Executive Director's Message

At a time when books are being removed from library shelves because of their content, the festival has featured many of the authors whose books have been targeted. 

Over the years, the festival lineup has sometimes created controversy, and this year was no different, but the leadership of the festival has remained steadfast in its commitment to free speech. Their vision has always been to create a festival that is diverse and has something for everyone.

While the festival takes place on a single day in August, it’s the result of a year’s worth of hard work from the staff and board. The planning for the 2024 festival began as soon as the 2023 event was over. The number of logistical details to run the festival is simply mind-boggling. So, if you attended this year’s festival, take a moment to appreciate all of the behind-the-scenes work that made it run smoothly. Think about the months of reaching out to publishers and authors encouraging them to come to Mississippi in the middle of August. Think about all of the coordination required to get those authors where they need to be on the day of the festival, and the publicity required to make sure the session rooms are filled with book lovers. Not to mention the fundraising required to ensure the event is free to everyone.

So, while some may be unhappy about a particular author on the program or frustrated at having to choose between two great simultaneous sessions, I encourage you to step back and admire what the festival staff and board have been able to create. We should all cherish the Mississippi Book Festival and work to ensure it is able to flourish for years to come.

The Mississippi Humanities Council, with co-sponsors Mississippi Public Broadcasting and Georgia Humanities, will host the world premiere of a film by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Douglas A. Blackmon on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Charles W. Capps Jr. Entrepreneurial Center at The Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

The following night, August 31st, “The Harvest” will be shown at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Both events will begin with an hors d’oeuvres reception at 5:15 p.m. The film screening begins at 6 p.m., and a panel discussion will follow the screening. Admission is free.

“The Harvest” looks at how school integration transformed Leland, Mississippi. Blackmon was part of the first class of black and white children to attend school together in Leland after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Mississippi schools to fully and immediately desegregate. The film follows a coalition of black and white citizens working to create racially integrated public schools in Leland. Read More.

Blackmon is an award-winning former senior national correspondent and bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for his first book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. A documentary film based on the book was broadcast through PBS.

His new film, made with acclaimed filmmaker Sam Pollard, will be broadcast on national television as part of the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series on PBS on September 12.

To register for these free events, click here.

“Crossroads” Begins Second Mississippi Tour in Stone County

The Smithsonian has arrived in Mississippi! This week, host sites from around the state gathered in Wiggins to install Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibit will be open to the public beginning Monday, August 28.

While in Wiggins, Crossroads is on display at the Ferris B. O’Neal Senior Center. The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 2:00-5:00 p.m., and Saturdays 10:00-4:00 p.m.

In addition to hosting the exhibit, the SCEDP will also host a series of free public programs at the Senior Center related to Crossroads. Events include a public reception at 10:00 am on August 28, a community discussion led by Crossroads state scholar Leah Kemp, of the Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University, on September 12, and a presentation from Dr. Mark Malone, longtime educator and musician, on the Blues in Mississippi to take place September 16. Other talks will be added in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Crossroads is a project of Museum on Main Street, a division of the Smithsonian's traveling exhibition service. Through artifacts, images, text, and interactive elements, the 750-square-foot exhibit explores rural identity, the importance of land, how rural communities manage change, and much more. After the exhibit departs Wiggins, it will visit Brookhaven, Marks, West Point, Rolling Fork, and Pontotoc.

The exhibit, which will be on display in Mississippi until June 2024, is generously supported by the Tennessee Valley Authority. More information about the exhibit and its Mississippi tour can be found on the MHC website.

MHC Partners with New Stage Theatre to bring ANNE AND EMMETT to Mississippi Schools

Through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “United We Stand” initiative, the MHC has partnered with New Stage Theatre to tour the timely drama, Anne and Emmett, to various schools around the state. Anne and Emmett is a powerful and emotional play which focuses on an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, both victims of racial intolerance and hatred. The play is set in a place called “Memory” where the teenagers explore the similarities of their lives and the oppression from which the world was unwilling or unable to protect them.

“New Stage is thrilled to collaborate with the Mississippi Humanities Council for the NEH’s United We Stand Initiative,” said New Stage Theatre’s Director Francine Reynolds. “Through its unique look at the past, Janet Langhart Cohen’s Anne and Emmett is a very moving experience highlighting the tragic experience of two young people confronted with racism and discrimination. The positive response to our limited tour of the play last season confirmed that students desire the opportunity to learn more about history through live theatre performance. We are grateful for the support of the Mississippi Humanities Council and look forward to partnering with them to reach more students throughout the state with this opportunity to promote healing and understanding.”

In a remarkable juxtaposition, both Anne and Emmett share their stories in the manner characteristic of teenagers. Despite their physical distance from the violence embedded in the place called Memory, they openly discuss the injustices they confronted and the sequences of events that led to their tragic fates. These dialogues highlight the disconcerting parallels between their experiences. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fervently expressed, "Anne and Emmett deserve a place in every school across America!"

In addition to presenting the play at schools, MHC program officers John Spann and Molly McMillan will lead students in a post-show discussion to delve deeper into the themes raised by the performance. This interactive session aims to foster thoughtful conversations among the students, encouraging them to reflect on the lessons of history and consider how we can build a more inclusive and compassionate society.

“As soon as we saw Anne and Emmett earlier this year, we knew it was a powerful vehicle to educate young people about the dangers of dehumanization and hatred,” said MHC Executive Director Stuart Rockoff. "By bringing together these two vital figures from history, the play encourages the audience to think about the connections between anti-Semitism and racism and how we can overcome them. Thus, our partnership with New Stage is a perfect fit for the NEH’s new United We Stand initiative.”

To learn more about how to bring Anne and Emmett to schools in your community, contact Betty Wong at bwong@newstagetheatre.com.

Next Major MHC Grant Deadline Approaching

If your organization is interested in applying for a grant, please remember the next deadline is September 15th.

The Mississippi Humanities Council grants program supports projects that stimulate meaningful community dialogue, attract diverse audiences, are participatory and engaging for the public and apply the humanities to our everyday lives. Grants may be used to support public humanities programs, exhibits, online resources, or the planning of larger projects.

For our upcoming grant rounds, the MHC invites organizations to use our new MHC Grants Application Portal.

Back to School: Speakers Bureau

Are you a teacher or administrator at a school in Mississippi? The MHC’s Speakers Bureau can serve as a valuable resource for schools by offering access to expert speakers who enhance classroom learning, provide diverse perspectives, and inspire students to engage more deeply with humanities subjects.

The MHC’s Speakers Bureau offers a roster of knowledgeable speakers who are experts in their respective fields. These speakers are available to give presentations, workshops, lectures, and lead discussions with audiences in libraries, museums, community centers, and schools. The topics covered by the Speakers Bureau are carefully curated to reflect the interests and needs of Mississippians as they often address local, regional, and national issues from a humanities perspective.

The presentations can complement and supplement a standard curriculum. They offer in-depth explorations of specific topics, helping teachers cover subjects that might be challenging within the constraints of regular class time. Many speakers encourage interactive discussions and Q&A sessions, promoting open dialogue, critical thinking, and development of communication skills among students. Utilizing speakers from the bureau can help schools establish connections with local experts and scholars, fostering a sense of community engagement and collaboration.

The primary goal of the MHC Speakers Bureau is to bring high-quality, informative, and thought-provoking presentations to various communities throughout Mississippi. These presentations cover a diverse array of subjects, including history, literature, philosophy, culture, art, music, and more.

For more information about bringing a speaker to your school, contact MHC program officer Molly McMillan, or visit the MHC website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Educators, corrections staff, and nonprofits will focus on higher education in prison and reentry at the third annual convening of the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP).

One of the highlights of the conference will be college students in Mississippi prisons discussing the impact access to higher education is having on their lives.

The keynote speaker will be Ved Price, executive director of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, who will discuss enabling people to succeed as they reenter society.

The two-day convening is September 11-12 at Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond. The event is free and open to anyone interested in supporting or learning more about higher education in prison.

For more information contact Project Coordinator Carla Falkner.

Email: cfalkner@mhc.state.ms.us.

Summer Reflections by MHC Intern Rheagan Case:

My time at the Mississippi Humanities Council is an experience I will never forget. I have had the opportunity to work alongside fantastic staff members who aim to educate Mississippians about humanities-related topics in numerous fields.

From working to close grants, figuring out the database, attending grant-related events MHC has funded, experimenting with social media and graphic design, helping with the MHC Speakers Bureau and newsletter, learning about Ideas on Tap and the Mississippi Freedom Trail markers, and working on Prison Education and Prison Book Clubs, I have had a summer filled with new experiences that have granted me a broader, more understanding outlook of the humanities in Mississippi. I visited countless places around Mississippi, such as to Hinds Community College in Utica to visit the Utica Institute Museum, Pass Christian to watch the unveiling of Lawrence Guyot’s Mississippi Freedom Trail marker, several Friday Forums at Refill Café in Jackson, and a few programs with the Two Mississippi Museums.

One of my favorite experiences, however, is when Assistant Director Carol Andersen and I went to iVillage’s summer camp in Jackson. This project brings children from around the Jackson area together during the summer to learn about green spaces, public art, writing, technology, and many more important topics. When Carol and I visited iVillage, the staff was incredibly welcoming, the children were learning important skills and lessons while having a fun experience, and the environment edified the children to have a fun, safe summer learning life changing skills.

Another of my favorite experiences was joining a Prison Book Club online meeting. The meeting was at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman as they were studying Angie Thomas’ Concrete Rose. Angie Thomas herself spoke to the men about her book and received their comments and questions in such a sincere manner. The men at MSP also spoke about the book in such a poetic, understanding way that truly inspired me.

Throughout this summer, the experiences I have had the chance to be a part of have been inspirational and transformative. I will never be able to thank MHC or Mississippi State University for informing me about this internship, and I look forward to hearing about all the great work MHC does in Mississippi in the future.