Making Their Mark: Oktibbeha & Clay County
The historical marker for the counties of Oktibbeha and Clay, which will be placed at Unity Park in Starkville, will honor 5 African American men elected to the legislature in the 19th century. Marker text:
After the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment and the new state constitution enabled the people of Mississippi to elect 162 Black men to state or national office over the next twenty years, more than any other state. Representing Oktibbeha in the 1870s were Anderson Boyd, Benjamin Chiles, David Higgins, and Randle Nettles, with J. W. Caradine representing Clay County to the north. The overthrow of Reconstruction and passage of the 1890 state constitution ended multiracial democracy in Mississippi for over 70 years.
Current status (October 16, 2026): The dedication program for the historical marker will be held at Unity Park in Starkville on October 29, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Starkville High School senior Kylin Ellis will deliver a dramatic performance telling the story of Oktibbeha and Clay’s first Black legislators.
This page was last updated on October 21, 2026.