Bobby Dennis to Give Talk on Natchez History in Program at Alcorn State University

Event hosted by Southwest MS Center for Culture and Learning

By Roscoe Barnes III

#VisitNatchez

Bobby Dennis, Executive Director
Natchez Museum of African American History & Culture

LORMAN, Miss. – The public is invited to a special program on the history of African Americans and Natchez that will take place Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, at Alcorn State University, Lorman Campus.

 
Bobby Dennis, executive director of the Natchez Museum of African American History & Culture, will be the guest speaker. His presentation, “The African American and Natchez: First 100 Years,” will be given at 1 p.m. in the Medgar Evers Auditorium in the J.D. Boyd Library.
 
Dennis is a 1975 graduate of Alcorn. A native of Natchez, he previously worked as an optician, a position he held for 30 years. Dennis said he looks forward to returning to his alma mater to talk about the history of his hometown.
 
The event, which is hosted by the Southwest MS Center for Culture & Learning, will be “interesting and informative,” according to Teresa A. Busby, the Center’s executive director. She said the Center is proud to host Dennis and to hear his presentation.
 
“People are often surprised to hear that there were free Africans in Natchez during the first 100 years, or during the Colonial Period,” Busby said. “Telling all of our history is important to the preservation of our cultural heritage, and we are excited to have Mr. Dennis share this very important information with us.”
 
According to the school’s website, the mission of the Center is “to celebrate culture, creativity and community.” To this end, it “serves as a resource for identifying, preserving, and communicating the rich history, vibrant culture, and cherished traditions of the region.”

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Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., is the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Manager at Visit Natchez.

VIDEO: Our Presentation Before the Adams County Board of Supervisors

 #NatchezUSCT

This is a recording of the reports that Robert Pernell and I presented to the Adams County Board of Supervisors on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Natchez, Miss. Pernell is the chairman of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee; I chair the Marketing/PR Subcommittee.

In our presentations, we talked about the community-wide meeting on the Natchez USCT Monument project that was set for 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Natchez Convention Center.

#VisitNatchez #NatchezUSCT #NatchezColoredTroops #CivilWar

To view the video, follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liKPBx-x8xE

Our Visit with Rosco OnTheRadio

We appeared on 'Miss Lou Must-Do's' on 95 Country

#NatchezUSCT

I’m here with the famous, funny, and loveable Rosco OntheRadio (center), and Robert Pernell. Rosco featured us Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, on his program, “Miss Lou Must-Do’s” on 95 Country. We talked about the November 10 community meeting on the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument project. We had an awesome time. Thanks, Rosco!

#NatchezColoredTroops #NatchezUSCT #VisitNatchez #CivilWar
 
To hear the interview, visit this link: https://listenupyall.com/2021/11/10/roscoe-barnes-iii-and-robert-pernell-discuss-the-community-meeting-on-the-natchez-u-s-colored-troops-monument-project/

Administrative Chairs of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Monument Committee

#NatchezUSCT

The Administrative Chairs of the 

Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee

Photo taken at the community meeting held Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Natchez Convention Center. From left: Lance Harris, Devin Heath, Vice Chairman Carter Burns, Chairman Robert Pernell, Deborah Fountain, Mayor Don Gibson, and Roscoe Barnes III.

Harris chairs the Monument Design Subcommittee; Heath chairs the Site Design Subcommittee; Fountain heads the History and Research Subcommittee; Gibson heads the Finance/Fundraising Subcommittee; and Barnes heads the Marketing/PR Subcommittee.

#VisitNatchez #NatchezColoredTroops #NatchezUSCT

 

Letter of Thanks to Our Local Community

By Robert Pernell 
Chairman, Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee

Chairman Robert Pernell
Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee

On behalf of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee, I want to thank the community for its participation in our public meeting that was held Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Natchez Convention Center.

We are especially grateful to Mayor Dan Gibson, a committee member, and Kathleen Bond, superintendent of Natchez National Historical Park, who gave generous donations at the meeting. We offer thanks to the members of the Natchez Board of Aldermen and the Adams County Board of Supervisors who attended the meeting, and to the management team of the Natchez Convention Center.

A special debt of gratitude is owed to our local and regional news media for their coverage of the meeting. Additionally, I should note that I am deeply proud of the contributions of our committee and the staff of the city of Natchez who worked diligently to make this meeting a success.

As noted in press reports, the committee is working to create a monument that will honor and bear the names of more than 3,000 African American men who served with the U.S. Colored Troops at Fort McPherson in Natchez. The names will include the Navy servicemen who were born in Natchez.

The meeting, which was held to gather public input on the monument project, drew 80 people in attendance. This number includes 60 people who came in person and 20 who attended virtually. The attendees provided suggestions and ideas that are invaluable to our cause, and for that we are grateful.

This monument, we believe, will be a place of reverence, pride, and honor that will help to tell many untold stories about Natchez's past.

As we move forward with this historic project, we aim to be transparent and informative as we share updates about our efforts. 

Even though the meeting is now past, we are still collecting feedback via email and on Facebook. To this end, we have created a Facebook page that we encourage you to follow. It is "Natchez U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Monument Committee -- Natchez, MS." You may visit the page at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/natchezusctmonumentcommittee

In the coming days, we will announce the next phase of our work, which includes an official website and fundraising campaign. I invite you to stay tuned for more exciting news about this endeavor.
 

Sincerely,

Robert Pernell, Chairman
The Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee

#NatchezUSCT #VisitNatchez #NatchezColoredTroops