The Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s (MDAH) History Is Lunch (HIL) lecture series has delved into Mississippi’s history, providing a platform for dynamic presentations by esteemed scholars, experts, authors, and thought leaders from both local and national spheres.
On Wednesday, December 4, MDAH welcomes Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, a distinguished lecturer from Ohio State University, for the second part of our lecture series on elevating sites and objects of Black communities. Dr. Jeffries will lead a special lecture on the crucial theme of ‘hard history,’ focusing specifically on sites associated with formerly enslaved peoples in Mississippi. This discussion aims to illuminate often-overlooked aspects of Mississippi’s past, highlighting the locations tied to the lives and experiences of enslaved individuals. As a respected authority on African American history, Dr. Jeffries will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the significance of these sites and their lasting impact on Mississippi’s cultural landscape. He argues that American public schools are failing students by not teaching ‘hard history.’ According to research by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2017, high school seniors struggle with even the most basic questions about American enslavement of Africans. Dr. Jeffries will emphasize the importance of preserving sites associated with the lives and legacies of formerly enslaved individuals, focusing on where they were held, worked, and sought freedom.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
History is Lunch lecture series
Featuring: Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries
Two Mississippi Museums
Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium
12-1pm
