See the “REAL” Mississippi

Through vivid storytelling and on-the-ground interpretation, this program invites audiences to confront the layered history of Natchez – a city long celebrated for its beauty and wealth, yet rooted in the brutal realities of slavery and economic exploitation. As featured in the documentary Natchez, the presentation uncovers the contrast between the carefully curated image of “Old South grandeur” and the lived truth of those whose labor and suffering built prosperity.

Drawing from nearly a decade of research and public engagement, this presentation explores how power, greed, and moral compromise shaped not only antebellum Natchez but the broader American story. Participants will examine how myths of the Confederacy, racial hierarchy, and economic ambition were deliberately constructed – and how their legacies persist today in our social and cultural landscapes.

This is not a nostalgic tour but an honest reckoning with history: how a city became “the richest place in the world” before the Civil War, and what that wealth cost in human terms. By tracing these intersecting forces of economy, religion, and identity, “See the ‘REAL’ Mississippi” offers audiences a deeper understanding of how memory, morality, and justice continue to shape civic life in Mississippi and beyond.

Speakers Expertise:

Rev, as he is affectionately called in the Natchez community, has dedicated his life to the spiritual and social growth of this community. He serves on several boards and organizations and is an avid researcher of Natchez and Mississippi history. He has spent long hours and many months learning his local history and interviewing community members.

Rev.’s presentations are the culmination of his dedicated work learning and studying the history of Natchez.