A New Look, a Continuing Commitment

If you’re an avid reader of our e-newsletter, this month’s issue will look a bit different to you. As part of the preparation for our 50th anniversary next year (see more details below), we have commissioned a new logo. We are officially rolling it out today.

This was my first time going through the process of developing a new logo. While aesthetic sensibility is definitely not my strong suit, it was exciting to work with the team at Creative Distillery to think through how our new logo could communicate what our humanities council is about. During our meetings with our design team, we talked about the Council’s effort to spark and amplify diverse voices from across Mississippi. We know from the array of programs we support each year there are vital if often unheralded stories throughout Mississippi. Over time, these local stories become the building blocks of a new narrative that encompasses the full complexity of our history and culture and is inclusive of the full diversity of our state. This effort has been central to the work of the Mississippi Humanities Council since we were established in 1972.

We have also been a convener, bringing people together to discuss in a civil, thoughtful manner the difficult history of our state and the continuing challenges we face. Fostering productive dialogue about who we are and where we’ve been as a people informs many of our Council-conducted programs, from Ideas on Tap to our Speakers Bureau.

With its multicolored dialogue bubbles across the expanse of our state, our new logo centers this ongoing commitment to highlighting a multiplicity of voices and connecting people through the humanities.

1972:2022 Marking Fifty Years of Serving Mississippi

In 2022, the Mississippi Humanities Council will celebrate 50 years of serving the people of our state through the humanities. To mark this anniversary, the Council is launching a series of programs on the theme “Reflecting Mississippi” that will focus on the diverse stories of our state. The MHC hopes to inspire Mississippians to think about how our state’s narratives have, or have not, reflected who we are and where we’ve been.

As part of “Reflecting Mississippi,” the Council is launching a new grant initiative to work with our many partners and developing our own signature 50th anniversary events. Through grants and direct support, we will lift up stories of underrepresented communities and examine the parts of our history and culture that have often not been reflected in mainstream narratives. “Reflecting Mississippi” will continue the Council’s 50-year tradition of working toward a more honest, accurate, and inclusive narrative.

“Ever since our founding in 1972, the Mississippi Humanities Council has empowered Mississippians to share and interpret their unique stories. For almost 50 years, we have been in the forefront of uncovering and highlighting the rich complexity of our state’s history and culture,” said Sharman Bridges Smith, chair of the Council.

The Council will host four signature events highlighting our “Reflecting Mississippi” theme:

• Our 2022 Public Humanities Awards, March 25, at the Old Capitol Museum will not only celebrate outstanding work by Mississippians to bring the insights of the humanities to public audiences but will also pay tribute to the work of the Council and its partners in telling Mississippi’s stories over the last 50 years.

• On May 5, two-time National Book Award recipient and Mississippi native Jesmyn Ward will deliver a keynote lecture at Galloway Methodist Church in Jackson in honor of the Council’s golden anniversary.
• On August 20, the Council will present a special program at the Mississippi Book Festival featuring our state’s most acclaimed writers.
• In September, the Council will hold a culminating celebration as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ special initiative, A More Perfect Union, which will recognize the men and women who fought for voting and civil rights in Mississippi, pushing the state to live up to the ideals of the Constitution.

Throughout our anniversary year, the Council will also support initiatives and programs for our many partner organizations across the state that address our “Reflecting Mississippi” theme, including:



• Special “Reflecting Mississippi” grants, within our regular grants program, for up to $10,000 in support of projects related to our anniversary theme, and for up to $2,000 within our newly streamlined minigrants program.
• A new “Reflecting Mississippi” Speakers Bureau category, providing experienced humanities scholars speaking on a range of reflective topics, at no charge to host organizations.

“We plan to use the occasion of our 50th anniversary to focus attention on Mississippians,” said Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the MHC. “While we will certainly tell the story of the Mississippi Humanities Council, we want to use this opportunity to highlight stories like William Holtzclaw and the Utica Institute, the Chinese community of the Delta, the incredible social and economic impact of Ingalls Shipyard on the coast, and so many more. We’ve helped preserve these particular stories in recent years and look forward to exploring and sharing even more in 2022.”

Nominations Invited for Humanities Awards

The Mississippi Humanities Council invites nominations for its 2022 Public Humanities Awards, which honor outstanding contributions in public humanities.

Nominations will be accepted for Humanities Scholar Award, Preserver of Mississippi Culture Award, Humanities Partner Award, Educator Award, and the Cora Norman Award honoring lifetime achievement in the humanities.

In 2022, the Mississippi Humanities Council will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a year-long focus on the theme “Reflecting Mississippi.” Honorees at the 2022 Public Humanities Awards will be recognized for their significant achievements in telling, interpreting, and fostering understanding of our state’s diverse stories. “We are excited to honor scholars, educators, and organizations that have done remarkable work that honestly and accurately reflects Mississippi’s rich history and culture,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council.

All awards will be presented at the Mississippi Humanities Council’s 2022 Public Humanities Awards Gala and Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson. Recipients of the 2022 Humanities Teacher Awards, which pay tribute to outstanding faculty in traditional humanities fields, will also be honored at the banquet.

Nomination forms for Public Humanities Awards may be found online at www.mshumanities.org. For information call 601-432-6752.

MHC Begins Virtual Training for 'Voices and Votes' Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition

Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, an exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) division, will be coming to Mississippi in 2022, and training for the six host sites began in late October.

The Library of Hattiesburg Petal and Forrest County (Hattiesburg), Hinds Community College (Utica), Northeast Mississippi Community College (Booneville), Pascagoula High School Performing Arts Center (Pascagoula), Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Natchez), and Catfish Row Museum (Vicksburg) will each host the exhibition for six-week periods from March 2022 through January 2023.

In addition to hosting the exhibition, each site will develop a local complementary exhibit and a series of public humanities programs with the help of Voice and Votes state scholar Dr. Rebecca Tuuri. Dr. Tuuri is an associate professor of history at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she teaches classes on African American history, women’s and gender history, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Voices and Votes takes a broad look at American democracy—from the American Revolution and expanding suffrage, to civil rights and casting ballots. It explores who can vote, whose voices are heard, the responsibilities of American citizens, how we can encourage more people to participate in our democracy, and more. Exhibition sections explore the origins of American democracy, the struggles to obtain and keep the vote, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Voices and Votes features historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.

For more information about Voices and Votes and the Museum on Main Street program, contact MHC program officer Molly McMillan.