Vidalia seeks historical marker to honor Miss-Lou Memorial Day parade’s African American roots

Vidalia moves to secure a state historical marker honoring the African American origins of the Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade, one of the nation’s longest-running tributes.

By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
December 23, 2025

The Town of Vidalia is seeking a historical marker to commemorate its part in the long-running Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade. DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTO (Click on image to enlarge.)

VIDALIA, La. — The Town of Vidalia is seeking a historical marker to commemorate the Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade, one of the longest-running Memorial Day traditions in the United States.

On Dec. 9, the Vidalia Board of Aldermen approved $1,000 for the marker, which it hopes to acquire through the Louisiana Historical Marker Program.

Vidalia Mayor Buz Craft said in a recent interview that the cost is not an issue. “I think this is a worthy project,” he said. “Commemorating that parade would be a really nice thing to do. We will get it no matter what it takes. The price isn’t a heavy lift.”

Craft said the location will be determined later. “We want it to be placed in an area where it can get some traction. We will try to come up with the best possible location for it where people can see it,” he said. However, he added, he will support any location decided by the board.

Once the Louisiana marker is officially approved, Vidalia will join Natchez in honoring the Memorial Day tradition. Natchez’s marker was approved earlier this year by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Its installation, approved for 639 S. Canal St., is expected in 2026.

Craft said the idea for the marker originated with Aldermen Tron McCoy of District 1 and Robert Gardner of District 2.

According to Gardner, the marker will highlight a long-held tradition and important piece of African American history in Vidalia and Natchez.

“It all started in Vidalia,” said Gardner in a recent interview. “I remember as a kid participating in the parade. I’ve been walking in the parade since I was eight.”

He said participation in the parade has been a lifelong family tradition not just for his family but for many families in Vidalia. “We have really never not marched,” he said.

James Theres, historian and director of “The 30th of May” documentary, said he was pleased to learn of Vidalia’s interest in the marker.

“I’m delighted to hear that the citizens of Vidalia will be recognized with a marker commemorating their contribution to the historic ‘30th of May’ parade,” he said. “This marker is for those patriots who have passed on, but as important, it’s for future generations to carry the torch forward. This tradition must not extinguish because based on my research, it’s one of the longest-running, consecutive Memorial Day traditions in the United States.”

Historian Cheryl Wilkinson has noted, “The earliest days of the parade can be documented at least to 1884, but possibly earlier though I've not been able to document. Newspaper accounts of the earliest events emphasize that it is the Black community holding the observance.”

The Memorial Day parade, which started in the late 1800s, was originally held on May 30, and was called “The 30th of May Parade.” Participants began the procession in Vidalia at the Parson Brownlow Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post #23 at its original location in Old Town Vidalia, according to Wilkinson. “At some point after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the Post's headquarters was moved to its current location on Magnolia Street,” she said.

Before the original Natchez-Vidalia Bridge was built in 1940, Parson Brownlow GAR members and other parade participants sailed from Vidalia on a ferry to Silver Street, where they joined up with the General John A. Logan Post No. 24 of Natchez. Together they marched to the Natchez National Cemetery, where a ceremony was held to honor the deceased military service members.

After the bridge was built, hundreds of participants began their trek at the Vidalia GAR Post #23's headquarters on Magnolia Street. From there, they marched to the Louisiana side of the bridge and crossed over to Natchez. They met up with the Natchez GAR at the toll booth for the bridge and then proceeded to the cemetery.

The tradition now includes a stop at the Natchez Visitor Center at 640 S. Canal -- which is near the site of the historic toll booth -- before proceeding to the cemetery. The entire trek is about four miles.

See more at this link: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/vidalia-seeks-historical-marker-to-honor-miss-lou-memorial-day-parades-african-american-roots-a43a07cb

Adams County supervisors approve marker for Black legislators of Reconstruction

Adams County will install a new courthouse marker honoring 10 Black Reconstruction-era lawmakers, spotlighting Mississippi’s first African American legislators.

By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat

December 18, 2025

Adams County Courthouse will be the site of a new historical marker honoring 10 Black legislators from Adams County who were elected after the Civil War. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Adams County is poised to install a new state historical marker on the grounds of the Adams County Courthouse that will honor its 10 Black legislators elected during Reconstruction. The marker is part of the “Making Their Mark” project, a statewide, grant-funded initiative to recognize the first African Americans to hold legislative office in Mississippi after the Civil War.

The Adams County Board of Supervisors approved a request for the marker, presented by DeeDee Baldwin of Mississippi State University, on November 17.

“This marker recognizes an important chapter in Adams County’s history and the men who served during a transformative period in Mississippi,” said Board President Kevin Wilson. “By acknowledging their service, we are helping preserve the full historical record for future generations and providing an opportunity for education, reflection, and community dialogue.”
 
The marker will be acquired through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Installation is planned for late 2026. The exact location on the courthouse grounds will be determined later as the matter is reviewed by the Natchez Preservation Commission.
 
According to Baldwin, the unveiling of the marker will be accompanied by a community event featuring creative performances by local students. All costs for its manufacture and installation will be covered by the “Making Their Mark” project through a grant from Monument Lab, a public arts nonprofit based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
 
As of December 11, a total of 11 markers has been approved by county boards of supervisors across the state.
 
“We are so appreciative of the county supervisors who have worked with us so far to make this project a reality,” said Baldwin. “The support we’ve encountered is wonderful to see.”
 
The draft text for the front side of the marker reads:
 
The First Black Legislators
 
After the Civil War, the 14th Amendment and a new state constitution enabled the people of Mississippi to elect 162 Black men to state or national office over the next 20 years, more than any other state. Ten of these legislators represented Adams County, including Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve in either house of the U.S. Congress. The overthrow of Reconstruction and passage of the 1890 state constitution ended multiracial democracy in Mississippi for over 70 years.
 
The text proposed for the back side reads:
 
The following Black Men from Adams County served in the legislature from 1870-1891:
United States Congress: John Roy Lynch and Hiram Rhodes Revels
State Senate: Jeremiah M.P. Williams
State House of Representatives: George F. Bowles, Felix L. Cory, Willis Davis, William W. Hence, Henry P. Jacobs, William H. Lynch, George R. Washington
 
Baldwin and Chuck Yarborough of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science are co-directors of the “Making Their Mark Project” team, which comprises researchers and historians working to install markers and spearhead community programming in 22 counties.
 
Team members include Brother Rogers, historian and former employee of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History; Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez; Dr. Robby Luckett, professor and director of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University; Heather Denne, executive director for Community Engagement at Jackson State University; and Vickie Roberts Ratliff of Land, Literacy, Legacy LLC.
 
Baldwin, who serves as associate professor and engagement librarian at Mississippi State University Libraries, is a leading authority on the Black legislators who served during Reconstruction. Her website, “Against All Odds: The First Black Legislators in Mississippi,” provides biographies, photos, newspaper clippings, and other resources to assist people researching these elected officials.
 
For her work on the website, Baldwin received an Award of Merit from the Mississippi Historical Society in 2025 and has been honored with the 2026 Humanities Scholar Award by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
 

See more at this link: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/adams-county-supervisors-approve-marker-for-black-legislators-of-reconstruction-91810069

Wyatt Waters donates giclée print to Dr. John Banks House

Acclaimed artist Wyatt Waters donates a giclée of his Dr. John Banks House watercolor, spotlighting Natchez civil rights history and a museum still fighting for restoration funds.
 
By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
December 16, 2025

Wyatt Waters of Wyatt Waters Gallery recently donated a giclee print of his his painting, "Dr. John Banks House," to the staff of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum at 9 St. Catherine St. From left are Jacqulyn B. Williams, Veula Robinson, Thelma Newsome, Mayor Dan Gibson, Rev. LeRoy White, Wyatt Waters, Kristi Waters, Willie Woods, Dora Hawkins, and Bonita Reed. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. –  When Thelma Newsome learned that Wyatt Waters had painted the watercolor, “Dr. John Banks House,” back in July, she became excited and curious.

Newsome, a manager of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum, said the museum staff wanted a copy of the painting, but she wondered if she could purchase one with the help of her children.

“When I contacted Wyatt Waters Gallery, I was told that Mr. Waters would be happy to donate a giclée print of the original painting to the museum,” she said. “I just couldn’t believe it. We were on Cloud 15 all day. We really do appreciate his gift.”

Newsome shared these remarks Friday, December 12, at the museum, where Wyatt Waters and his wife, Kristi, officially presented the artwork to the Rev. LeRoy White, pastor of Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church, and the church’s staff that manages the museum.

The church inherited the Banks house in 2011 from Frank Robinson Jr., the grandson of Banks. The house, located at 9 St. Catherine St., became a museum in 2020. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also the site of Natchez’s first Mississippi Freedom Trail marker.

Banks was the first Black physician in Natchez, and his home served as the headquarters for the Natchez NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Newsome is one of several volunteers who operate the museum. She is joined by Dora Hawkins, Willie Woods, Jacqulyn B. Williams.

Wyatt Waters, right, presents a giclee print of his watercolor of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum to the Rev. LeRoy White, pastor of Rose Hill  Missionary Baptist Church, which owns and operates the museum. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

At Friday’s presentation, White thanked the Waters for their donation. He said he is excited about Rose Hill’s ownership of the house. “We’re going to show it off to make sure everybody all over Mississippi, as well as the world, know what Dr. John Banks stood for,” he said.

Mayor Dan Gibson also participated in the presentation. “What a blessing it is to have Kristi and Wyatt here in Natchez,” he said. “What is also such a blessing is, Wyatt is capturing so much of our history in such a beautiful way through his art, and it’s being shown all over.”

Gibson said people are discovering Natchez because of Wyatt Waters’ art. “He is internationally known, internationally travelled, and he is also a fabulous painter,” Gibson said.

Speaking to Wyatt Waters, Gibson said, “I’m grateful that you have done this for the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum.”

Wyatt Waters replied, “It’s our honor to be able to document this. A big part of our book is the story and not just the building.”

When Newsome thanked Wyatt Waters for the painting, he said, “Without y’all, there wouldn’t be anything for me to paint here. Thank you for maintaining this building and for keeping this history alive.”

In April 2025, Gibson met with the museum staff and kicked off a campaign to raise $15,000 to repair the building’s aging roof. The two-story wood-framed house was built in 1892. Gibson also honored Banks posthumously with a Key to the City, which he presented to Hawkins and other museum staff.

According to Williams, a museum volunteer, the mayor’s campaign succeeded. She said they hired Chimneyville Roofing of Jackson to repair the roof, and the company finished the job in October.

However, there is more work to be done. “We still need about $10,000 to $15,000 to repair the ceiling inside that was damaged by the roof leaks,” Williams said. “We also want to expand the museum to the rooms upstairs for our civil rights history. However, we need an elevator for ADA purposes.”

Williams said there is also a need for cosmetic work for the porch.

Tours of the museum are available by appointment. Information on tours or donations is available by calling 601-807-2537. All donations are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum and mailed to P.O. Box 501, Natchez, MS 39121.

See more at this link: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/wyatt-waters-donates-gicle-print-to-dr-john-banks-house-cf43b39b/

2026 MLK parade will honor Natchez Deacons for Defense

Jackie Posey to serve as grand marshal

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
December 4, 2025 | 2:35 PM

(Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- The 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will honor the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice, with community leader Jackie Posey serving as grand marshal, announced Parade Chairperson Jacqueline Marsaw.

The parade, which is sponsored by the Natchez Branch of the NAACP, starts at 3 p.m. Monday, January 19. Participants will line up at 2 p.m. on Broadway Street on the Bluff.
 
The theme for the parade is, “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” a phrase taken from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It appears in this excerpt: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
 
The grand marshal was selected because of her leadership and commitment in helping people throughout the community, said Marsaw.
 
She noted that when Posey is not working her regular job, she serves the Natchez community as the director of the Black Mustard Seed Community Service Group. Through the group’s Southwest Diaper Bank of the Miss-Lou, she and other volunteers help single mothers and others in need by donating pampers and milk, said Marsaw.
 
Posey said she is grateful to Marsaw for the recognition. “It’s a surprise and an honor,” she said. “I feel very privileged to do this.”
 
Posey is an administrative assistant at the Adams County Sheriff Office. She also directs the Adams County Sheriff Office Junior Cadet Program through which she works with students ages 10 to 18. In addition to providing them with training, she guides them in community service projects, including the “Stop Gun Violence” program presented recently by Grieving Mothers & Fathers, Positive Impact, and the Natchez NAACP.
 
In regard to the Natchez Deacons, Marsaw said it is fitting to honor them in the parade because of their courage and their contribution to the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez. The Deacons provided armed protection for the Black community and civil rights workers against the violence of the Ku Klux Klan.
 
“Their history is very interesting and inspiring,” said Marsaw. “When I was in school, I didn’t know this history. But they were there for our community when it counted.”
 
Marsaw said she interviewed some of the Deacons in 2016 and 2017 for a book project led by Judge Mary Lee Toles and the NAACP. However, Toles died in 2017, and as a result, the book was never published. Still, Marsaw noted, what she and other NAACP members learned was impactful and will not be forgotten.
 
“The Deacons told us that they didn’t hide from the KKK. They got on roof tops and watched the Klan. Sometimes they stayed up all night, taking turns watching the Klan,” she said, adding, 2026 is a good time to honor them.
 
The parade route will start at North Broadway and Franklin streets and will travel along Franklin to N. Dr. M.L. King St., where it will turn left and proceed up to Minor and Spring streets, where it will end.
 
Anyone interested in participating in the parade must register by January 15. Entry fees include $50 “for unlimited entries.” The fee is $10 for a single car or truck and $5 for a single horse. No four-wheelers allowed.
 
First- through Fifth-place awards will be presented for the best floats.
 
For more information, call 601-443-1350.

See more at this link: https://listenupyall.com/2025/12/04/2026-mlk-parade-will-honor-natchez-deacons-for-defense/

 

 

Wreaths Across America ceremony set for December 13

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
December 4, 2025 | 10:46 AM
 

As participants in the Wreaths Across America program, Home with Heroes volunteers placed wreaths on the graves of more than 700 U.S. military veterans in December 2024 at the Natchez National Cemetery.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Home with Heroes will host the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 13, at the Natchez National Cemetery. The annual event is part of a nation-wide program in which millions of people pay tribute to U.S. military veterans by placing wreaths on their graves.

Saturday’s program is free and open to the public.

“As a veteran and the widow of a veteran, Wreaths Across America is more than just a patriotic act—it’s a deeply personal way to honor the veterans who have passed,” said retired Army Major Gabi Crousillac. She is the vice president of Home with Heroes and chair of the Mayor’s Veterans Task Force.

Retired Army First Sergeant Ben Tucker participates each year in the Wreaths Across America program. For him, it is more than a tradition.

“I do it because I am a soldier, a retired soldier,” he said. “I understand the contributions the soldiers have made to this country and the future we all share. It’s more than worth the sacrifice.”

Tucker is a board member of Home with Heroes, and he also serves on the Mayor’s Veterans Task Force. He is the first vice commander of the VFW Post 9573.

Crousillac said the day’s ceremony will be held on the old side of the Natchez National Cemetery at the Committal Service Shelter. It will open with a prayer by Vietnam-era Army veteran Doug McAlister and the welcome by Mayor Dan Gibson.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Herman Curry, Jr. will serve as the guest speaker. Curry is the instructor of the Natchez High School’s AFJROTC program. The ceremony will include a presentation of wreaths by Boy Scout Troop 158.

Crousillac said members of the local Dirt Broke motorcycle group, many of whom are veterans, will also attend the ceremony. “Taps” will be performed by McAlister, who is president of the Point Man International Ministries of the Miss-Lou.

Crousillac will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Following the ceremony, over 200 wreaths will be laid on the graves of the veterans.

This year, Crousillac will place a wreath on the grave of her husband, Brad Cromie, who died in 2024. He served in the Marine Corps. She said the volunteers will also be sure to lay a wreath on the grave of G. Mark LaFrancis, the founder and former president of Home with Heroes — and energetic promoter of the Wreaths Across America program. LaFrancis passed in June 2024 following a long battle with cancer.

Speaking last year, retired Army Lt. Col. Larry Smith, former president of Home with Heroes, praised LaFrancis for his contributions to the Natchez community. “Mark lived his life with purpose, providing support to local veterans and their families, as well as to the broader community, through his writing and his filmmaking, he said. “His example has been an inspiration to us all.”

LaFrancis was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. His wife, Eileen Mary Maher, died in August. Her name appears on the opposite side of LaFrancis’ headstone.

See more at this link: https://listenupyall.com/2025/12/04/wreaths-across-america-ceremony-set-for-december-13/

New details reveal exact location of George Metcalfe’s 1965 car bombing in Natchez

Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Sunday, November 30, 2025, page 4A)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Top of the Morning

 

New details reveal exact location of George Metcalfe’s 1965 car bombing in Natchez 

 

By Roscoe Barnes III

Ever since I learned of George Metcalfe's attempted assassination in 1965 at the Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company, I have wondered about the location of his car. Where exactly was it parked when it was bombed?
 
It is often reported that it was “in” the parking lot of the Armstrong plant. One source notes it was “parked on an adjacent street” and another states it was “parked just outside the plant.”
 
Now, thanks to two eyewitnesses, I know where this horrific incident occurred.
 
Metcalfe's car, a 1955 Chevrolet sedan, was parked in the area that is now a triangle between Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue, and South Concord Avenue, across from the Old South Winery. The site is on the west side of the plant -- outside the company fence.
 
I learned of this location in October 2025 during an interview with Frances Bailey and Paul Bacon, both of whom were teenagers in 1965.
 
As many of us know, Metcalfe was the president of the Natchez NAACP. He was targeted by the Klan because of his activism and the fact that he led a voter registration drive that added over 8,000 Black residents to the local rolls.
 
On August 27, 1965, he completed his shift at Armstrong and walked to his car. He turned the ignition and a bomb, planted inside the car by the Klan, exploded. Metcalfe survived with severe injuries. Unfortunately, no one was ever charged with the crime.
 
Historians believe the bombing became a turning point in the local Civil Rights Movement. It galvanized the Black community, prompting them to rise up in protests. They organized rallies and boycotted white-owned businesses. Their work led to one of the most successful civil rights campaigns in Mississippi.
 
According to Bacon, Metcalfe’s car was parked outside the company fence on South Concord, facing west. This location – and position of the car – aligns with an old black-and-white photo of the mangled vehicle. In the background of the photo, a house on South Concord sits atop a ridge above the car.
 
Bailey said the site at the time was not a triangle: it was simply a grassy area where Metcalfe and others parked. She recalled that she, her brother, and other teenagers were outside her home on Brenham when they saw Metcalfe enter his car. After the explosion, they ran to the car and saw a bloody sight that she will never forget. She said Metcalfe was conscious and asking for help. Bacon, who was 17, was walking nearby when he heard the explosion. He said he ran to the scene, and like Bailey, he saw Metcalfe asking for help.
 
Now that we know more about the location of this tragedy, we can mark this site and use it to pay tribute to the man who risked his life in the struggle for civil rights.
 
I have two suggestions. First, we must preserve the testimonies of the eyewitnesses by doing an oral history. Such a project can be funded by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council or the America250 grant program. Second, we can acquire a historical marker through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History or purchase one from a business like the Natchez Monument Company.
 
Because there is currently no sign or marker near the plant that tells the story of Metcalfe, now is an ideal time to implement these suggestions or find other tangible ways to honor his legacy.
 
---------------
 
ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez.

HISTORY LESSON: Rosenwald, Washington honored with historical marker

A new historical marker in Natchez honors Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington for funding Black schools in Adams County, highlighting their lasting impact on education and community progress.

By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
Sunday, November 23, 2025

A marker honoring Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington for their support of Black schools in Adams County and the American South was recently unveiled in a special ceremony. The marker is posted in front of the administrative office of the Natchez-Adams County School District on Homochitto Street. Pictured from left are Dr. Cecile Dianne Bunch, Dr. Brenda Robison, Tony Fields, LLJuna Grennell Weir, Superintendent Zandra McDonald, Phillip West, Bobby Dennis, and Mayor Dan Gibson. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ – Officials of the Natchez-Adams County School District unveiled a historical marker Thursday, November 20, that pays tribute to Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), who funded five Black schools in Adams County in 1921. Rosenwald was a wealthy businessman, philanthropist, and owner of Sears, Roebuck and Company.

His relationship with Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), founder of Tuskegee Institute, which is now Tuskegee University, led to the creation of the Rosenwald Fund in 1917 that provided financial support for African American schools in the South.

Bobby Dennis, the director of the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, said the marker unveiled in Natchez honors “the significant educational legacy of the Rosenwald Schools of Adams County.”

The marker is posted in front of the administrative office of the school district at 10 Homochitto Street.

“This marker is in front of the school district office to recognize the fact that Rosenwald Schools were located in each of the five county districts,” said Dennis before the unveiling ceremony. He noted Fitts School, Kingston School, Milford School, Pine Mount School, and Roseland School, were all funded by Rosenwald. 

“It is important for us to include the educational progression of the county as well as the city,” Dennis said. “Education is still our most important asset for preserving the forward movement of the city, and our youths are the future.”

A close-up of the new marker. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Dennis said Philip West, vice president of the district’s school board, was one of his biggest motivators in getting the Rosenwald story out correctly “because of the way he helped pioneer the building of the new Natchez High School.”

Dennis conducted the research for the new marker and organized the unveiling ceremony that was hosted by the school district. He said the marker was sponsored by Jerry Klinger of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, in partnership with the museum and Regions Bank.

Superintendent Zandra McDonald attended the ceremony along with board members and several officials of the school district.

“It’s inspiring to see the intersection of our history and our present moment,” said McDonald. “We honor and celebrate the contributions of those who laid the foundation for formal education in the Natchez-Adams School District. We also celebrate the forward-thinking vision of our Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustees, who continue to reimagine what education can and should be for the students of Natchez and Adams County.”

McDonald offered thanks to the founders and current leadership of the Natchez-Adams educational system. “And most importantly, we acknowledge that progress is a collective effort,” she said. “It takes all of us—educators, families, community members, and partners—to ensure that the Natchez-Adams School District continues to grow, continues to evolve, and continues to keep its focus on preparing our students for success in a dynamic and ever-changing world.”

Mayor Dan Gibson also participated in the day’s ceremony. Speaking on Friday, he said, “The story of Mr. Rosenwald and his passion for education is truly inspiring. It speaks to our time today. Without a doubt, education and exceptional opportunities are the answer for all of our citizens. I am grateful to Bobby Dennis and NAPAC for bringing this little-known story to light. May it inspire us as a people to do all we can to see that our children have every advantage they can be afforded.”

Dennis said it is important to acknowledge the contributions of both Rosenwald and Washington. Together, they built nearly 5,000 schools across the South, he said, adding many of these schools were isolated and existed in rural communities “where educational opportunity had been intentionally denied for generations.”

The Rosenwald Schools marker was designed and manufactured by Lake Shore Industries of Erie, Pennsylvania.

See more at this link: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/rosenwald-washington-honored-with-historical-marker-12585e43