The organizing committee for the Dr. Clinton Battle Day will celebrate his life and legacy on September 11.
The commemoration program for the life of Dr. Clinton Charles Battle will take place at 11 a.m. at Mt. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church located at 310 Church Avenue in Indianola.
The commemoration program will conclude with the unveiling of the historical Civil Rights marker on Church Street. A reception in honor of Dr. Clinton Battle’s contribution to medical history will be held immediately after the program at the historical Club Ebony located at 404 Hanna Ave. in Indianola.
The reception is free and open to the public.
Dr. Clinton Battle was a 1950 graduate of Meharry School of Medicine, in Nashville. Only five years after graduation he would be challenged beyond his years.
At the tender age of 29 years old he received a call that would change modern medicine as we know it.
On September 14, 1955, he arrived at the home of John Matthews Sr., a former high school classmate.
Mrs. Missouri Matthews was in labor and about to give birth to her conjoined daughters, Lillian and Linda Matthews. Despite the challenges he faced, he persevered and overcame great odds as did the Matthews’ twins.
The featured speaker for this moment in history is Mr. Michael Morris, a Jackson native and the director of the Two Mississippi Museums—The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum—since 2023.
He previously served in several roles during his eight years at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. Morris earned his bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degree in political science from Jackson State University, where he worked at the Margaret Walker Center and Fannie Lou Hamer Institute on Citizenship and Democracy.
Morris received his supervisory management certificate from the Mississippi State Personnel Board and is currently completing its Certified Public Manager Program. Morris completed the Southeastern Museums Conference’s Leadership Institute and the Stennis Institute’s State Executive Development Institute program at Mississippi State University. He was a member of the commission tasked with commemorating the city of Jackson’s bicentennial in 2022 and has written markers for the Mississippi Freedom Trail. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Mississippi Book Festival. Morris was the Mississippi archivist for the Our Story, Our Terms civil rights project at Duke University.
Special guests will include Dr. Clinton Battle’s daughter, the Matthews twins (Lillian and Linda) and a host of other contributors.
Battle’s remarkable contribution to medical history is profound.
This commemoration honors his life and the legacy he left with us. The community is invited to witness and participate in this special event.
