Mississippi Humanities Council

Speakers Bureau: "A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2025-12-03 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Casey Elementary School PTA, 2101 Lake Cir, Jackson, MS, 39211, United States
Jerry Jenkins presents: “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music”

This presentation will give the listener a glimpse of the Mande Culture of West Africa. In the tradition of the Mande, the history and culture is orally preserved in the minds and through the music of the Djeli (oral librarian/mandenka hereditary professional 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.

Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social Change
2025-12-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture & History, 200 Roosevelt St, Mound Bayou, MS, 38762, United States
“Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social Change” is an exhibit by the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in support of the Community Read. This event is also supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Speakers Bureau: “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2025-12-11 17:30 - 21:00 | Mississippi Children’s Museum, 2145 Museum Blvd, , MS, Jackson, MS, 39202, United States

Reading the Room
2025-12-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Urban Foxes, Jackson, MS, 39202, United States
The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to partner with the Mississippi Book Festival and Urban Foxes to present our next Reading the Room event.
If you love reading, socializing, and any excuse to talk about books, then join us!

Thursday, December 11th at 6:00 pm
Urban Foxes
826 North St, Jackson, MS 39202

Bring any book you are currently reading, enjoy some time set aside to read on your own, and talk books with your neighbors over drinks and snacks. Come celebrate Mississippi’s vibrant literary culture with us!

Speakers Bureau: "The American Revolution in the Gulf South"
2026-01-12 11:30 - 13:30 | Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St., Natchez, MS, United States
Max Grivno presents: “The American Revolution in the Gulf South”
The history of the American Revolution along the Gulf South is seldom told. Although most of the Europeans who called the region were sympathetic to the British — or at least hoped to remain neutral — the conflict soon engulfed the territory of what would, in time, become Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. This presentation examines how the American Revolution transformed the Gulf South. It tells the story of how the Americans, British and Spanish vied for control of the Mississippi River and Gulf seaports, and how the Choctaws and Chickasaws struggled to preserve their homelands by courting the rival powers. It describes James Willing’s disastrous raid on Natchez, the Choctaw occupation of Natchez and the campaign launched by Spanish Bernardo de Galvez, who conquered Natchez and Pensacola and drove the British from the region. The lecture also discusses the consequences of the Revolution for the people of the Gulf Coast In the aftermath of the war, the Spanish and the Americans vied to control Natchez and the territory around present-day Vicksburg, while native confederacies like the Choctaw and Chickasaw grappled with the rising power of the United States.

Witness: The Freedom Memory Project Webinar
2026-01-15 09:30 - 10:30 | zoom
Join the MHC program staff on Thursday, January 15, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. for a Zoom webinar exploring Witness: The Freedom Memory Project. The webinar is free and open to all. Registration required. After the webinar, participants may request a one-on-one consultation regarding the program and application process.

Speakers Bureau: "A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2026-01-24 11:00 - 12:00 | Happy Tummies Pediatric GI, 1679 Old Fannin Rd Ste E, Flowood, MS, 39232, United States
Jerry Jenkins presents “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music” on January 24, 2026, at 11 a.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.

HTA Lecture: “How the School of Pop Culture Unites, Divides, and Informs”
2026-01-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Jones College, 900 S Court St, Ellisville, MS, 39437, United States
Dr. Caleb Smith will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Jones College titled “How the School of Pop Culture Unites, Divides, and Informs.”
“How the School of Pop Culture Unites, Divides, and Informs” is on how popular culture in American society can unite people through shared experiences or divide people through factors like demographic or ideological means. Additionally, popular culture can educate or miseducate people, shaping perceptions and skewing opinions. This presentation will highlight a few examples of how popular culture has become so ingrained in society that even international movements have found symbols and motivation through popular culture and how some pieces of this culture have created social mirrors to reflect upon parts of our society.
The lecture will take place on the Jones College campus on January 28, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Sunday Screening: Possum Town
2026-02-01 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a screening of Possum Town, a feature-length documentary that explores the legacy of O. N. Pruitt’s photographs in the lives of people from Columbus, Mississippi, at 2 p.m. Sunday, February 1, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. This 99-minute film focuses on a Columbus native who compares O. N. Pruitt’s photographic negatives from the Jim Crow era with everyday stories of the town’s citizens today. Following the screening, a panel conversation will feature attorney Wil Colom, who appears in the film, and filmmakers Berkley Hudson and Daniel Christian. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

A Gathering of Waters: African American Read-In
2026-02-02 10:00 - 15:00 | 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
African American Read-In

Monday, February 2, 2026
10 a.m. -3 p.m.
Location: LIB 166

Theme: “Honoring the Mississippi Story: Local Luminaries Illuminating Paths to Knowledge”
Program Description: In a full day of panels featuring Mississippi writers, many current or former JSU English professors, AARI will interrogate how Mississippi’s rich cultural landscape is influenced by artistic expressions of identity. In the opening panel “A Rhythmic Cultural Confluence: Art, Music, and Identity in Mississippi”, Mississippi born writers Charlie Braxton, C. Liegh McInnis, and Jerriod Avant will discuss how Mississippi’s landscape informs literature and lyrics that explore race, resistance, and resilience. The second panel “Black Romance in Mississippi’s Literary Tradition”, Candice Love Jackson and C. Liegh McInnis will describe portrayals of romance in Black narratives and cinematic features amid familial and communal traditions in Mississippi. The third panel “To Tell a Mississippi Story: Inspiring the Next Generation of Creatives” Danielle Littlefield and Kelly Ellis will describe how young Mississippians are innovating while preserving Mississippi traditions, honoring heritage while expanding boundaries. Additionally, the fourth panel “Storybook Mississippi: Children’s Literature” featuring children’s authors Leona Bishop, Sharon Russell Robinson, and Maria Ricketts will discuss the impact of picture books to develop children’s connection to their Mississippi homeplace.

HTA Lecture: "Carrying the Fire: Old Books and New Maps"
2026-02-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Belhaven University, 1500 Peachtree Street, Jackson, MS, 39202
Dr. Matthew Guinn will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Belhaven University titled “Carrying the Fire: Old Books and New Maps.”
The lecture will take place on the Belhaven University campus on February 2, 2026, at 4 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Mississippi Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy”
2026-02-03 15:30 - 17:30 | Mississippi State University, Bost Theater, Starkville, MS
Kemeshia Swanson will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi State University titled “Mississippi Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy.”
“Mississippi as Memory: Landscape, Loss, and Legacy” will explore how Mississippi’s expansive history, rich culture, and complicated legacy remain imprinted on the landscape, shaping both progress and pride in ways that are deeply felt by its residents. In this presentation, Swanson previews research from her upcoming book publication, Love and War: Intimacy and Activism in the Works of Jesmyn Ward. Jesmyn Ward is a two-time National Book Award winner and Mississippi native.
The lecture will take place on the Mississippi State University campus on February 3, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Swiftly Romantic: The Parallel Lives of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift”
2026-02-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Itawamba Community College, 602 W Hill Street, Fulton, MS, 38843
Dr. Anna Morgan will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Itawamba Community College titled “Swiftly Romantic: The Parallel Lives of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift.”
“Swiftly Romantic: The Parallel Lives of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift” is on the corresponding careers of Clara Schumann and Taylor Swift. Both were composer-performers who balanced their public and private personas, ventured through male-dominated fields, and gained economic independence through music. Dr. Morgan will be playing excerpts from both artists on the piano.
The lecture will take place on the Itawamba Community College campus on February 3, 2026, at 6 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Not the Same Old Story: Learning How to Stop So You Can Start”
2026-02-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Mississippi University for Women, 1100 College Street, Columbus, MS, 39701
T.K. Lee will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi University for Women titled “Not the Same Old Story: Learning How to Stop So You Can Start.”
This is a craft talk offering tried-and-true tricks designed to help you turn procrastination into a priority when you sit down to face the page
The lecture will take place on the Mississippi University for Women campus on February 4, 2026, at 4 p.m.

Speakers Bureau: "Ida B. Wells: The Mother of the American Human Rights Movement"
2026-02-09 12:00 - 15:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Cassie Sade Turnipseed presents “Ida B. Wells: The Mother of the American Human Rights Movement”
Ida B. Wells’s life has intriguing ties to Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, President William McKinley, Booker T. Washington, Duke of Argyll and Sir John Gorst. She was a journalist who wrote about human rights and had a clear understanding about her rights as a woman. This presentation highlights her fearless campaign to realize the most significant contribution to the investigation and avocation against human lynchings. Yet, she is unknown to most people of this generation.

HTA Lecture: “Preserving Our Musical Moment: New Works and New Possibilities for the Bass Trombone”
2026-02-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Northeast Mississippi Community College, 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville, MS, 38829
Dr. Jason Beghtol will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Northeast Mississippi Community College titled “Preserving Our Musical Moment: New Works and New Possibilities for the Bass Trombone.”
“Preserving Our Musical Moment: New Works and New Possibilities for the Bass Trombone” explores the bass trombone as both an artistic voice and a historical record of our present time. This presentation highlights newly composed works by the presenter alongside collaborations with contemporary composers, intentionally capturing today’s musical language, aesthetics, and cultural influences. By treating these works as a living time capsule, the project seeks to preserve and expand the bass trombone’s repertoire for future generations while redefining its expressive and creative potential. Also, during this presentation, there will be a premiere of an exciting new composition by Derek Taylor titled “Ambush of the Night Watch.”
The lecture will take place on the Northeast Mississippi Community College campus on February 9 at 6 p.m.

Mississippi Humanities Council Board Meeting
2026-02-10 11:00 - 15:00 | School of Health Related Professions Building, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
The Mississippi Humanities Council will hold its regular board meeting at the University of Mississippi Medical Center on Friday, February 20, at 11 a.m.

HTA Lecture: “The Death of William K. Storey: A Historian Investigates the Killing of His Great-Grandfather in Ireland”
2026-02-10 16:00 - 18:00 | Millsaps College, 1701 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39202
William Storey will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Millsaps College titled “The Death of William K. Storey: A Historian Investigates the Killing of His Great-Grandfather in Ireland.”
The lecture will take place on the Millsaps College campus on February 10, 2026, at 4:15 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Wut und bose: Women's Rage in Recent German-Language Literature”
2026-02-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Delta State University, 1003 W Sunflower Rd, Cleveland, MS, 38733, United States
Dr. Karen Bell will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Delta State University titled “Wut und bose: Women’s Rage in Recent German-Language Literature.”
The lecture will take place on the Delta State University campus on February 10, 2026, at 6 p.m.

HTA Lecture: “Bridging the Literacy Gap with Effective Teaching Strategies for Today's College Students”
2026-02-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Mississippi Valley State University, 14000 US-82, Itta Bena, MS, 38941
Dr. Shanell Bailey will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi Valley State titled “Bridging the Literacy Gap with Effective Teaching Strategies for Today’s College Students.”
Dr. Bailey’s presentation will focus on the literacy challenges faced by today’s incoming college students and examine how these challenges affect teaching and learning. She will focus on faculty experiences and address the literacy gaps, which require adjusting instructional strategies rather than lowering academic standards. The presentation provides research-informed teaching strategies and revision-focused feedback that faculty can implement immediately. Overall, it encourages an approach to literacy instruction that supports student retention and academic success.
The lecture will take place on the Mississippi Valley State campus on February 12, 2026, at 11 a.m.

Speakers Bureau: “This Is My Century: Margaret Walker and the Black Arts Movement"
2026-02-12 12:00 - 14:00 | Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Southern MIssissippi, 118 College Dr #5055, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, United States
Robert Luckett presents “This Is My Century: Margaret Walker and the Black Arts Movement.”
As Director of the Margaret Walker Center for the Study of the African-American Experience at Jackson State University, Dr. Luckett has become a leading scholar on the great writer, scholar and teacher, Margaret Walker. Best known as the author of For My People (1942) and the neo-slave narrative Jubilee (1966), Walker in fact wrote nine books. More importantly, as a professor of English at JSU, she made a less well-known but indelible contribution when she founded the Institute for the Study of the History, Life and Culture of Black People (now named in her honor) in 1968. At the forefront of a nascent Black Studies movement, Walker considered W.E. B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes to be her mentors; she in turn became a mentor for hundreds of students and many writers, actors and scholars like Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni and so many others. From 1915 until her death in 1998, Margaret Walker stood at the center of a vibrant community of black artists, activists and intellectuals in the United States and abroad. Among our earliest public intellectuals, Walker frequently turned to a range of disciplines in seeking explanations and analyses. Her optimism derived from what she believed to be the human capacity to create and produce written, artistic and other forms of expressive culture as a record of lived experience.

Speakers Bureau: “Savoring African American History through Stories and Poetry"
2026-02-12 16:30 - 18:30 | Walls Public Library, 7181 Delta Bluffs Pkwy, Walls, MS, 38680-8415, United States
Barbara Jones Clark presents “Savoring African American History through Stories and Poetry”
Take a story walk through the eyes and feelings of African Americans from slavery to the mid-seventies. Using award-winning literature via stories and poetry, the audience will experience plantation life and escape, life view of a 110-year-old supercentenarian, living with Jim Crow during a motor trip down south, death of Emmitt Till poetically immortalized, feelings of interracial children (Black and Jewish) during the ’70s and some experiences of outstanding African Americans (George Washington Carver, Gordon Parks and Mary McCloud Bethune). Program contents can vary to suit the audience.

Consumed: Black Art & Subjectivity
2026-02-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 South Lamar Street, Jackson, MS, 39201
Following a pandemic-era surge in demand for Black portraiture, recent market shifts have raised important questions about cultural value, representation, and institutional priorities. This roundtable brings together artists and scholars to reflect on the forces shaping how Black subjects are depicted and received both historically and in contemporary art.
Anchoring the conversation are two recent acquisitions by MMA: a 19th-century portrait of Frederick, a formerly enslaved man, and a contemporary self-portrait by D’Angelo Lovell Williams. Together, these works provoke reflection on identity, agency, and the shifting narratives of Black visibility in American art. This program is made possible in part by the Mississippi Humanities Council under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Caton Freedom House
2026-02-17 11:00 - 13:00 | The Canton Freedom House, 838 George Washington Ave, Canton, MS, 39046, United States
Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveiling: The Canton Freedom House
838 George Washington Ave
Canton, MS

11 a.m.

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A Gathering of Waters: Writers Series & Podcast featuring Dana Williams
2026-02-19 10:00 - 14:00 | MS
Part of the “A Gathering of Waters: The Power of Place & Pen in Mississippi’s Literary Landscape” Program
Writers Series & Podcast featuring Dana Williams

Thursday, February 19, 2026
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Student Center Theatre

Theme: “Toni Morrison at Random: Inspiring Mississippi Publishing on Our Own Ground”
Program Description: Dr. Dana Williams, author of Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship, will be featured in conversation with Dr. Ebony Lumumba on Morrison’s impact as editor, and her relationship as mentee, she will also talk about the necessity for editing and publishing as a track for Creative Writing Programs at HBCUs – Jackson State University, in particular. Toni Morrison argued, ‘There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves . . . There is not even a tree scored, an initial that I can visit or you can visit in Charleston or Savannah or New York or Providence or better still on the banks of the Mississippi. And because such a place doesn’t exist . . . the book had to’. There are no HBCUs with major programs or courses in publishing and editing, and no publishing internships and opportunities offered. . Toni Morrison as the first Black female senior editor at Random House is inspiration for Black Mississippi students telling a Mississippi story, building a publishing institution on their own ground. This conversation will be followed by a live podcast recording featuring Dr. Carolyn Denard and JSU students and faculty in a discussion of selections of Toni Morrison’s literature that speaks on homeplace.

America250 Mississippi - The Emmett Till Generation: Youth Activism, Radical Protest, and Social Change in Jim Crow Mississippi
2026-02-19 12:00 - 15:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
“The Emmett Till Generation: Youth Activism, Radical Protest, and Social Change in Jim Crow Mississippi” presented by Dr. Daphne Chamberlain

February 19, 2026 @ 12 PM
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System downtown branch
This presentation highlights the role of children, between the ages of 7 and 18, as leaders and participants in the Mississippi civil rights movement from 1946 to 1965. This presentation also offers a new perspective on the origins of the civil rights struggle and gives credence to how instrumental young people were to engaging in radical protest and grassroots activism in Mississippi.
Free and open to the public. Young adults and Adults
Contact: Mona Vance-Ali, 662-329-5300
www.clplsamerica250.com

Speakers Bureau: “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music"
2026-02-22 15:00 - 17:00 | Frazier Educational & Cultural Center, 1445 George F West Sr Blvd, Natchez, MS, 39120, United States
Jerry Jenkins presents “A Look at Mande (West African) Culture Through Traditional Music”
This presentation will give the listener a glimpse of the Mande Culture of West Africa. In the tradition of the Mande, the history and culture is orally preserved in the minds and through the music of the Djeli (oral librarian/mandenka hereditary professional 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.

Speakers Bureau: "Pioneer Toys, Games, and Music"
2026-02-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Hatley Elementary School, 60286 Hatley RD, Amory, MS, 38821-7215
William Arinder presents “Pioneer Toys, Games, and Music” on February 25, 2026, at 1 p.m.
A living history program about the early pioneer settlers in Mississippi. Discussion centers around how they dressed, built their homes, produced and cooked their food, created children’s homemade toys, and made music on the mountain dulcimer. Period clothing worn, hands-on artifacts display and audience participation encouraged.

HTA Lecture: “Heritage in Humanities: How Our Students’ Backgrounds Help Us Teach”
2026-02-25 14:00 - 16:00 | MS Gulf Coast Community College, 51 Main St, Perkinston, MS, 39573, United States
Zachary Dozier will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College titled “Heritage in Humanities: How Our Students’ Backgrounds Help Us Teach.”
This presentation explores how incorporating students’ cultural and linguistic heritage can enrich language instruction. It will feature four students—two with Spanish-speaking backgrounds and two with family connections to French—as case studies for engagement strategies. While many universities discourage heritage speakers from enrolling in beginner language courses, this session argues that community colleges should embrace these learners to foster inclusivity and deepen classroom interaction.
The lecture will take place on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston campus on February 25, 2026, at 2 p.m.

America250 Mississippi - Natchez Literary & Cinema Celebration
2026-02-26 - 2026-02-28 | Natchez Convention Center, 211 Main Street, Natchez, MS, 39120
The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration is proud to announce plans for the 37th annual Celebration, to be held February 26-28, 2026. View the 2026 agenda here!
Come and hear the story of America, from the founding to today, as told by expert historians and prolific authors! The 2026 NLCC will weave a diverse tapestry of the stories that make us who we are as Americans today. These are stories of hope and resilience, stories of perseverance and bravery, stories of ordinary people who took a stand and fought hard for the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Meet Our 2026 Authors & Presenters
View the CEU Agenda here
Nominate William Winter Scholars here
Nominate Vance Fellows here
Purchase tickets for the 2026 ticketed events:

Raise A Glass to Freedom
Food Power Politics
Voices of Freedom: An Evening with Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

Lodging:
The Grand Hotel; 111 Broadway St.; Natchez, MS. (Access Code: NLCC) Book your room here!
Conference Co-Sponsors:
Co-Lin, the Adams County Board of Supervisors, Visit Natchez, Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Humanities Council, Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture & Learning at Alcorn State University, Walmart, Sons of the American Revolution, DAR, American Cruise Lines, and the generous contributions of individuals and businesses throughout the state and region.
Contact:
Brittany Caldwell, NLCC Director, Copiah-Lincoln Community College
nlcc@colin.edu or call 601.446.1104 or 601.446.1101.
