Mississippi Humanities Council

Jackson Africana Drum and Dance Symposium
2018-02-24 10:00 - 2018-02-25 18:00 (America/Chicago) | F.D. Music Hall, Jimmie James Recital Hall and Art Gallery, JSU, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson , MS , 39217
This two-day symposium will engage the community and scholars on the performance and preservation of African music and dance expressions in Africa and in the diaspora as well as to see the connection between the “traditions” and the contemporary “remembered” elements in diaspora forms. Specifically, traditional African music and dance will be discussed in relation to its use to assert identity among Americans, its role in “Southern” culture development, and contemporary popular music and dance forms in the South such as hip-hop, blues, and folk, This Symposium will include twp panel discussions, breakout sessions with panelists to discuss their traditions in relation to those that symposium attendees are a part of, and hand on workshops of drumming, dance, and emceeing/storytelling.
Saturday, February 24 will feature panel discussions and breakout sessions dealing with African music on the continent and in the diaspora as manifested in community drum and dance classes, drum circles, and the roles the art plays in rites of passage, mental health, and African retention in African American music. Dr. Nzinga Metzger will provide the keynote address. All panels are free and open to the public! There will also be a free head wrapping presentation.

"Back in the Day" Black History Celebration
2018-02-22 18:00 - 21:00 | MS
Annual ecumenical Black History Celebration. The 2018 celebration features Greenwood native, Dr. Tonea Stewart, actress and dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Alabama State University. Stewart will talk about the importance, as a black actress, of choosing her roles carefully to provide positive representations of African American characters on film and on stage.

29th Annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration: Southern Gothic
2018-02-22 08:00 - 2018-02-24 17:00 | MS
Annual literary and cinema festival. The 2018 festival will focus on “Southern Gothic” elements in scholarly literature, popular fiction, biography and history.

Ideas on Tap
2018-02-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Hal & Mal’s, 200 Commerce Street, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council, Rethink Mississippi, and the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi at Hal and Mal’s in Jackson on February 20 for the second installment in our spring series “Emerging Mississippi.” Each month, we’ll look at areas in which young people are making a difference in Mississippi.
On February 20, we’ll focus on young people in business and enterprise. Panelists include Candie Simmons, Senior Vice President and Regional Marketing Director at Regions; Lauren Rhoades, owner of Sweet & Sauer; and Mary Claire Parrish, Manager of Talent Strategies at C Spire. The conversation will be moderated by Kim Burke, Dean of the Else School of Management at Millsaps College.
As always, compelling conversation is on us, and drinks are on you.

Monday Night Book Club: "Sing, Unburied, Sing"
2018-02-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County, 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Part of Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County’s Celebrating African American History & Culture Series.

2018 Public Humanities Awards Gala
2018-02-16 17:45 - 20:00 | Old Capitol Museum, 100 South State Street, Jackson , MS, 39201
The Mississippi Humanities Council will present its 2018 Public Humanities Awards at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson. The Public Humanities Awards recognize outstanding work by Mississippians in bringing the insights of the humanities to public audiences. Details about this year’s award recipients and ordering tickets can be found here.

Bringing Forward the Past: Art, Identity, and the American South
2018-02-16 08:00 - 2018-02-18 17:00 | MS
A day-and-a-half long interdisciplinary symposium that will convene artists, curators, scholars, and the public to explore issues related to identity, race, indigeneity, trauma, and memory. Occurring February 16-18, Bringing Forward the Past will intersect several concurrent projects and its local community, with deep ties to national conversations about these issues. Speakers include historians Dr. Sarah Lewis and Dr. Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw. Updated speakers and panelists to come.
You can see a full schedule of the symposium and also register by visiting the event website here.

Hattiesburg Library Lecture-- "Camp Van Dorn"
2018-02-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County, 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Part of the Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County Library’s Celebrating African American History & Culture Series. Lecture by Dr. Charles Bolton titled “Camp Van Dorn, WWII Mobilization, & Black Troops in the Deep South.”

Oxford Film Festival Screening and Discussion on Restorative Justice
2018-02-10 16:00 - 18:00 | MS
Partnership with the William Winter Institute to observe Black History Month with a screening of a film about the Restorative Justice movement, which works to combat racial discrimination in schools by addressing trauma that often leads to misbehavior and delinquency. Screening of “Circles” will begin at 4:15PM on Malco Screen 1.

"Why We Call It Soul Food"
2018-02-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Train Depot, 308 Newman Street , Hattiesburg , MS
Part of The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County’s Celebrating African American History & Culture series.

"Marshall" Movie Screening
2018-02-01 14:00 - 20:00 | Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County, 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401

"Mississippians Forever Free" Gallery Exhibit
2018-02-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County, 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Part of Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County’s “Celebrating African American History & Culture” series that will be on display during February, Black History Month, in the library galleries.

"A Place for All People" Exhibit Installation
2018-02-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217, United States
Through the Prison to College Pipeline, founded to provide access to college curriculum to state inmates in Mississippi, the Margaret Walker Center has the opportunity to bring the exhibition A Place for All People to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and Parchman Penitentiary. The exhibition details the history of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), built and opened on the Mall in Washinton, D.C., in 2016, and it highlights the work that the NMAAHC continues to do. The exhibit will be open to the public beginning February 2018, at the Margaret Walker Center of Jackson State University.

Ideas on Tap
2018-01-23 17:30 - 19:00 | Hal & Mal’s, 200 Commerce Street, Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council, Rethink Mississippi, and the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi at Hal and Mal’s on January 23 for the first installment in our spring series “Emerging Mississippi.” Each month, we’ll look at areas in which young people are making a difference in Mississippi.
On January 23, we’ll focus on young people working in politics and policy in Mississippi. Panelists include Rep. Roun McNeal, Rep. Jarvis Dortch, and Jackson City Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. Rethink’s Jake McGraw will moderate.
As always, compelling conversation is on us, and drinks are on you.

MLK Youth Weekend
2018-01-12 18:00 - 2018-01-15 14:00 | MS
MLK gathering for Delta middle- and high-schoolers to examine issues of race, service and friendship. Youths will be recruited through area churches. Activities will include dialogues, workshops, readings and journaling around the subjects of race, race relations, civil rights and Mississippi history.

"Preserving Family Photographs" Public Workshop
2018-01-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library is hosting a workshop titled “Preserving Family Photographs” on January 11th from 9am-12pm.
The workshop will teach participants how to identify various historic photographic formats and processes. It will also instruct on how to properly handle, store, and preserve one’s family photographic treasures.
Participants are encouraged to bring up to three family photographs, negatives, or films that they would like to have evaluated by a conservator.
Kim R. Du Boise, the Senior Conservator and President of PhotoArts Imaging Professionals, will be conducting the workshop. She is a peer-reviewed Professional Associate in the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Du Boise has worked in art and photography for over forty years while developing coursework and workshops for teaching photography and photographic processes. For more information about PhotoArts Imaging Labs visit www.photoartsimaging.com.
The workshop has been made possible through a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council and support from the Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library.
Seating is limited. Register for free at 662-329-5304 or by email at mvance@lowndes.lib.ms.us by January 5th.

Preserving the Past-Celebrating the Future: Burial of the 2017-2067 Time Capsule
2017-12-16 | Round Island Lighthouse Park, 815 Cypress Avenue, Pascagoula, MS, 39567, United States
This is the culmination of the Jackson County Historical & Genealogical Society’s Time Capsule Project. Community and state leaders will be present to offer their salutes to our past and our future. A high school band will be playing. Complimentary mementos for this Bicentennial will be available. Food and drink vendors will be there as well.
Three hours before the event and for two hours after the event, a historical trolley will be in operation to take people on a journey through a historical section of town.

Time Capsule Ceremony: The Finale of the Neshoba County Red Clay Hills Bicentennial Celebration
2017-12-10 | MS
Come join the Neshoba County Red Clay Hills Bicentennial Celebration Series for the conclusion of their Bicentennial celebration series with a fitting capstone by dedicating a time capsule to be opened in 200 years. Yes, 200 years. The capsule will contain written memories, art contest-winning creations, stories, and explanations of life in our era for distant future Neshoba County and Red Clay Hills area residents. The capsule is a stainless steel cylinder which will be sealed to remain airtight and water tight. Contents will be copied and stored on several media formats to ensure preservation.
http://www.redclayhills200.org/time-capsule1.html

Itawamba County-Wide Christmas Open House
2017-12-10 | Participating Homes in Fulton, MS & Mantachie, MS
The Itawamba County Bicentennial Committee will be hosting Christmas Open Houses throughout the county, and specifically, along the part of the Underground Railroad that ran through the county.
Each home along the route will represent a different historical Mississippian and have a one-of-a-kind Christmas Tree!

Exhibit: 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi
2017-12-09 11:00 - 17:00 | MS
On Saturday, December 9, downtown Jackson will be the scene of the Mississippi Mile Bicentennial Celebration. As part of the celebration, the Mississippi Heritage Trust will be hosting an exhibit featuring the 10 Most Endangered Places in Mississippi at the MSU School of Architecture, 509 East Capitol Street. The exhibit will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and feature artwork and preservation project by students from around the state, including drawings and paintings of this year’s 10 Most. This exhibit is made possible with funding from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the Mississippi Development Authority.
The exhibit will be part of a day-long event highlighting the 100 films produced by Blue Magnolia Films to celebrate Mississippi’s 200th birthday. Many of these films feature historic places, including a number of past 10 Most sites. MHT is proud to have sponsored the Mound Bayou film workshop, with funding from the National Park Service Lower Delta Initiative. Throughout the day, the films will be playing in the MSU School of Architecture auditorium.
If you are planning to be in Jackson for the opening of the two new museums or a stroll down Capitol Street to see the storytellers photograph gallery, please plan to stop by MHT’s booth outside the MSU’s School of Architecture, visit the 10 Most exhibit and take in some of these moving stories of Mississippi.

2 Mississippi Museums Grand Opening Celebration
2017-12-09 11:00 - 17:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us as Mississippi makes history! The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the adjacent Museum of Mississippi History will open on Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 11 a.m. This free celebration is open to all and will include music, speakers, and food trucks.

Museum of Mississippi History & Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
The 2 Mississippi Museums will be a place where Mississippians tell their own stories of the state’s rich and complex history. These stories will be told through the many resources from the collection of the Department of Archives and History. We will present the history of our state as never before with eye-popping artifacts, photographs, videos, and interactive exhibits.
The state has committed $90 million to date for this state-of-the art 200,000 square-foot center. It will serve as a portal to other cultural attractions across the state, preserve and store over 22,000 artifacts, and benefit hundreds of thousands of people a year through museum visits, public programs, and educational outreach.

The Last Modern Shipyard: Ingalls West Bank
2017-12-09 08:00 - 17:00 | MS
With a rich history as the economic engine for the State of MS, the City of Pascagoula has long been known for its industries including the State’s largest employer, Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding, North America’s largest oil refinery, Chevron Refinery, and numerous other employers.
In honor of the 50 year anniversary, the City hopes to conduct an oral history project to capture the narrative of building of the Ingalls West Bank Facility. In 1967, local, state, and national public and private stakeholders came together to preserve Pascagoula’s shipyard industry and set a monumental precedent for the future developments across the country.

Mississippi Bicentennial Concert Celebration–Central
2017-12-09 | Jackson Convention Complex, 105 E Pascagoula St, Jackson, Mississippi, 39201, United States
This is a concert to celebrate 200 years of Mississippi statehood is taking place this weekend.
It is one of several bicentennial events that are part of a regional celebration for central Mississippi and will coincide with and complement the opening of 2 Mississippi Museums, side-by-side museums near the Capitol. One will examine the broad picture of Mississippi history and one will focus on civil rights..

How Mississippi Changed America: Conversations About the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and the Nation
2017-12-07 16:00 - 18:30 | Old Capitol Museum, 100 South State Street, Jackson , MS, 39201
Panel discussion ahead of the opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, exploring the impact of civil rights activities in Mississippi on the movement nationally.

"Tupelo Spirit" Preview
2017-12-05 18:00 - 19:00 | MS
Preview of the “Tupelo Spirit” video at the Tupelo City Council Meeting. The video will be featured in the Tupelo Visitors Center opening in February 2018 and will be shown to visitors from all over the world. It will be previewed as part of the Mississippi Bicentennial celebration as it tells a unique Mississippi story.

The Kneel-Ins: The Voices, the Vision Forward-- "Community Commemoration Service"
2017-12-04 18:00 - 19:00 | MS
From Saturday, December 2, through Monday, December 4, the Jackson Interfaith Civil Rights Committee is hosting a series of free events entitled The Kneel-Ins: The Voices and the Vision Forward to commemorate the church visit campaign of 1963 and 1964. These programs are supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
The Jackson Kneel-In movement was an attempt by an interracial group of students, parishioners, and civil rights activists to integrate Protestant and Catholic churches in downtown Jackson. Organizers used direct-action protest to urge the church-goers and ministers at segregated churches to open their sanctuaries to African-American worshipers.
At noon Monday, December 4, Charlene Thompson will give an introduction to the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center followed by a free, self-guided tour of the museum, which chronicles the history of African-Americans in Mississippi and features exhibitions on Medgar Evers and on the Woolworth’s Sit-in. Afterward, at 6:00 p.m. Monday, an ecumenical service will be held at Galloway United Methodist Church featuring the Piney Woods School Choir, poets, and other speakers. All Galloway parking lots will be available and nursery will be provided for children ages 5 and under. For nursery contact Rev. Elizabeth Henry ehenry@gallowayumc.org or 601-353-9691.

The Kneel-Ins: The Voices, the Vision Forward-- "Tour of Smith Robertson Museum"
2017-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St., Jackson, MS, 39202

The Kneel-Ins: The Voices, the Vision Forward: "How Do We 'Kneel-In' and Witness in Jackson Today?"
2017-12-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Old Capitol Museum, 100 South State Street, Jackson , MS, 39201
From Saturday, December 2, through Monday, December 4, the Jackson Interfaith Civil Rights Committee is hosting a series of free events entitled The Kneel-Ins: The Voices and the Vision Forward to commemorate the church visit campaign of 1963 and 1964. These programs are supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
The Jackson Kneel-In movement was an attempt by an interracial group of students, parishioners, and civil rights activists to integrate Protestant and Catholic churches in downtown Jackson. Organizers used direct-action protest to urge the church-goers and ministers at segregated churches to open their sanctuaries to African-American worshipers.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, December 3, at the Old Capitol Museum House Chamber, Augustus Argrett will lead a discussion themed “How Do We Kneel-In and Witness in Jackson Today?” Von Gordon of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation; author Ralph Eubanks; Central United Methodist Church pastor Rev. David McCoy; civil rights veteran and minister John Perkins; and Perry Perkins of Working Together Jackson all will serve as panel participants. Parking is available behind the museum.

The Kneel-Ins: The Voices, the Vision Forward-- "Church Kneel-Ins: What Happened and What It Meant"
2017-12-02 14:00 - 16:00 | MS
From Saturday, December 2, through Monday, December 4, the Jackson Interfaith Civil Rights Committee is hosting a series of free events entitled The Kneel-Ins: The Voices and the Vision Forward to commemorate the church visit campaign of 1963 and 1964. These programs are supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
The Jackson Kneel-In movement was an attempt by an interracial group of students, parishioners, and civil rights activists to integrate Protestant and Catholic churches in downtown Jackson. Organizers used direct-action protest to urge the church-goers and ministers at segregated churches to open their sanctuaries to African-American worshipers.
Events begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 2 at Woodworth Chapel on the campus of
Tougaloo College, with a panel discussion about the Kneel-In movement moderated by Carter
Dalton Lyon, author of Sanctuaries of Segregation: The Story of the Jackson Church Visit
Campaign. Panelists include civil rights veteran Rims Barber; Kneel-In movement participants
Camille McKey and Ida Hannah Sanders; Joe Reiff, author of Born of Conviction: White
Methodists and Mississippi’s Closed Society; and Kneel-In movement leader and former
Tougaloo chaplain Rev. Ed King. Parking is available on campus.

Christmas Open House Parade Viewing @ the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse!
2017-12-02 | Old Tishomingo County Courthouse Museum, 203 E Quitman St, LUKA, MS, 38852, United States
Watch the Christmas parade from inside the historic courtroom at the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse!
Date: Friday, December 2, 2017.
Cost: free; however donations to the museum are always encouraged.
