Mississippi Humanities Council

Speakers’ Series: Mississippi to Africa Migration
2024-08-08 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St., Natchez, MS, United States
Please come to all three of our MS Humanities Guest Speakers’ presentations! Each will present their research on the history of the Mississippi to Africa migration! Look forward to seeing you there!

Speakers Bureau: The Mississippi Plan and the Rise of Jim Crow
2024-08-06 19:00 - 20:30 | South Mississippi Genealogy & Historical Society, 307 2nd Ave , Hattiesburg , MS
Dr. Robert Luckett will present a lecture about The Mississippi Plan.
After the Civil War, African Americans in the South, newly freed, expressed a tangible optimism that led to the reuniting of families, the development of social institutions like the black church, the rise of cultural expressions like the Blues and jazz, the establishment of black-owned businesses and other economic endeavors, and the wielding of significant political power. On the other hand, as Dr. Luckett explains in this talk, most white southerners, especially in Mississippi, saw this rise of black social, economic and political power as a direct threat to their hegemony, which had been so well established during the era of slavery, and whites sought to “redeem” their place in the southern hierarchy through violent extra-legal measures like lynching and through the realm of law. The invention of Jim Crow and what became known as the “Mississippi Plan” became the models for the rest of the South. The Mississippi Plan and Jim Crow stood on the shoulders of black disfranchisement, segregation and sharecropping to guarantee white power as well as second-class citizenship for African Americans throughout the South, a status black southerners have fought ever since.

Speakers' Series: Mississippi to Africa Migration
2024-08-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St., Natchez, MS, United States

We Are the Promised Land
2024-08-01 08:00 - 2024-08-31 17:00 | MS
We Are the Promised Land is an altar to Black land legacies in the Mississippi Hill Country that centers the Hollowells and Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, Mississippi. With all the Black land loss stories in Mississippi, “We Are the Promised Land,” explores how the Hollowell family has kept their land for over a century, and the sacrifices, risks and cultural mechanisms that made it possible. Through a podcast, poetry, photography and video we offer kaleidoscopic views of the region to engage a conversation about inheritance – What echoes of our ancestors suggest that we are their afterlife? How do we create the afterlife they deserve?
Our online “virtual altar” will serve as a repository for the podcast, poetry and other written pieces, artwork, video and photography. The podcast and poetry are centered in and derived from oral history and interviews. The physical altar will be filmed and photographed and the photos and video of the altar will serve as an interface through which the other media is presented.
7/1- 11/1 virtual altar creation
8/1/24 – 8/31/24 In-person Podcast Screening/Listening Party in Mississippi at Foxfire Ranch

MS John Hurt Blues Festival Symposium
2024-07-29 00:00 | Mississippi John Hurt Museum, 1969-2099 Co Rd 109, Carrollton, ms, 38917
The Mt Zion Memorial Fund for Blues, Music, and Justice (MZMF) will partner with the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation (MJHF) to present a two-day celebration of the life and musical legacy of Carroll County native Mississippi John Hurt on October 5-6, 2024. The event will take place on the former site of the Mississippi John Hurt Museum, which burned to the ground in February on County Road 109 in the Avalon community of Carroll County.
The celebration will include a Saturday afternoon Memorial Walk to Hurt’s gravesite and granite memorial located approximately one mile from the Mississippi John Hurt Museum site. Other events include a guitar playing workshop on Sunday afternoon, and a musical program featuring the songs of Mississippi John Hurt. We also will feature speeches about Hurt’s contributions to the Mississippi Blues. Held at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, which is located on the Hurt Museum site.
Featured performers at these events will include visual artist, quilter, and organizer Ravin Hill Lovett. She will lead a workshop on quilting at the event, and she will produce a collaboratively designed and fabricated quilt for MZMF reflecting the long history of Black Freedom Struggle.
Ravin Hill Lovett

Details of the celebration will be posted on the MZMF and MJHF website: https://mtzionmemorialfund.com/ and on the MJHF website: http://msjohnhurtfoundation.org/.

Folkloric Workshops
2024-07-27 13:00 - 15:00 | Nuestro Arte Gallery, 100 W 4th St, #30, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401, United States
Artists Hector Soldo and Jacqueline Gonzalez Wooton will be partnering with anthropologists from the University of Mississippi and the University of Memphis to host the four free workshops, which will introduce audiences to the diverse art of the Latin community in Mississippi.
Participants will have the opportunity to create unique pieces of folk art while learning about the archival materials that document social and cultural life for early migrants. Additionally, the audience will have a chance to discuss the contemporary experiences of Latinos based on oral history interviews and ethnographic fieldwork conducted by anthropologists Simone Delerme and Michael Perez. The audience will learn about how Latinos are being incorporated into social and cultural life in Mississippi, the challenges articulated by oral history narrators from a 2020 collection on Latinos in Oxford, and the strategies for preserving elements of Latin American and Caribbean culture in their Mississippi communities. These workshops are part of a larger initiative to create an oral history archive at the University of Mississippi that features Latin artists from the region.

“SING SING” Jackson Preview Screening
2024-07-25 17:30 - 19:30 | Capri Theatre, 3023 N State St,, Jackson, 39216, United States
SING SING is based on the true story of John “Divine G” Whitfield (Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo), who’s imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility for a crime he didn’t commit. While there, he finds purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men, including a wary newcomer (Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin). Over the course of putting together an original, quirky, time-traveling musical comedy through the prison’s theater workshop, they forge a connection in this stirring true story of hope, humanity, and the transformative power of art. The core of SING SING’s emotional resonance is its unforgettable ensemble of formerly incarcerated actors. Their story is based on a real-life arts program in prison called Rehabilitation Through the Arts, of which many of the stars of SING SING are alumni.
The Mississippi Film Society, in partnership with A24, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, is pleased to invite you to a free preview screening of SING SING on Thursday, July 25th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Capri Theatre. Tickets are limited to 4 per order and are first-come, first-served. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the theater. Please note that the film is rated R for language that is situational to its prison setting.
If you have any questions about the screening, please email ryan@msfilmsociety.org.
Phone (601) 487-9520

Speakers Bureau: “Mississippi Telling”
2024-07-19 11:00 - 12:00 | MS
Dr. 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. Rebecca 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.
This is VIRTUAL event
Phone: (662) 560-6148

Reel Insights: Perspectives on Mental Health in Cinema
2024-07-16 17:30 - 19:00 | MS
MindFrame: Exploring Mental Health Through Film
This three-part film series focuses on the depiction of mental health in cinema and Mississippians’ access to mental health resources. In July, we will explore the nuanced ways in which filmmakers navigate the complexities of mental health on screen.
Long before films like 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest became cultural touchstone that shaped public perception about the treatment of mental illness in America, there were big screen narratives that focused on earlier concepts of mental institutions. Among those are:
The Snake Pit (1948)
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)
Dr. Ralph Didlake and Dr. Sara Gleason from UMMC will provide a short background on these films and then will engage the audience in discussion about Hollywood’s portrayal of the Asylum Era.
Those attending are encouraged to watch these movies (available for free through the links above) and come ready for a lively discussion.
This program is presented with the generous support of the Mississippi Humanities Council.
In August and September, in partnership with Mississippi State University Psychology Department, we explore two stories of youth facing significant mental health challenges in Mississippi.

Reading the Room
2024-07-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Friendly City Books, 118 N 5th St., Columbus, Missississippi, 39701
The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Book Festival and Friendly City Books to present our next “Reading the Room” event.
If you love reading, socializing and any excuse to talk about books, then join us!
Tuesday, July 16 at 4:00 pm
Friendly City Books
118 N 5th Street, Columbus, MS 39701
*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!
Participants will get a sneak peak of the next lineup of authors attending the Mississippi Book Festival on September 14th. To celebrate the occasion, Friendly City Books will be giving away a selection of books from the night’s announced panelists!

Sunday Screening: OK, Mr. Ray!
2024-07-14 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
The Mississippi Humanities Council and the Two Mississippi Museums will host a Sunday Screening of two short films, “Okay, Mr. Ray!” and “Ray Lum: Mule Trader” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The short films explore the history of Mississippi, providing a glimpse into Southern manhood, community, and livelihood through the lens of a livestock trader. They also share an overarching sense of “place” and how the environment can contribute to the human experience. A Q&A with author Bill Ferris, Ashley Melzer, director of “Okay, Mr. Ray!”; Betsy Lipscomb, Ray Lum’s grand-niece; and Henry Harris, a descendant of mule trader Squire Harris.
This program is free and in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council and the Mississippi Film Office. The run time for these films is fourteen minutes each.

Remembering ‘Mississippi in Africa’
2024-07-14 08:00 - 2024-08-11 17:00 | Prospect Hill
Remembering ‘Mississippi in Africa’ – A Multidisciplinary Approach to Understanding Prospect Hill and Liberian Colonization is a groundbreaking project that will allow the public to learn about oral histories, uncover material culture, and delve into the bio history of Prospect Hill Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi. The public will see a combination of archaeology, cultural anthropology, and the medical humanities recognize past enslavement at this site related to the nineteenth century colonization project known as Mississippi in Africa. This multidisciplinary project will be conducted from July 14, 2024, through August 11, 2024.
It will combine a public archaeology excavation at Prospect Hill with new fieldwork focused on oral history and biohistory. This fieldwork will be the basis of four public talks in multiple counties to collaborate with local communities about the ongoing research on Prospect Hill and the site’s Liberian connections. This multidisciplinary project will further elucidate the history of Prospect Hill and sets the public as a central focus of experiential learning. Prospect Hill’s global history is best learned together and all communities are set to gain a more nuanced understanding of this reverse African diaspora.
Public Presentation #1
Whitaker will give a public presentation and discussion about contemporary historical memory concerning Mississippi among descendants and their neighbors in Sinoe County, Liberia. The presentation and discussion will be open to the general public. This presentation will be scheduled sometime during the first week of the field school.
Public Presentation #2
Matthew Reilly will present broader history of Liberian colonization at the site of Providence Island in Monrovia, Liberia. This presentation will be scheduled sometime during the first or second week of the field school.
Public Presentation #3
Shawn Lambert will present to the public on the recent archaeological discoveries at Prospect Hill, with a heavy focus on spaces of enslavement and working within a community-engaged framework. This presentation will be scheduled sometime during the third week of the field school
Public Presentation #4
Angela Dautartas will give a public presentation on biohistories of the ancestors and descendants of Prospect Hill. She will focus on the benefits of biohistorical analyses in conjunction with the complex histories of enslavement, historical memories, and material culture to better understand this reverse African diaspora. This presentation will be scheduled sometime during the fourth week of the field school.

OK, Mr. Ray!
2024-07-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Strand Theatre, 717 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS, 39183
The Strand Theatre will host a special event featuring the two short films, “Okay, Mr. Ray!” and “Ray Lum: Mule Trader.” The short films explore the history of Mississippi, providing a glimpse into Southern manhood, community, and livelihood through the lens of a livestock trader. They also share an overarching sense of “place” and how the environment can contribute to the human experience. A Q&A with author Bill Ferris, Ashley Melzer, director of “Okay, Mr. Ray!”; Betsy Lipscomb, Ray Lum’s grand-niece; and Henry Harris, a descendant of mule trader Squire Harris.
The event will be held Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m. at the Strand, located at 717 Clay Street in downtown Vicksburg. The program, which is supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council – which also helped fund the new films – is free and open to the public.
Read more at: https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2024/06/29/his-wits-and-his-words-strand-theatre-to-feature-films-about-famed-mule-trade/

We Are the Village: A Creative Listening Event
2024-07-13 10:00 - 13:00 | 1718, 1718 Bailey Ave, Jackson, MS, 39203, United States
Raising Children in Central Jackson Oral History Project is now complete and available to hear on the Margaret Walker Center website. You can listen to the 35 narratives here.
This collection explores what it means to both be raised and raise children in the neighborhoods served by Operation Shoestring, a nonprofit that provides year-round academic, social and emotional support to children in central Jackson from pre-K – 7th grade, while supporting and providing resources to their families. Interviews were conducted by volunteer community members with their family members, friends, and neighbors through a project led by Operation Shoestring’s Research and Data Coordinator Alison Turner.
Join the community for a “We Are the Village: A Creative Listening Event,” come-and-go from 10 am to 1 pm. This event will include opportunities to listen to compiled clips from the oral history collection and create art inspired by those clips.
This is free and open to the public so bring the whole family.

The Thirtieth Oxford Conference for the Book
2024-04-03 08:00 - 2024-04-05 17:00 | University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677, United States
The Oxford Conference for the Book is a three-day gathering inaugurated in 1993 and held annually, except in 1997 and 2020. The event takes place in Oxford and on the campus of the University of Mississippi. Since its inauguration, the conference has celebrated books, writing, and reading, and has also dealt with practical concerns on which the literary arts and the humanities depend, including literacy, freedom of expression, and the book trade itself.
Beginning in 1999, the conference has been open to the public without charge.
The 2024 Oxford Conference for the Book (OCB) will feature several sessions that explore a variety of topics. The dates for the 2024 conference are April 3, 4, and 5. Each conference presents between twenty and forty speakers, mostly writers (poets, literary fiction, popular fiction, and nonfiction authors, academic authors, journalists, children’s authors, critics, reviewers), but also editors, agents, publishers, librarians, literacy volunteers and organizers, booksellers, bloggers, and book technology experts. Each year’s roster of speakers is interdisciplinary and diverse.

Behind the Big House 2024
2024-02-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Holly Springs Historic Courthouse, 128 Van Dorn Ave, Holly Springs, MS, 38635, United States
The Rosa Foundation continues the successful and nationally recognized program of Behind the Big House (BTBH), an annual public event in Holly Springs, MS. It will be held on the Craft property at 184 S. Memphis Street over four days, April 3-6, 2024. The property includes the 1847 living quarters and kitchen built for enslaved Africans and the 1851 family home of Hugh and Elizabeth Craft.
In its twelfth year, the program highlights the history and culture of enslaved Africans in northern Mississippi through public tours facilitated by experienced historical interpreters. Our experts will address the daily lives and work of enslaved adults and children, a narrative that has often been overlooked, within the context of the social, economic, and cultural context of northern Mississippi in the mid-19th century. Scholars from the humanities will be onsite to assist with important conversations concerning the era of slavery and emancipation and the influence of this history on contemporary Mississippi.
Our goal is that visitors to this program will gain further understanding and appreciation for African American history in northern Mississippi, claim the responsibility to preserve and promote this history and culture, and based on this shared knowledge, will work to achieve a more equitable and improved quality of life for current and future generations.

Something Better for My Children: Black Education in Slavery and Freedom
2024-02-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Mississippi College, 200 Capitol St., Clinton, MS, 39056
As part of our continued effort by Mississippi College to bring lived and scholarly expertise of the African American experience to the campus and the larger metro Jackson community, we have secured Dr. Crystal Sanders from Emory University as our 2024 African American Studies Lecture Series speaker. She is an associate professor of African American Studies and will share her award-winning research from her book A Chance for Change: Head Start and Mississippi’s Black Freedom Struggle. Her work has earned many important recognitions, including—but not limited to—the 2017 Critics Choice Award and New Scholar’s Book Award from the American Educational Research Association, the C. Vann Woodward Prize from the Southern Historical Association, the Huggins-Quarles Award from the Organization of American Historians, the Equity Award from the American Historical Association, and the Willie D. Halsell article prize from the Mississippi Historical Society. Sanders explores how working-class Black women, in collaboration with the federal government, created the Child Development Group of MS in 1965, a Head Start program that not only gave poor Black children access to early childhood education but also provided black women with greater opportunities for political activism during a crucial time in the unfolding of the Civil Rights movement. Sanders traces the stories of 2,500 women who staffed such preschool centers.
Sanders’s lecture will serve as the keynote for our month-long theme in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Brown decision, ‘Something Better for My Children: Black Education in Slavery and Freedom.’

Plant Medicine with Jenna Mae
2023-11-11 13:00 - 15:00 | USM Liberal Arts Building, 114 N. 31st Ave., Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Medicine Wheel Garden Event at USM Hattiesburg Campus

The Center of American Indian Research and Studies (CAIRS) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is partnering with the Mississippi Humanities Council, WECAN (Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network) and the Telenutrition Center to present several events throughout the year at the Medicine Wheel Garden, located on the USM Hattiesburg campus behind the Liberal Arts Building.
Dr. Tammy Greer, an associate professor of psychology who serves as director for CAIRS, developed the Medicine Wheel Garden in 2005 along with others to highlight the plants that were used by the indigenous peoples of this area, and to promote awareness of the rich histories and cultures of Southeastern Native Americans.
All events begin at 1 p.m. at the Medicine Wheel Garden; native plant-based snacks will be provided at each event. Members of the university and local communities are invited to these free events.
* Nov. 11: Plant Medicine with Jenna Mae

Allumer Natchez: History Comes Alive
2023-11-10 06:00 - 2023-11-11 22:00 | Arts Danu, 334 Main St Apt Mezzanine, Natchez,, Ms, 39120-3462
The third year of Allumer Natchez is moving to Downtown Natchez. The event is open air, visitors walk from installation to installation, digital and printed maps are provided. The projects will be located all over Downtown and onto The Bluff. Allumer Natchez is far more accessible this year, and as always it is free and open to the public.
This year at Allumer Natchez, Mississippi’s only annual light based art exhibition and festival, university level new media students will create 17 2D paper-cut animations based on historical figures of the Natchez community. These animated figures will orate their short biography via voice over including relevant narratives that outline their impact on the development of Natchez from its inception as a Native American led community until today. The projections will run from dusk until 10pm, on Friday and Saturday nights. Students will be onsite talking with viewers about their historical figure of choice, why they chose the person and commenting further on the subject’s impact on Natchez.

Jesmyn Ward Author Event "Let Us Descend"
2023-11-04 14:00 - 16:30 | Millsaps College, 1701 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39202
Millsaps College will be hosting Jesmyn Ward on Saturday, November 4th Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex | Recital Hall — event begins at 2pm with a book signing to follow.

LET US DESCEND is a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching. Searching, harrowing, replete with transcendent love, the novel is a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation.
This event is co-sponsored by The Mississippi Book Festival and the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Meet NEH and NEA Chairs
2023-11-02 16:00 - 17:30 | Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St., Jackson, MS, 39202
Join us for a reception in honor of the Shelly Lowe, NEH Chair and Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, NEA Chair, November 2nd at Smith Robertson Museum. Please RSVP to kmolpus@mhc.state.ms.us

Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival
2023-11-01 08:00 - 2023-11-04 21:00 | Jackson State University Student Center, 1328 John R. Lynch St, Jackson, MS, 39203, United States
We are grateful to have you join us as we celebrate the legacy of Phillis Wheatley, Margaret Walker, and Black women writers who have changed the writing landscape as we know it. The Margaret Walker Center proudly hosts the 50th anniversary reconvening of the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival as we lift up this ongoing work of Black excellence through intergenerational conversations, scholarly analysis, and creative writing.

Keynote Participants:
Jesmyn Ward, Alice Walker, Angie Thomas, Sonia Sanchez,
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Tonea Stewart, Eve Ewing,
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Imani Perry, Paula Giddings,
Vinie Burrows, Maryemma Graham, Carole Gregory,
Joanne Gabbin, Shelly Lowe and Maria Rosario Jackson
Chair: Ebony Lumumba

There's No Place Like Home: Exploring Mississippi Nostalgia, Memories, and Politics through the Music of James 'Super Chikan' Johnson
2023-10-30 09:00 - 22:00 | F.D. Music Hall, Jimmie James Recital Hall and Art Gallery, JSU, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson , MS , 39217
On Monday, October 30 James ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson will participate in a number of events at JSU including hosting a 10 am listening session to discuss his music with attendees and the use of imagery, melody, and rhythm to conjure memories of Mississippi, followed by a roundtable discussion at 12 pm with Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts, ethnomusicologist to discuss his music as a site for memory that explores themes of nostalgia and sociopolitical reflections over the last 50 years. During this roundtable several of his compositions will be discussed and the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions.
At 1pm. the JSU Jazz Ensemble will host a masterclass with the students offering feedback on their interpretation of jazz and blues standards. At 7pm, Johnson will perform, with the support of the Central Mississippi Blues Society, at Blue Monday at Hal and Mal’s for their open mic event there.

The Weight We Carry" Panel Discussion
2023-10-24 19:00 - 20:30 | The Randolph Center, 315 Clark Ave, Pass Christian, MS, 39571, United States
One Book One Pass Project is hosting “The Weight We Carry” Panel Discussion on Tuesday, October 24th at 7pm at the Randolph Center. Jamion Burney, our Moderator, has a great panel lined up to discuss topics raised in “Heavy: An American Memoir” by Kiese Laymon. This is the One Book One Pass selected title. The discussion is supported by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council (through the National Endowment for the Humanities). This event is free and open to the public!

The Holtzclaw Lecture
2023-10-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Shirley Hopkins Davis Amphitheater, 34175 MS-18, Utica, MS, 39175, United States
The Holtzclaw Lecture with Ralph Eubanks, “The Mississippi Delta Beyond the Blues” October 16th, 2:00pm.
Eubanks argues that every Mississippian should develop a closer idea of the real Mississippi Delta beyond the mythology that has been constructed over the years. In this talk, he’ll examine the political, policu, and cultural issues that have disadvantaged the people of the MIssissippi Delta and the myths that prevent us from seeing them.

Sunday Screening: The Only Doctor
2023-10-15 14:00 - 16:30 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
The Mississippi Humanities Council and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History presents Sunday Screening of The Only Doctor in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums on Sunday, October 15 from 2pm to 4:30pm. The film documents Dr. Karen Kinsell’s effort to keep her rural clinic open in Clay County, Georgia, one of the poorest counties in the state. Following the film there will be a Q&A with the director, Matthew Hashiguchi sponsored by MHC. For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Annual Art Crawl
2023-10-14 17:30 - 20:30 | Dancing Bear Sanctuary, Water Valley, MS
Annual Art Crawl Is A Night Of Artistic Experience And Water Valley Hospitality
The Water Valley Main Street Association 15th annual Water Valley Art Crawl is on October 14. The immersive event is a culmination and celebration of all things art; featuring poetry readings, artist discussions, exhibition viewings, musical experiences, mural and installation stops, and featured speakers with host locations at historical Water Valley homes and businesses near and in the Historic Downtown Main Street District.
The Art Crawl also features a discussion, brought to you by The Mississippi Humanities Council, showcasing Quaye Dottie Chapman Reed, author of Outstanding Black Women of Yalobusha County, and moderated by Alysia Steele, Journalism & New Media Associate Professor at The University of Mississippi.
This is a free public event made possible by Water Valley Main Street Association, Mississippi Humanities Council, Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Violet Valley Bookstore, The Simmons House, and The Valley Imagery & Productions. Additional information can be found at mainstreetwatervalley.org.

Mississippi River Basin Celebrates 80 years
2023-10-14 14:00 - 18:00 | Buddy Butts Park, 6180 McRaven Road , Jackson , MS, 39209

Mississippi River Basin Model 80th Anniversary
2023-10-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Buddy Butts Park, 6180 McRaven Road , Jackson , MS, 39209
Friends of the Mississippi River Basin Model is a non-profit organization helping to restore the Mississippi River Basin Model, renew Buddy Butts Park, and enhance educational opportunities for children in Mississippi.
The Mississippi River Basin Model (MRBM) located in Jackson, MS is a scale replica of the Mississippi River Basin. The site, which sprawls over 200 acres, was built by local Mississippians and World War II German prisoners-of-war who were housed in Camp Clinton nearby. The model was an imperative scientific experiment that, in the time before computers could efficiently perform complicated numerical analysis, would determine how the mighty Mississippi River could be contained. It is the largest physical model in the world and serves as a tourist destination to this day for visitors across the country and globe. The intention of this project is to educate Mississippians on the history of the MRBM, Camp Clinton (home to WWII German POWs) and restoration work to date at the model by providing a running video presentation on both topics, STEM activities, and a guided tour of the MRBM.
STEM Activity: 2- 4
Movie: ‘Dream Big’ 2:30 – 3:30
MRBM Tours: 3:45 5:00
Music: 4:00-6:00

2023 Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
2023-10-12 08:00 - 2023-10-14 17:30 | Coahoma Community College, 3240 Friars Point Road, Clarksdale, MS, 38614, United States
Annual festival examining the life and works of playwright Tennessee Williams. The 2023 festival will explore two Williams’ plays, The Unsatisfactory Supper and Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton, upon which the controversial 1956 film Baby Doll was based.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
Overview: Tour the Delta en route to Benoit. Lunch and Program in Benoit; Dinner and watch film in Clarksdale
10:00 AM | 109 Clark Street | Clarksdale
Depart Cutrer Mansion
Ride the Coahoma Community College Bus en route to Benoit to the Baby Doll House, 77 Burrus Road, Benoit, Mississippi
•Enjoy a ride through the MS Delta on Highway 1 going to Benoit. See old homes, cotton fields, working farms, and the levee that keeps the Mighty Mississippi River in place. The ride to Benoit and back is FREE, but we prefer you sign up. There is limited seating on the bus. You are also welcome to take your own vehicle. RESERVATIONS NEEDED: Email Taylor Armstrong at cchecassistant@gmail.com to reserve your space on the bus.
11:30 AM | Burrus House | 77 Burrus Road | Benoit
Arrive Benoit | Tour the Burrus House where the 1956 movie Baby Doll was filmed
12:30 PM | Burrus House back patio | 77 Burrus Road | Benoit
Lunch-N-Learn
Picnic Boxes available on-site from a Cleveland, Mississippi, “takery” called Our Delta Table which specializes in fresh, wholesome handmade foods such as chicken salad, pimento cheese, pasta salad, fresh fruit. We will have a variety of boxes available (Salad Trio, Croissant Sandwich or the Turkey BLT Wrap). RESERVATIONS NEEDED by October 9: The cost is $15 per box. Email Taylor Armstrong at cchecassistant@gmail.com to reserve a picnic box. We will share specific box choices as it gets closer. We take cash, check or Venmo. You may also bring your own sack lunch to enjoy. Water will be provided.
1:00 PM to 2:45 PM | Burrus House back patio | 77 Burrus Road | Benoit
Scholar Talks
All presentations relate back to the Baby Doll film or to Tennessee Williams plays, but presentations will expand to the Delta Land and Culture
• Dr. Clay Motley — Presentation l Rooted in the Delta: Baby Doll and the Blues
• Dr. Ann Fisher-Wirth — Presentation l Comedy and Eros
• Dr. Jim DelPrince — Presentation l Life in Full Bloom: Courtship Flowers from the plays of Tennessee Williams3:00 PM
Depart Burrus House
4:15 PM
Arrive in Clarksdale | Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street
5:15 PM to 7:15 PM | Cutrer Mansion lawn | 109 Clark Street
Delta Dinner Party with Local Cuisine | A Toast to Dr. W. Kenneth Holditch | Featuring performances by the Coahoma Community College Choir under the direction of Dr. Kelvin K. Towers as well as local blues harmonica player, Deak Harp
• The 2023 MDTWF is dedicated to the late Dr. W. Kenneth Holditch, Professor Emeritus at the University of New Orleans and World Renowned Williams Scholar.
• Dr. Holditch was one of the original consultants for the Clarksdale festival and served as the keynote speaker for many years as well. We are grateful for his commitment and service as a devoted advisor and friend.
• Food bites representing the very best cuisine in the MS Delta including barbecue, hot tamales, slaw, baked beans, kibbie balls, cabbage rolls, catfish bites, fried rice, egg rolls, rigatoni and meatballs, and homemade pie. RESERVATIONS NEEDED: The cost for a dinner ticket is $35 per person/$60 for two in advance and $40 per person at the door. Dinner tickets can be pre-ordered and purchased by October 9th by contacting Taylor Armstrong at 662-621-9344 at cchecassistant@gmail.com. We take cash, check or Venmo.
7:30 PM | Clark House front lawn | 211 Clark Street
Night Under the Stars | Screening of 1956 film Baby Doll | 114 min
With a Special Surprise Introduction by Carroll Baker, taped in New York especially for our Festival
(Next door to the Cutrer Mansion – bring your own lawn chair or picnic blanket)
• Scandalous in its time and still steamy today, this 1956 film is considered a dark comedy that tells the Tennessee Williams tale of a child-like bride named “Baby Doll” Meighan (Carroll Baker), and the men who want to own her.
• When cotton gin owner Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden) destroys rival Silva Vacarro’s (Eli Wallach) cotton gin, a battle ensues, and Baby Doll is stuck in the middle.
• Screenplay written by Tennessee Williams and based on two of his one-act plays (The Unsatisfactory Supper and 27 Wagons Full of Cotton), Elia Kazan’s shot-on-location film creation reveals gender, class, and racial prejudices experienced in the Mississippi heat.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
Overview: Scholar Presentation and Performances
Coahoma Community College (9:15 am to 12:15pm)
Various locations in downtown Clarksdale (Afternoon)
All events and performances are in Clarksdale
9:15 AM | CCC Georgia Lewis Theater | 3240 Friars Point Rd
Presentation | W. Ralph Eubanks | Race and the Looming Civil Rights Movement in Baby Doll
10:15 AM | CCC Georgia Lewis Theater| 3240 Friars Point Rd
Presentation | Dr. Michele Meek | Courting Controversy: Forbidden Desire in the Film Baby Doll
•The 1956 film Baby Doll, written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Elia Kazan, elicited scandal, protests, and a ban from the Legion of Decency due to its story of a young married woman, Baby Doll, who has never consummated her relationship with her husband and instead embarks on an intimate relationship with his nemesis. In this talk, Professor Michele Meek discusses exactly what was so controversial—and compelling—about Baby Doll in its era and how the film continues to resonate in many respects, even today.
11:15 AM | CCC Georgia Lewis Theater | 3240 Friars Point Rd
Performance | W.C., TENNESSEE, THE BLUES & ME | Written and Directed by Levi Frazier Jr. of Blues City Cultural Center
•This 1-act play incorporates blues music while highlighting three creative geniuses of the Mississippi Delta: W.C. Handy and Tennessee Williams while Robert Johnson narrates. Discussion follows.
12:15-1:30 PM
Lunch on your own at one of Clarksdale’s fine restaurants
12:30-2:30 PM | 106 Sharkey Avenue
Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum open
• Between 1917 and 1932, a young Tom “Tennessee” Williams lived with, and then regularly visited his grandparents in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where his grandfather Walter E. Dakin was rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church. Williams was deeply influenced by the Mississippi Delta, and featured Clarksdale people, places, and stories in some of his most famous plays, including The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Summer and Smoke, and Orpheus Descending. The museum is housed in the four upstairs bedrooms in the former rectory of St. George’s Episcopal Church, once occupied by Williams and his family.

1:30 PM | Carnegie Public Library | 114 Delta Avenue
I Remember Kenneth: Panel, Tributes and More Honoring the Life of Dr. W. Kenneth Holditch
2:30 PM | Clarksdale Woman’s Club | 101 Sharkey Avenue
Presentation | Karen Kohlhaas | A Hollywood Review: On Location in the Mississippi Delta. Karen will tell the story of the Hollywood movie whose production took over the lives of many residents in Benoit and Greenville, Mississippi when the cast and crew of Baby Doll came to town.
4:00 PM | Chapman, Lewis & Swan Law Office Porch | 501 1st Street
Performance | The Long Stay Cut Short OR The Unsatisfactory Supper directed by Augustin J. Correro of the Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans | Panel discussion to follow
5:30 PM | Home of Eva Connell
Outdoor Wine & Cheese Reception & Performance | Performance starts at 6:30 pm | Performance: TRUMAN TALKS TENNESSEE” commissioned by the Southern Literary Trail for the Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans in March of 2015.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
Overview: Student Drama Competition, Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum, Talk at St. George’s, Woman’s Club reception, and Porch Plays

All events and performances are in Clarksdale

9:00 AM | Norman Brown Commons Bldg, Cutrer Mansion| 109 Clark Street
Student Drama Competition | Sponsored by Coahoma Community College
• A festival favorite, the Student Drama Competition highlights students from around the region who will perform monologues, scenes and Stella calls competing for the opportunity to win trophies and $2,500 in award money for their school programs. Open to the Public.

10:30AM | Cutrer Mansion | 109 Clark Street
Book Talk with Augustin Correro, author of Tennessee Williams 101. Doors open at 10:30 AM, talk begins at 11 AM . Book signing to follow.

12noon-1:30 PM
Lunch on your own at one of Clarksdale’s fine restaurants
•Student Pizza Party in the courtyard of the Cutrer Mansion

12:30-2:30 PM | 106 Sharkey Avenue
Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum open
• Between 1917 and 1932, a young Tom “Tennessee” Williams lived with, and then regularly visited his grandparents in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where his grandfather Walter E. Dakin was rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church. Williams was deeply influenced by the Mississippi Delta, and featured Clarksdale people, places, and stories in some of his most famous plays, including The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Summer and Smoke, and Orpheus Descending. The museum is housed in the four upstairs bedrooms in the former rectory of St. George’s Episcopal Church, once occupied by Williams and his family.

12:30-2:30 PM | 101 Sharkey Avenue
Clarksdale Woman’s Club Reception & Performance
• The Clarksdale Woman’s Club, which has been an active service club for women since 1907, will serve refreshments in their club house built in 1923. It is located across the street from St. George’s Episcopal Church and the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum. Stop by the Woman’s Club for some hometown hospitality and refreshments before the Porch Plays, and a performance by the winners of the student drama competition at 1:30 PM
2:30 pm | St. George’s Episcopal Church, Sharkey Ave near 1st Street
Tennessee Williams at St. George’s Church with the Rev. Charlie Deaton
• The Reverend Charlie Deaton of St. George’s Episcopal Church talks inside the sanctuary where Tennessee Williams’ grandfather, the Rev. Walter E. Dakin, was rector from 1917 – 1932.

3:00-5:00 PM
Porch Plays in the Historic District
• 3 pm | 415 Court Street | Panny’s Porch |The Last of My Solid Gold Watches Performed by Johnny McPhail • Introduction by Susan McPhail
• 3:30 pm | 203 Court Street | Sherman Law Offices | A Tennessee Williams Performance by StoryWorks, a documentary theater company that transforms investigative journalism into theater and audio dramas • Introduction by Jenna Welch
• 4:00 pm | 235 Clark Street | Ross Porch | A Tradition: Long-time community theater actor, Sherrye Williams, discusses and performs her favorite Williams character Amanda Wingfield • Introduction by Dr. Clay Motley

• 4:30 pm | 41 John Street | The Governor’s Mansion | 27 Wagons Full of Cotton. Light refreshments served. Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans • Introduced and Directed by Augustin J. Correro
5:30 PM | 207 Yazoo Avenue
After-Party at the “Hot Spot Café” | Yazoo Pass
