memphis!

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

Today is the day!!!The Hooks Institute celebrates our long-time friend and colleague Otis Sanford on the launch of his l...
06/16/2026

Today is the day!!!

The Hooks Institute celebrates our long-time friend and colleague Otis Sanford on the launch of his long-awaited autobiography at OTIS SANFORD ANNOUNCES “NEWSMAN: The Road from Route 2 Box 9” at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library branch of Memphis Public Libraries this evening, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 5pm - 7pm.

The presentation and book signing will feature Otis Sanford talking about his life and 50-year-long career in news gathering in conversation with several guest journalists.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and copies of "Newsman" will be available for purchase.

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

On in 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision on three consolidated cases, ruling that the protectio...
06/15/2026

On in 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision on three consolidated cases, ruling that the protection from discrimination in the workplace on the basis of s*x, race, nationality, color, and religion, established by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, extends to homos*xual and transgender employees, too.

The three cases, Bostock v. Clayton County, Altitude Express v. Zarda, and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. EEOC, all involved gay and transgender employees who had been fired because of their gender and s*xual identity. In this historic decision, SCOTUS expanded federal protection from discrimination in the workplace to include LGBTQ+ individuals, questioning and expanding the meaning of “s*x” as used in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Photo credit: Tom Engberg, National Park Service

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

On in 1963, U.S. Army veteran and civil rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered in his driveway by a white supremaci...
06/12/2026

On in 1963, U.S. Army veteran and civil rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered in his driveway by a white supremacist who shot him in the back.

Evers, the first NAACP field officer in Mississippi, began fighting desegregation shortly after returning home from the Battle of Normandy during World War II. When he tried to vote at a local election in Mississippi, Evers was violently turned away from the poll site. It was then that Evers realized that the democracy he fought for in Europe did not exist in his country for him and his fellow African-American citizens.

After his assassination, his wife, Myrlie Evers, continued organizing against discrimination and oppression, and she worked tirelessly to ensure that his murderer was brought to justice.

To learn more about the life and activism of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, we recommend Joy Reid’s "Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story that Awakened America," The New York Times Books best seller and winner of the 2024 Hooks National Book Award.

Photo credit: Dayton Daily News

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

On in 1967, the United States Supreme Court issued the Loving v. Virginia decision, declaring anti-miscegenation laws ...
06/12/2026

On in 1967, the United States Supreme Court issued the Loving v. Virginia decision, declaring anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional and declaring that marriage between people of different races is protected under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, a white man and an Indigenous and Black woman, got married in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 1958. Upon returning to their home state, Virginia, they were soon arrested for violating the state 1924 Racial Integrity Act, which prohibited inter-racial marriages.

The Lovings were convicted to a year in prison. In exchange for a suspended sentence, they were made to move to Washington, D.C., and would not be allowed to return together to Virginia for the following 25 years.

After moving to D.C., the Lovings appealed their conviction. SCOTUS eventually agreed to hear the case on December 12, 1966, issuing the historical ruling roughly two years after that first hearing.

Photo credit: United Press International

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

06/11/2026

On in 1999, then President Bill Clinton issued Proclamation 7203, declaring June “Gay and Le***an Pride Month.”

Remembering the legacy of the Stonewall Inn Riot and the 30-year-long history of Pride celebration throughout the nation, President Bill Clinton established this federal celebration as part of his administration’s effort to “end discrimination against g**s and le****ns and ensure that they have the same rights guaranteed to their fellow Americans.”

You can find the full proclamation at https://loom.ly/MUplSx0

Photo credit: U. S. Department of Defense

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

***anPrideMonth

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), there is a lot ...
06/10/2026

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), there is a lot of stigma around the topic of men’s mental health.

Breaking the silence and seeking support are the first steps towards addressing this silent crisis.

Resources are available at NAMI https://loom.ly/JQT23rk and NAMI Tennessee, the University of Memphis Psychological Services Center https://loom.ly/5QxMJyA, and the Mental Health America of the MidSouth https://loom.ly/r7mjwlc, among others.

Remember: you are not alone and asking for help is not a weakness, but a strength!

Photo credit: National Alliance on Mental Illness

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

Happy Pride Month from the Hooks Institute!"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.” ...
06/09/2026

Happy Pride Month from the Hooks Institute!

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis invites submissions of visual-based artwo...
06/08/2026

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis invites submissions of visual-based artwork(s) from Memphis-area artists for the 2026 Frances Dancy Hooks Art Award and Exhibition. This third year of the annual event explores the theme “Embracing Firestorms, Envisioning Futures.” Submitting artists must be Memphis-based and over the age of eighteen.

Interested artists can submit up to two pieces with no application fee. Along with the award, the winner will receive $700. The winning piece, plus ten to fifteen of the top-scoring finalist pieces will be on exhibit in the Ralph L. Faudree gallery of the Hooks Institute offices in Wilder Tower on the Main Campus of the University of Memphis.

“Embracing Firestorms, Envisioning Futures,” calls artists to explore the difficult and sometimes painful circumstances and challenges in social change that act much like a wildfire – a destructive force that must ultimately burn itself out, leaving space for regeneration and growth. This theme invites artists to consider both the Firestorm and the Future. What burns away and what comes next? What do you Embrace and Envision?

For more information on on eligibilty, piece specifications, and how to apply, visit the Hooks Institute website. Artists may make up to two submissions, and there is no submission fee.

Welcome to the Hooks Institute 2026 Hooks Policy Papers series!The fifth and last 2026 Hooks Policy Paper, "The Impact o...
06/07/2026

Welcome to the Hooks Institute 2026 Hooks Policy Papers series!

The fifth and last 2026 Hooks Policy Paper, "The Impact of Recent Budgetary Changes on Social Determinants of Health and Breast Cancer in Memphis, Tennessee," is live now on our forum, Uplift Memphis, Uplift the Nation https://blogs.memphis.edu/benhooksinstitute!

"Hooks Institute: Advancing Social Change Through Scholarship in Action.”

Address

Wilder Tower, 11th Floor, 3675 Alumni Avenue , University Of Memphis
Memphis, TN
38152

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+19016783974

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