The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to announce nearly $60,000 in grants to nine Mississippi organizations in support of public humanities programs. In addition to this direct support, each agency was required to present matching cash or in-kind cost share, pledging an additional $60,000 to humanities programming around our state. The humanities programs funded in this major round support projects exploring the human impact of evictions, MTV’s contributions to American culture over the past 40 years, the work of important African American musicians from the Blues to opera, a look at The Great Migration through art, and more.
“While COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many of our partners and their ability to present public programs, we are pleased to support these innovative projects, which reflect the creativity and cultural richness of our state,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “Even amidst the pandemic, the Humanities Council continues to support museums, non-profit organizations, and institutions of higher learning in their efforts to bring the insights of the humanities to the people of Mississippi.”
Humanities grants are awarded to Mississippi nonprofit organizations in support of programs that foster the public’s understanding of our rich history and culture.
“The Mississippi Humanities Council encourages thoughtful public programs that use the humanities to explore and understand our history and our culture,” said Council Board Chair Sharman Smith. “These projects do exactly that, using some of the best scholars and resources available in our state.”
Major grants are offered twice each year. Deadlines are May 1 and September 15. Please visit http://mshumanities.org/grants/, or contact Carol Andersen, carol@mhc.state.ms.us, for additional information.
The organizations and projects that were awarded grants, listed by community, include:
Cleveland:
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi—$5,000.00
MTV Museum Day
Commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Mississippi’s GRAMMY Museum, centered on the opening of a new exhibit in March 2021, MTV: Celebrating 40 Years of MTV. Programming will highlight the role of Mississippian Bob Pittman in creating MTV, including a free admission day, a free educational workshop associated with the MTV exhibit and a free gallery talk by music historians.
Jackson:
New Hope Baptist Church—$5,600.00
Music: A Universal Language; Transcending all Socio, Economic and Cultural Barriers
Annual Black History Month program, featuring historical perspectives on the African American experience in Mississippi, with a goal of highlighting the significant and diverse contributions of African Americans to the cultural life of the state and the nation.
Jackson State University-Margaret Walker Center—$7,500.00
Evicted: An Exhibition
Exhibit and supporting programs exploring the human impact of evictions.
Jackson State University-Department of Music—$6,500.00
From Delta Blues to Opera News
Two-day musical exposition on the campus of HBCU Jackson State University, celebrating the contributions of African American artists to the cultural life of Mississippi and beyond.
Mississippi Museum of Art—$7,500.00
Interpretation and the Great Migration
Planning grant to research and plan interpretive components of a major project at the state’s leading art museum to examine The Great Migration through art.
Natchez:
Copiah-Lincoln Community College—$7,500.00
Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration: Southern Environments
Annual festival exploring southern history and culture through film and books. The 2021 event will focus on southern environments, exploring ecocriticism in Southern studies and the influence our environments have on us.
Oxford:
Oxford Film Festival—$5,000.00
“I’m Not a Racist, Am I?” Screening and Talk
Free screening and post-screening workshop examining citizens’ roles in confronting racism.
University of Mississippi-Sarah Isom Center for Women & Gender Studies—$7,500.00
The Glitterary Festival
Inaugural literary festival focused on queer literature, headlined by author Dorothy Allison. The three-day festival includes panels, author interviews, a spoken word workshop, a zine workshop and various social engagements.
Statewide:
Mississippi Department of Archives and History—$7,500.00
Engaging the Public Through the Humanities
Collaboration between Mississippi Department of Archives staff and University of Southern Mississippi faculty to turn sections of the MDAH’s digital archives into interactive exhibits for classroom use, including the Anti-Slavery Alphabet, three natural disaster collections (the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Katrina) and the Public Health Records collections.