Events

History Is Lunch: D'Andra Orey and Jeanne Middleton-Harriston, "Conflict and Change: Mississippi, Then and Now"

At noon Wednesday, August 20, Dr. Byron D’Andra Orey, professor of political science at Jackson State University, and Dr. Jeanne Middleton-Harriston, co-author of the original Mississippi: Conflict and Change, will discuss the updated textbook Mississippi, Conflict and Change: A New Edition as part of the History Is Lunch series. The new edition brings the history of the state up to date on contemporary politics, culture, and the economy. This program will take place in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will also stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. Copies of Mississippi, Conflict and Change will be available for sale with a book signing to follow. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Beginning Genealogy: Using Online Resources

Join us at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, for Beginning Genealogy: Using Online Resources, a free workshop led by Amanda Vance, reference service specialist at MDAH. This workshop will discuss the types of records that can be found online through the archive’s holdings such as death certificate indexes, Civil War service cards, and marriage records. Participants will learn how to use digital genealogical resources such as Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, FamilySearch.org, etc. We look forward to seeing you in the orientation room at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Register here. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

History Is Lunch: Leslie-Burl McLemore, Jeff Kolnick, and Michelle Deardorff, "Voting Rights Act: Sixtieth Anniversary"

At noon Wednesday, August 6, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Leslie-Burl McLemore, civil rights veteran and professor emeritus of political science at Jackson State University, will be joined by historians Jeff Kolnick, history professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and Michelle Deardorff, professor of government and department head at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, for the History Is Lunch series. This panel will explore the struggle for voting rights in Mississippi, the state’s role in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the implications of the Shelby v. Holder decision by the United States Supreme Court in 2013 in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will also stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Patti Carr Black Marker Dedication

Join the Mississippi Arts Commission and Visit Mississippi on June 18 at 2 p.m. for the dedication of a Mississippi Writers Trail marker honoring author and historian Patti Carr Black. The ceremony will take place on the grounds of the Old Capitol Museum, followed by a reception in the museum’s chancery court. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Voting Rights Act Anniversary Tour

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, education staff from the Two Mississippi Museums will host 15-20 minute flash tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6. Join us to learn more about the efforts of Mississippi civil rights activists to secure federal protections for Black citizens’ right to vote. For more information, contact 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

History Is Lunch: Emmett Till Interpretative Center, “Remembering Emmett: The Journey of Truth-Telling”

At noon Wednesday, August 13, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, a panel from the Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC) consisting of Venita Halbert, community engagement coordinator; Jermarlius “Jay” Rushing, youth coordinator; Benjamin Saulsberry, director of public engagement and museum education; and Daphne Chamberlain, chief program officer, will discuss the origins of ETIC and its work in historical preservation, truth-telling, and racial reconciliation. This program will take place in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will also stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

History Is Lunch: Susan Stearns, “The Mississippi River and the Founding of the Nation”

At noon Wednesday, July 9, Susan Stearns, historian of the early American West and assistant professor of history at the University of Mississippi, will examine how trade on and along the Mississippi River during the United States’ earliest years set the stage for transforming the west as part of the History Is Lunch series. Stearns is the author of Empire of Commerce: The Closing of the Mississippi and the Opening of Atlantic Trade. This program will take place in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums and will also stream live on the MDAH Facebook page and YouTube channel. Copies of Empire of Commerce will be available for sale with a book signing to follow. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Sunday Screening of Talkin' Clarksdale: A Contemporary Blues Documentary

Join us for a screening of Talkin' Clarksdale: A Contemporary Blues Documentary at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. Directed by Tommy Slack, the sixty-minute film takes a look at contemporary blues music, exploring its influence on the voices of today’s musicians, venue owners, historians, and philanthropists dedicated to preserving its legacy.

Emmett Till Birthday Tours

In honor of Emmett Till’s birthday, education staff from the Two Mississippi Museums will host free flash tours at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 25. In August 1955, Till was murdered by Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for allegedly whistling at Caryoln Bryant, Roy Bryant’s wife. Till’s murder inspired an upcoming generation of young civil rights activists to join the freedom struggle.

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