Derrion Arrington is a historian of Black political power and institutional life in Mississippi. He holds a B.S. from Tougaloo College and an M.A. in history from Tulane University, and […]
Continue ReadingArchives: Speakers
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Millsaps College and the author of The Meaning of Height in Aspiration, Responsibility, and Higher Education (Palgrave Macmillan 2024) […]
Continue ReadingElise Smith
Elise Smith received her M.A. from Vanderbilt and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, both in art history, and she is now retired after 37 years […]
Continue ReadingLolly Rash
After serving as a board member, board president and volunteer for Mississippi Heritage Trust for many years, Lolly took over as Executive Director in 2013. Lolly has over twenty years […]
Continue ReadingDr. Joe Fratesi
Dr. Fratesi joined the Stennis Institute in 2010 to help coordinate and lead project and program activities related to local community and economic development. For nearly 20 years Joe has […]
Continue ReadingChance McDavid
Chance L. McDavid rejoined the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State University in February where he serves as project director in community development. Most […]
Continue ReadingRev. Tracy Collins
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 […]
Continue ReadingDr. Susan Gaunt Stearns
Dr. Susan Gaunt Stearns is an associate professor of history at the University of Mississippi. She currently teaches courses on US history, the history of the colonial and Revolutionary era […]
Continue ReadingDale Rushing
Dale Rushing is a celebrated Southern music historian, award-winning singer-songwriter, and civic architect whose work bridges heritage, storytelling, and regional development. As a Development Advisor for the Rockabilly Hall of […]
Continue ReadingJennifer Le
Jennifer Le is a Mississippi Gulf Coast native and the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who resettled in Biloxi. Her upbringing was shaped by her family’s crab meat processing business—an enduring, […]
Continue ReadingDr. Emma Phuong To
Dr. Emma Phuong To is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she teaches and mentors future anesthesia providers with both rigor […]
Continue Reading