Mississippi Humanities Council

Water/Ways @ MHIM: Keep America Beautiful
2018-08-16 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On August 16, the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host a program titled “Keep America Beautiful” in partnership with the Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful group. This program will feature a short film followed by a presentation from the Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful group to share their different programs and initiatives. The free and open to the public program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host from July 14 through August 25.
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit explores water’s connection to all aspects of our society, including the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event
August 25, 12-1pm: “All Things Mississippi” Speakers Bureau presentation

Speakers Bureau: The Delta Chinese in 20th Century Mississippi
2018-08-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
When the Civil War brought an end to slavery, cotton plantation owners sought inexpensive labor replacements and some of the earliest Chinese to the Delta were recruited for this purpose. The Chinese did not embrace this role and instead carved a business niche in the Delta by opening grocery stores in black neighborhoods to serve cotton pickers who previously acquired their food and household items from plantation-owned commissaries. Chinese also came to the Delta from other parts of the U. S. to escape discrimination and violence in the west during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and carved out a distinctive position as a third element in a predominantly biracial society. This presentation explores the arrival of Chinese immigrants in the Mississippi Delta, the social, political and economic conditions of that era and the development of a Delta Chinese society. The presenter tells the story of the Mississippi Delta Chinese through his father’s and his own experiences growing up in a multiethnic neighborhood in Greenville, reflecting on how his musical talents helped him achieve acceptance and assimilation in the white dominant Delta society.

Speakers Expertise:
Sherman Hong was born in Greenville, Mississippi, during segregation and has investigated why the Chinese came to Mississippi in the mid-19th century. He entered “white” public schools soon after it was permitted in Greenville, and tells of his experiences in a deeply divided South in the 1940s to the 1960s.

Speakers Bureau: All Things Mississippi: The Beautiful Landscapes, and the Great Strength of the People
2018-08-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Meridian, MS
Anne McKee is recognized statewide as a passionate teacher of Mississippi history. Through the art of storytelling, Anne McKee uplifts the accomplishments of famous Mississippians and shares explores the history of a land and a people like no other. Native to the state, McKee’s love and support for Mississippi began in childhood as she sat at the knees of relatives to learn the Mississippi story—a story for her that is always new and fresh. She dresses in costumes representing the time period of the stories featured on the day of her programs, and at times, if the audience is willing, involves attendees in her stories.
Speakers Expertise:
Anne McKee is a storyteller, free-lance writer and published author whose work is inspired by “her life in the south lane.” She is listed on the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Artist Roster and the MAC Teaching Artist Roster. In 2009, she published Historic Photos of Mississippi and in 2010, Remembering Mississippi, both celebrating the singular beauty and culture of Mississippi. McKee is a master storyteller who uses her craft to teach the history and heritage of the South through the art of story and drama.

Water/Ways @ MIHM: Fish Fry & "Why We Call It Soul Food"
2018-08-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On August 9, the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host Dr. Brinda Willis of the MHC’s Speakers Bureau to present her free and open to the public lecture titled “Why We Call It Soul Food.” This Speakers Bureau event will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit, which the Industrial Heritage Museum will host from July 14 through August 25. In addition to the lecture, the August 9 program will also feature a fish fry onsite at the Industrial Heritage Museum from 4-9pm.
Willis’s program tells the story of why southerners, especially African American southerners, call the foods we eat “soul food.” Dr. 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. Her August 9 program will also include stories about the significance of fried fish and fish fries in the South.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
August 16, 7pm: “Keep America Beautiful” presentation
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event
August 25, 12-1pm: “All Things Mississippi” Speakers Bureau presentation

Speakers Bureau: Mississippi Telling
2018-08-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Hernando Farmer’s Market, 2535 Hwy 51, Hernando, MS, 38632
Rebecca Moore Jernigan is an internationally recognized scholar and professional storyteller who resides in Oxford.

Water/Ways @ MIHM: Ebbs & Flows of Mississippi History
2018-08-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On August 2, the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host Dr. James Giesen of the MHC’s Speakers Bureau to present his free and open to the public lecture “Water Ways: Ebbs & Flows of Mississippi History.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host from July 14 through August 25.
There are few states where water has been more central to its history and culture than Mississippi. From ship-building on the coast to Native American migration along rivers and streams, from Civil Rights Movement wade-ins to Civil War strategy, water has played a central role in how and why the Magnolia State looks and operates as it does today. Giesen will tell three interrelated histories of water in Mississippi to make the case that Mississippians today often overlook both the breadth and variety of ways that water has affected the history of their state. From massive natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, to great success stories like the shipbuilding and fishing industries, to less well-known incidents where water played an important role in the development of small communities and towns, the talk will tell not just the well-known water histories of the state, but show how water has become an often overlooked factor in our past, present, and future.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
August 9, 4-8pm: Fish Fry and “Why We Call it Soul Food” Speakers Bureau presentation
August 16, 7pm: “Keep America Beautiful” presentation
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event
August 25, 12-1pm: “All Things Mississippi” Speakers Bureau presentation

Ideas on Tap (Oxford): Easy as ABC? Early Childhood Learning in Mississippi
2018-08-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Proud Larry’s, 211 South Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS, 38655, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning, and the North Mississippi Education Consortium at Proud Larry’s on August 2 for “Ideas on Tap: Easy As ABC? Early Childhood Learning in Mississippi.”
With the new school year right around the corner, we’ll take the opportunity to focus on early childhood education in Mississippi. We’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of early childhood education, its effects on communities like Oxford, the history of pre-K in the state, and so much more. Panelists include Cathy Grace (Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning); Tamara Bolt Hillmer (LOU Reads Coalition); and Michael Cormack Jr. (Barksdale Reading Institute). Kevin W. Frye (Lafayette County Supervisor and local attorney) will moderate the conversation.

Ideas on Tour: Truth Decay?
2018-07-31 17:30 - 19:00 | The Flamingo, 3011 N State St, Jackson, MS, 39216, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council at the The Flamingo on July 31 for the second installment in our summer series “Ideas on Tour.”
On July 31, we’ll explore the idea of truth. Does absolute truth exist? Do museums tell the truth? Is journalism the truth? To tackle these–and other–questions, we’ll hear from a variety of angles: Steve Smith (Millsaps College) will examine the philosophical nature of truth and the idea of relativism; LaTanya S. Autry (Mississippi Museum of Art) will speak about truth and objectivity in museums; and Anna Wolfe (Clarion Ledger) will discuss truth and journalism amidst the growing claims of “fake news.” MHC Executive Director Dr. Stuart Rockoff will moderate the conversation.
The Ideas on Tour summer series will take place through August and will visit different spots around town each month. Join us for a fun summer on the road!

Water/Ways @ MIHM: Steam Up
2018-07-26 13:00 - 17:00 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On July 26, the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host a “Steam Up” event to show off (and power up!) several of its steam engines. Several “steam buffs” and historians will be on hand to discuss the historical importance of steam. The free and open to the public program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host from July 14 through August 25.
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit explores water’s connection to all aspects of our society, including the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
August 2, 7pm: “Water Ways: Ebbs and Flows of Mississippi History” Speakers Bureau presentation
August 9, 4-8pm: Fish Fry and “Why We Call it Soul Food” Speakers Bureau presentation
August 16, 7pm: “Keep America Beautiful” presentation
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event
August 25, 12-1pm: “All Things Mississippi” Speakers Bureau presentation

Girls Write the World Community Day
2018-07-21 13:00 - 16:00 | EE Bass Center, 323 S. Main St., Greenville, MS
This Saturday, the campers of Girls Write the World will host a community day writing retreat for friends, family, classmates and the larger Greenville community. This retreat will feature campers’ favorite curriculum of the week’s program, and will be designed and facilitated by our campers. It will give participants an insight into the real GWTW camper experience!
Come at 1 to participate in this incredible community day and stay after to see our campers perform their original poetry in our FOURTH annual showcase! Can’t wait to see you there!
To sign up, PLEASE REGISTER HERE:
https://goo.gl/forms/NOqjWg4DNB5SBI8E2

Water/Ways @ MIHM: East MS Land Trust Meeting
2018-07-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On July 19, the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host the annual meeting of the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust, which will be free and open to the public. The meeting, sponsored by Mississippi Power, will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host from July 14 through August 25.
The East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust is a group dedicated to conserving and promoting areas of ecological, cultural, and scenic significance in East Mississippi.
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit explores water’s connection to all aspects of our society, including the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
July 26, 1-5pm: Steam Up event
August 2, 7pm: “Water Ways: Ebbs and Flows of Mississippi History” Speakers Bureau presentation
August 9, 4-8pm: Fish Fry and “Why We Call it Soul Food” Speakers Bureau presentation
August 16, 7pm: “Keep America Beautiful” presentation
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event
August 25, 12-1pm: “All Things Mississippi” Speakers Bureau presentation

Monday Movies: Presenting Princess Shaw
2018-07-16 18:30 - 20:30 | Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center, 710 Jackson Ave. East, Oxford, MS, 38655
Presenting Princess Shaw will be screened for free on Monday, July 16 at 630 pm at the Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center.
The Burns Belfry is located at 710 Jackson Avenue East in Oxford. Living Music Resource will present after the screening.
Samantha Montgomery lives two lives. One in which she takes care of the elderly. The other in which she performs songs on her YouTube channel under the username Princess Shaw. After an Israeli video producer spots her spunky look and her peppy voice, Princess Shaw’s name becomes known. This film shows the power of music and how different subjects or in this case, talents can mix quite well.

Water/Ways @ MIHM: Grand Opening
2018-07-14 10:00 - 17:00 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
On Saturday, July 14, the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways will officially open at the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum in Meridian. The grand opening event will be the first time for the Meridian community to come out and visit the exciting new exhibit, which will be on display at the Industrial Heritage Museum through August 25.
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit explores water’s connection to all aspects of our society, including the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.
Future Water/Ways events @ MIHM:
July 19, 6pm: East Mississippi Land Trust Annual Meeting
July 26, 1-5pm: Steam Up event
August 2, 7pm: “Water Ways: Ebbs and Flows of Mississippi History” presentation
August 9, 4-8pm: Fish Fry and “Why We Call it Soul Food” Presentation
August 16, 7pm: “Keep America Beautiful” presentation
August 23, 5-9pm: Evening Steam Up event

People, Politics and the Press
2018-07-14 09:00 - 17:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
People, Politics and the Press is an unprecedented collaboration between the Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Mississippi Press Association Education Foundation, Clarion Ledger and Mississippi Today. This one-day civic engagement summit at the Two Mississippi Museums features nationally recognized names in media, as well as the region’s best reporters for panel discussions, lectures and open format conversations exploring the crucial role journalism plays in creating informed citizens and a healthy democracy.
Join us July 14, 2018!

Overall event goals include:

Deepening the public’s knowledge and appreciation of the close connection between democracy, journalism, and an informed citizenry
Increasing media literacy by engaging the public in discussions with journalists and scholars about reliable and unreliable sources of information
Exploring obstacles to sustaining high-quality local journalism and potential solutions

Water/Ways in Meridian
2018-07-14 - 2018-08-25 | Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, 1808 4th Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
The Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum will host Water/Ways, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution, from July 14 through August 25.
Water/Ways is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. It consists of five free-standing display units incorporating photographs and text as well as numerous interactives ranging from basic flip charts to state of the art audio and video devices. Requiring a display area of a minimum of 650 sq. ft., the exhibit is designed for smaller venues, thereby achieving the goal of “bringing the Smithsonian to Small Town America.”
Water/Ways explores the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality. It looks at how political and economic planning have long been affected by access to water and control of water resources. Human creativity and resourcefulness provide new ways of protecting water resources and renewing respect for the natural environment.

Beautiful Agitators civil rights play reading at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
2018-07-11 18:30 - 20:30 | GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, 800 West Sunflower Rd, Cleveland , MS, 38732, United States
Beautiful Agitators is a civil rights play about Clarksdale-based activist Vera Mae Piggee written and performed by Mississippi Delta residents. There will be two readings of the play at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi: the first on next Wednesday, June 20 at 6:30pm; the second on Wednesday, July 11 at 6:30pm. These readings are free and open to the public through support from Mississippi Today, Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, StoryWorks, and Coahoma Collective.

The State of the South: Jackson
2018-07-09 09:00 - 10:30 | Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 South Lamar Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
We are a group of creatives—actors, directors, teachers, playwrights—looking to define what it means to be Southern in today’s world. We want to be challenged in how we think about our culture and society.
It starts with a story—your story. Join the dialogue, tune in to the conversation, and rewrite the assumptions of the South. Leave knowing more about the folks in your community.
Through one-on-one interviews, group story circles, and town halls, the State of the South creative team seeks to answer:
Who is the South?
What is the South?
Where is the South?
Tell us your story. Share your definition of the South.
This free, one-hour discussion is hosted in a safe, inclusive space. People from all walks of life and of all shapes, sizes, colors, and capabilities are welcome.
While the conversation thrives on participation, all activities and discussions are optional. Wear comfortable attire and feel free to bring a notebook and/or non-alcoholic beverages.
Learn more about the tour: http://bit.ly/sots2018
Press release: http://bit.ly/sotspr
Follow along: #asfontheroad
***Please note that photographs and footage will be taken throughout the State of the South tour event. These will be used by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival for marketing and publicity purposes, on our website, and on social media. Please contact the event organizer if you have any concerns or if you wish to be exempt from this activity.***

The Mule Train: A Journey of Hope Remembered
2018-06-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St., Jackson, MS, 39202
Please join the Staff of the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center along with The Mule Train Historical Society on Friday, June 29, 2018 at 6:00 pm for the opening of the exhibition, “The Mule Train: A Journey of Hope Remembered”. This is in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Mule Train and the long awaited commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s death.

Water/Ways @ PRAC: Mobile Baykeeper Talk
2018-06-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Pascagoula River Audubon Center, 5107 Arthur St., Moss Point, MS, 39563, United States
On June 23, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center will host a free and open to the public program on the role of Mobile Baykeeper in the area. The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which will be on display at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center from May 31 through July 7.
Mobile Baykeeper is an environmental community organization working to provide citizens a means to protect the beauty, health, and heritage of the Mobile Bay Watershed and its coastal communities. The June 23 program will focus on the work of Mobile Baykeeper, its history as an organization, and its role in the ecosystem and community in the area.

Beautiful Agitators civil rights play reading at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
2018-06-20 18:30 - 20:30 | GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, 800 West Sunflower Rd, Cleveland , MS, 38732, United States
Beautiful Agitators civil rights play reading at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi

Beautiful Agitators is a civil rights play about Clarksdale-based activist Vera Mae Piggee written and performed by Mississippi Delta residents. There will be two readings of the play at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi: the first on next Wednesday, June 20 at 6:30pm; the second on Wednesday, July 11 at 6:30pm. These readings are free and open to the public through support from Mississippi Today, Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, StoryWorks, and Coahoma Collective.

Speakers Bureau: Forbidden, Hidden and Forgotten: Women Soldiers of the Civil War
2018-06-19 18:30 - 19:30 | Sharkey Issaquena County Library, 116 Robert Morganfield Way, Rolling Fork, MS, 39159
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? Ms. Harriel’s presentation offers answers. In addition, she presents the interactions of generals, common soldiers and ordinary citizens with these women warriors.
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.

Ideas on Tour: Safety First?
2018-06-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Offbeat, 151 Wesley Ave, Jackson, MS, 39202, United States
Join the MHC on June 19 at Offbeat for the first in the summer’s “Ideas on Tour” series.
The June 19 program, “Ideas on Tour: Safety First?” will address the issue of safety in communities from a variety of angles, such as crime, school safety, and community planning.
The “Ideas on Tour” summer series will take place through July and will visit different venues around Jackson. Join us for a fun summer on the road!

Speakers Bureau: How to Teach the Blues in Mississippi
2018-06-18 14:00 - 15:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Dr. Willis teaches educators how to integrate blues education into their lesson plans for social studies, geography and history. She gives them background information, current events, historical landmarks that are significant to blues music and blues artists. She shows photos, posters and records from her private collection and also gives first-hand information from her personal experiences of having been married to an internationally known blues artist.
Speakers Expertise:
Brinda Willis is a writer for the Jackson Advocate newspaper and an expert on blues and African American foodways.

Speakers Bureau: Rodgers and Rodgers: Distant Father, Native Son
2018-06-18 13:00 - 14:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Rogers and Rodgers: Distant Father, Native Son, or The Short Saga of “The World’s Only Yodeling Rope-Throwers” illuminates the relationship between Mississippi’s “Father of Country Music” and Oklahoma’s “Favorite Son,” Jimmie Rodgers and Will Rogers.
During January and February of 1931, Will Rogers, American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator and motion picture actor, mounted a Red Cross relief tour to distant drought victims in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. This tour, presenting a total of 52 performances in 48 towns and lasting a mere 18 days, raised approximately $250,000 for the needy in these states. Mississippi’s own Jimmie Rodgers, a.k.a. “America’s Blue Yodeler” and “The Father of Country Music,” joined up with Will for a portion of this endeavor, performing a limited number of engagements due to his rapidly deteriorating health. It was during this short period of time that Will and Jimmie became fast friends. Will took to referring to Jimmie as his “Distant Son.”
This presentation employs primary and secondary documents, along with music and visual images, to elucidate the nature of this relationship between these two hugely popular icons of the first half of the 20th century and their impact on American society of this period and beyond.
Speakers Expertise:
As Special Projects Director for the Mississippi Humanities Council, including state coordinator for the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit program, Morgan has undertaken extensive primary and secondary research into the relationship between Jimmie Rodgers and Will Rogers.

Water/Ways @ PRAC: Ebbs & Flows of Mississippi History
2018-06-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Pascagoula River Audubon Center, 5107 Arthur St., Moss Point, MS, 39563, United States
On June 16, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center will host Dr. James Giesen of the MHC’s Speakers Bureau to present his free and open to the public lecture “Water Ways: Ebbs & Flows of Mississippi History.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit Water/Ways, which the Pascagoula River Audubon Center will host from May 31 to July 7.
There are few states where water has been more central to its history and culture than Mississippi. From ship-building on the coast to Native American migration along rivers and streams, from Civil Rights Movement wade-ins to Civil War strategy, water has played a central role in how and why the Magnolia State looks and operates as it does today. Giesen will tell three interrelated histories of water in Mississippi to make the case that Mississippians today often overlook both the breadth and variety of ways that water has affected the history of their state. From massive natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, to great success stories like the shipbuilding and fishing industries, to less well-known incidents where water played an important role in the development of small communities and towns, the talk will tell not just the well-known water histories of the state, but show how water has become an often overlooked factor in our past, present, and future.

Knowing Medgar: 55 Years Later
2018-06-12 17:30 - 20:00 | Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, 222 North Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
In observance of the fifty-fifth anniversary of his death, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will host a program to commemorate the life of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. This free event, co-sponsored by the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute and the Mississippi Humanities Council, will be held Tuesday, June 12, at 6 p.m. in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium at the Two Mississippi Museums.
The evening’s events will include a program by MADDRAMA Performance Troupe, a poetry reading by Jackson State University instructor C. Leigh McInnis, and a special performance by Deanna Tisdale-Johnson. Afterwards, University of Texas at El Paso professor Michael V. Williams, author of “Medgar Evers: Mississippi Martyr,” will moderate a discussion on Evers’s early life and family, his career with the NAACP, and his death on June 12, 1963.
In 2003, Myrlie Evers-Williams donated the papers of her husband to the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. The collection consists of the papers of Medgar Evers as Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP, and the papers of his family. The papers include primary documents relating to civil rights actions, petitions for improvements to black schools, affidavits signed by African Americans denied the right to register to vote, reports on investigations of racial incidents, materials used to develop speeches, and newspaper clippings from his files.
The family papers include correspondence, financial records, photographs, cards, and other items that reflect the activities and interests of Medgar Evers, his wife, and their three children. The Evers Collection can be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Many of these documents were used to create exhibits in the Two Mississippi Museums.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened alongside the Museum of Mississippi History in December 2017 in celebration of the state’s bicentennial. The Museum of Mississippi History explores the entire sweep of the state’s history. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the first state-operated civil rights museum in the country, explores the period from 1945 to 1976, when Mississippi was ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement nationally. The museums are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 601-576-6800 or visit http://www.mcrm.mdah.ms.gov.

Water/Ways @ PRAC: Early Navigation on the Pascagoula River
2018-06-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Pascagoula River Audubon Center, 5107 Arthur St., Moss Point, MS, 39563, United States
On June 9, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center will host a free and open to the public program about the history of the Pascagoula River. The program will take place with the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit, which the Pascagoula River Audubon Center will host from May 31 through July 7.
The June 9 program, led by historian Else Martin, will discuss the early navigators, boat-builders, and explorers of the area.

Speakers Bureau: Mississippi Telling
2018-06-09 09:00 - 13:00 | Poplarville Methodist Youth Building, 202 W. Church Street, Poplarville, MS, 39470
The presenter 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.
Speakers Expertise:
Rebecca Moore Jernigan is an internationally recognized scholar and professional storyteller who resides in Oxford.

Speakers Bureau: Personal Experience Writing
2018-06-07 18:30 - 19:30 | The Depot–Newton, 128 S. Main Street, Newton, MS, 39345
Richelle Putnam shares the power and therapeutic value of words and how to explore the future by visiting the past. She shares her personal experience stories from different anthologies, provides writing prompts to spur attendee recollections and teaches how to slip past the protector to reach emotional honesty. Other speaker topics are: “How to Create Three-Dimensional Characters,” “Pour Story Foundations onto Southern Landscapes” and “Developing Character Emotions.”
Speakers Expertise:
Richelle Putnam has been published in many print and online publications in adult and children’s literature and is the author of three regional history books. She is listed on the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Artist/Teaching Artist Roster.

Speakers Bureau: A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music
2018-06-07 10:00 - 11:00 | South Mississippi Regional Library, 900 Broad Street, Columbia, MS, 39429
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.
Speakers Expertise:
Jerry Jenkins is a musician and educator trained in the music of West Africa.
