Dr. Willis teaches educators how to integrate blues education into their lesson plans for social studies, geography and history. She gives them background information, current events, historical landmarks that are significant to blues music and blues artists. She shows photos, posters and records from her private collection and also gives first-hand information from her personal […]

The black freedom struggle of the post-World War II era unleashed many challenges and changes on Mississippi. No area of the state’s society, politics, and culture went untouched by this great social movement. That included the world of sports at Mississippi’s all-white universities. During the 1950s and early 1960s, institutions of higher education, state political […]

The presenter provides an overview of the storytelling Renaissance in America with emphasis upon the oral tradition in Mississippi. The literary tradition of Mississippi owes much to the rich storytelling legacy that riddles the tales of our families and our communities as reflected in the works of many of our best authors: Welty, Wright, Faulkner, […]

Whole School Initiative presents:"The Magic to Magic: A Tool for Arts and Humanities Integration," on June 13-16,2017 at MS Gulf Coast Community College Hospitality and Resort Center, Gulfport. This annual event provides the opportunity for teachers, artists, and administrators to learn and share techniques and practices for incorporating the arts across the curriculum. The Institute […]

This presentation will explore the crucial Battle of Brice’s Crossroads during the Civil War and the role of the controversial Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Edwina H. Carpenter serves as director of the Brice's Crossroads National Battlefield and Interpretive Center in Baldwyn, MS. Through research and artifact conservation, exhibit design, tours and events, she has […]

This presentation lays out the facts pertinent to what happened during the four occupations of the city by Federal forces during the Civil War. Grady Howell has worked for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and has written extensively about Mississippi's Civil War history.

Family history research begins before a researcher arrives at the State Archives, courthouse or other records repository. A researcher should know the name of the relative, where they may have lived and when they lived. Frequently, this information can be obtained from older relatives or family papers. Approximately 70 percent of the researchers using the […]

Award-winning journalist Alysia Burton Steele’s Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom is a visual and lyrical tribute to African American church mothers from the Mississippi Delta. This groundbreaking collection of oral histories and photographs tells nationally and internationally significant stories rooted in the Mississippi Delta, a distinctive region called “The Cradle of American […]

Bicentennial Grant Program Flyer 6-23-17 (2)

Join the Columbus Arts Council for Dinner & A Movie Friday, June 23rd, 2017. Dinner reservations with payment must be made by noon, June 22nd, by calling or visiting www.columbus-arts.org. Dinner starts at 6pm. Cost is 15.00. Movie will start at 7pm-free & open to the public.

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"Why We Call It Soul Food" tells the story of why southerners, especially African American southerners, call the foods we eat "soul food." Dr. Willis discusses the emotional and physical aspects of soul food as it relates to our culture and history. She also discusses the bonds attached to the growing, nurturing and preparation of […]