Gwendolyn E. Armstrong | |
|---|---|
| Education | Rowan High School |
| Alma mater | University of Southern Mississippi |
| Occupation(s) | Civil rights activist, jazz singer |
| Known for | Integrating the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg |
Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong was a black Mississippi pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement. In September, 1965, she and Raylawni Branch, both local natives, integrated the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg. They thus completed the process of breaking the segregation barriers at Mississippi's universities which had been begun by Clyde Kennard at (then) Mississippi Southern College (1956–61) and carried forward by James Meredith at the University of Mississippi (September, 1962) and Richard Holmes at Mississippi State University (July, 1965).