HTA Lecture: “Mississippi Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy”
February 3 @ 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Kemeshia Swanson will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi State University titled “Mississippi Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy.”
“Mississippi as Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy” will explore how Mississippi’s expansive history, rich culture, and complicated legacy remain imprinted on the landscape, shaping both progress and pride in ways that are deeply felt by its residents. In this presentation, Swanson previews research from her upcoming book publication, Love and War: Intimacy and Activism in the Works of Jesmyn Ward. Jesmyn Ward is a two-time National Book Award winner and Mississippi native.
The lecture will take place on the Mississippi State University campus on February 3, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.