The Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition, “Crossroads: Change in Rural America”, looks at that societal change and how rural America responded, and continues to respond today. This museum quality exhibit will be hosted by Mississippi’s Lower Delta Partnership (LDP) in Rolling Fork from March 9 – April 18.
“Crossroads” will allow viewers to reflect on Rolling Fork’s history, its present, and what its future may be. Rolling Fork, like much of the Mississippi Delta, has been in decline for a while and this exhibit encourages residents to creatively focus on new opportunities for growth and development. Visitors are taken through exhibits on rural America in general, from frontier experiences to development of the land for agriculture, businesses, and communities, to the modernization of rural communities, to how some communities have become sustainable through creative thinking.
A timeline of Rolling Fork’s history and photographs provided by Leslie Miller with the Rolling Fork Visitors Center and Museum will accompany the Smithsonian exhibit. This local exhibit will allow young people to learn and the more mature audience to reminisce on Rolling Fork.
As a part of this exhibit there will be a few special speakers during the time “Crossroads” is in Rolling Fork. On March 19, Willy Bearden, a successful writer and filmmaker, will be speaking about growing up in Rolling Fork and the experiences that provided him, and on April 16, Maryanne Weissinger Smith will share oral histories that she has collected from residents of Rolling Fork, many of whom have passed away. Maryanne also collected stories from tornado survivors in this past year. Leah Kemp, Director of the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center at Mississippi State University will facilitate a conversation on March 28 – “Charting the Course for our Community.”