Clyde Kennard was an African American civil rights pioneer and a trailblazer in the fight for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement. Kennard was born on June 12, 1927, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War, earning several medals for his service.

Kennard later attended the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in sociology. In 1955, he attempted to enroll at the University of Southern Mississippi, but his application was denied due to his race.

Despite facing intense racial discrimination and harassment, Kennard continued his efforts to enroll at the university. He was falsely accused of stealing chicken feed and subsequently arrested, charged, and convicted on trumped-up charges. Kennard was sentenced to seven years in prison, effectively derailing his academic and civil rights pursuits.

Kennard's case garnered national attention, with civil rights leaders and activists advocating for his release and exoneration. His health deteriorated while in prison, and he was finally released on parole in 1963, but he died of cancer just a few months later, on July 4, 1963.

Although Kennard did not live to see justice served, his courage and perseverance in the face of racial injustice inspired others to continue the struggle for civil rights and equality. In 2006, the state of Mississippi finally acknowledged Kennard's innocence and posthumously pardoned him, recognizing the grave miscarriage of justice that he endured. Kennard's legacy serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for racial equality and justice in America.