Dr. Shanell Bailey will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi Valley State titled “Bridging the Literacy Gap with Effective Teaching Strategies for Today's College Students.” Dr. Bailey's presentation will focus on the literacy challenges faced by today’s incoming college students and examine how these challenges affect teaching and learning. She will focus on […]

Robert Luckett presents “This Is My Century: Margaret Walker and the Black Arts Movement." As Director of the Margaret Walker Center for the Study of the African-American Experience at Jackson State University, Dr. Luckett has become a leading scholar on the great writer, scholar and teacher, Margaret Walker. Best known as the author of For My […]

Barbara Jones Clark presents “Savoring African American History through Stories and Poetry" Take a story walk through the eyes and feelings of African Americans from slavery to the mid-seventies. Using award-winning literature via stories and poetry, the audience will experience plantation life and escape, life view of a 110-year-old supercentenarian, living with Jim Crow during […]

Following a pandemic-era surge in demand for Black portraiture, recent market shifts have raised important questions about cultural value, representation, and institutional priorities. This roundtable brings together artists and scholars to reflect on the forces shaping how Black subjects are depicted and received both historically and in contemporary art. Anchoring the conversation are two recent […]

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Canton Freedom House 838 George Washington Ave Canton, MS   11 a.m.   Read More

Part of the "A Gathering of Waters: The Power of Place & Pen in Mississippi's Literary Landscape" Program Writers Series & Podcast featuring Dana Williams Thursday, February 19, 2026 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Location: Student Center Theatre Theme: “Toni Morrison at Random: Inspiring Mississippi Publishing on Our Own Ground” Program Description: Dr. Dana Williams, […]

"The Emmett Till Generation: Youth Activism, Radical Protest, and Social Change in Jim Crow Mississippi” presented by Dr. Daphne Chamberlain February 19, 2026 @ 12 PM Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System downtown branch This presentation highlights the role of children, between the ages of 7 and 18, as leaders and participants in the Mississippi civil rights […]

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 […]

William Arinder presents "Pioneer Toys, Games, and Music" on February 25, 2026, at 1 p.m. A living history program about the early pioneer settlers in Mississippi. Discussion centers around how they dressed, built their homes, produced and cooked their food, created children's homemade toys, and made music on the mountain dulcimer. Period clothing worn, hands-on […]

Zachary Dozier will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College titled “Heritage in Humanities: How Our Students’ Backgrounds Help Us Teach.” This presentation explores how incorporating students’ cultural and linguistic heritage can enrich language instruction. It will feature four students—two with Spanish-speaking backgrounds and two with family connections to […]

The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration is proud to announce plans for the 37th annual Celebration, to be held February 26-28, 2026. View the 2026 agenda here! Come and hear the story of America, from the founding to today, as told by expert historians and prolific authors! The 2026 NLCC will weave a diverse tapestry of […]

William “Brother” Rogers presents “Learning Mississippi History Through Historical Markers" From traditional green historical markers to the Mississippi Blues Trail, Freedom Trail, Country Music Trail, and Mississippi Mound Trail, the state’s history is told along its roads. The speaker takes a fun romp through history that will interest anyone who likes fascinating trivia about the […]