Clyde Kennard was an African American civil rights activist who sought to enroll at Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi) in the 1950s. Despite being an excellent student and military veteran, Kennard was repeatedly denied admission to the college because of his race. He faced harassment, intimidation, and unjust legal obstacles in his efforts to desegregate the school.

Kennard's case garnered national attention and support from civil rights activists, but he was ultimately framed on false charges and sentenced to seven years in prison in 1960. Kennard's health deteriorated while in prison, and he was diagnosed with cancer. Despite efforts to secure his release on humanitarian grounds, Kennard died in 1963, just months after he was finally granted parole.

Clyde Kennard's story is a tragic example of the systemic racism and injustice faced by African Americans in the segregated South. His persistence and courage in the face of adversity have made him a symbol of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality. In 2006, more than 40 years after his death, the state of Mississippi officially exonerated Kennard, acknowledging the gross miscarriage of justice that he had suffered.