Ignite Ole Miss: Pam Hamilton Memorial Fund Update

Dear Friends and Family,

One week ago, we launched the Ignite Ole Miss campaign to raise support for the Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Fund. We are already more than half way to our goal of $35,000! That is a huge accomplishment in such a short time, and we are well on our way to making sure Pam’s Impact lives on at the University of Mississippi.

This campaign shows what the Ole Miss family is about: sustained relationships and lifelong friendships. I taught Pam when she was a student in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College over a decade ago, welcomed her as a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and watched her develop as a stellar professional. I also taught her lifelong friend and sorority sister, Dr. Keyana Washington, who is a driving force behind the campaign. Their sisterhood shed light for many and now it will help provide a space for others to find that same friendship on our beautiful campus.

Won’t you help us keep the momentum going? Your gift will benefit a student in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and also support the larger Ole Miss community by funding an annual lecture on social justice and journalism.

This week, I extend a special invitation to all members of Greek sororities and fraternities, and especially my sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., to make a donation in an amount that is special to you and your organization. Whether that donation represents the number of years your organization has been in existence, the year it was founded, or the date you joined your organization, please take this opportunity to make an impact and leave your mark on this campaign.

In addition to my other planned gift, I will start this week by donating $103 in honor of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s 103 years of sisterhood, scholarship and service. I cannot imagine a better way to keep Pam’s memory alive.

Pam’s love and compassion was evident in the way she treated others and in her writing. Please take a moment to visit ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact and view the video of Pam’s sister, Melissa, reading from her journal about sisterhood. As always, her words were bold, fearless and eye opening. Take a moment to share those words with your friends and family on social media using #PamsImpact.

Thank you so much for helping us make this memorial fund a reality. Pam would be proud of the progress we have made so far. I know I am.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ethel Young Scurlock
Associate Professor of English