Speaker Series: Smokye Joe Frank
2025-05-27 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St., Natchez, MS, United States
The 2024-2025 season is an annual program of the Natchez Historical Society, consisting of 8 regular monthly presentations by expert speakers on humanities topics pertinent to the history of the Natchez area. Scheduled for May 27, 2025:
Smokye Joe Frank, Retired Archeologist and Local Historian: Tracking the Tracks: The Natchez & Hamburg Railroad and the Locomotive Mississippi

Speakers Bureau: “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music”
2025-06-14 10:00 - 11:30 | Halls Ferry Park, 1401 Walnut Street, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, United States
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.

Alexander v. Holmes County Freedom Trail Marker Unveiling
2025-06-17 10:00 - 17:00 | S. V. Marshall Elementary School, 12572 MS Highway 12, Lexington, MS
The U. S. Supreme Court’s 1969 decision in the Beatrice Alexander v Holmes County Board of Education case is perhaps one of the least-recognized but most significant single victories for school integration in this country. Originating in Holmes County, MS, and named for Beatrice Alexander, a student in the county school district, the decree mandated segregated schools throughout the nation to end the delay that existed since 1954 and integrate immediately. A marker on grounds where Beatrice attended school etches the Holmes County community’s influence on school integration into the annals of this nation’s history.

Date: June 17, 2025 | Time: 10:00 am | Location: S. V. Marshall Elementary School 12572 MS Highway 12 Lexington, MS (on MS Highway 12, between Lexington and Tchula).

Speakers Bureau: "Wanted--1,000,000 Frogs: Weird and Wonderful Things Found in Mississippi Newspapers"
2025-06-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Anguilla Methodist Church, 631 Front St, Anguilla, MS, 38721, United States
Speakers Bureau lecturer Tracy Carr presents: “Wanted–1,000,000 Frogs: Weird and Wonderful Things Found in Mississippi Newspapers”
A monkey named Jocko who lived at the Great Southern Hotel in Gulfport, the biggest cabbage in Coahoma County, and lots and lots of crime: these are the stories found in Mississippi’s historical newspapers. Ranging from the late 1800s to midcentury, these newspaper articles from across the state are given context (and some fact-checking) in this presentation.

Speakers Bureau: "The Soul of Southern Cooking"
2025-06-19 | Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education, 1600 Government St, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 39564-3828
Brinda Willis presents “The Soul of Southern Cooking I & II: Miz Bob’s Second Batch Cooking from a Mississippi Slave Girl’s Table.”
Miz Bob (known as Bob Hunter to friends and family) learned to cook from her mother and her grandmother. Her mental catalogue includes over 500 recipes and follows the art of cooking from the slave kitchen to her great-grandmother’s table. Miz Bob began teaching her daughter, Kathy Starr, all 500 recipes at about age 5, and in the process, Kathy Starr has preserved a lost art of cooking for future generations.

Speakers Bureau: "From the Scraps of My Life in the Mississippi Delta"
2025-06-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Gumtree Museum of Art, 211 W Main St,, Tupelo, MS, 38804, United States
J Janice Coleman presents: “From the Scraps of My Life in the Mississippi Delta”
Everyone loves to hear stories, and everyone loves the feel and the memories quilts and other homemade patchwork bring to mind. This combination of narrative and the nostalgia a patchwork coverlet evokes inspires people to talk about the quilts, dolls, and clothes their elders used to make for them. In her presentation, Dr. Coleman brings evokes these feelings in her audiences by choosing patchwork pieces that are relevant to the occasion and then telling the stories they pass on. Sometimes, Dr. Coleman presents in character. For example, if she is teaching Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” she may present in character as the protagonist Phoenix Jackson. In closing, Dr. Coleman always encourages audience members to consider the scraps of their own lives (old quilts and other coverlets, faded tee-shirts and jeans, worn shirts, skirts, and dresses) as materials that they can use to create their own meaningful patchworks. Dr. Coleman believes these recycled or re-purposed items can become priceless when they are recognized as part of the thread that runs through a family history. “With my scraps, I demonstrate the transformation between what they were and the art they have become,” says Dr. Coleman.

Speakers Bureau: "A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2025-06-19 13:30 - 14:30 | Laurel Jones County Black History Museum and Arts, 820 W 5th St, Laurel, 39440, United States
Jerry Jenkins presents: “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music”
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 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.

Sunday Screening: Farming Freedom: The Inspiring Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi
2025-06-22 14:00 - 16:30 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Farming Freedom: The Inspiring Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi
Join us for a screening of Farming Freedom: The Inspiring Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. Directed by Kayla Thomas, this ninety-minute film tells the story of African American farmers in Mississippi and their struggle for land ownership after enslavement through the present day. Following the screening, a panel will take place featuring moderator Howard Ballou, director Kayla Thomas, Henry Harris, and Tamu Green of SR1 Agriculture and Food Science Department. This event is a part of the Juneteenth Celebration sponsored by Ingalls Shipbuilding. For more information, call 601-576-6850.

Ideas on Tap: Small Town, Big Dreams – The Power of Community and Culture
2025-06-28 11:00 - 13:00 | Organic Culture, 114 Main Street, McComb, MS
In Mississippi, humanities, arts, and culture aren’t just enrichment, they’re currency. In small towns like McComb, these stories of resilience, creativity, and heritage hold the power to revitalize local economies, attract tourism, and build stronger, more connected communities. And while these stories begin locally, their value echoes across the entire state, shaping how Mississippi is remembered, celebrated, and reimagined.

We’re excited to invite you to a special community conversation, Ideas on Tap: “Small Town, Big Dreams – The Power of Community and Culture,” on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Organic Culture, 114 Main Street in McComb, Mississippi. This event is free and open to the public, with refreshments provided.

From Douglass to Duck Hill, The Bridging of two America's
2025-07-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Fondren Presbyterian Church, 3220 Old Canton Rd, Jackson , MS , 39216
From Douglass to Duck Hill is a public-facing racial healing and remembrance event designed to engage Mississippians in a deeper understanding of the legacy of racial violence and the urgent need for historical reckoning. Timed strategically the day after Independence Day, this gathering anchors itself in Frederick Douglass’ iconic speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, and connects it to the 1937 lynching of Roosevelt “Red” Townes and Robert “Bootjack” McDaniels in Duck Hill, Mississippi—one of the most publicly documented lynchings in U.S. history.
Through a combination of virtual keynote addresses, live music, historical readings, documentary excerpts, and a sacred soil ceremony, the event seeks to educate, honor, and heal. It is part of a broader movement led by Mississippi2 to preserve suppressed Black histories, foster intergenerational dialogue, and build pathways to justice and community restoration.

Reading the Room
2025-07-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Organic Culture, 114 Main Street, McComb, MS
The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Book Festival and Organic Culture to present our next “Reading the Room” event.
If you love reading, socializing and any excuse to talk about books, then join us! Thursday, July 10th at 6:00 pm |Organic Culture | 114 Main St, McComb, MS 39648
bring any book you are currently reading
+
enjoy some time set aside to read on your own
+
talk books with your neighbors over drinks and snacks
+
celebrate Mississippi’s vibrant literary culture with us!

REGISTER HERE

The Small-Town Preservation Symposium in Eupora, MS
2025-07-12 10:00 - 15:00 | Eupora Civic Center, 2135 W Roane Ave, Eupora, MS, 39744, United States
The SouthWay Foundation host The Small-Town Preservation Symposium in Eupora, Mississippi bringing local, state, and nation-wide leaders to evoke discussions on the preservation movement, cultural heritage, and the value of sharing an inclusive history. The goal of this symposium is to expose an intergenerational and multi-racial audience, from across Mississippi, to the rich history, resilience, and healing fraught in preservation work and its craft, especially in small towns. In addition, it wants to spark imagination, rooted in history, of the complexity to represent places of memory with integrity.
10:15 am Panel Conversation on How to Do Preservation: Nakita Reed- (Host of Tangible Remnants podcast); Panelist- Belinda Stewart (Belinda Stewart Architects), Dr. Kwesi Daniels (Tuskegee University)
11:00 am Community Conversation Engagement and Q & A
11:45 am Catered Lunch
12:45 pm Panel Conversation on Preservation Trades with Jonn Hankins (President of New Orleans Master Crafts Guild (NOMCG) Inc), Dewayne Orr and Madison Hawkins, Ramsey Brothers, Paul Orr (Eupora VoTech)

SouthWay’s Small Town Preservation Symposium
Saturday, July 12, 2025: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Eupora Civic Center, 2135 W Roane Ave, Eupora, MS 39744

Reading the Room
2025-07-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Exploradora Coffee, 463 Ryland Wy, Oxford, MS, 38655, United States
The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Book Festival and The University of Mississippi Department of English to present our next “Reading the Room” event.
If you love reading, socializing and any excuse to talk about books, then join us!
Wednesday, July 23rd at 6:00 pm | Exploradora Coffee | 463 Ryland Way, Oxford, MS 38655
Bring any book you are currently reading + enjoy some time set aside to read on your own + talk books with your neighbors over drinks and snacks + celebrate Mississippi’s vibrant literary culture with us!

REGISTER HERE

Sunday Screening: "Talkin' Clarksdale: A Contemporary Blues Documentary"
2025-07-27 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Sunday Screening of Talkin’ Clarksdale: A Contemporary Blues Documentary
Join us for a screening of Talkin’ Clarksdale: A Contemporary Blues Documentary at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. Directed by Tommy Slack, the sixty-minute film takes a look at contemporary blues music, exploring its influence on the voices of today’s musicians, venue owners, historians, and philanthropists dedicated to preserving its legacy. Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place with Slack and producer Demmette Guidry. For more information, call 601-576-6850.

Speakers Bureau: "Mississippi Telling"
2025-08-01 18:00 - 19:00 | Cambridge Methodist Church, 212 Ross Ave, Oxford, MS, 38655-4822, United States
Rebecca Jernigan provides 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.

Possumtown Book Fest
2025-08-16 09:00 - 17:00 | Columbus Arts Council, Columbus , MS
The Possumtown Book Fest brings literary and humanities programming to the communities of Northeast Mississippi. Last year, nearly 1,000 people attended the inaugural festival, which featured 25 nationally published authors from across the South and 25 independent authors from the local area. All panels and activities are free and open to the public, and we host a free book giveaway for children while supplies last.
This year’s event will consist of eight literary panels throughout the day, free writing workshops, and a children’s program and local author showcase running concurrently during the morning.
The first panel is inspired by the books Choctaw Tales and Choctaw Traditions, which were recently published by the University Press of Mississippi. Co-editors Rae Nell Vaughn, Eddie Johnson, and Jay Wesley are scheduled to give a presentation about the history, culture, and folklore of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
The second panel will be a moderated conversation with Wright Thompson, author of The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi. A journalist by training, Thompson describes how historic forces created an environment that led to the racially motivated murder of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, and how the social order has stymied attempts for justice, change, and racial healing. The Barn is this year’s selection for our Community Read, a program organized by Fant Memorial Library at Mississippi University for Women and sponsored by Friendly City Books, the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System, the City of Columbus, and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. The book fest is the kickoff of a year-long programming series engaging with The Barn, and we are collaborating with the Mississippi Humanities Council on program content.

Sunday Screening: The Last American House Party
2025-08-24 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a screening of The Last American House Party at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 24, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. This sixty-minute film follows the Neshoba County Fair, an eight-day, 100-year-old tradition where families and communities come together for food and entertainment. Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place with director Bryan Carpenter and Brad Ogletree, whose family owns a cabin at the Neshoba County Fair and who appears in the film. The panel discussion will be moderated by Larry Morrissey of the Mississippi Arts Commission who has recorded oral histories of several cabin owners.
For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov

America250 Mississippi Grants Workshop
2025-09-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
Join the MHC program staff on Tuesday, September 2, from 2-3 p.m. for a Zoom webinar exploring America250 Mississippi grant opportunities. The webinar is free and open to all. Registration required.

After the webinar, participants may request a one-on-one consultation regarding programs or events they are planning.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/america250-mississippi-grants-workshop-tickets-1612716922729?aff=oddtdtcreator

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling of Fulton Chapel Marker
2025-09-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Fulton Chapel, University of Mississippi, Oxford, 617 All American Drive, University, MS, 38677, United States
The Fulton Chapel Protest was one of the most significant student-led demonstrations in our state’s history. In February 1970, Black students organized a protest demanding fair treatment, more representation, and institutional change. Eighty-nine students were arrested, but their courage sparked lasting progress at the university, pushing the school toward greater inclusion and accountability.

About the Mississippi Freedom Trail:
The Mississippi Freedom Trail pays tribute to Mississippi’s profound impact on the U.S. civil rights movement. The statewide initiative features over 40 markers commemorating the individuals, locations, and pivotal events that were instrumental in the struggle for civil rights. Administered by Visit Mississippi in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Freedom Trail is supported by a State Tourism Grant from the US. Economic Development Administration.

For more information about the Mississippi Freedom Trail and to explore tourism offerings in Mississippi, visit visitmississippi.org.

Sunday Screening: Lynching in History and Memory
2025-09-07 14:00 - 17:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a screening of a series of short films, focused on racial violence and lynching, Bootjack and Red, My Father’s Name, and Sites of Memory at 2 p.m. Sunday, September 7, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. The films are collectively 60 minutes and will be followed by a panel conversation featuring filmmakers Talamieka Brice (Bootjack and Red), Susanna Styron and Connie Royster (My Father’s Name), and Antonio Tarrell (Sites of Memory). For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling of Dr. Clinton Battle Marker
2025-09-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Mt. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, 310 Church Ave, Indianola, MS, 38751, United States
Dr. Clinton Battle was a physician and civil rights leader in Indianola whose activism brought critical change to the Mississippi Delta. As president of the local NAACP chapter in the 1950s, Dr. Battle led voter registration drives, offering a beacon of hope and leadership in the Delta during a time of brutal repression. He also used his medical practice to support activists and the Black community, often at great personal and professional risk. The marker pays tribute to his courageous, multifaceted service and fearless work for justice during one of the most turbulent periods in state history.

About the Mississippi Freedom Trail:
The Mississippi Freedom Trail pays tribute to Mississippi’s profound impact on the U.S. civil rights movement. The statewide initiative features over 40 markers commemorating the individuals, locations, and pivotal events that were instrumental in the struggle for civil rights. Administered by Visit Mississippi in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Freedom Trail is supported by a State Tourism Grant from the US. Economic Development Administration.

For more information about the Mississippi Freedom Trail and to explore tourism offerings in Mississippi, visit visitmississippi.org.

Mississippi Book Festival
2025-09-13 | Mississippi State Capitol, 400 High St, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
Each year, the Mississippi Book Festival unites readers and authors in an exhilarating celebration of books.

MHC is proud to be a sponsor of the festival since it began. We will sponsor several panels, including a highlight of our prison education program.
The Capitol’s stately rooms and nearby Galloway Church turn into venues for distinguished panelists, the streets in between transform into a bustling marketplace for booksellers, and the grounds and Capitol Rotunda become a hub of lively exchange. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL, the festival brings the written word to fun, festive life with authors, panel discussions, book signings, family-friendly activities, food trucks, live music, and more!

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling of Anne Moody Marker
2025-09-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, 8755 Hwy 24 East, Centreville, MS, 39631, United States
Anne Moody was a leading voice of the Civil Rights Movement through both her activist and her groundbreaking memoir Coming of Age in Mississippi. As a student at Tougaloo College, Moody participated in sit-ins, voter registration drives, and other efforts to dismantle segregation across the state. Her vivid account of growing up in the Jim Crow South gave the world an unflinching look at the realities of racial injustice and inspired generations to continue the fight for equality. The marker serves as a tribute to her enduring impact on the movement and beyond.

About the Mississippi Freedom Trail:
The Mississippi Freedom Trail pays tribute to Mississippi’s profound impact on the U.S. civil rights movement. The statewide initiative features over 40 markers commemorating the individuals, locations, and pivotal events that were instrumental in the struggle for civil rights. Administered by Visit Mississippi in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Freedom Trail is supported by a State Tourism Grant from the US. Economic Development Administration.

For more information about the Mississippi Freedom Trail and to explore tourism offerings in Mississippi, visit visitmississippi.org.

Speakers Bureau: "Shalom Y'all: The History of Jews in Mississippi"
2025-09-16 18:30 - 19:30 | Anguilla Methodist Church, 631 Front St, Anguilla, MS, 38721, United States
Dr. Stuart Rockoff presents: “Shalom Y’all: The History of Jews in Mississippi”
In the early 19th century, Jewish immigrants from Europe began to arrive in the Magnolia State, settling initially in towns along the Mississippi River. Concentrating in retail trade, these Jews became visible symbols of economic modernity and market capitalism in Mississippi. Throughout much of their history, Mississippi Jews have worked to lessen the cultural differences between themselves and their neighbors. In recent decades, due to region-wide economic and demographic trends, the Jewish population of Mississippi has declined and become concentrated in the state’s population centers.

Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social Change
2025-09-25 17:30 - 20:00 | Columbus Arts Council, Columbus , MS
“Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social Change” is an exhibit by the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in support of the Community Read. This event is also supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Water Valley Literary Festival
2025-09-27 09:00 - 17:00 | Bozarts Gallery, 403 N Main St, Water Valley, MS, 38965, United States
Save the date for our first annual Water Valley Literary festival, held at Bozarts Gallery.

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Howze Sisters
2025-10-06 11:00 - 14:00 | The Howze Sisters’ Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker, 182 E. Eucutta St., Shubuta, MS, 39360, United States
Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Howze Sisters
182 E. Eucutta St.,
Shubuta, MS

11 a.m.

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America250 Mississippi Grants Workshop
2025-10-07 14:00 - 15:00 | MS
Join the MHC program staff on Tuesday, October 7, from 2-3 p.m. for a Zoom webinar exploring America250 Mississippi grant opportunities. The webinar is free and open to all. Registration required.

After the webinar, participants may request a one-on-one consultation regarding programs or events they are planning.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/america250-mississippi-grants-workshop-tickets-1677292419779

Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social Change
2025-10-09 11:00 - 17:00 | Woodworth Chapel @ Tougaloo College, 500 County Line Rd., Jackson, MS

Sunday Screening: The American Revolution
2025-10-12 14:00 - 17:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Are you a History Channel regular? Join us for a preview of the six-part series “The American Revolution: A Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Two Mississippi Museums. Following the screening, Chris Pigott will share his experience working alongside Ken Burns and other filmmakers during its creation. This program is presented in partnership with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Film Society, and Film Mississippi.
For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.
