Speaker: James Giesen Mississippi has long reigned as the capital of cotton country, but by the mid-twentieth century, the crop's dominance faced a serious threat from synthetic upstarts like Polyester and Rayon. This talk opens in the storied lobby of Memphis's Peabody Hotel, where a Delta planter from Clarksdale tries to rally powerful cotton interests […]

The 2024-2025 season is an annual program of the Natchez Historical Society, consisting of 8 regular monthly presentations by expert speakers on humanities topics pertinent to the history of the Natchez area. Scheduled for May 27, 2025: Smokye Joe Frank, Retired Archeologist and Local Historian: Tracking the Tracks: The Natchez & Hamburg Railroad and the […]

Jerry Jenkins will give the listener a glimpse of the Mande Culture of West Africa. In the tradition of the Mande, the history and culture is orally preserved in the minds and through the music of the Djeli (oral librarian/mandenka hereditary professional musicians). The establishment of the Mali Empire can be recalled and retold in […]

The U. S. Supreme Court’s 1969 decision in the Beatrice Alexander v Holmes County Board of Education case is perhaps one of the least-recognized but most significant single victories for school integration in this country. Originating in Holmes County, MS, and named for Beatrice Alexander, a student in the county school district, the decree mandated […]

Brinda Willis presents "The Soul of Southern Cooking I & II: Miz Bob's Second Batch Cooking from a Mississippi Slave Girl's Table." Miz Bob (known as Bob Hunter to friends and family) learned to cook from her mother and her grandmother. Her mental catalogue includes over 500 recipes and follows the art of cooking from […]

J Janice Coleman presents:  "From the Scraps of My Life in the Mississippi Delta" Everyone loves to hear stories, and everyone loves the feel and the memories quilts and other homemade patchwork bring to mind. This combination of narrative and the nostalgia a patchwork coverlet evokes inspires people to talk about the quilts, dolls, and […]

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 […]

Farming Freedom: The Inspiring Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi Join us for a screening of Farming Freedom: The Inspiring Story of Black Land Ownership in Mississippi at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. Directed by Kayla Thomas, this ninety-minute film tells the story […]

In Mississippi, humanities, arts, and culture aren’t just enrichment, they’re currency. In small towns like McComb, these stories of resilience, creativity, and heritage hold the power to revitalize local economies, attract tourism, and build stronger, more connected communities. And while these stories begin locally, their value echoes across the entire state, shaping how Mississippi is […]

From Douglass to Duck Hill is a public-facing racial healing and remembrance event designed to engage Mississippians in a deeper understanding of the legacy of racial violence and the urgent need for historical reckoning. Timed strategically the day after Independence Day, this gathering anchors itself in Frederick Douglass’ iconic speech, “What to the Slave is […]

The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Book Festival and Organic Culture to present our next "Reading the Room" event. If you love reading, socializing and any excuse to talk about books, then join us! Thursday, July 10th at 6:00 pm |Organic Culture | 114 Main St, McComb, MS 39648 bring any book you are currently reading […]