BATON ROUGE — February is Black History Month, a month-long celebration remembering the important contributions that African Americans have made in our nation’s history.

In honor of Black History Month, News with a Twist is featuring the people and places of New Orleans and beyond that helped to shape our community.

Southern University was established by a Louisiana Constitutional Convention in 1879 and chartered in 1880, according to author and historian Dr. Charles Vincent.

The founders were PBS Pinchback,  TB Stamps,  TT Allain and Henry Demas.

“These men were political leaders and they knew that going forward, they needed to put something in law that would long last their tenures in office,” Vincent said.

New Orleans was Southern’s home for its first 32 years before it moved to Baton Rouge in 1914. Today, there are campuses in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Once Southern was established in Baton Rouge, its first president was J.S. Clark. He served for 24 years before Felton G. Clarks followed in his footsteps.

Southern University is located on the bluff of the Mississippi River, where the river bends toward Memphis.

“It has been a nurturing environment for so many students, and its system is the only one in the country, and in the world,” Vincent said.

For more information on Southern University, click here.

Our Black History Month series is brought to you by The King Firm.