Meridian Community College – McCain Theater, Hattiesburg, MS Our personal narratives inspire art, music, and prose.  The theme of my presentation is; "From Handprints on cave walls, to posting on Social Media; seeking validation through our personal narrative."  I'll take you on a journey through life, how our personal stores inspire, distract, influence, lead and […]

The marker names the seven men known to have been lynched in our county between 1877 and 1950, along with information about that era of racial terror. The memorial will remember the victims, create greater awareness and understanding of the history of racial terror lynching and its impacts, and promote racial reconciliation in our community. […]

A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration explores the profound impact of the Great Migration on the social and cultural life of the United States from historical and personal perspectives. Co-organized with the Baltimore Museum of Art, the exhibition features newly commissioned works by 12 acclaimed Black artists across a variety of […]

Joe Goodkin is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter. He tours the country performing his one-man folk-opera interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey (over 300 performances in 43 US states, Canada, Greece, Italy, and The Netherlands) and for years released music under the name Paper Arrows (five records total). In 2020, he premiered a new classically-inspired work, The Blues of […]

With household names like Faulkner, Welty and Wright, Mississippi literature is not just nationally but internationally known and respected. Combined with a rich musical heritage, the state’s literature is one of the many facets that afford it a high cultural rating. A survey of genres, however, reveals that many of the writers for whom the […]

This community discussion and visioning session will center around the revitalization of the Paramount Theater and the adjoining (original) JC Penny building in downtown Clarksdale. Last October, Griot Arts received a grant to engage an architectural and design team and begin the planning process. After being gifted this property, Griot Arts began to see a […]

County Training School and later B.F. Ford School was the only school in New Albany/Union County that African Americans could get a high school diploma. The school, which is located in New Albany, transitioned to an elementary school after desegregation. The oral history project is to interview older attendees and graduates of the school and […]

In honor of the MHC’s 50th anniversary, acclaimed writer Jesmyn Ward will deliver a keynote address on the theme of “Reflecting Mississippi.” After her presentation, MHC board member Dr. Ebony Lumumba, chair of the English Department at Jackson State University will engage Ward in a conversation about how she represents Mississippi in her work.

June's Topophilia Book Club selection is Queen of the Turtle Derby by Julia Reed. Dr. Mary Carol Miller lead discussions on June 14 at 11:45-1:00 and again at 5:30-7:00.

Mississippi ranks last in almost every leading health category in the US. Hospitals across rural parts of the state are in jeopardy of being shut down. This is especially challenging in a state with the highest infant mortality rate in the US, where the leading cause of infant mortality is preterm birth (delivery before 37 […]

Fences don’t deter gardeners who have for generations found ways over, around and under barriers (both real and figurative) to share plants, tips and recipes — really, bits of ourselves and our cultures, without regard to another gardener’s stripes or background. Since a gardener can’t give or get plants without touching another person, our garden […]