The Bluff City Post: Natchez Bluff at Madison and Broadway Selected as Site for Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument

#NatchezUSCT

We always appreciate the coverage by The Bluff City Post (Natchez, Miss.). This piece appeared on page 9 in the March 25 – April 8, 2022 issue.

To learn more about this important project, and to make a contribution, please visit NatchezUSCTMonument.com

#NatchezColoredTroops #VisitNatchez #CivilWar #BlackHistory

Support the Natchez USCT Monument Project!

Help us honor these brave African American men who fought for freedom – and for the United States – in the Civil War.

#NatchezUSCT

Facebook post: Mayor Dan Gibson is at Natchez City Council Chambers. 

Thursday, March 24, 2022 · Natchez, MS

Please Share… We had a great meeting of our Financial Advisory Committee for the Natchez US Colored Troops Monument yesterday! Pictured are just a few members of that committee. Our goal is to raise the funds needed to erect this fitting memorial to the over 3000 US Colored Troops who served at Natchez, from which as many as 90 percent of our African American citizens are descended. To make a contribution online, please click here: https://natchezusctmonument.com/

 #VisitNatchez #NatchezUSCT #NatchezColoredTroops #BlackHistory #CivilWar

Natchez Museum to Show “Africans on the Mississippi” Film

Premiere screening, set for April 18, is free to the public

NATCHEZ, Miss. – A short film documenting African influences on Mississippi River communities will be shown at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture at 6 p.m. Monday, April 18, 2022. The event, which is free to the public, is part of a docuseries that will feature five episodes with a focus on New Orleans, Donaldsonville, Baton Rouge, Natchez, and Gambia, West Africa.

The film series is titled, “Africans on the Mississippi – Cuttin’ Cane.” It was created and produced by Spencer Howard of LearningTree Productions LLC in association with the River Road African American Museum.

The first episode, scheduled for April, will feature New Orleans. Natchez will appear in Episode 4. A panel discussion will follow the screening.

“Natchez holds the distinction of being the oldest city on the Mississippi River and [having the] largest market for the buying and selling of stolen people known as “Forks of the Road,” Howard stated on his website. “The story of Natchez, Mississippi is a story that longs to be told as Africans on the Mississippi again takes the viewer straight through to the thing itself.”

Bobby Dennis, executive of the Museum, said the film will prove to be enlightening. “This film will give us a little bit more of the complete stories of the African Americans involved in the development of our area from New Orleans to Natchez,” he said.

According to Howard, the film “speaks of unspoken ancestry.” He said it has been lauded for its story line, location, visuals, music, sound and exceptional editing. It has been selected for screenings at eight film festivals. So far, he said, the film has won the IndieFEST Film Award and Best Web Series/TV Pilot by the Indie Short Fest Film Festival.

Dennis said the screening was sponsored in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council.

“The plantations are long gone but the descendants remain with fascinating stories to tell,” said Howard.

For more information, call Bobby Dennis at 601-445-0728, or visit learningtreeproduction.com.

Natchez Bluff at Madison and Broadway Selected as Site for Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument

The Board approved the site contingent upon approval of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission.

 
#NatchezUSCT
 

The Natchez Bluff, at the corner of Madison and Broadway streets, has been selected as the site for the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument. In a unanimous vote Friday, March 11, 2022, the Natchez Board of Aldermen approved the location following a recommendation by the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee.

#NatchezColoredTroops #VisitNatchez #CivilWar #BlackHistory

Plaque for National Register of Historic Places

 #CivilRights

The building that once housed Donnan’s Barber Shop, the meeting place for the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice in the 1960s, gets plaque for National Register of Historic Places listing. Thanks to The Natchez Democrat for sharing this news. Congratulations to Mr. Willie Carter.
 
#CivilRights #BlackHistory #VisitNatchez #DeaconsForDefense #PublicHistory

Concordia Sentinel: Site Selected for Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument

The board approved the site unanimously pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission.

#NatchezUSCT

I am so grateful to Concordia Sentinel for sharing this news with its readers. It’s an important milestone in our efforts to build a monument to honor the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops.

 
#NatchezUSCT #NatchezColoredTroops #CivilWar #BlackHistory #VisitNatchez

Natchez Bluff at Madison and Broadway Selected as Site for Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument

The board approved the site unanimously pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission

#NatchezUSCT

Visit Natchez Executive Director Devin Heath, left, and Natchez USCT Monument Committee Chairman Robert Pernell addressing the Natchez Board of Aldermen on Friday, March 11, 2022. The two sought the board’s approval of the Bluff, at Madison and Broadway streets, as the site for the USCT monument. The board approved the site unanimously pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission.

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- The Natchez Bluff, at the corner of Madison and Broadway streets, has been selected as the site for the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument.

In a unanimous vote Friday, March 11, the Natchez Board of Aldermen approved the location following a recommendation by the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee. The Board approved the site contingent upon approval of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission.

The board approved the request unanimously pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission.

Visit Natchez Executive Director Devin Heath, who chairs the Site Selection Subcommittee, said the selection was made following an “extensive process” that included a review of more than 25 sites by his committee.

The site “has a significant amount of significance to the Colored Troops,” he said, adding it was also recommended by Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley, local historian of African American history. Information on the site was also provided by Mimi Miller, executive director emerita of Historic Natchez Foundation, and Deborah Fountain, who chairs the History and Research Subcommittee for the monument committee.

Heath noted the Colored Troops camp was located right below the site on the Bluff. It was also close to where they worked, he said. “They actually would come up the hill and drill (there) with their white counterparts,” Heath said.

In order for the committee to move forward with the monument design, it must first “be able to solidify the approval for this site,” Heath said.

Alderwoman Valencia Hall made the motion for the site to be approved pending approval by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Natchez Preservation Commission. The motion was second by Alderman Billy Joe Frazier.

This is an image of the approved site for the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument. See the yellow "X" near the top, on the corner of Broadway and Madison streets.

Frazier praised Boxley for his research and recommendation. He also thanked Heath and the city of Natchez for their work on the project.

“I appreciate what you’re doing,” he said to Heath. “I just want to say that I appreciate Mr. Boxley, who is an authority on history dealing with the black community. I feel he has a lot of wealth of knowledge … and I appreciate you and the city of Natchez for taking this forward.”

Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving said the site on the Bluff would provide a space for the community and tourists alike to learn more about the Colored Troops. She suggested it would be a good location for reenactments that would serve to educate the public.

“I thank the committee for putting this all together,” she said.  “I also want to thank Mr. Robert Pernell, for reaching out as one of the members who has spearheaded this, along with Mr.  Boxley.”

“This was a lot of hard work by a lot of individuals,” said Heath in his closing remarks. “The U.S. Colored Troops committee, which is chaired by Mr. Pernell, has been doing a lot of great work.”

Mayor Dan Gibson noted his support for the project during and after the meeting.

"I am so grateful to Robert Pernell, Devin Heath, and the entire Natchez US Colored Troops committee for all of the hard work they have put in,” he said. “The site they have proposed for the monument is fitting, considering the historic connection between the troops and the Bluff. I expect approval through the Natchez Preservation Commission and MS Department of Archives and History to take place soon, and we will do all we can to assist." 

The Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee was created to erect a monument to 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, as well as those who served in the Navy who were born in Natchez. The monument will honor those who served with six regiments, which included: 6th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, 58th U.S. Colored Infantry, 70th U.S. Colored Infantry, 71st U.S. Colored Infantry, 63rd U.S. Colored Infantry, and the 64th U.S. Colored Infantry.

For more information on the Natchez USCT, visit NatchezUSCTMonument.com.

#NatchezColoredTroops #CivilWar #BlackHisory #VisitNatchez #NatchezUSCT

Rededication Ceremony held for Proud to Take a Stand Monument

Event held Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in recognition of Black History Month

Wharlest Jackson Jr. and his sister, Denise Jackson Ford
Photo courtesy of William Terrell of The Bluff City Post

NATCHEZ, Miss. – About 100 people turned out for the rededication of the Proud to Take a Stand Monument on Monday, Feb. 28 on the corner of Main and Jefferson streets. The event, which occurred on the last day of Black History Month, included presentations by former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, former Mayor Darryl Grennell, Committee Chairman Robert Pernell, Mayor Dan Gibson, as well as music by Montreal Green.

“It is important that we tell this history, because history has a tendency to want to repeat itself,” said Grennell. “And if we know our history, we can do things to prevent those tumultuous facets in history from taking place again.”

The Proud to Take a Stand monument is a 6-feet tall granite structure that honors the Natchez-Adams County citizens who were wrongfully incarcerated in October 1965 for standing up for basic civil rights and voting rights. It was completed in October 2019.

The monument is engraved with over 500 names, according to Pernell. Many of those listed are names of the young men and women who were forcefully shipped to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman in October 1965, where they were humiliated, punished, and abused for several days. They became known as survivors of what is called “The Parchman Ordeal.”

The recent ceremony included reflections by Denise Jackson Ford and her brother, Wharlest Jackson Jr. Their father, Wharlest Jackson Sr., was a civil rights activist who died when his truck was bombed by the KKK in Natchez, Miss., on Feb. 27, 1967.  Rev. Clifton Marvel provided the Welcome and Prayer.

“I stand today to honor my mother, Exerlena Jackson, which was one of the ones that went to Parchman and experienced that and suffered that night of October 1965,” said Ford. “We stand here today to not just honor her but all the ones that sacrificed, marched throughout town to make a change here to give us our civil and voting rights.”

Ford’s brother, Jackson, suggested the civil rights movement was due in part to divine protection.

“I want you to know the hand of God is working in this world at this time to bring about justice and because he’s a great God,” he said. “He’s also a God of love. My father, along with many other civil rights workers, could not have done what they did without God having their backs.”

Grennell, who led the efforts to create the monument, praised the monument committee for its work on the project and for selecting a name for the project. He also paid tribute to the people who fought and made sacrifices in the struggle.

“The name they came up with was ‘Proud to Take a Stand,’ which was so appropriate for this particular monument, because those 480-plus individuals that were arrested in 1965, that were taken up a cold 61 highway to Parchman Penitentiary… they were proud to take a stand for what they believed in this city,” he said. “Those individuals were proud to take a stand for the future of Natchez.”

Grennell said it is important to keep telling the story of the “rich black American history” in Natchez.

Bryant, the 64th governor of Mississippi, said that when Grennell first told him about the monument project and the events of October 1965, he was shaken to hear of the horrific treatment of those who took a stand. People sometimes do not want to talk about the horrible things that occurred in the 1960s, he said, “But we must. We can never forget.”

“I stand here as a grateful recipient,” said Gibson. “My job tonight is to say thanks, because so many have gone forth to do the work.”
After quoting an excerpt from the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gibson said “change is going to come, and change has come.”

Near the end of the ceremony, Gibson recognized a number of people and elected officials for their work on the monument project. He presented Pernell, who chaired the monument committee, with a key to the city; he also honored members of the Natchez Board of Aldermen

Gibson also presented posthumously a key to the city to Wharlest Jackson Sr., which was received by Ford and Wharlest Jr.

The ceremony ended with everyone singing “We Shall Overcome” as they held hands.
 
 #CivilRights #BlackHistory #ProudToTakeaStand

Alcorn State University Celebrates Black History Month with Program on Natchez U.S. Colored Troops

#NatchezUSCT

#Alcorn

Alcorn State University’s Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning observed Black History Month with members of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee. Presenters included, from left, Robert Pernell, chairman of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee; Teresa Busby, executive director of Southwest MS Center for Culture & Learning; Mayor Dan Gibson; Barney Schoby, U.S. Park Ranger and graduate of ASU; and Deborah Fountain, a genealogist and researcher who chairs the History and Research Subcommittee for the Natchez USCT Monument Committee. Fountain is pictured on the screen in the background.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning at Alcorn State University celebrated Black History Month with members of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee.
 
The school presented a program titled, “From Slavery to Freedom: The Story of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops,” that focused on the legacy of the U.S. Colored Troops and the efforts to honor them with a monument. The event was held on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in the Biotechnology Auditorium on the Lorman Campus.
 
“This is part of our history, an important story that needs to be told, of great bravery, resilience, and the desire of all people to be free,” said Teresa Busby, the Center’s executive director, who organized the event.
 
Participants in the program included Robert Pernell, chairman of the Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee; Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson; Barney Schoby, U.S. Park Ranger and graduate of ASU; and Deborah Fountain, a genealogist and researcher who chairs the History and Research Subcommittee for the Natchez USCT Monument Committee.
 
“It was an honor to host Mr. Pernell, Mrs. Fountain, Mayor Gibson and Mr. Schoby,” Busby said.
 
Pernell said the program was well received by the students, staff and faculty. “Everyone seemed to enjoy it,” he said. “We were happy to have this opportunity to speak about an important project that will have a lasting impact on our community and future generations. We’re grateful to Ms. Busby for making this event possible.”
 
The Natchez U.S. Colored Troops Monument Committee was created to erect a monument to 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, as well as those who served in the Navy who were born in Natchez. The monument will honor those who served with six regiments, which included: 6th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, 58th U.S. Colored Infantry, 70th U.S. Colored Infantry, 71st U.S. Colored Infantry, 63rd U.S. Colored Infantry, and the 64th U.S. Colored Infantry.
 
For more information on the Natchez USCT, visit NatchezUSCTMonument.com.