Mississippi Humanities Council

05/29/2026

See you there!

The wait is almost over… Join us Friday, May 29th at 6 PM at the historic Ellis Theatre to view the award-winning documentary Natchez on the big screen! ✨

This powerful film explores the complexities of history, tourism, and identity in one of Mississippi’s most iconic towns. Stay after the screening for a panel discussion with community voices.

🎬 This event is FREE and open to the public.

Bring a friend and be part of the conversation. We’ll see you there!

05/26/2026

Coming up Thursday at the Palace Theater on Main Street in Downtown McComb!

Pike School of Art + Mississippi Humanities Council

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GPvsQzqc3/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/21/2026

We have two upcoming screenings of Natchez that we hope you’ll join us for. This 86-minute documentary journeys through an antebellum tourist destination at a crossroads as it grapples with a deeply troubled history. Each program includes a post-screening panel featuring local scholars, community voices, individuals from the film, and the filmmakers themselves.

🎞️ Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. at the Palace Theater, McComb
🎞️ Friday, May 29, 6 p.m. at the Delta Arts Alliance, Cleveland

All events are free and open to the public. For more information about the screening or to inquire about partnership opportunities, visit mshumanities.org/program/screenings.

05/20/2026

🚨 Office Closure Notice 🚨

The Mississippi Humanities Council offices will be closed May 21 and 22 for maintenance.

💻 Need to reach us? Our staff is still available and happy to assist you via email. You can find our contact information here: https://www.mshumanities.org/about/our-staff/.

05/20/2026

Tell a friend, to tell a friend…

05/19/2026

Thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council and the America250 Mississippi Committee for granting funds for this terrific project! Here's the schedule for submitting materials and writing letters:

Session 1: Wednesday, 13 May, 3-4:30PM at Ruth B. French Library
Session 2: Thursday, 21 May, 5:30-7PM at Byhalia MS Town Hall
Session 3: Wednesday, 27 May, 3-4:30PM at Ruth B. French Library

What will you leave behind?

Grant information: “This project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material does not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.”

Ruth B. French Library, Americus Young, Byhalia MS Town Hall

05/19/2026

We are very saddened to hear the news of the passing of Civil Rights activist Brenda Travis.

At the age of 15, Travis joined the Movement, protesting segregation and the murder of Herbert Lee. She went on to organize young people and lead the Burglund School Protest, which helped make McComb a center of Civil Rights activism in Mississippi. After being arrested for her work, Travis was released on condition that she leave the state, but that did not stop her activism.

To read more about this incredible woman, visit the Mississippi Encyclopedia or read her memoir, Mississippi’s Exiled Daughter: How My Civil Rights Baptism Under Fire Shaped My Life.

https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/brenda-travis/

Photo credit: Brenda L. Travis, June 2, 1962 (Photographer unknown, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. [LC-USZ62-135777])

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

Spark! Smithsonian Exhibit Opening This Week

With support from America250 Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council, our grand opening of the exhibit will be on Thursday, May 21st at 6:30 p.m., featuring Utica Mayor Calvin Williams and Brandi & Carlton Turner from Sipp Culture. You’ll hear about all the exciting things happening in Utica, followed by a tour of the new exhibit with light refreshments.

The exhibit is all about innovation in rural communities like Utica and the ways in which towns are reinventing themselves to meet today’s needs. Our local exhibit focuses on William Holtzclaw’s innovations and will feature exhibits on Holtzclaw’s early telephone exchange, printing press, and a 1912 invention debuted at a Utica Farmer’s Conference to combat the boll weevil.