Mississippi Humanities Council

Ideas on Tap: Polarized: Politics and News in a Divided America
2020-12-15 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | MS
On December 15, join the Mississippi Humanities Council for a conversation on the polarization of American news and politics.

The program will address the U.S.’s increasing division over political beliefs, how news silos have affected how we determine truth and reality, and what to do to combat the current polarization. Panelists include Dr. Talia Stroud (Director, Center for Media Engagement and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin), Dr. Marvin King (Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Mississippi), and Kayleigh Skinner (Managing Editor at Mississippi Today). MHC Executive Director Dr. Stuart Rockoff will moderate the program.

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

This program is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” initiative, in partnership with the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: The History and Development of Mt. Olive
2020-12-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On December 12, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will host Sandra Boyd, local archivist and librarian, to present her program “Mt. Olive: History & Development.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.

SB: Fault Lines: Living in Two Cultures
2020-12-07 12:00 - 13:00 | MS
Seetha Srinivasan, director emeritus of the University Press of Mississippi, discusses becoming a part of the American mainstream while retaining one’s ethnic (in this case Indian) identity and asks the following questions: Can it be done? To what extent? What are the challenges, frustrations, rewards? E-mail Peter Dean at the Ridgeland Public Library for information on how to attend.

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies
2020-12-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On December 5, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive 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 Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

MS + MA: Crossing Borders/Connecting Stories
2020-12-03 18:00 - 19:30 | MS
The Mississippi Humanities Council and Mass Humanities announce a series of six interactive, online programs to facilitate conversation between our two states. We will be examining intersecting points in our histories, exploring our rich literary traditions, and engaging in cross-state dialogue. By reflecting on our states’ identities 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.
This first conversation in the MS + MA series explores images and impressions of our two states, bringing curiosity to questions about how we view each other. Our two speakers, Mississippi author Ralph Eubanks and Massachusetts author Michael Gorra, will draw on the literary heritage of Mississippi and Massachusetts to offer reflections on how our greatest writers have informed and complicated our views of each other. Participants will also engage in conversations with residents from both states in small breakout groups, sharing and examining their own impressions of our two states and discussing what they learned from our two speakers.
Participation is free, but space is limited and registration is required.
Once you have registered, you will be sent a short survey in mid-November asking for your impressions of how you view Massachusetts and how you think residents in Massachusetts view Mississippi. In late November, you will also be sent two very short excerpts from works by a writer in each state that you can read ahead of time. The link to access the event online will be sent a few days before the event.

Community Conversations: War and Homecoming Across the Humanities
2020-12-01 | Oxford Lafayette Library, 401 Bramlett Blvd , Oxford, MS, 38655, United States
University of Mississippi students, under the guidance of faculty and staff, will lead community discussions on the the war and homecoming, based on humanities texts (Homer’s “Odyssey,” Maximilian Uriarte’s graphic novel “The White Donkey,” and short-form poetry by veterans of the Post 9/11 conflicts) in two North Mississippi public libraries. The program is particularly designed for veteran participants, but open to anyone interested, and is meant to help veterans contextualize and process their experiences of the relation between military life and “the home front” in a trans-historical context accessed through reading in the humanities

Community Library Mississippi Goes Virtual: Holiday Book Festival
2020-11-28 10:00 - 13:00 | MS
Community Library Mississippi hosts a virtual book festival including performances, marketplace, and a youth poetry competition. More information on the event and how to attend can be found on the event webpage.

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Hometown Makeover Screening
2020-11-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On November 28, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will present a free screening of the “Mt. Olive Hometown Makeover” video submitted to the HGTV “Hometown Makeover” contest conducted by Laurel, Mississippi HGTV hosts Erin and Ben Napier. The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
December 7, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive Area
2020-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On November 21, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will host the Covington County Genealogical and Historical Society to present a program on Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive area. The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
November 28, 10am: “Hometown Makeover” screening
December 7, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Railroads in the Development of South Mississippi
2020-11-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On November 14, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will host railroad historian Rev. David Price to present a program on the impact of railroads on development in south Mississippi. The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
November 21, 10am: “Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive Area” presentation, June Ellis and Nell Cobb
November 28, 10am: “Hometown Makeover” screening
December 7, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Impact of Rural Electrification
2020-11-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On November 7, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will host Steve Bryant from Southern Pine Electric Power Association to discuss the impact of rural electrification on South Mississippi. The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
November 14, 10am: “Railroads in the Development of South Mississippi” presentation, Rev. David Price
November 21, 10am: “Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive Area” presentation, June Ellis and Nell Cobb
November 28, 10am: “Hometown Makeover” screening
December 7, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

Crossroads @ Mt. Olive: Traditional Fiddle Music of the Rural South
2020-10-31 10:00 - 11:00 | Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church, 501 Cotton Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
On October 31, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library in Mt. Olive will host Bill Rogers to present a program on traditional fuddle music of the rural South. The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Mt. Olive through December 12.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and is free to visit.
Future Crossroads Events in Mt. Olive:
November 7, 10am: “The Impact of Rural Electrification on South Mississippi” presentation, Steve Bryan
November 14, 10am: “Railroads in the Development of South Mississippi” presentation, Rev. David Price
November 21, 10am: “Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive Area” presentation, June Ellis and Nell Cobb
November 28, 10am: “Hometown Makeover” screening
December 7, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

"Crossroads" Exhibit in Mt. Olive
2020-10-30 10:00 - 2020-12-12 16:00 | Mt. Olive Volunteer Fire Department, 201 S 5th Street, Mt. Olive, MS, 39119, United States
The Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library will host Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, from October 30 through December 12. The exhibit will be on display in the Mt. Olive Volunteer Fire Department meeting room, located across the street from the library, and is open to the public Mondays-Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
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 exhibit, the Jane Blain Brewer Memorial Library will also host a series of programs that are free and open to the public.
Crossroads events in Mt. Olive:
October 31, 10am: Traditional Fiddle Music of the Rural South presentation, Bill Rogers
November 7, 10am: “The Impact of Rural Electrification on South Mississippi” presentation, Steve Bryan
November 14, 10am: “Railroads in the Development of South Mississippi” presentation, Rev. David Price
November 21, 10am: “Centennial Farms in the Mt. Olive Area” presentation, June Ellis and Nell Cobb
November 28, 10am: “Hometown Makeover” screening
December 5, 10am: “From Snapshots to a Collage: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” presentation, Dr. John Green
December 12, 10am: “Mt. Olive: History and Development” presentation, Sandra Boyd

Anne and Emmett
2020-10-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Virtual Event
A virtual discussion of Anne and Emmett with playwright Janet Langhart Cohen following a streamed performance. Anne and Emmett explores and imaginary conversation between Anne Frank, a German-Dutch Jew and Emmett Till, an African American. The play takes place in memory, a non-specific alternate dimension.

Crossroads @ Senatobia: Andy Ratliff Bluegrass Concert
2020-10-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Northwest Mississippi Community College Learning Resource Center, 4975 Highway 51 N, Senatobia, MS, 38668, United States
On October 20, the Learning Resource Center at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will host musicians Andy Ratliff and Eric Lewis to present a free bluegrass concert.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.

Crossroads @ Senatobia: Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads
2020-10-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Northwest Mississippi Community College, 4975 Hwy 51 N, Senatobia, 38668
On October 16, the Learning Resource Center at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will host Northwest English instructor Leelee Haraway to present her program “Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads: A Discussion Informed by the Art of Eudora Welty, Alice Walker, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and Son House.” The free program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Senatobia through October 22. The event will take place in person in Tate Hall Room 106, but seating is limited.
Haraway’s presentation will draw on a variety of texts, including short fiction by Eudora Welty and Alice Walker, as well as selected songs from Jessie Mae Hemphill and Son House, to explore the relationship between rural and urban art and the potential for revitalization that exists in the artistic traditions of the rural South.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.
Future Crossroads Events in Senatobia:
October 20, 7pm: Bluegrass concert featuring local musician Andy Ratliff

2020 Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
2020-10-15 08:00 - 2020-10-17 20:00 | Clarksdale Historic Downtown District
The 28th annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival seeks to build on a mission of presenting programs on the life and works of Tennessee Williams in the context of Clarksdale and Coahoma County. The 2020 festival will focus on a large scale production of Williams’ Summer and Smoke, as well as increased educational outreach and engagement with artists and scholars.

Mississippi Hispanic Heritage Month & Indigenous People's Day: A Night of Art and Storytelling
2020-10-13 08:00 - 17:00 | Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 South Lamar Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
There are three components to our project: a short film, a panel discussion, and an art exhibit. On October 13, the MS Museum of Art will premier a short film, host a panel discussion, and unveil an art exhibit comprised of photographs. The film will be presented in person and online via Zoom and Facebook Live followed by the panel discussion. The panel will be composed of Lorena Quiroz, Noel Didla, Ingrid Cruz, and immigrant community members who were impacted by the August 7, 2019, immigration raids. The purpose of the panel is to discuss lived experiences, the rapid response of MS organizers to the August 7, 2019, raids, and the future for immigrant
communities in Mississippi and immigrant justice in Mississippi. Questions from the audience and public will be answered. Following the panel discussion, the art exhibit will be unveiled and open to explore. This event is free and open to the public and takes into consideration accessibility (interpretation, online participation, etc.) and COVID-19.

Crossroads @ Senatobia: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter Book Discussion
2020-10-06 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
On October 6 at 2pm, the Learning Resource Center at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will host a virtual book discussion of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter featuring the book’s author Tom Franklin. The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Senatobia through October 22.
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 is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.
Future Crossroads events in Senatobia:
October 16, 11am: “Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads” lecture
October 20, 7pm: Bluegrass concert featuring local musician Andy Ratliff

Crossroads @ Senatobia: Mississippi Foodways
2020-09-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Northwest Mississippi Community College Learning Resource Center, 4975 Highway 51 N, Senatobia, MS, 38668, United States
On September 29, the Learning Resource Center at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will host MHC Speakers Bureau member Malcolm White to present his free program “Mississippi Foodways.” The program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Senatobia through October 22.
This presentation offers observations by a longtime connoisseur of Southern food and culture on topics ranging from the history of Comeback Dressing to how the tamale came to Mississippi to the evolution of dining out in 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.
The exhibit is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.
Future Crossroads events in Senatobia:
October 6, 2pm: Virtual book discussion, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
October 16, 11am: “Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads” lecture
October 20, 7pm: Bluegrass concert featuring local musician Andy Ratliff

Ideas on Tap: Don't Tread On...Us? Individual Rights and the Common Good
2020-09-29 17:30 - 18:45 | MS
On September 29, join the Mississippi Humanities Council for a conversation on individual rights and the common good in the COVID-19 era.
The program will address how individual rights and the common good can–or can’t–co-exist during a global pandemic, and how COVID might further divide private and public interests. Panelists include Cassandra Welchlin, lead organizer of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable; Dr. Patrick Hopkins, professor of philosophy at Millsaps College and faculty member at the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at UMMC; and Russ Latino, Senior Vice President for Empower Mississippi. MHC program officer Caroline Gillespie will moderate.
The event will be livestreamed to the MHC’s Facebook page.

Crossroads @ Senatobia: Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies
2020-09-25 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
On September 25, the Learning Resource Center at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia 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 virtual program will take place in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, on display in Senatobia through October 22. The event will be conducted on Zoom.
Zoom meeting info:
https://zoom.us/j/98626395139
Meeting ID: 986 2639 5139
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 is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.
Future Crossroads events in Senatobia:
September 29, 6pm: “Mississippi Foodways” Speakers Bureau program
October 6, 2pm: Virtual book discussion, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
October 16, 11am: “Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads” lecture
October 20, 7pm: Bluegrass concert featuring local musician Andy Ratliff

Oxford to the Ballot Box: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections
2020-09-15 | MS
A series of online, public programs focused on voter engagement in Mississippi. Public programs TBA.

"Crossroads" Exhibit in Senatobia
2020-09-14 - 2020-10-22 | Northwest Mississippi Community College Learning Resource Center, 4975 Highway 51 N, Senatobia, MS, 38668, United States
Northwest Mississippi Community College will host Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, from September 14 through October 22. The exhibit is open to the public Mondays-Thursdays from 8am to 9pm, Fridays from 8am-3:30pm, and Sundays 2-7pm.
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 exhibit, Northwest will also host a series of programs that are free and open to the public.
Crossroads events in Senatobia:
September 25, 11am: “Exploring Rural Mississippi Through Population Studies” lecture
September 29, 6pm: “Mississippi Foodways” Speakers Bureau program
October 6, 2pm: Virtual book discussion, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
October 16, 11am: “Cultural Appropriation at the Crossroads” lecture
October 20, 7pm: Bluegrass concert featuring local musician Andy Ratliff

Ideas on Tap: Systemic Racism in America, Part II--Education and Housing
2020-08-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Virtual
On August 11, join the Mississippi Humanities Council for the second program in a multi-part series on systemic racism in America.

The August program will address how racism exists at the systemic level in education and housing in the U.S. Panelists include Dr. Corey Wiggins (Mississippi State Conference NAACP), Rebecca Sibilia (EdBuild), and Travis Crabtree (City of Jackson Planning Department). Dr. Temika Simmons, MHC boardmember and director of the Local Government Leadership Institute at Delta State University, will moderate.

The August 11 program will be livestreamed to the MHC’s Facebook page.

MHC Virtual Grantwriting Workshop-Registration Required
2020-08-06 10:00 - 11:00 | MS
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council program staff Thursday, August 6 from 10-11am for a Zoom webinar exploring grant opportunities with the Council. The webinar will include basic guidelines for planning public humanities programs and events, grant application procedures, and a special session on planning virtual programs in this time of social-distancing.

The workshop is free and open to all. Community organizations such as nonprofits, libraries, museums, tribal entities, community colleges, universities, and professors are encouraged to attend.

At the conclusion of the webinar, participants may request one-on-one consultation about specific programs or events they may be planning.

To register for this webinar, email Molly McMillan at mmcmillan@mhc.state.ms.us

HumBox: The MAX (Meridian)
2020-07-31 17:30 - 19:00 | The MAX, 2118 Front St, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
HumBox, the Mississippi Humanities Council’s newest virtual program, allows communities to come together for relevant, humanities-based conversations in the safety of their own homes. HumBox is a digital resource box curated and compiled by the MHC and scholars that combines educational information, resources, and the opportunity for community-based discussion.
On July 31, the MAX in Meridian will host the HumBox “A Usable Past: Pandemic History in the United States.” Developed by Dr. Amy Forbes (Millsaps College), this HumBox looks at past pandemics like the Spanish Flu and contagious diseases like Polio to understand our historical connection to public health emergencies and what kind of cultural changes we can expect in a post-Covid-19 world. Julian Rankin, director of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, will host a Zoom HumBox presentation on Pandemic History from his office in Ocean Springs. You can join in-person at the MAX or participate from home via Facebook Live. Participants are invited to pose questions and topics of discussion.
This program is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended and can be here.

SB: From the Fields to the Factories
2020-07-31 12:00 - 13:00 | MS
In this presentation, Dr. Brinda Willis will explore the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the 20th century.

Virtual program: Visit link below to attend

SB: Delta Epiphany: RFK in the Mississippi Delta
2020-07-24 12:00 - 13:00 | MS
In 1967, while visiting Mississippi as part of the Senate subcommittee on poverty, Robert Kennedy cradled hungry children, talked with mothers about how they fed their families and examined empty refrigerators. Although he was only in the Delta for a day, Kennedy, the people he encountered, Mississippi and the nation felt the impact of that journey for much longer. What he found in the Delta both shocked and motivated Kennedy to work for significant changes in the nation’s food aid policy. It was a crucial step toward his decision to run for the presidency a year later.
Drawing upon archival research and interviews, Meacham’s presentation outlines Kennedy’s journey through Mississippi and what he saw and heard, concluding with how Kennedy’s visit affected food aid policy, what has changed there and what has not changed since his visit.

SB: Over and Under the Fence
2020-07-22 12:00 - 13:00 | MS
At noon on Wednesday, July 22, as part of the #HistoryIsLunch series, Felder Rushing will present “Over and Under the Fence: Historic Passalong Plants as Social Glue.”
For centuries, flowers, vegetables, and herbs that survive on little care and are easily propagated have been shared across social lines—both in the open and underground.
“Those plants conjure historic events and places,” Rushing said. “The stories of some are more astounding than anything Welty or Faulkner could have imagined.”
Rushing, a garden journalist with an international reputation, is this summer quarantined in his beloved Mississippi cottage rather than at his usual summer home in England. His presentation will explore plants and garden habits that mark otherwise diverse Mississippians as part of a unique cultural whole.
“Plants don’t care how your mama’n’them are,” Rushing said. “More than anything else—even more than food, music, sports, and religion—plants connect people both in the present and to their past.”
Felder Rushing, a retired horticulture professor whose ancestors have been bringing plants into Mississippi since in the 1770s, has written more than two dozen garden books, thousands of newspaper columns, and numerous articles in national magazines. The prolific garden lecturer is the longtime host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s weekly Gestalt Gardener program.
