Jackson State brings new life to historic COFO building - March 21

 (JACKSON, Miss.) – During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the Council of Federated Organizations building in Jackson was a hub of activity. It housed the city’s first black radio station and was home base for organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the NAACP.
With funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Jackson State University is moving forward with plans to renovate the COFO building complex that includes 1011, 1013 and 1017 John R. Lynch St.
The university will hold a restoration ceremony at noon Saturday, March 21, at 1017 John R. Lynch St.
Plans include staging one of the buildings with artifacts so that it appears as it did in the 1960, and using the other buildings for meeting space and to house student run businesses through Jackson State’s College of Business. Student entrepreneurs will be responsible for developing business plans, marketing analyses, and other tasks necessary to ensure the success of their ventures.
The restoration of the COFO complex is part of Jackson State University’s initiative to redevelop the eastern portion of John R. Lynch Street.  The Lynch Street Initiative is led by Jackson State University’s Center for University-Based Development and seeks to preserve the historic aspects of this corridor while improving the surrounding communities.