With household names like Faulkner, Welty and Wright, Mississippi literature is not just nationally but internationally known and respected. Combined with a rich musical heritage, the state’s literature is one of the many facets that afford it a high cultural rating. A survey of genres, however, reveals that many of the writers for whom the […]

This community discussion and visioning session will center around the revitalization of the Paramount Theater and the adjoining (original) JC Penny building in downtown Clarksdale. Last October, Griot Arts received a grant to engage an architectural and design team and begin the planning process. After being gifted this property, Griot Arts began to see a […]

County Training School and later B.F. Ford School was the only school in New Albany/Union County that African Americans could get a high school diploma. The school, which is located in New Albany, transitioned to an elementary school after desegregation. The oral history project is to interview older attendees and graduates of the school and […]

In honor of the MHC’s 50th anniversary, acclaimed writer Jesmyn Ward will deliver a keynote address on the theme of “Reflecting Mississippi.” After her presentation, MHC board member Dr. Ebony Lumumba, chair of the English Department at Jackson State University will engage Ward in a conversation about how she represents Mississippi in her work.

June's Topophilia Book Club selection is Queen of the Turtle Derby by Julia Reed. Dr. Mary Carol Miller lead discussions on June 14 at 11:45-1:00 and again at 5:30-7:00.

Mississippi ranks last in almost every leading health category in the US. Hospitals across rural parts of the state are in jeopardy of being shut down. This is especially challenging in a state with the highest infant mortality rate in the US, where the leading cause of infant mortality is preterm birth (delivery before 37 […]

Fences don’t deter gardeners who have for generations found ways over, around and under barriers (both real and figurative) to share plants, tips and recipes — really, bits of ourselves and our cultures, without regard to another gardener’s stripes or background. Since a gardener can’t give or get plants without touching another person, our garden […]

After the Civil War, African Americans in the South, newly freed, expressed a tangible optimism that led to the reuniting of families, the development of social institutions like the black church, the rise of cultural expressions like the Blues and jazz, the establishment of black-owned businesses and other economic endeavors, and the wielding of significant […]

Celebrity Reader:  Muddy’s grand-nephew, Keith Johnson A picture book celebration of the indomitable Muddy Waters, a blues musician whose fierce and electric sound laid the groundwork for what would become rock and roll. Michael Mahin (Author), Evan Turk (Illustrator) 

This presentation will give the listener a glimpse of the Mande Culture of West Africa. In the tradition of the Mande, the history and culture is orally preserved in the minds and through the music of the Djeli (oral librarian/mandenka hereditary professional musicians). The establishment of the Mali Empire can be recalled and retold in […]

In colorful costume,storytellers Rebecca Jernigan and Wendy Garrison retell the tale of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. With music, drama and sign language, they recount his fateful encounter with the Prince of Darkness at the crossroads in the Delta. In educational venues they stress that the audience is integral to any live performance. They discuss the […]