Exploring Humanities Through Documentary Film

Earlier this month while scrolling my Facebook feed, which includes posts from many nonprofit organizations and public humanities project directors we support through our grants programs, I saw this post:

I think I whooped out loud because the announcement was a first important milestone for our new documentary film grants. The MHC has supported documentary film projects for many years through its regular grants program, believing they offer unique insight into the multilayered lives and experiences of Mississippians and can amplify diverse voices and perspectives, shedding light on untold stories and marginalized communities. In December last year, we launched our first grant line dedicated to documentary films, which can support expenses that were not permitted with our other grants but are critical to making – and completing – good films. Expenses such as editing studio rentals, sound technicians, colorists, original musical scores, etc.

James ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson: A Life in Blues was co-directed by Mark Rankin and Brian Wilson of Vancouver, Canada, who worked closely with Mississippi Delta cultural organizations, to capture to story of one of Mississippi’s most treasured sons. The film features interviews with other Mississippi Blues musicians, as well, such as Bobby Rush, Cedric Burnside and Charlie Musselwhite. It explores Chikan’s story, but also examines how the culture and setting of the Delta have influenced his musical journey and his quest to preserve the roots of the Blues. The announcement of the distribution contract for the film underscored how our new grant line is helping filmmakers take their projects from a great idea to completion and distribution, where much wider audiences can access these uniquely Mississippi stories.

Working from the premise that the humanities play a crucial role in preserving and understanding our history and culture, our documentary film grants are designed to strengthen the humanities content and approach of documentary productions. We encourage applicants to make use of relevant humanities expertise in planning and implementing projects and to approach subject matter from a perspective informed by the humanities—for example, making use of existing or new scholarship and research on the topic for context and perspective; ask informed, critical questions; and seek to foster insight, reflection and thoughtful analysis on the part of the audience.

Carol Andersen

MHC Assistant Director

Our next documentary film grant deadline is Dec. 15 for requests up to $15,000. Application guidelines and the application portal may be found on the MHC website. All applicants are required to reach out to MHC staff to discuss proposals before submitting an application.

I Believe I'll Go Back Home: Robert Johnson's Copiah County Roots & Living Legacy

Join us for a screening of "I Believe I'll Go Back Home: Robert Johnson's Copiah County Roots & Living Legacy" Sunday, December 8, at 2 p.m. in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. MHC funded the Samantha Davidson Green documentary in 2022.

In 1931 legendary bluesman Robert Johnson went home in search of his father. Instead, he became one. Johnson's descendants reveal the human being behind the myth and his living legacy as a father, grandfather, and musical inspiration in Copiah County.

Following the film will be a Q&A with panelist Samantha Green (filmmaker), Steven Johnson (descendent of Robert Johnson and a musician himself) and Antonio Tarrell (co-producer/cinematographer).

This program is co-sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Film Office and the Mississippi Film Society.

Spark! coming in 2026

The Smithsonian is coming back to Mississippi in 2026. 

Spark! Places of Innovation will focus on the exciting ways that rural communities are innovating their spaces through technology, art, culture, and more. The exhibition features stories, photographs, and artifacts that highlight stories of rural innovation across the state, told by the people who are making it happen. 

Spark will be on tour at six host sites in Mississippi from May 2026 to February 2027. Each host site will house the exhibit for 6 weeks and is responsible for coordinating volunteers and programming during the exhibit’s stay in their community. MHC covers the cost of Spark at no cost to the host community. 

Interested in hosting Spark in your town? Applications will open in January 2025 so stay tuned for more information. 

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Molpus at kmolpus@mhc.state.ms.us.

Headlines

Celebrating Learning and Opportunity at Parchman’s Fall Education Fair

The Mississippi Humanities Council joined the men at Mississippi State Penitentiary/Parchman (MSP) in celebrating their educational opportunities at a Fall into Education Resource Fair on October 31.

Initiated by students in the MSP Adult Education Department, the event allowed the men incarcerated in Unit 30 to explore available courses of study. MHC used the opportunity to pass out school supplies and highlight other work supported by the Council.

The Freedom Within officers created and distributed a brochure promoting their book club. In addition to an article featuring book club facilitator Dr. Ebony Lumumba, the pamphlet included a synopsis of their next book selection, Sink, a memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas. In the description of the club, the officers state, “The Freedom Within Book Club is a true freedom from the prisons, both inside and out, that hold each and everyone of us.”

Also highlighted at the fair was Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC). With support from MHC, the men in Unit 30 can take MDCC courses toward an associate degree. Fairgoers also learned about Phi Theta Kappa, the international honors society for community colleges, which has a chapter in Parchman.

In response to the fair, MSP Educator Teela Young thanked all those involved saying, “Thank you…, as we continue to change the narrative and be the change that we want to see, by highlighting the importance of education."

Mississippi Freedom Trail Unveils New Markers in Canton, Hattiesburg, and Natchez

November saw the Mississippi Freedom Trail expand with the unveiling of several new markers, further cementing the state's commitment to honoring its civil rights legacy. Administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council in partnership with Visit Mississippi, the trail continues to spotlight the courageous individuals and moments that shaped the fight for justice and equality.

In Canton, Flonzie Brown Wright, one of the first African American woman elected to public office in 20th-century Mississippi, was celebrated with a marker on November 8, recognizing her trailblazing leadership in voter rights. Congressman Bennie G. Thompson participated in the ceremony.

November 9 saw two unveilings: one honoring Victoria Gray Adams in Palmer's Crossing. Gray was a founding member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

The other unveiling commemorated the Deacons for Defense and Justice in Natchez, an organization that protected activists during the movement.

These markers serve as lasting reminders of Mississippi’s history in the struggle for equality.

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