MHC Announces Recipients of 2018 Public Humanities Awards

The Mississippi Humanities Council is delighted to announce recipients for its 2018 Public Humanities Awards, which recognize outstanding work by Mississippians in bringing the insights of the humanities to public audiences. These recipients will be honored at a public ceremony and reception Friday, February 16, 2018, at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson. The award recipients are:

Cora Norman Award – Dr. Leslie-Burl McLemore
Former board chair, Mississippi Humanities Council
Lake Cormorant, MS

Preserver of Mississippi Culture – Visit Mississippi
Creator of Bicentennial Grant program
Jackson, MS

Humanities Partner Award – Rethink Mississippi
Essential partner in MHC’s Ideas on Tap program
Jackson, MS

Humanities Scholar Award – Galen Mark LaFrancis
Independent scholar documenting the experiences of military veterans and the civil rights movement
Natchez, MS

Humanities Educator Award – Prison-to-College Pipeline
Program offering humanities courses in state prisons
Oxford and Clinton, MS

Twenty-nine recipients of the 2017 Humanities Teacher Awards, which pay tribute to outstanding faculty in traditional humanities fields, will also be honored at the event.

“This year’s winners reflect the power of the humanities to understand who we are as Mississippians and human beings,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Council. “Together, they have empowered our citizens to share their unique stories, fostered civil discussion about the challenges we still face, and helped bring the humanities to underserved communities. Each winner is a wonderful example of our belief that the humanities are for everyone.”

The Council invites all Mississippians to join them at their 2018 Public Humanities Awards ceremony and reception February 16, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson.
Tickets for the Mississippi Humanities Council Public Humanities Awards ceremony and reception are $50 each and may be purchased by sending a check to the Mississippi Humanities Council, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Room 317, Jackson, MS 39211 or online at www.mshumanities.org. Information about the awards and the reception is available at www.mshumanities.org or 601-432-6752.

The Mississippi Humanities Council is funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide public programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines to serve nonprofit groups in Mississippi.