HTA Lecture: “Roles, Obedience, and Authority: An Examination of the Stanford Prison Experiment”
2026-02-27 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Meridian Community College, 910 Hwy 19 N, Meridian, MS, 39307
Suzanne Gibson will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Meridian Community College titled “Roles, Obedience, and Authority: An Examination of the Stanford Prison Experiment.”
This presentation examines the Stanford Prison Experiment to explore how assigned roles can significantly influence human behavior. It explains how individuals may change when placed into specific social roles and how granting even a small amount of power can alter behavior within those roles. The presentation also discusses how authority and obedience can be established by stripping individuals of their identity, demonstrating how situational forces can outweigh personal morals and values.
The lecture will take place on the Meridian Community College campus on February 27, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Meridian Civil Rights Movement
2026-02-27 11:00 - 13:00 | Fielder & Brooks Drug Store, 2505 Fifth Street, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Meridian Civil Rights Movement
2505 5th Street
Meridian, MS

11 a.m.

Read More

Speakers Bureau: "A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2026-02-27 14:30 - 16:30 | Canopy Children’s Solutions, 1465 Lakeland Dr, Jackson, 39216, United States
Jerry Jenkins presents “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music” on February 27, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
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.

Witness: The Freedom Memory Project Deadline
2026-03-01
Deadline for Witness: The Freedom Memory Project 2026 applications.
How to Apply
First, contact MHC Director of Strategic Initiatives John Spann (jspann@mhc.state.ms.us) to discuss your community’s idea. Then, ﬁll out the Witness: The Mississippi Freedom Project application by March 1, 2026. All applications will be reviewed by the project’s advisory board. The 2026 cohort of communities will be announced by April 1, 2026. Full details and 2026 applicant materials are available at https://shorturl.at/1GTd3.
The 2027 and 2028 applications will be announced at a later date.

Sunday Screening: “In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters”
2026-03-01 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a free screening of “In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters” at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 1, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. This 35-minute documentary uncovers the little-known love story of Phillis Wheatley, America’s first Black published poet, and John Peters, a free Black man she married in 1778. Following the screening, a panel conversation featuring moderator Robby Luckett, scholar Ebony Lumumba, and filmmakers Leslie Askew and Turlough White will highlight Margaret Walker’s creation of the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival and the Black Studies program at Jackson State University.

This event is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council, Film Mississippi, and the Mississippi Film Society. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

America250 Mississippi - The Women’s American Revolution
2026-03-02 12:00 - 14:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
“The Women’s American Revolution” presented by Sarah Hogue, PhD candidate

March 2, 2026 @12 PM
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System downtown branch
While the contributions of soldiers in American Revolution are easily seen, it can often be more difficult to envision the role that women played during the war. Women provided valuable support during the Revolution, taking on a variety of wartime roles for the Continental Army: soldier, supplier, spy, and combat supporter. On the home front, women not only experienced battles near their own communities, but also provided important labor for their families that freed men to fight. Women’s new-found freedoms and abilities during the war left them with a lasting question- what rights would they have in their newly founded nation?
Free and open to the public. Adults
Contact: Mona Vance-Ali, 662-329-5300
www.clplsamerica250.com

HTA Lecture: “Retrieving Virtue: Moral Character Development as an Act of Worship”
2026-03-02 15:30 - 17:30
Evan Lenow will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi College titled “Retrieving Virtue: Moral Character Development as an Act of Worship.”
Socrates famously stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Rather than the endless pursuit of vanity, Socrates called his students to aspire to virtue and character in order to become better people. The ancient quest for virtue needs a revival because we will flourish when we chase after the virtues that reflect the epitome of humanness.
The lecture will take place on the Mississippi College campus on March 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

HTA Lecture: "A Comparative Study of Dual Enrollment Programs in Southern Mississippi"
2026-03-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Southwest Mississippi Community College, 1156 College Drive, Summit, MS, 39666
Joe B. Raymond III will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Southwest Mississippi Community College titled “A Comparative Study of Dual Enrollment Programs in Southern Mississippi.”
The lecture will take place on the Southwest Mississippi Community College campus on March 3, 2026, at 1 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “From Austen to Bridgerton: The Enduring Appeal of Regency Romance in Popular Culture”
2026-03-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Holmes Community College – Ridgeland Campus, 412 W. Ridgeland Avenue, Ridgeland, MS, 39157
Dr. Amber Harrison Mabus will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Holmes Community College titled “From Austen to Bridgerton: The Enduring Appeal of Regency Romance in Popular Culture.”
250 years after her birth, Jane Austen’s stories still resonate with modern audiences, thanks to the ongoing popularity of Regency-era romance in books, television, and film. Dr. Amber Mabus will explore how Austen’s novels laid the groundwork for this genre, shaping the way 21st-century audiences think about love, social rules, and class during the Regency period. By connecting Austen’s work to modern adaptations like Netflix’s Bridgerton, Mabus’s presentation will demonstrate why Austen’s portrayal of romance within strict social boundaries continues to captivate audiences today.
The lecture will take place on the Holmes Community College Ridgeland campus on March 3, 2026, at 2 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Race, Speculative Value and Art at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century”
2026-03-03 17:00 - 19:00 | University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677, United States
Dr. Richard Purcell will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for the University of Mississippi titled “Race, Speculative Value and Art at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century.”
The lecture will take place on the University of Mississippi campus on March 3, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Speakers Bureau: "Slavery in Antebellum Mississippi"
2026-03-03 19:00 - 21:00 | South Mississippi Genealogical & Historical Society, 307 2nd Ave, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401-3887, United States
Max Grivno presents “Slavery in Antebellum Mississippi”
By 1860, Mississippi’s farms and plantations yielded 1.2 million bales of cotton, making it the nation’s leading cotton producer. This prosperity rested on the backs of some 436,631 enslaved blacks, who constituted 55 percent of the state’s population and who made Mississippi the third-largest slave-holding state, behind only Virginia and Georgia. This presentation examines the development of slavery from the perspective of the enslaved. Beginning with the “Flush Times” of the 1830s and continuing to the outbreak of the Civil War, it examines the interstate slave trade, the working lives of enslaved blacks and the myriad ways in which bondsmen and women struggled against their masters. It traces the paths of runaway slaves, reconstructs slave uprisings and insurrection scares, looks at their families and communities and follows the enslaved into the state’s churches. The presentation draws from auto-biographies and interviews with former slaves, newspapers, plantation records and government documents.

HTA Lecture: “The Mind-Body Loop: How Psychology Shapes Health More Than We Realize”
2026-03-04 11:00 - 13:00 | Pearl River Community College – Poplarville Campus, 101 US-11, Poplarville, MS, 39470, United States
Shelly Stolp will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Pearl River Community College titled “The Mind-Body Loop: How Psychology Shapes Health More Than We Realize.”
This presentation examines how psychological processes shape physical health, often through everyday stress. Using guided imagery and discussion of the autonomic nervous system, it illustrates the mind–body feedback loop. Attendees will learn how stress regulation and coping strategies influence health outcomes.
The lecture will take place on the Pearl River Community College campus on March 4, 2026, at 11 a.m.

HTA Lecture: “When We See Ourselves: Representation, Mentorship, and Storytelling Across the Arts”
2026-03-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Jackson State University, 1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217
Yolanda Williams will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Jackson State University titled “When We See Ourselves: Representation, Mentorship, and Storytelling Across the Arts.”
“When We See Ourselves: Representation, Mentorship, and Storytelling Across the Arts” explores the role of representation and mentorship in shaping storytelling across theatre, film, and the arts. Grounded in lived experiences, this lecture reflects on visibility as a humanistic practice that expands possibility and affirms identity, challenge narrow narratives, and opens pathways for future artists.
The lecture will take place on the Jackson State University campus on March 5, 2026, at 10 a.m.

HTA Lecture: “Freedom to Save the Body (of Christ): The Rhetorical Chemotherapy of Archbishop Salvatore Cardileone”
2026-03-05 13:00 - 15:00 | William Carey University, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Dr. Brandon Knight will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for William Carey University titled “Freedom to Save the Body (of Christ): The Rhetorical Chemotherapy of Archbishop Salvatore Cardileone.”
“Freedom to Save the Body (of Christ): The Rhetorical Chemotherapy of Archbishop Salvatore Cardileone” is a rhetorical analysis of a homily presented by the archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, at the Walk for Life West Coast a few months prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. From this research, he argues that, whereas Cordileone’s early discourse displays patient casuistic rhetoric with members of his diocese, he transitions to the prophetic voice in his WLWC homily because of Catholic pro-choice adherents with political standing and influence, like the-then Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Acting in the lineage of the prophets, Cordileone uses a rhetorical chemotherapy to save the body of Christ and uphold the culture of life.
The lecture will take place on the William Carey University campus on March 5, 2026, at 1 p.m.

Read & Rise
2026-03-07 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-14 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 09:00 - 12:00 | Katrina’s Klassroom, 1952 Simpson Hwy 149, Mendenhall, 39114, United States
Read & Rise is a family literacy program that brings children and parents together through shared reading, culturally relevant books, including works by Mississippi authors, parent workshops, and creative activities. Each session features community reading circles, guided literacy activities, strategies for supporting reading at home, and free book distribution to help families build home libraries. By engaging families in storytelling and reflection, Read & Rise promotes both literacy skills and a deeper understanding of human experiences and community values.

Turning Pages, Changing Lives
2026-03-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Lemuria Book Store, 4465 I-55 STE 20, Jackson, MS, 39206, United States
Prison Education Advocates in Conversation with Elizabeth Howard
Saturday, March 7, at 2 p.m.
Lemuria Books

America250 Mississippi Program Grant Deadline
2026-03-15 | Virtual
As Mississippi prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, the America250 Mississippi Grants Program invites communities across the state to take part in this historic commemoration. Established by the America250 Mississippi Commission, this program aims to empower local organizations to honor their unique histories, foster a deeper understanding of Mississippi’s vital role in the American story, and inspire meaningful engagement with our shared heritage. By supporting public events and initiatives during the America250 semiquincentennial, the program seeks to create lasting legacies that will help future generations of Mississippians appreciate and celebrate the rich and diverse tapestry of our state’s past. All funded projects and programs must occur during 2026.

Program Grants – up to $10,000 to support local celebrations of the semiquincentennial and public programs that explore the themes of Mississippi250. Deadline: March 15.

Full details and application portal are available on our website.

HTA Lecture: “The Culture of Tone”
2026-03-17 14:00 - 16:00 | East Central Community College, 275 W Broad Street, Decatur, MS, 39327
Chandler Smith will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for East Central Community College titled “The Culture of Tone.”
The lecture will take place on the East Central Community College campus on March 17, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Speakers Bureau: "The Bride of Annandale, A Love Story of the Old South"
2026-03-17 18:30 - 20:30 | Anguilla Methodist Church, 631 Front St, Anguilla, MS, 38721, United States
Grady Howell presents “The Bride of Annandale, A Love Story of the Old South”
The Bride of Annandale is a fully researched nonfiction narrative detailing the tragic romance of Henry Gray Vick, a descendant of the founders of Vicksburg, and Helen Johnstone of Annandale Plantation and Chapel of the Cross fame. Henry was killed in a duel a week before their wedding. This is their story.

HTA Lecture: “Why I Chose the Dark Side of Literature"
2026-03-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Coahoma Community College, 3240 Friars Point Road, Clarksdale, MS, 38614, United States
Melissa Faulkner will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Coahoma Community College titled “Why I Chose the Dark Side of Literature.”
The lecture will take place on the Coahoma Community College campus on March 18, 2026, at noon.

HTA Lecture: “HaPPPiness,: Pedagogy, Pageantry, and Prison”
2026-03-18 12:30 - 14:30 | Hinds Community College – Raymond Campus, 501 East Main Street, Raymond, 39154, United States
Virginia Miller-Durr will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Hinds Community College titled “HaPPPiness,: Pedagogy, Pageantry, and Prison.”
From first-generation college learners and incarcerated students to communities and lives hungry for belonging and hope, the humanities cannot simply be explained; they must be lived through action in every stage in life. At a time when humanities programs are questioned, “HaPPPPPPiness” is a talk that exemplifies how they save, steady, and shape lives through Pedagogy, Prison, Place, People, Purpose, Promise, not PERFECTION.
The lecture will take place on Hinds Community College’s Raymond campus on March 18, 2026, at 12:45 p.m.

L.V. Hull: Love Is a Sensation
2026-03-20 - 2026-06-14 | Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 South Lamar Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
L.V. Hull: Love Is a Sensation
March 20 – June 14, 2026
At the Mississippi Museum of Art

L.V. Hull: Love Is a Sensation is the first major museum exhibition devoted to the art and life of the self-proclaimed “Unusual Artist” Ms. L.V. Hull (1942–2008). Born in McAdams, Mississippi, Hull merged artmaking and the Southern art of “visiting” to craft a creative practice that allowed her to commune with her inner spirit, her Creator, her community, and visitors from around the state, region, and world. Using found objects and paint and glue from Walmart, Hull produced a vibrant, immersive, and evolving art environment at her home of 34 years in the small town of Kosciusko, Mississippi. She adorned every surface and corner of her house, front porch, and garden with carefully arranged assemblages of everyday objects and signs, often painted with her signature dot pattern.
Love Is a Sensation will celebrate Hull’s legacy through selections from her vast creative output, documentation of her home/studio environment, ephemera from her personal archive, and layered installations of her work. This exhibition is presented in partnership with the L.V. Hull Legacy Center, a project of the Arts Foundation of Kosciusko in Kosciusko, Mississippi, which will present a parallel exhibition and related programming concurrently with Love Is a Sensation.
Black, female, and self-taught, L.V. Hull represents a long tradition of rural Mississippi artists who work outside the mainstream artworld and who have been historically marginalized, resulting in an incomplete account of American creativity and art history. Love Is a Sensation will contextualize Hull as an important Mississippi artist who was deeply rooted in community, but also a creator engaged in the significant global tradition of placemaking.
Love Is a Sensation will coincide with the Mississippi premiere of a documentary film of the same name by Hull’s friend, Yaphet Smith, who is also a core member of the team developing the L.V. Hull Legacy Center. The film offers an affectionate home movie portrait of Hull that complements the exhibition’s presentation of her work.
L.V. Hull: Love Is a Sensation is presented with support from Teiger Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Feild Co-Operative Association, Mississippi Humanities Council, Visit Mississippi, and Visit Jackson.
About the L.V. Hull Legacy Center
Opening March 2026, the L.V. Hull Legacy Center will be a new visual arts campus in Kosciusko that includes L.V. Hull’s preserved home, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. Hull’s home is the first home of a Black female visual artist to be included on the Register at the level of National Significance. Visitors to L.V. Hull: Love is a Sensation are encouraged to visit a corresponding exhibition at the Legacy Center that will focus on Hull’s relationship to place, as well as the many people who united to support her during her lifetime and to preserve her legacy following her death in 2008. The Legacy Center provides additional opportunities for visitors to learn more about the full spectrum of Hull’s practice, including her place in the rich cultural history of Kosciusko, which is the birthplace of both civil rights activist James Meredith and cultural icon Oprah Winfrey.
About the Curators
Ryan N. Dennis is Co-Director and Chief Curator at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), where she has led major projects including Theaster Gates’s acclaimed The Gift and The Renege and the community-focused Rebirth in Action with Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy. Formerly Curator at the Mississippi Museum of Art, she organized notable exhibitions such as Leonardo Drew: City in the Garden, Betye Saar: Call & Response, and the nationally celebrated A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration. She also co-curated the 2021 Texas Biennial and previously served as Curator and Programs Director at Project Row Houses in Houston, collaborating with over 100 BIPOC artists and launching innovative residency and public art programs. Dennis holds a master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management from Pratt Institute and is widely published, lecturing and teaching on contemporary art and community-based practices nationwide.
Annalise Flynn is an independent curator and arts administrator based in Sheboygan, Wis. Her current clients include the Kohler Foundation, for whom she manages SPACES Archives–Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments, the world’s largest repository of archival documentation related to artist-built environments; the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she teaches “Better Homes & Gardens,” a survey dedicated to artist-built environments; and the Arts Foundation of Kosciusko and the Keysmith Foundation, with whom she is working oh the preservation of the artist L.V. Hull’s home and legacy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Art History, Theory, and Criticism.
Yaphet Smith is a screenwriter, lawyer, and documentary filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. He is dedicated to enriching life through story, with an emphasis on stories that reflect Black people’s full humanity. He is currently exploring the power of storytelling through the preservation and activation of the legacy of artist L.V. Hull. To this end, he serves as the liaison with Ms. Hull’s estate, President of the Keysmith Foundation (the steward of her historic home), and Vice President of Curation for the Arts Foundation of Kosciusko, which is developing the L.V. Hull Legacy Center on Hull’s street. Smith is also the director of the forthcoming documentary, Love Is a Sensation, an affectionate one-hour home movie portrait of Hull and her quest to present a cherished work of art to blues legend B.B. King.

2026 Public Humanities Awards
2026-03-20 17:30 - 20:30 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Each year, the Mississippi Humanities Council honors scholars, educators, and organizations who have made significant contributions to the public humanities in Mississippi. Join us at the 2026 Public Humanities Awards on Friday, March 20, at 5:30 p.m., at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, as we recognize this year’s incredible honorees who have made outstanding contributions to promoting and preserving the humanities in our state.
Tickets and Awards Sponsor opportunities may be purchased through the MHC website or by sending a check to the Mississippi Humanities Council, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Room 317, Jackson, MS 39211.

America250 Mississippi - Jim Henson: Idea Man
2026-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | The MAX, 2118 Front St, Meridian, MS, 39301, United States
Now Showing: Jim Henson: Idea Man

Dive into the mind of a visionary with a special screening of the acclaimed documentary, Jim Henson: Idea Man, in the Alexander Family Church Gallery at 10 am.
RSVP Here

Join us after the film for an interactive workshop with Mississippi artist Jordan West from 1 pm-4 pm. Design and build a puppet straight from your imagination, concluding with a live performance in our new puppet theater.
Limited spots available for workshop. Registration required ($25 per puppet).

A Gathering of Waters: Artist Talk: A Conversation with Addie Citchens & Jerriod Avant
2026-03-24 10:00 - 13:00 | Jackson State University, 1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217
Part of the “A Gathering of Waters: The Power of Place & Pen in Mississippi’s Literary Landscape” Program
Artist Talk: A Conversation with Addie Citchens & Jerriod Avant

Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 2026
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Student Center Theatre

Theme: “Something’ About This Place Feels Like Home”
Program Description: The Mississippi Delta wetlands meets the Mississippi Appalachian hills in this Artist Talk with Addie Citchens of Clarksdale, and Jerriod Avant of Longtown. Citchens, author of Dominion, and Avant, author of Muscadine, will discuss how their particular landscapes inform the writing they do through fiction and poetry: in farmland and fisheries and gravel rock roads, in deer season and during church revival they describe. The authors, both graduates of JSU, will interrogate how the language, characters, setting, and style reflect their respective homeplaces.

HTA Lecture: “August Wilson's Fences and On the Ground Island"
2026-03-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Rust College, 150 Rust Ave, Holly Springs, MS, 38635, United States
Alice Berry will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Rust College titled “August Wilson’s Fences and On the Ground Island.”
The lecture will take place on the Rust College campus on March 24, 2026, at 3 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “For Such a Time as This: How Media is Being Challenged and Changed in the 21st Century”
2026-03-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Tougaloo College, 500 W County Line Rd, Tougaloo, MS, 39174, United States
Erin Pickens Wansley will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Tougaloo College titled “For Such a Time as This: How Media is Being Challenged and Changed in the 21st Century.”
“For Such a Time as This: How Media is Being Challenged and Changed in the 21st Century” will take a look at how the shift from traditional media to interactive platforms led to the seismic shift in how people view media today. View, not only in how people watch or read it, but the growth of misinformation and distrust in media.
The lecture will take place on the Tougaloo College campus on March 25, 2026, at 11 a.m.

HTA Lecture: “Parenting Styles”
2026-03-25 12:00 - 15:00 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College, 11 Co Lin Cir, Natchez, MS, 39120-4452, United States
Jackie Mardis, will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Copiah-Lincoln Community College titled “Parenting Styles.”
The lecture will take place on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus on March 25, 2026, at 12:20 p.m.
