Mississippi Humanities Council

"Evicted" Exhibition Virtual Conversation
2021-07-01 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | MS
Virtual opening conversation with Alieza Durena, Princeton Eviction Lab. Details TBA.

Evicted: An Exhibition of the National Building Museum
2021-06-28 08:00 - 2021-10-03 17:00 | Johnson Hall Art Gallery, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson, 39217
In 2018, the National Building Museum opened an exhibition exploring the causes and impacts of eviction, based on Matthew Desmond’s award‐winning book Evicted. Since then, the exhibit has taught thousands about the national eviction crisis. A stable place to call home is one of the best predictors of success. Yet, each year more than 2.3 million Americans, mostly low‐income renters, face eviction. In the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the eviction crisis has further exploded. According to Mississippi Today, nearly 50% of renters in the state face eviction this year. The traveling version of Evicted offers the opportunity to introduce audiences here to the eviction crisis so that they can learn how it affects their communities. Visitors will build empathy as they learn about housing instability through a local conversation about eviction that has national implications. The exhibition, which runs June 28 to October 3, 2021, presents sobering statistics and personal stories, challenging adults and youth to face the enormity of a difficult subject, while providing context and a call to action.

SB - Williams - Reflections on the Blues & the Mississippi Blues Icon B.B. King
2021-06-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Charleston Arts Center, 104 Court Square, Charleston, MS, 38921, United States
This presentation juxtaposes the life of B.B. King, his mission of spreading word about blues music around the world, and early reflections on Blues and its connection to spirituals and gospel music. The discussion will reflect on the past, present, and the continued preservation of the music.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: Trials of the Earth Book Signing and Reading
2021-06-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 24, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free and open to the public reading and signing of the book Trials of the Earth. The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
Trials of the Earth is the astonishing first-person account of Mary Mann Hamilton, a Mississippi pioneer woman struggling to survive, protect her family, and make a home in the backwoods of the Mississippi Delta. Discussion will center on the themes of Crossroads. Kerry Hamilton will read and sign his great-grandmother’s autobiography at the event on June 24. This event is being held in collaboration with Turnrow Books, which will have copies of the book available for purchase at the event.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Musical Delta Youth Workshop
2021-06-22 10:30 - 12:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 15, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 5K- rising 2nd graders called “My Musical Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
Storytime never sounded so good! Join us as we read from the award-winning picture book Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters written by Michael Mahin and illustrated by Evan Turk. The book celebrates blues musician Muddy Water, whose unique sound became the foundation for what would become rock and roll. After the story, we will decorate a guitar as we listen to Muddy’s music. This event is being held in collaboration with Turnrow Books, which will have copies of the book available for purchase at the event.
The “My Musical Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton

SB - Jenkins - A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music
2021-06-19 10:00 - 19:00 | Vicksburg City Park, 100 Army Navy Dr, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, United States
This presentation by Jerry Jenkins 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 the musical piece of the legendary Densoba (great warrior) Sunjata. This discussion explores the function of the Mande music and musical instruments, Mande class system, songs, ceremonies and stories. The discussion also examines the influence of West Africa on American culture and why the djembe was outlawed during slavery. Participants will learn about the djembe, its introduction by drummers like Babatunde Olatunji in 1950 and Ladji Camara from Guinea, and how it spread throughout America.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: Ralph Eubanks Author Event
2021-06-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Turnrow Books, 304 Howard Street, Greenwood, MS, 38930, United States
On June 17, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free and open to the public reading of Mississippi author Ralph Eubanks’ newest book A Place Like Mississippi. The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
A Place Like Mississippi takes us on a literary tour of the evocative landscapes that have inspired writers in every era. From Faulkner to Wright, Welty to Ward, Mississippi has been both a backdrop and a central character in some of the most compelling prose and poetry of modern literature. Immersing us in these spaces, Eubanks helps us understand that Mississippi is not only a state, but a state of mind. This event is being held in collaboration with Turnrow Books, which will have copies of the book available for purchase at the event.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 22, 10:30am

MS+MA: Routes of the Blues
2021-06-17 18:00 - 19:30 | MS
Register Here!: https://bit.ly/2T3oldu
For the MS+MA season finale, “Routes of the Blues” will explore the history of Blues music in our two states, including Mississippi’s reputation as its birthplace and Massachusetts’s role in providing a space for audiences to hear and appreciate the sound of the Blues. As both states begin reopening, we will also examine the impact of the pandemic on the venues and festivals where Blues music continues to evolve and flourish today.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Musical Delta Youth Workshop
2021-06-15 10:30 - 12:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 15, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 5K- rising 2nd graders called “My Musical Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
Storytime never sounded so good! Join us as we read from the award-winning picture book Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters written by Michael Mahin and illustrated by Evan Turk. The book celebrates blues musician Muddy Water, whose unique sound became the foundation for what would become rock and roll. After the story, we will decorate a guitar as we listen to Muddy’s music. This event is being held in collaboration with Turnrow Books, which will have copies of the book available for purchase at the event.
The “My Musical Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 22, 10:30am

SB: Mississippi Telling
2021-06-12 10:30 - 16:00 | Poplarville Public Library, 202 W Beers Street, Poplarville, MS, 39470
Dr. Rebecca Jernigan will provide an overview of the storytelling Renaissance in America with emphasis upon the oral tradition in Mississippi. The literary tradition of Mississippi owes much to the rich storytelling legacy that riddles the tales of our families and our communities as reflected in the works of many of our best authors: Welty, Wright, Faulkner, Henley, Williams. As part of the presentation, Dr. Jernigan performs as a story teller calling upon on her rich repertoire of original tales and literary masterpieces gearing her choices of tales according to her audience and offers material for children and adults.

The Blueberry Jubilee is a festival geared to celebrating the blueberry industry in Pearl River County, as well as an arts and crafts fair held the second Saturday in June of each year. It is located in downtown Poplarville, Mississippi and attracts more than 10,00 visitors each year. The Jubilee features arts & crafts, storytelling, live entertainment, an annual 5K and 1-mile Fun run and also a car show. lots of food, and sweet Southern charm.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?
2021-06-12 10:00 - 11:30 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 12, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free and open to the public discussion featuring Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel about their childhood experiences in rural Mississippi. The discussion will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
For Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel, a conversation about growing up in the Mississippi Delta is more than an exercise in nostalgia. It illustrates how rural life prepared two young boys of different races and religious backgrounds for their futures. While both men have stories to tell from different points of view, they have one thing in common–their boyhood in the Mississippi Delta had a profound impact on the people they would become.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Growing Delta Youth Workshop (Rising 7th graders)
2021-06-11 12:45 - 15:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 11, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 7th graders called “My Growing Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
“My Growing Delta” is an interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the Mississippi State Extension Service. Youth will learn about how food is grown and the many crops that are raised right here in their very own community. Registered dietician Anne Marie Gregory will teach youth about healthy eating. Youth will taste something delicious and get to plant a seed to take home.
The “My Growing Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Growing Delta Youth Workshop (Rising 7th graders)
2021-06-10 08:45 - 11:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On June 10, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 7th graders called “My Growing Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
“My Growing Delta” is an interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the Mississippi State Extension Service. Youth will learn about how food is grown and the many crops that are raised right here in their very own community. Registered dietician Anne Marie Gregory will teach youth about healthy eating. Youth will taste something delicious and get to plant a seed to take home.
The “My Growing Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

SB: The Early Pioneer Settlers 1790 to 1840
2021-06-08 10:30 - 16:00 | Tishomingo County Archives & History Museum, 203 E Quitman St, Luka, MS, 38852, United States
William Arinder will lead this living history program about the early pioneer settlers in Mississippi. Discussion centers around how they dressed, built their homes, produced and cooked their food, the use of flintlock rifles for hunting and protection of their homesteads, building fire using flint-and-steel, grinding corn in hollow stumps, children’s homemade toys and music on the mountain dulcimer. Period clothing worn, hands-on artifacts display and audience participation encouraged.
Mr. Arinder has studied Early American and Native American cultures for nearly 50 years, assembling a sizeable collection of artifacts which he uses to leade living history programs for local schools, civic clubs and museums. He volunteers as an interpretive historian with the Natchez Trace Parkway, leading monthly history and pioneer craft demonstrations at the Visitor Center in Tupelo.
This event is sponsored by the Tishomingo County Historical & Genealogical Society.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: Trials of the Earth Community Book Discussion
2021-06-05 10:00 - 11:30 | Turnrow Books, 304 Howard Street, Greenwood, MS, 38930, United States
On June 5, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free and open to the public discussion of the book Trials of the Earth. The discussion will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
Trials of the Earth is the astonishing first-person account of Mary Mann Hamilton, a Mississippi pioneer woman struggling to survive, protect her family, and make a home in the backwoods of the Mississippi Delta. Discussion will center on the themes of Crossroads. This event is being held in collaboration with Turnrow Books, which will have copies of the book available for purchase at the event.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 10, 8:45am
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

SB: Margret and H.A. Rey: A Partnership that Created and Icon
2021-06-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Event
For 75 years, children have been captivated by “Curious George.” Much is known about “George,” but little is know about his creators. The lived of Margret and H.A. Rey are as interesting as the little monkey they created-if not more so. This presentation by Ellen H. Ruffin will examine their lived- telling of their lives in Hamburg, Germany, as well as the journeys that brought them to the United States. The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi holds the Rey’s literary archive, containing diaries, correspondence, autobiographical sketches, original illustrations, audio and video tapes, and their creative process.

This event is hosted by the Mississippi Library Commission and the Madison County Library System.

Mississippi Archaeology Expo "Preserving Our Past: Mississippi's Landmark Archaeology"
2021-05-29 10:00 - 16:00 | Old Capitol Museum, 100 South State Street, Jackson , MS, 39201
Archaeology Expo provides a public educational event which showcases preservation and archaeology in Mississippi and includes numerous educational activities for all ages.

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Growing Delta Youth Workshop (3rd-6th grades)
2021-05-26 12:45 - 15:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On May 26, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 3rd graders-rising 6th graders called “My Growing Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
“My Growing Delta” is an interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the Mississippi State Extension Service. Youth will learn about how food is grown and the many crops that are raised right here in their very own community. Registered dietician Anne Marie Gregory will teach youth about healthy eating. Youth will taste something delicious and get to plant a seed to take home.
The “My Growing Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 5, 10am: Trials of the Earth community book discussion
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 10, 8:45am
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

Crossroads @ Greenwood: My Growing Delta Youth Workshop (3rd-6th grades)
2021-05-25 08:45 - 11:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
On May 25, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host a free workshop for rising 3rd graders-rising 6th graders called “My Growing Delta.” The event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
“My Growing Delta” is an interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the Mississippi State Extension Service. Youth will learn about how food is grown and the many crops that are raised right here in their very own community. Registered dietician Anne Marie Gregory will teach youth about healthy eating. Youth will taste something delicious and get to plant a seed to take home.
The “My Growing Delta” workshop series is part of Crossroads Children, a series hosted in conjunction with the Smithsonian Crossroads exhibition, to help children understand their own community and its contributions to the world.
There is no cost to attend the youth workshop programs, but space is limited and registration is required. Email education@museumofthemississippidelta.com or call 662-453-0925 to register.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 5, 10am: Trials of the Earth community book discussion
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 3rd-6th grades)
May 26, 12:45pm
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 10, 8:45am
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

Crossroads @ Greenwood: Why We Call It Soul Food
2021-05-20 11:30 - 13:00 | MS
On May 20, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will host Dr. Brinda Willis of the MHC Speakers Bureau to present her free and open to the public program “Why We Call It Soul Food.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Greenwood through June 26.
“Why We Call It Soul Food” tells the story of why southerners, especially African American southerners, call the foods we eat “soul food.” Dr. Brinda Willis discusses the emotional and physical aspects of soul food as it relates to our culture and history. She also discusses the bonds attached to the growing, nurturing and preparation of these foods as it relates to our culture and way of life in the South.
The Speakers Bureau program will take place at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood. During the program, Viking Cooking School chefs will prepare classic soul food staples like fried chicken, turnip greens, and cornbread. Guests will learn how to prepare these dishes as well as taste them as Dr. Willis guides the audience through the emotional and physical aspects of soul food as it relates to our culture and history and the bonds attached to the growing, nurturing, and preparing of these foods.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta through June 26 and is open to the public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-3pm. Crossroads is free to visit.
Upcoming Crossroads events in Greenwood:
June 5, 10am: Trials of the Earth community book discussion
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
Upcoming “Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 3rd-6th grades)
May 25, 8:45am
May 26, 12:45pm
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 10, 8:45am
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

Ideas on Tap: Too Much or Not Enough? Bootstraps vs. Bailouts
2021-05-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
On May 18, join the MHC for the second in a two part series about the changing role of government in American society.

The May 18 program will explore the social safety net and how much direct financial support government should provide its citizens. Panelists include Sarah Stripp (Springboard to Opportunities), Douglas Carswell (Mississippi Center for Public Policy), and Brandon Jones (Southern Poverty Law Center). Dr. Temika Simmons, MHC boardmember and director of the Local Government Leadership Institute at Delta State University, will moderate.

The program will be livestreamed directly to the MHC Facebook page, so come prepared to watch, listen, and ask questions in the chat.

May 1970: The Gibbs-Green Tragedy at Jackson State College Conversation
2021-05-14 17:00 - 18:30 | Online Event
Join the Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, May 14, 2021, ontheir Facebook for the 51st commemoration of the Gibbs-Green tragedy at Jackson State. JSU will host a virtual gallery talk with civil rights veteran and photographer Dr. Doris Derby, whose photographs chronicle the events that took place during those days and weeks of the Gibbs-Green Tragedy. They will also have James Lap Baker, an eyewitness of the Gibbs-Green Tragedy; civil rights attorney Constance Slaughter-Harvey who represented the families in their civil lawsuit against the City and State. John Spann will moderate the conversation.

MTV Museum Day
2021-05-14 10:00 - 17:00 | GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, 800 West Sunflower Rd, Cleveland , MS, 38732, United States
GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi is celebrating the Grand Opening of MTV Turns Forty: I Still Want My MTV exhibit with free admission all day!
MTV Turns Forty: I Still Want My MTV marks the 40th anniversary since the launch of the iconic brand on Aug. 1, 1981. The first major exhibition to be curated by the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, MTV Turns Forty will explore the history of the iconic music brand—from the role of native Mississippian, Bob Pittman, in the concept and execution of an idea that revolutionized the music industry, to why, nearly four decades later, people across the world still scream, “I want my MTV.” The exhibit will be on display at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi through summer 2022. Read more about the new exhibit here.

"Crossroads" Exhibit in Greenwood
2021-05-14 08:00 - 2021-06-25 17:00 | Museum of the Mississippi Delta, 1608 Hwy 82 West, Greenwood, MS, 38930
The Museum of the Mississippi Delta in Greenwood will host Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, from May 14 through June 25.
Crossroads is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. It consists of six free-standing display units incorporating photographs, text, and numerous interactive elements. Requiring a minimum of 750 sq. ft., the exhibit is designed for smaller venues to achieve Museum on Main Street’s goal of bringing the Smithsonian to small town America. The exhibit is free and open to the public to visit. The Mississippi tour of Crossroads is sponsored by a generous grant from Entergy Mississippi.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
In addition to hosting the exhibition, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta will also host a series of programs that are free and open to the public.
Crossroads events in Greenwood:
May 20, 11:30am: “Why We Call It Soul Food” presentation, Dr. Brinda Willis
June 5, 10am: Trials of the Earth community book discussion
June 12, 10am: “Rural Roots: What Did I Learn?” presentation, Rev. Herron Wilson and Gene Dattel
June 17, 6pm: A Place Like Mississippi reading and signing, Ralph Eubanks
June 24, 6pm: Trials of the Earth reading and signing, Kerry Hamilton
“Crossroads Children” events:
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 3rd-6th grades)
May 25, 8:45am
May 26, 12:45pm
My Growing Delta workshop (rising 7th grade)
June 10, 8:45am
June 11, 12:45pm
My Musical Delta workshop (rising 5K-rising 2nd grades)
June 15, 10:30am
June 22, 10:30am

SB: Behind Every Good Man is a Civil Rights Heroine
2021-05-07 12:00 - 13:00 | MS
Who were the people who became most involved in the Civil Rights Movement? Who were its leaders and footsoldiers? How do we even define such roles? Who are the people who have become immortalized as heroes in our memory of the movement? Why? This presentation by Dr. Rebecca Tuuri will explore the multitude of ways that women became involved in the pursuit of racial equality in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It will also explore the great odds that they faced, not only as African Americans but also as women. I will focus espcially on women’s role in providing the informal leadership, infrastructure, and commitment necessary to maintain the stamina of the postwar civil rights struggle. Finally, we will consider the ways in which the memory of the Civil Rights Movement has erased or misrepresented women’s historic contributions in the struggle and the implications of this for future scholarship on the movement.

Dr. Rebecca Tuuri is an assistant professor of African American and American history at the University of Southern Mississippi. She received a Ph.D. in United States History from Rutgers University in 2012, with a concentration in Women’s and Gender and African American history. Her current manuscript, Careful Crusader: The History of the National Council of Negro Women in Black Freedom Struggle investigates the history of the civil war rights work of the largest black women’s organization in the 1960s and 1970s.

Crossroads @ Columbia: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies
2021-04-30 08:00 - 09:30 | Marion County Museum, 200 Second Street, Columbia, MS, 39429, United States
On April 30, the Marion County Historical Society in Columbia will host Dr. John Green, state scholar for the Crossroads exhibit, to present his free program, “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi through Population Studies.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Columbia through May 8.
Many popular images of rural people and places present them as homogeneous in terms of demographic, social, and economic characteristics and trends. This may lead to oversimplification of rural areas and limited efforts to meet the needs and priorities of people living in these places. Achieving a better understanding of rural communities requires defining our concepts and identifying indicators of rural life in terms of continuity and change. Following an exploration of the terms “rural” and “non-metropolitan,” Dr. Green will share a series of graphical images and narratives about Mississippi’s rural people and places using population-level information, emphasizing what these “snapshots” of rural life tell us about Mississippi and how we might use them to form a “collage” that captures both the similarity and diversity.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.
The exhibit will be on display in the Marion County Museum and is open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays 9am-5pm. Crossroads is free to visit.

MS+MA: Stories of School Integration
2021-04-29 18:00 - 19:30 | MS
About this Event

MS + MA
MS + MA is a joint project of the Mississippi Humanities Council and Mass Humanities. We’re bringing together people from our respective states for six interactive, online programs to facilitate conversation and connection. By reflecting on our states’ histories in relationship to each other, this series aims to build understanding and offer new perspectives. At a time when the pandemic has created a greater sense of isolation, we hope to forge connections.
MS+MA: Stories of School Integration
April 29, 6pm-7:30pm Central/7pm-8:30pm Eastern
Like much of the country, both Mississippi and Massachusetts have struggled with issues of school integration and educational equity. In this MS+MA program, we will explore stories of school integration from both states. How did government-led efforts to racially integrate public schools play out in Boston and the Mississippi Delta in the 1970s? What was the impact on the diverse communities of both places? And what is the legacy of these struggles for education and racial equity today?
Guests will include:

Byron Rushing served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1983 to 2018. From 1972 to 1985, he led the Museum of Afro-American History in Boston. During the 1960’s he was active in the civil rights movement–working for the Congress of Racial Equality and for the Northern Student Movement.
Douglas Blackmon, a journalist, writer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. Blackmon is the director of the upcoming documentary film “The Harvest,” about school integration in his hometown of Leland, Mississippi.
Jeanne Middleton Hairston is an educator and activist. She was a professor of education at Millsaps College, her alma mater, for many years and later served as the National Director of the Freedom Schools Program for the Children’s Defense Fund. She currently serves as a member of the Jackson Public School Board.
Donna Bivens is a Boston-based community organizer, leadership trainer, and expert on building racial equity. From 2010-2014 she worked for the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, leading the Boston Busing/Desegregation Project to increase awareness of Boston’s busing and desegregation crisis and tell a more inclusive history of the city.
Questions? Please contact Molly McMillian at mmcmillan@mhc.state.ms.us.

REGISTER NOW: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msma-stories-of-school-integration-tickets-150273318541

Ideas on Tap: Too Much or Not Enough? Government's Changing Role in Healthcare Access
2021-04-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
On April 27, join the MHC for the first in a two part series about the changing role of government in American society.

The April 27 program will use healthcare access as a lens explore what services the government should or should not provide and how people’s attitudes about government support have changed over time. Panelists include Dr. Charlene Collier (UMMC & MSDH); Richard Robertson (Mississippi Hospital Association); and Dr. Amy Forbes (Millsaps College).

The program will be livestreamed directly to the MHC Facebook page, so come prepared to watch, listen, and ask questions in the chat.

Panel Discussion: The Parchman Ordeal
2021-04-27 14:00 - 15:30 | Alcorn State University, 1000 ASU Drive, Lorman, MS, 39096
A panel discussion on documentary “The Parchman Ordeal” with film producer, Mark LaFrancis, and two survivors of the horrific event. The documentary is especially significant to Alcorn’s history and Charles Evers and his brother Medgar Evers both served as Field Secretary of the NAACP and were graduates of Alcorn State.

Topic: Alcorn Meeting
Time: Apr 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 874 8428 1750
Passcode: [REDACTED]

SB: Forbidden, Hidden and Forgotten: Women Soldiers of the Civil War
2021-04-24 12:00 - 13:30 | MS
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women boldly defied Victorian society norms when they disguised themselves as men, shouldered muskets and joined the firing line in the American Civil War. As soldiers, they participated in every major engagement from the beginning to the end of the war. Their wartime experiences and sacrifices mirrored those of their male counterparts. They serves picket duty along the snowy banks of the Rappahannock, languished in Andersonville, suffered debilitating wounds during the Wilderness, succumbed to disease in New Orleans and lost their lives in Pickett’s Charge. Why did these women risk the shame that discovery would bring them and their families? Why did they risk their lives fighting a man’s war? Shelby Harriel’s presentation offers answers. In addition, she presents the interactions of generals, common soldiers and ordinary citizens with these women warriors.
Speakers Expertise:
Ms. Harriel has been a student of the Civil War since elementary school and has been researching women soldiers specifically since 2007. She has written several papers and articles, appeared on a radio program in Wisconsin and presented at national parks and battlefields, Civil War roundtable meetings and reenactments across the country.
