Mississippi Humanities Council

How Do We Support Public Education
2022-11-30 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Lake Terrace Convention Center, One Convention Center Plaza, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401, United States
As part of the “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” Initiative, administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council with support from the Mellon Foundation, the staff of The Pine Belt News will give the public a chance to learn about the performance of local school districts – and the individual schools within them – with an upcoming community forum featuring local superintendents and Mayor Toby Barker.
Barker will moderate the event, asking questions of the following superintendents: Robert Williams (Hattiesburg Public School District), Matt Dillon (Petal School District), Steven Hampton (Lamar County School District) and Donna Boone (Forrest County Agricultural School District). Brian Freeman, superintendent of the Forrest County School District, wished to attend but will be out of town that week for a prior obligation.
Topics include, but are not limited to:

The primary function of a superintendent in today’s school systems;
Primary initiatives to focus on in the upcoming school years;
Trends in education;
The correlation between parent engagement and student outcomes;
Community relation programs; and
How the community can help foster excellence in public education.

A More Perfect Union
2022-11-22 08:00 - 2023-01-31 17:00 | Various Locations in Mississippi; See Description
The exhibit honors 12 individuals that challenged Mississippi and America to be a more perfect union, truly expanding liberty and justice for all. These twelve individuals are: Fannie Lou Hamer, Amzie Moore, Annie Devine, Medgar Evers, Lawrence Guyot, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Clarie Collins Harvey, Aaron Henry, John R. Lynch, Thomas W. Stringer, Unita Blackwell, and Vernon Dahmer. The effort and sacrifices made by these patriots not only helped ensure democracy for all Mississippians but all Americans as well. These individuals challenged the status-quo, urging that the phrase “We the People” should include all people.
Their actions and the reasons why we are considering them “Mississippi Founders” will be explained in a traveling exhibit. We hope to impart on all walks of life that these “founders” represent the best of what patriotism and devotion to one’s country means, with some of them paying the ultimate sacrifice in the name of equality. They helped change the landscape of our country socially and politically for the betterment of society and we as Mississippians should be eternally proud.
Also, the MHC has produced interstitials with Mississippi Public Broadcasting that accompany the exhibit. You can find these interstitials on the MHC and MPB YouTube pages. They inlcude guests like Cong. Bennie G. Thompson, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hoseman, Ms. Reena Evers, and Mayor Robin Tannehill give life to the various interstitial scripts uplifting our list of “Mississippi Founders”.
MPU is currently at The Quisenberry Library in Clinton MS from now until December 21st
MPU is also still being hosted by The Oren Dunn City in Tupelo and will be traveling to Delta State January 3rd

"Voices and Votes" Smithsonian Exhibit in Vicksburg
2022-11-19 - 2023-01-20 | Catfish Row Museum, 913 Washington Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39183
The Catfish Row Museum in Vicksburg will host Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, from November 19, 2022 until January 20, 2024. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Voices and Votes is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. It consists of six free-standing display units incorporating photographs, text, and numerous interactive elements. The exhibit is designed for smaller venues to achieve Museum on Main Street’s goal of bringing the Smithsonian to small town America. The exhibit is free and open to the public to visit.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America traces the bold American experiment of a government run by and for the people. The exhibit examines the influences that shaped the early days of American democracy and the changes that have occurred in the nearly 250 years since.
Democracy is a form of government that requires civic engagement and participation. It is formed by citizens’ responses to ongoing questions: What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens? What is the role of the government in American life? How do citizens participate in democracy? Beginning with the American Revolution, this exhibition explores these questions and more.
In addition to hosting the exhibit, the museum will also host a series of programs that are free and open to the public.
Voices and Votes events in Vicksburg:

November 22, 4pm: Chamber of Commerce Voices and Votes Ribbon Cutting Opening Ceremony with elected officials
November 30: “Ideas on Tap” with Senator Briggs Hopson and Kyle Kirkpatrick, Assistant Secretary of State, Russ Latino, Empower Mississippi
December 3: Sara Dionne, the Warren County Election Commission chairwoman, and Jan Daige, CircuitClerk, to provide educational opportunities on voting processes, including bringing in new voting machines and walking through the voting experience, including registration and voter roll maintenance.
December 10: Fashion Politics Exhibit with local/national fashion designer Raymond Banks
December 20: Donald Field Brown, Harvard Scholar, will provide the history of “The Vicksburg Citizens’ Appeal” during critical civil rights years.
January 4, 2023: Presentation from Voices and Votes state scholar Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, “Democracy in Mississippi: Race, Violence and Power in the Struggle for the Vote”

Reflecting Jackson Mississippi In The Blues
2022-11-13 13:00 - 2022-11-14 23:00 | Various Locations in Jackson; See Poster
The Central Mississippi Blues Society, Inc., with support from Visit Jackson, the Mississippi Humanities Council, South Arts, Mississippi Blues Foundation and affiliates National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts and Mississippi Arts Commission, will celebrate Jackson’s bicentennial with a two-day “blues” extravaganza. The headliner for all events will be international blues star, Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman. All events are free and open to the public.
Sunday, November 13, 2022, 1-4 pm. Blues musician panels with noted Jackson blues personalities, held in the auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums in downtown Jackson. The panel, “The Lived Experience of The Blues in Jackson” will be moderated by blues journalist, historian and sociologist, Scott Barretta, with panelists Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp), Sherrill Holly, Willie Silas and Jimmi Mayes. The panel, “Jackson Women in the Blues – Past, Present, Future”, will be moderated by journalist and blues promoter Dr. Brinda Fuller Willis, with panelists Dorothy “Misty Blue” Moore, Nellie “Mack” McInnis and Maya Kyles.

Monday, November 14, 2022, 11:30 am – 1 pm. “Success Over Fame in the Music Business”, a workshop led by Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman, at the Jackson State University Department of Music. This workshop will focus on information relevant to managing a successful music career.
Monday, November 14, 2022, 7-11 pm. – Bicentennial Concert at Hal & Mal’s Big Room in downtown Jackson, featuring Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman, with the Blue Monday Band opening the show. A full bar and limited menu will be available at this event.

Housing Insecurity in Mississippi - Roundtable Discussion
2022-11-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217, United States

Ideas on Tap - Why Mississippi: Local Innovation, Global Opportunities
2022-11-03 17:30 - 19:00 | Bean Path Makerspace, 451 N Gallatin St, Jackson, MS, 39203, United States
Now that we have addressed the digital divide in the state with our past IOT event, we want to discuss the future of tech in Mississippi. So, on Wednesday November 3rd we will host another IOT with the Bean Path to examine Mississippi’s bright future in tech. Hear from Dr. Nashlie Sephus, (creator and founder of the Bean Path) about her plans to create a tech district in the heart of Jackson and how she plans to provide S.T.E.M. education to underserved communities in Jackson. Also, learn from Microsoft TEALS representatives on how they plan expand STEM education in Mississippi schools. Join us from 5:30pm to 7:00pm November 3rd at the Bean Path Makerspace (451 N. Gallatin Street, Jackson MS 39203). To sign up on Eventbrite click the link http://getbean.info/whyms

Housing Insecurity in Mississippi Exhibition
2022-11-01 - 2023-01-31 | Johnson Hall Art Gallery, 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson, 39217

Crystal Wilkinson: Homeplace Poetry & How the Soil Looks Back and Wonders
2022-10-27 10:00 | Jackson State University Student Center, 1328 John R. Lynch St, Jackson, MS, 39203, United States
Crystal Wilkinson’s poetry collection Perfect Black is a reflective love letter to Black girlhood navigating rural homeplace, her developing body, sexual trauma, mental health, food culture, and literary landscapes. She will engage these themes, the poetic craft, and writing’s power to heal.

Jim Hill Standing Tall: An Exhibition of the Life of James 'Jim' Hill
2022-10-26 10:00 | Jim Hill High School, 2185 Coach Fred Harris St, Jackson, MS, 39204, United States

What We Can Learn From Big Bill Broonzy
2022-10-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Mississippi College, 200 Capitol St., Clinton, MS, 39056
MC School of Humanities and Social Sciences present Dr. Kevin Greene and “What We Can Learn from Big Bill Broonzy, Hall of Fame Blues Musician” Thursday Oct. 20th at 7:00 p.m. in Aven Hall. Join Mississippi Humanities and The Arts Council of Clinton for this fascinating lecture followed by a reception with live music in Jennings Courtyard.

2022 Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
2022-10-13 - 2022-10-15 | MS
This year’s festival will include a tour through Clarksdale’s historic district and other downtown areas; a MDTW festival reunion and a look at festivals past; a movie screening of the acclaimed 1958 film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on the lawn of the Cutrer Mansion; academic presentations from scholars from around the country including Williams Scholar, Dr. Kenneth Holditch; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Richard Ford; Award-winning author, W. Ralph Eubanks; Moorman Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, Dr. Andrew Haley; Award-winning Highway 61 Radio Host, Writer and Researcher, Scott Barretta; Williams Historian and Director of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum, Karen Kohlhaas; and Academy-award winning producer, Milton Justice; as well as performances by both professional and community actors; a High School Student Drama Competition; Cultural workshops with talks by Delta Ambassadors; our signature Porch Plays in the historic district; and fun social gatherings with food and music as well.

SB - Rogers - Learning Mississippi Through Historical Markers
2022-10-11 18:30 - 20:00 | Sharkey Issaquena County Library, 116 Robert Morganfield Way, Rolling Fork, MS, 39159
From traditional green historical markers to the Mississippi Blues Trail, Freedom Trail, Country Music Trail, and Mississippi Mound Trail, the state’s history is told along its roads. The speaker takes a fun romp through history that will interest anyone who likes fascinating trivia about the state.

"Southern Fiction" Discussion
2022-10-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Eudora Welty House & Garden, 1119 Pinehurst, Jackson, MS, United States
This event will consist of a conversation between Tema Stauffer and Lauren Rhoades about Stauffer’s project “Southern Fiction”. The discussion will touch on the connection between the photographs and the literature, as well as interrogate the South’s complex historical on social dynamics, as revealed in these images.

Ideas on Tap: Addressing the Digital Divide
2022-09-29 17:30 - 19:00 | Bean Path Makerspace, 451 N Gallatin St, Jackson, MS, 39203, United States
Join us for Ideas On Tap: Addressing the Digital Divide on September 29, where we will discuss technological disparities in Mississippi. Panelists include Sally Doty (Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi), Dr. Creston Burse (Mississippi Economic Council), and Tracy Carr (Mississippi Library Commission). They will explore the issues and challenges that have created a digital divide, and how their respective institutions are working to bridge the gaps in technology. The program will take place at the Bean Path Makerspace in Jackson on September 29 at 5:30 p.m. For more information contact our Program and Outreach Officer John Spann at 601-432-6752 and jspann@mhc.state.ms.us

Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
2022-09-27 - 2022-11-15 | Copiah-Lincoln Comunity College, Natchez, 11 Co-Lin Cir, Natchez, MS, 39120, United States
Details TBA

MCHEP Conference
2022-09-22 - 2022-09-23 | Galloway United Methodist Church, 305 North Congress Street, Jackson, MS
Hotel Recommendations:
Hilton Garden Inn “King Edward” – $94 est.
235 W Capitol St
Old Capitol Inn (Limited Vacancy) – $155 est.
226 N State St
Hampton Inn – $96 est.
320 Greymont Ave.
Best Western Plus (Flowood) – $89 est.
1004 Top St.
Staybridge Inn & Suites (Flowood) – $111 est.
2620 Lakeland Dr.

SB - Miller - Lost Mississippi
2022-09-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Sharkey Issaquena County Library, 116 Robert Morganfield Way, Rolling Fork, MS, 39159
This presentation will highlight mansions, churches, college buildings, schools, courthouses and other historically significant structures which Mississippi has “lost” to war, fire, neglect and demolition. It will draw extensively from my two books, Lost Mansions of Mississippi and Lost Landmarks of Mississippi. The talk can be configured to emphasize certain geographic areas of the state (i.e. Natchez and the southwest, the Delta, Jakson area, etc.) or to present an architectural history of Mississippi.

Will Eisner & The History of the Graphic Novel
2022-09-14 - 2022-10-22 | Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County, 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
Drop by the library between September 14th and October 22nd to participate in this comic book/graphic novel celebration. The Will Eisner and the History of the Graphic Novel exhibit will
explore the format through art, literature, film and conversation. Comic books and graphic novels assemble words and art into a dual language unlike anything else in the publishing world. Despite this unique form of dialogue, the genre has not always been embraced by the literary and art worlds as a medium worthy of prestige. The exhibit will showcase the rich history of this format and dispel that notion. On Monday, September 26th, Dr. Stacy Creel will further discuss that history and give context to the exhibit. She earned her Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of North Texas at Denton and is currently the Director of the School of Library and Information Science at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Blues in Schools
2022-09-12 00:00 - 2022-09-17 00:00 | MS
As part of a week long program on the historical significance of blues music, presenters will travel to nine Washington County middle and high schools to introduce blues music, artists, and live music using various original and recreated instruments such as jugs, washboards in tin tubs.

Eudora Welty: the Writer as Crusader in Fiction and Photography
2022-08-31 18:00 - 20:00 | Itawamba Community College, 602 W Hill Street, Fulton, MS, 38843
The lecture will be on the Fulton Campus of ICC in the Fine Arts Center on Wednesday, August 31 at 6 pm.

"Voices and Votes" in Pascagoula
2022-08-23 - 2022-09-20 | MS
The Pascagoula High School Performing Arts Center will host Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, from August 23 until September 20.
Voices and Votes is a traveling exhibit offered by the Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian Institution. It consists of six free-standing display units incorporating photographs, text, and numerous interactive elements. Requiring a minimum of 650 sq. ft., the exhibit is designed for smaller venues to achieve Museum on Main Street’s goal of bringing the Smithsonian to small town America. The exhibit is free and open to the public to visit.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America traces the bold American experiment of a government run by and for the people. The exhibit examines the influences that shaped the early days of American democracy and the changes that have occurred in the nearly 250 years since.
Democracy is a form of government that requires civic engagement and participation. It is formed by citizens’ responses to ongoing questions: What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens? What is the role of the government in American life? How do citizens participate in democracy? Beginning with the American Revolution, this exhibition explores these questions and more.
In addition to hosting the exhibit, the Performing Arts Center will also host a series of programs that are free and open to the public.
Voices and Votes events in Pascagoula:

August 23rd, 6:00pm – Grand Opening, sponsored by Jackson County Chamber of CommerceGuest Speaker: Representative Jeremey Anderson, Mississippi House District 110
August 30th, 6:00pm – Poetry Night, featuring poets and poetry focused on voting rights in America

September 6th, 6:00pm – Pascagoula Negro/Carver High and Magnolia Monarchs Alumni Night: A panel of alumni from Pascagoula Negro/Carver High School and Magnolia High School, discussing their past voting experiences.

September 20th, 6:00pm – Student Night: Featuring essay and art contest award winners, as well as the Pascagoula High School and Gautier High School Choirs and Theatre Departments performances

September 21st, 9:30am – Presentation from Voices and Votes state scholar Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, “Democracy in Mississippi: Race, Violence and Power in the Struggle for the Vote”

WZZQ Listener Event
2022-08-13 10:00 - 15:00 | Duling Hall, 662 Duling Ave, Jackson, MS, 39216, United States
As part of a WZZQ documentary currently in production, Cue Burn Films, LLC has scheduled a free event where listeners and fans of the station can add their voices to the project.
The WZZQ listener event is asking people to bring their WJDX-FM and WZZQ stories, photos, and memorabilia to be recorded. The event will feature a panel discussion with WZZQ on-air personality, Perez; WZZQ/WJDX newsman Bill Ellison; and Sam Adcock, son of WZZQ music director David Adcock and current host of Tunes Til Two on Radio Free Jackson. The event will also include a screening of clips from the work-in-progress documentary.
Please register for this free event by clicking Here!

What Does Freedom Mean to You? - Jackson
2022-08-01 17:30 - 19:00 | Cultivation Food Hall, 1200 Eastover Drive #125, Jackson, MS, 39211, United States
After celebrating Juneteenth and our nation’s independence this year, it’s clear that freedom is unique to all of us. Is there any common ground on the meaning of the term? The MHC wants to know, so we are asking the question, “what does freedom mean to you?” in a three-part Ideas on Tap series, we fondly call the “Freedom Tour”. We are taking the program to Natchez, Columbus, and Jackson. We have created a panel for each conversation to address what freedom means through various lenses, like immigration, African Americans, LGBTQ, and women. We encourage our guests to share their perspectives of freedom and how they understand freedom differently. This series of conversations is a part of our More Perfect Union initiative, which seeks to honor the Mississippians that challenged America and this state to provide freedom and justice for all. The first stop of the tour will be in Natchez at the Natchez Brewing Company, July 25th from 5:30-7pm. The second stop will be in Columbus at the Columbus Arts Council, July 26th from 5:30-7pm. The final stop will be in Jackson at the Cultivation Food Hall, August 1st at 5:30-7pm. Each program is free to all and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. For more details contact John Spann, program and outreach officer.

What Does Freedom Mean to You? - Columbus
2022-07-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Columbus Arts Council, Columbus , MS

What Does Freedom Mean to You? - Natchez
2022-07-25 17:30 - 19:00 | Natchez Brewing Company, 207 High St, Natchez, MS, 39120, United States

SB - LaFrancis - In Their Boots: Poetry Inspired by Soldiers and Their Loved Ones
2022-07-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Family Life Center, 619 Main St, Natchez, MS, 39120, United States
“In Our Boots: Poems Inspired by Soldiers and Their Loved Ones,” is a multi-media poetry performance inspired by Mark LaFrancis’s seven years of interviews with soldiers who served in Iraq and their loved ones. The presentation includes readings from the collection, music and a PowerPoint presentation.

Dr. Carl Rollyson Visit - Ripley Speech
2022-07-22 | MS
Dr. Rollyson will visit New Albany on Tuesday and plans to speak and sign books there. On Thursday he will sign books at Square Books during the closing event of the Yoknapatawpha Conference. On Friday he is planning to speak and perhaps sign books at Ripley. During the week, when he’s not at Pontotoc, New Albany, or Ripley, he will be attending the Yoknapatawpha Conference in Oxford.

Dr. Carly Rollyson Visit - Square Books Signing
2022-07-21 | Square Books, 160 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS, 38655, United States

Dr. Carl Rollyson Visit - New Albany Book Signing
2022-07-19 | MS

Dr. Carl Rollyson Visit - Speech
2022-07-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Pontotoc Community House, 114 N Main St, Pontotoc, MS, 38863, United States
Dr. Carl Rollyson will speak to the Pontotoc County Historical Society on Monday, July 18, at 6:00pm at the Pontotoc Community House on North Main Street. He will discuss the life of William Faulkner and present new materials that he discovered while researching his two-volume biography of Faulkner. He will focus on events that occurred in the North Mississippi area and how they impacted his life and his work. Dr. Rollyson will sign copies of his books after his presentation.
During Dr. Rollyson’s Pontotoc visit, Jack Elliott, author of a new biography of W. C. Falkner, William’s great grandfather, will conduct a tour of William Faulkner sites in and around the City of Pontotoc. Most residents are unaware of the Faulkner events that took place in this area, but they are fascinating and significant. Before William was born, his father, Murry, was shot twice in a drugstore in Pontotoc and probably should not have survived. The story behind the shooting is amazing and involves one of the most prominent Pontotoc families of the era. The location of the drugstore is known and is on the Town Square. Also, the boarding house where Murry lived is still partially extant. At the time, Murray was serving as the conductor of the railroad founded by his grandfather, William’s literary great grandfather, W. C. Falkner. Additionally, Faulkner’s youngest brother, Dean, was killed in an airplane crash in Pontotoc County. Faulkner had given the plane to Dean and agonized over his death. Faulkner visited the crash site, identified the body, and later drove Maud, his mother, to the funeral parlor (located in the back of a furniture store) in Pontotoc where she insisted on seeing the body. The sites of the crash, the building where the body was taken, along with others will be included in the tour.
Dr. Rollyson will visit New Albany on Tuesday and plans to speak and sign books there. On Thursday he will sign books at Square Books during the closing event of the Yoknapatawpha Conference. On Friday he is planning to speak and perhaps sign books at Ripley. During the week, when he’s not at Pontotoc, New Albany, or Ripley, he will be attending the Yoknapatawpha Conference in Oxford.
