Mississippi Humanities Council

The Global South and the Black Diaspora--From Mississippi to the Caribbean
2020-03-04 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Millsaps College, 1701 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39202
A two-day event with keynote presentations by Dr. Jarvis McInnis, the Cordelia and William Laverack Assistant Professor of English at Duke University. A graduate of Tougaloo College, Dr. McInnis’s upcoming book, The Afterlives of the Plantation: Aesthetics, Labor, and Diaspora in the Global Black South, examines black transnational identity through African American and Caribbean culture and literature during the early twentieth century. McInnis’s recognition that black identities overlapped as much as they diverged, offers a unique insight into this period of history where the consolidation of white power–through imperialist growth and systematic black disempowerment–tend to dominate the historical narrative.

McInnis offers two lectures, both free and open to the public:
Wednesday, March 4th @ 6pm, at Millsaps College (focused on the book project with an eye toward the meaning of the “Global South” and racial identity
Thursday, March 5th @ 12PM, at the 2020 Mississippi Historical Society’s annual meeting in Cleveland, MS (focused on his archival journey and the process of developing his recently published article, “A Corporate Plantation Reading Public: Labor, Literacy, and Diaspora in the Global South,”–Which focuses on Cotton Farmer, an African American newspaper published by black tenant farmers in the Mississippi Delta.)

Corinth Contraband Experience
2020-02-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Corinth Coliseum, 404 Taylor St., Corinth, MS, 38834
Northeast Mississippi Community College has partnered with the National Park Service to create augmented reality to provide interpretation for existing statues and reliefs at the Corinth Contraband Camp.

SB: Parallels of Southern Storytelling & Folktales from Around the World
2020-02-28 09:00 - 13:00 | William Carey University, 710 William Carey Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Diane uses the art of storytelling to uncover folktales from the south, oral history from Mississippi, often paralleling these story motifs with folktales from around the world.
Speakers Expertise:
Diane Williams is a neo-griot, along the lines of the storytellers from times gone by when oral historians were crucial to maintaining black folks’ history because book publishers didn’t believe the history worth chronicling. Williams is also a quilter, an artistry befitting for a woman known for paying homage to the past. Williams uses silk yarns, beads, stones and vibrant colors to make traditional quilts with Motherland inspiration to tell stories of strength, resilience and hope.

"Back in the Day" Black History Celebration
2020-02-27 18:00 - 19:00 | New Hope Baptist Church, 5202 Watkins Dr., Jackson, MS, 39206
A month-long series of programs honoring African American history in Mississippi, culminating in the keynote address from Hon. Constance Slaughter-Harvey on February 27.
After serving as student body president and graduating from Tougaloo College with a degree in political science, Slaughter attended law school at the University of Mississippi. In 1970, amid death threats and constant prejudice, she became the first African American woman to receive a law degree from the school. She subsequently worked for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law as a staff attorney and represented the families of two students who were killed by highway patrolmen during the Jackson State University massacre. Slaughter-Harvey filed the desegregation lawsuit against the Mississippi State Highway Patrol that resulted in the hiring of African American highway patrolmen.

50th Recollection of Gibbs-Green: Survivors Exhibition
2020-02-27 17:30 | Jackson State University, 1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217
In the spring of 1970, college and university students across the country protested against the Vietnam War, racism, gender oppression, and a host of other issues, at times leading to violent and deadly confrontations with police and national guard troops. On May 14th, 1970, students at Jackson State College staged a demonstration condemning racial discrimination in Mississippi and the killing of four students at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard on May 4th. The demonstration continued into the night. Shortly after midnight on May 15th, police, who claimed they had been shot at, opened fire on students gathered outside Alexander Hall, a campus dormitory. When the shooting stopped, 21-year-old Phillip Gibbs and 17-year-old James Green lay dead. twelve other students were injured.
The 50th anniversary commemoration of the shooting on what is now the campus of Jackson State University will include five major programs. The Student Government Association, Gibbs-Green Commission, and Gibbs-Green Oral History Project developed the programs which will coordinate with Kent State University to link the events on both campuses.
February 27th:
The second event is a reception to open an exhibit that features displays about the lives of the survivors, with pictures, personal papers, and other items that help tell the story about how the experience shaped them in the years following. Vernon Weakley, one of the wounded, and James Lap Baker, Eddie Jan Car, Lee Bernard, Hillman Frazier, Charles Holmes, Gailya Porter, and Quilly Turner, students who were shot at, will speak with the audience about the shooting and how it impacted their lives. The exhibit will remain on display through June 2020.

Modernism, Poetry and Cinema Celebrity Culture: At the Crossroads of High and Low Art
2020-02-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Jackson State University, 1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217
Dr. Leticia Alonso, Humanities Teacher Award winner for Jackson State University, will present her public lecture:
At the heart of Modernism was the attraction to cinema celebrity culture. The popularization of film stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford and Brigitte Helm shaped the cultural imaginary of modernity to such an extent that they influenced the creative activity of writers in the years 1900-1950. This presentation will explore how Modernist poetry challenges traditional categorizations of high and low art forms by drawing on cinema as a genre initially associated with mass culture. Questions centering on stardom and ways of seeing will thus reflect on the intersections of poetry with popular culture, publicity and performance.

NLCC 2020: Visits, Vittles & Vines: The Culture of Southern Hospitality
2020-02-27 - 2020-02-29 | Natchez Convention Center, 211 Main Street, Natchez, MS, 39120
The 2020 conference will focus on the heritage of Southern hospitality. It will highlight the many cultures and rich traditions that make up the food, gardens, and entertainment that we are so known for in the South, and how it transcends race and class lines. Topics and themes that will be addressed in the various presentation include Southern Hospitality Culture, foodways, African Disapora within southern foodways, identity, rhetoric, community culture, oral histories, culinary history, cross-culture gardening, entertainment, art, film, and more.

The Quest for Religious Tolerance, Pluralism and Moderation in the Later Roman Empire
2020-02-26 15:30 - 16:30 | Shackoul’s Honors College, 500 Bailey Howell Drive, Mississippi State, MS, 39762
Dr. Mark Clark, Humanities Teacher Award winner for Mississippi State University, presents his public lecture, “The Quest for Religious Tolerance, Pluralism and Moderation in the Later Roman Empire”

One Woman's Fight Against the Butcher of Lyon
2020-02-26 15:00 - 16:30 | Northwest Mississippi Community College, 4975 Hwy 51 N, Senatobia, 38668
Ms. Carla Townsend, Humanities Teacher Awardee for Northwest Mississippi Community College, presents her public lecture:
Townsend will be discussing the resistance movement in France during World War II. The focus will be on the actions of one incredibly heroic woman named Virginia Hall, who defied conventional norms in the fight against fascism.

Connections
2020-02-26 15:00 - 16:30 | East Mississippi Community College – Scooba Campus, 1512 Kemper Street, Scooba, MS, 39358
Mr. Terry Cherry, Humanities Teacher of the Year for East Mississippi Community College, presents his public lecture:
In his presentation, Cherry focuses on three concepts: The art he creates stands on the shoulders of artists who have inspired him. Secondly, how his art is connected to other art through art history in general. Lastly, how all of his art, though very different at times is still connected to the total output.

Forms and Narratives in Art
2020-02-26 14:30 - 15:30 | East Central Community College, 275 W Broad Street, Decatur, MS, 39327
Mr. Jeffrey Hodges, Humanities Teacher Awardee for East Central Community College, will present his public lecture, “Forms and Narratives in Art.”

Coming to America: How Immigrant Composers Have Enriched Our Musical Culture
2020-02-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Northeast Mississippi Community College, 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville, MS, 38829
Dr. Amanda Mattox, Humanities Teacher Award winner for Northeast Mississippi Community College, will present her public lecture:
Major European composers immigrated to the United States during the 1930s to escape oppressive political situations. This lecture surveys how these and other immigrant musicians have had a profound effect on concert music in America through composition and university teaching positions. Included in the presentation will be live performances of representative works.

Changing the World One Communicator at a Time
2020-02-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Itawamba Community College, 602 W Hill Street, Fulton, MS, 38843
Ms. Jessi Stevenson, Humanities Teacher Award winner for Itawamba Community College, will present her public lecture, “Changing the World One Communicator at a Time: A Discussion of Oxytocin, the Power of Storytelling, and the Importance of Dialogue in the Communication Process.”
“We take part in the communication process daily, but we often let our fear stifle true connection in this reciprocal process. This talk will empower you to harness the physiological reactions of communication by talking through strategies to help you better connect with your audiences on an emotional and engaging level.”

How History and the Humanities Can Fight White Supremacy
2020-02-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Mississippi University for Women – Fant Memorial Library, 1200 5th Ave S, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Kristi DiClemente, Humanities Teacher Awardee at Mississippi University for Women, will present her public lecture:
In the past few years, white supremacist groups have adopted historical imagery, and an imagined “pure” European past to argue against diversity and inclusion in all aspects of modern life. DiClemente will take on this ahistorical interpretation of the past and discuss how we as historians, and other humanities faculty, can fight against this imagery by actively decolonizing syllabuses and supporting the voices of underrepresented scholars.

SB: Parallels of Southern Storytelling & Folktales from Around the World
2020-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Blue Mountain College, 201 W Main Street, Blue Mountain, MS, 38610

Give me STEAM: Art Education as an Extraordinary Experience
2020-02-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Meridian Community College, 910 Hwy 19 N, Meridian, MS, 39307
Ms. Terrell Nicholson-Taylor will present her Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Meridian Community College:
The “A” for Art may be more important than the S T E M paradigm of education, because without the ability of artistic expression, these other fields may never have come into being. The very foundation of communicative thought and endeavor are bound to artistic, symbolic notation and hands-on learning and processes: the basis of all endeavors.

Ben Percy Public Readings
2020-02-20 19:30 - 20:30 | Mississippi State University, Bost Theater, Starkville, MS
Popular storyteller and fiction author Benjamin “Ben” Percy visits Mississippi State this month as a writer-in-residence, sharing from his publications, answering questions, visiting classes and meeting students and community members.
Percy presents a public address on Thursday [Feb. 20] at 7:30 p.m. in the Turner A. Wingo Auditorium of Old Main Academic Center, Room 1030.
On Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at The Last Page, Starkville’s comic bookstore located at 101 S. Washington St., Percy will read from a selection of his works, answer questions and sign his publications.
Both events are free and open to the public.
As MSU’s writer-in-residence, he will interact with students, offering advice and tips to promote writing and storytelling.
“Mr. Percy specializes in literature, horror literature, and he also works on comic books and produces a Wolverine podcast,” said Julia Osman, director of MSU’s Institute for the Humanities and associate professor of history. “These genres and forms of literature, writing and storytelling are as included in the humanities as the deepest and most sensitive poetry.”

Calvin Coolidge on the Religious Foundations of Civilization
2020-02-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Blue Mountain College, 201 W Main Street, Blue Mountain, MS, 38610
Graduate Student Tom Tacoma

Dr. Thomas Tacoma, Humanities Teacher Awardee for Blue Mountain College, will present his public lecture: Dr. Tacoma’s will present on Calvin Coolidge’s principle of responsibility in public office. Coolidge faced numerous challenges as Governor of Massachusetts, President of the United States, and while out of office. In each step, he promoted his vision of responsible leadership.”

"Back in the Day" Black History Celebration: Youth Talent Showcase Explosion
2020-02-20 17:30 - 18:30 | New Hope Baptist Church, 5202 Watkins Dr., Jackson, MS, 39206
Annual Black history month programs featuring historical perspectives on the African American experience in Mississippi from slavery through Civil Rights and contemporary times. Feb. 20 will feature New Hope Christian School singers & dancers, as well as the Tougaloo College concert choir. Additionally, present on Feb. 20 will be a Hinds County election commissioner who will register those not registered to vote (especially young people.)

A Look Through Time: How Art and Culture Shaped the Study of Human Anatomy
2020-02-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Southwest Mississippi Community College, 1156 College Drive, Summit, MS, 39666
Dr. Melissa Adams, Humanities Teacher Award winner from Southwest Mississippi Community College, will present her public lecture:
The human body houses secrets that have fascinated philosophers, artists, and scientists throughout time. Cultural beliefs often slowed development of anatomy. Artists created illustrations that advanced knowledge of the human body. This presentation looks through history and discusses how culture and art shaped human anatomy.

The Shadow of Death: Southern Baptists and the Politics of Compassion in the Nigeria-Biafra War 1967-70
2020-02-19 16:00 - 17:00 | Millsaps College, 1701 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39202
As the recipient of the Humanities Teacher Award at Millsaps College, Dr. Davis will give a public lecture on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. in the McMullen Lecture Hall (Room 122) in the Selby and Richard McRae Christian Center on the Millsaps College campus entitled, “The Shadow of Death: Southern Baptists and the Politics of Compassion in the Nigeria-Biafra War 1967-70.” The lecture will focus on the international politics of humanitarian efforts in Nigerian Civil War, a very personal and cathartic journey based on the his father’s time in Biafra. His story is just one of thousands of stories of heroism, self-sacrifice, and compassion that emerge from the human tragedy that was the Nigerian Civil War. Dr. Davis is currently working on a manuscript entitled “Heroes of Mercy.”

International Service-Learning: Faculty Engagement and Transformation
2020-02-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Belhaven University, 1500 Peachtree Street, Jackson, MS, 39202
Dr. Kristen K. White, Humanities Teacher Awardee for Belhaven University, presents her public lecture:
This qualitative study explored how international service-learning developed faculty personally and professionally. The 48 interviews from 17 faith-based universities found that if faculty engaged in all four of Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning stages, their commitment to service-learning increased and encouraged their continued participation in future service-learning opportunities benefitting their students.

The Academy Stories
2020-02-18 19:00 | Delta State University, 1003 W Sunflower Rd, Cleveland, MS, 38733, United States
Delta State University will host Ellen Ann Fentress, author, journalist, and documentary filmmaker, from February 17-19, 2020. On February 18 at 7pm, Ms. Fentress will present a public program about her latest project, “The Academy Stories.” A panel discussion will occur immediately following the presentation (Broom Hall, Baioni Conference Center.)

"1619" Myths and Memories of Slavery in the United States
2020-02-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Mississippi College, 200 Capitol St., Clinton, MS, 39056
Dr. Christian Pinnen, Humanities Teacher of the Year for Mississippi College, presents his public lecture:
The date “1619” has garnered more attention than in recent memory over the last couple of months. The year the first enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of the Virginia colony engenders a sort of intellectual reckoning with Americas past and the deep roots of slavery in the history of the country, but it also lays open the fault lines of our public discourse. I want to use this opportunity to talk about the role of the (digital) humanities at large in this debate, how historians include the story of slavery in the production of American history, and the difficulties historians encounter to cement the facts that surround the events in 1619. Engaging the public in a debate about the meaning of race and slavery in United States history is vital, yet controversial even 400 plus years after the first arrival of enslaved people on the Eastern Seaboard.

League of Women Voters 100th Anniversary Project
2020-02-18 18:00 | The Lyric, 1006 VanBuren Avenue, Oxford, MS, 38655
The League of Women Voters Oxford-North Mississippi will present a media project commemorating 100 years of womens suffrage (as well as the founding of LWV) at a February 18 celebration.

Ideas on Tap: Prison Re-Vision
2020-02-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Hal & Mal’s, 200 Commerce Street, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
On February 18, join the Mississippi Humanities Council at Hal and Mal’s in Jackson for a program about prison reform in Mississippi.
The February 18 program will focus on the current unrest and violence in Mississippi prisons as a way to examine our larger relationship to the prison system, its history and role in our society, and the effects of possible reform efforts. Panelists include James Robertson (Empower Mississippi), Stephanie Rolph (Millsaps College), and Rukia Lumumba (People’s Advocacy Institute).
As always, snacks and great conversation are on us, and drinks are on you.

Medievalism: The Uses of the Middle Ages in the Modern World
2020-02-18 17:00 - 18:00 | University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg , MS - Mississippi, 39406
Dr. Courtney Luckhardt, Humanities Teacher Awardee for the University of Southern Mississippi, presents her public lecture:
In order to make the history of the European Middle Ages relevant, it’s important for both students and the wider public to understand the way that the history of pre-modern period is used by modern people. Dr. Luckhardt teaches not only on the history of the Middle Ages itself (500-1500 CE), but also on “medievalism,” which is the use of ideas about the Middle Ages to serve contemporary needs. For instance, ideas about the glory of the Middle Ages have been used by white supremacists to reduce the real and complex history of the period to the supposed “white” origins of civilization. In order to bust myths about the so-called “Dark Ages”, we must re-examine our ideas about the past in light of cutting-edge scholarship, which can help us to shake off antiquated ideas that reflect neither pre-modern historical realities, nor who we are now in the 21st century.

The History and Phenomena of John Newton's "Amazing Grace!" within American Christianity and Beyond
2020-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Holmes Community College – Ridgeland Campus, 412 W. Ridgeland Avenue, Ridgeland, MS, 39157
John Robert Hall, Humanities Teacher Award winner for Holmes Community College, presents his public lecture:
In 1772, John Newton, former slave trader turned Anglican priest, wrote the words to the hymn titled “Amazing Grace!” Though published in 1779, “Amazing Grace!” remained a lesser known hymn in Great Britain; however, in the nineteenth century in the United States, it grew in popularity, gained a new verse, and secured its now recognizable hymn tune. From the end of the twentieth century into the twenty-first century, “Amazing Grace!” has become not only a popular song, both musically and lyrically, but often produces phenomena beyond the words of John Newton.

Time Bomb in a River: Ross Barnett, JFK, and 2 Million Pounds of Missing Chlorine
2020-02-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Mississippi Valley State University, 14000 US-82, Itta Bena, MS, 38941
Dr. Micah Rueber, Humanities Teacher Awardee for Mississippi Valley State University, will present his public lecture:
Rueber will present material he has gathered while working on a manuscript about a river barge that sank in 1961. While barge sinkings are not uncommon, this one drew the attention of President Kennedy because it was carrying 1000 tons of pressurized liquid chlorine that, if released, would threaten over 40,000 people in and around Natchez, MS. The subsequent clean-up efforts, which involved a wide range of both state and federal agencies, reveals how Mississippi governor Ross Barnett, while taking a very public stance against the federal government in refusing to admit James Meredith to Ole Miss, showed quite a different character behind the scenes, as he took great pains to make sure that the federal government spared no effort or expense in removing the dangerous material.

Bridging Cultures: Working for Equity Across Race, Class, Religion, and Ethnicity
2020-02-13 17:30 - 19:00 | International Museum of Muslim Cultures, 201 East Pascagoula Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
Through its “Bridging Cultures” Program, the International Museum of Muslin Cultures utilizes its two signature exhibitions: “Muslims with Christians and Jews: An Exhibition of Covenants and Coexistence,” and “The Legacy of Timbuktu: Wonders of the Written Word” to develop a series of programs and educational opportunities. IMMC’s Islamic Thought Institute engages local and national partners to host a series of conversations and/or panel discussions around the various themes of the two exhibitions.
The topic for February’s event is “The Struggle for Freedom in America,” A conversation about the African American freedom struggle, with a focus on the African American Muslim Movement and its connection to the Civil Rights Movement, as one freedom struggle. Speakers include: Imam Plemon El-Amin (Atlanta Masjid), David J. Dennis, Sr. (Southern Initiative Algebra Project), Dr. Safiya Omari (City of Jackson), and Khalid Hudson (Facilitator, Working Together Baton Rouge)
