Natchez honors civil rights leader George Metcalfe

This historic event was held on the 61st anniversary of the bombing of George Metcalfe’s car by the Ku Klux Klan at the very site where the bombing occurred.

By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., Visit Natchez

by Mississippi Monitor | Sep 3, 2026 | Capital/River

This marker, approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, was dedicated by the City of Natchez on August 27, 2026, the 61st anniversary of the Ku Klux Klan bombing of George Metcalfe's car. (Click on image to enlarge.)

 
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- The City of Natchez recently unveiled a historical marker honoring the life and legacy of civil rights leader George Metcalfe (1911-1989), whose car was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan on August 27, 1965. Metcalfe survived the attack but suffered severe injuries. No one was ever charged in connection with the bombing.

Metcalfe was president of the Natchez NAACP and a leading advocate for civil rights and economic opportunity. He led a voter registration drive that added over 8,000 Black residents to the local rolls. His activism made him a target of white supremacist violence during one of the most turbulent periods in Mississippi's civil rights struggle.
 
"Mr. George Metcalfe and many others sacrificed so much for our freedom," said Mayor Dan Gibson. "The best way we can honor them is by moving forward together, setting aside old divisions, and making sure our community is built on kindness and understanding."
 
About 60 people attended the ceremony on Thursday, August 27, 2026 – the 61st anniversary of the bombing. They gathered at the site of the bombing at the intersection of Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue, and South Concord Avenue, on the west side of the former Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company.

Metcalfe was employed at the Armstrong plant and had just gotten off work when he sat in his 1955 Chevrolet sedan. When he turned the ignition, a bomb planted inside the vehicle by members of the Klan exploded.

Community members pose beside a Mississippi historical marker honoring civil rights leader George Metcalfe at the site of the August 27, 1965, bombing that nearly claimed his life. The marker, approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, stands near the former Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company in Natchez. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

The marker, approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, is posted in the triangle near the location where Metcalfe’s car was parked when the explosion occurred.
 
The ceremony drew people from across the Natchez community, including elected officials, educators, military veterans, and church leaders. Speakers included Alderman Billy Joe Frazier and Mississippi State Rep. Robert L. Johnson III. The Rev. Neddie Winters, former president of Mission Mississippi, served as the keynote speaker.
 
Stories and reflections
 
The audience heard stories and reflections from those who knew Metcalfe personally, as well as from individuals who recognize the significance of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez and beyond.
 
Gibson and Winters discussed Metcalfe’s legacy and emphasized the power of love when facing hate.

“My prayer today is that this will be a day of healing and a day of reconciliation,” said Gibson. “Becoming reconciled not only to the challenges we face in today’s world, but also to those things from the past that happened beyond any of our own ability to control.”
 

The Rev. Neddie Winters delivers the keynote address during a ceremony honoring civil rights leader George Metcalfe. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

Winters expressed his admiration for Metcalfe and the courage he demonstrated in his civil rights activities. “George recognized the moment and the opportunity he had to do something, and he had the courage in that moment to do what he could do with what he had,” Winters said. “He looked at his circumstances. He looked around, and in that moment he seized it.”

 
Frazier said it was a shame that Metcalfe, a World War II veteran, had served his country and came home where he was nearly killed. “He was in the war and didn’t get so much as a scratch on him,” he said. But he came home to fight for freedom that was denied because of the color of his skin, he added.
 
In Johnson’s view, the Klansmen did not plant the bomb in Metcalfe’s car merely because he was Black. “They stuck a bomb under it because Metcalfe and Wharlest Jackson Sr. took positions and money that they thought that an African American person should not have.”
 
Array of speakers
 
The program, which lasted just over an hour, featured an array of speakers that included Frances Bailey and Paul Bacon, eyewitnesses to the bombing; Jeremy Houston, author and local historian; Denise Jackson Ford, daughter of slain civil rights leader Wharlest Jackson Sr., and Wharlest Jackson Jr., his son; Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP; and Bobby Dennis, director of the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture.
 
Houston was in the Marines when he read Jack E. Davis’ book, “Race Against Time,” and saw the stories about Metcalfe and other leaders in the Natchez movement. When he completed his military service and returned home, he began meeting with the leaders who were still around to learn more about Metcalfe and the civil rights history.
 
“I really appreciate George Metcalfe,” Houston said. “I wouldn’t be who I am, and I wouldn’t be able to stand up before a lot of people who I stood up before without him and Wharlest Jackson.”
 
Arceneaux-Mathis acknowledged the contributions of Metcalfe and others in the movement and urged the audience to keep fighting and voting. She said the NAACP is striving to add 16,000 people to the voting rolls.
 
Bailey and Bacon, who were teenagers at the time of the attack, described in detail Metcalfe’s suffering after the explosion. Both said he was conscious and calling for help.
 
‘Plea for help’
 
“This day will forever be with me,” said Bailey. “The memories of the pain of this man and his plea for help.”
 
Denise Jackson Ford said she was grateful that her father became an instrument in helping Metcalfe form the NAACP here along with others, including her mother, the late Exerlena Jackson. “My dad did not sacrifice his life for 17 cents raise here at Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company,” she said. “He sacrificed his life because he had a family with five children and didn’t want my mother to work because of her illness.”
 
Her brother, Wharlest Jackson Jr., expressed fond memories of Metcalfe. “George Metcalfe was like a dad to me,” he said.
 
Dennis grew up during the time of the bombing. “Now I can recognize some of the lessons that have driven me in my life in growing up through the sacrifices that this man made,” he said.

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson delivers opening remarks during a ceremony honoring civil rights leader George Metcalfe. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

Other participants in the ceremony included the Rev. Dr. Chad Caldwell, associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church Natchez, who delivered the invocation, and the Rev. Clifton Marvel Sr., pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church, who gave the benediction. Tony Fields, minister of music at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church, sang the national anthem. Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez and immediate past president of the Mississippi Historical Society, served as the master of ceremonies.

 
 

George Metcalfe: May he never be forgotten.

 

(Click on image to enlarge.)

KNOE 8 News coverage of ceremony honoring George Metcalfe

Reporter Shahid Evans, left, and Dr. Roscoe Barnes III
(Click on image to enlarge.)

Reporter Shahid Evans of KNOE 8 News provided excellent coverage of our ceremony honoring civil rights leader George Metcalfe on August 27, 2026. The ceremony was held at the site where Metcalfe’s car was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan on August 27, 1965, outside the former Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company in Natchez.

Click here to see Evans' reel on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DbgD2jQ6G/

Civil rights leader George Metcalfe honored

 

(Click on image to enlarge.)

On Thursday, August 27, 2026, we honored George Metcalfe at the site where his car was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan on August 27, 1965. He survived the attack but suffered severe injuries. No one was ever charged with the crime. This marker is posted on the west side of the old Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company in the triangle at the intersection of Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue, and South Concord Avenue, in Natchez, Mississippi.

Pilgrimage Garden Club to host symposium on Pre-Civil War Natchez history

Presentations will explore cotton and the Mississippi River, followed by dedication of new Enslaved Quarters Exhibit at Longwood

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Aug 24, 2026 | 12:11 PM

Terrel Williams, M.D., president of the Pilgrimage Garden Club, announces plans for the James Wade Memorial Symposium slated for September 26 at the Carriage House. (Click on image to enlarge.)

 

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- The Pilgrimage Garden Club will host an afternoon symposium Saturday, September 26, examining the impact of the Mississippi River, cotton, and key events that shaped Natchez before the Civil War.

Held in memory of the late James McHenry Wade, former curator of Longwood, the program is titled “The People, River, and History that Shaped Natchez.” It runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Carriage House on the grounds of Historic Stanton Hall at 410 N. Commerce St. Admission is $25.
 
Following the symposium, a dedication ceremony will be held at Longwood at 140 Lower Woodville Road for the new Enslaved Quarters exhibit, located in the property’s historic dependency building. Admission is free.
 
Dr. Terrel Williams, president of the Pilgrimage Garden Club, said the exhibit will highlight the history of the enslaved families who lived and worked at Longwood and explore how dependency buildings – historically known as slave quarters – can provide invaluable insight into their daily experiences.
 
The symposium will focus on the explorations of La Salle, the transformation of the cotton industry following Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin, and the importance of preserving these stories and historic resources for future generations.
 
The symposium brochure highlights the significance of the Mississippi River, stating it has long shaped the history of Natchez, serving as a vital source of settlement, commerce, and conflict.
 
 “This program explores how the river fueled the cotton economy and plantation system while profoundly influencing the lives of the enslaved people whose labor sustained it,” the brochure notes.
 
The publication states that through these interconnected stories, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the region’s complex history and the ongoing efforts to preserve and interpret these narratives.
 
“Together, these topics offer a deeper understanding of the history, culture, and legacy of Natchez and the lower Mississippi River Valley,” said Williams.
 
In addition to Williams, who will serve as emcee, the symposium will feature presentations by six speakers:
 
* Stephen Perkins, author and co-founder of ForrestPerkins in Washington, D.C., will discuss “The Discovery of the Mississippi River by Rene’-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.”
 
* Becky Anderson, educator and historian at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, will discuss “Natchez Indians on the Bluff of the Mississippi River.”
 
* Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, will discuss “Dread and Dreams: The Mississippi River and the Journey of Prince Ibrahima.”
 
* Lynette Tanner, owner of Frogmore Plantation, will discuss “Cotton: White Gold on the River.”
 
* Carter Burns, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, will discuss “Plantation Dependencies and Longwood.”
 
* Douglas Lanfear, Longwood docent and former staff member at Rosalie, will discuss “Longwood Dependency: From History to Interpretation.”
 
Williams will deliver the symposium's welcome, opening remarks, and closing remarks.
 
Tickets to the symposium can be purchased at NatchezPilgrimage.com or by calling Natchez Pilgrimage Tours at 601-653-0919.
 
In 2025, the Pilgrimage Garden Club held its first James Wade Memorial Symposium, which focused on Longwood and the donated ostrich eggs that Dr. Rush Nutt and his eldest son, Rittenhouse Nutt, used to smuggle Egyptian cotton seeds out of Egypt.

ArtsNatchez donates $500 in art supplies to local classrooms

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Aug 21, 2026 | 1:01 PM

ArtsNatchez Gallery recently donated $500 worth of art supplies to two classrooms in the Miss-Lou area. Posing with the donated supplies, from left, are Judy Uzzetta, Armand Saiia, Katherine Parker, Connie Burns, art teacher Wilshonda Johnson, Joe Johnson, art teacher Amanda Coley, Sheri Perry-Brown, Michelle Bryant, and Carolyn Weir. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- ArtsNatchez Gallery recently donated $500 worth of art supplies to two first-year art teachers and their classrooms in Natchez and Vidalia.

The supplies were presented at the gallery to Amanda Coley, an art teacher at Vidalia High School, and Wilshonda Johnson, an art teacher at Natchez Middle School.
 
Both teachers said they were grateful to ArtsNatchez and look forward to sharing the supplies with their students.

“This donation means the difference between actually teaching students to create art like artists and just teaching art theory with no hands-on experience,” said Coley. “This donation means that students can immerse themselves in the creative process while learning to utilize different mediums.” 

Johnson expressed her gratitude for the gift and the impact it would have on her classroom. She said the supplies will provide her students with opportunities and creative ways to express themselves.
 
“Your generosity gives my students the tools to explore, experiment, and express their artistic voices with confidence and joy,” Johnson said. “I’m truly grateful — your support doesn’t just supply our classroom, it fuels every bold, brilliant masterpiece they’re ready to create.”
 
The donated items include drawing paper, mixed media paper, and watercolor paper, along with chalk pastels, drawing pencils, colored pencils, canvases, and acrylic paint. The teachers also received pens, erasers, sharpeners, and watercolor for the middle school classroom.
 
“The students are going to love it,” said Johnson, flashing a big smile. “They ask every day, ‘When are we going to paint?’”
 
ArtsNatchez member Carolyn Weir said the donation reflects how the generosity of local artists can become something tangible for two area classrooms to help the students prepare for the new school year.
 
“Both teachers had recently reached out to the community through Facebook, asking for help stocking their new art classrooms,” Weir said. “Like many public-school art teachers, they face the challenge of creating meaningful art experiences for their students with very limited classroom supplies and often must purchase materials themselves or rely on donations.”
 
Thankfully, said Weir, ArtsNatchez was in a position to help because of a fundraiser that began two years earlier. She noted the nonprofit organization hosted a special event in 2024 during which proceeds from donated artwork sold at the event were earmarked specifically for providing art supplies to local students.
 
The gallery held those funds until it found the right opportunity to put them to use, she said.
 
According to Weir, school art programs, elementary through high school, are an important focus for ArtsNatchez.
 
“Supporting artists has always been central to the mission of ArtsNatchez Gallery, but that mission extends beyond the professional artists whose work hangs in the gallery,” she said. “We believe in supporting the next generation of artists begins in local classrooms. By helping teachers provide students with access to art materials and creative opportunities, ArtsNatchez hopes to encourage young people to explore their creativity and discover the value of making art.”
 
ArtsNatchez Gallery is located at 425 Main St. It is open daily at 10 a.m. For more information, call 601-442-0043.

Neddie Winters to keynote event honoring George Metcalfe in Natchez

The Rev. Neddie Winters will keynote an Aug. 27 Natchez ceremony dedicating a historical marker to civil rights leader George Metcalfe.
 
Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
August 19, 2026

Neddie Winters, former president of Mission Mississippi, will serve as keynote speaker at the marker dedication ceremony honoring George Metcalfe on Thursday, August 27, in Natchez. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ — The Rev. Neddie Winters, former president of Mission Mississippi, Jackson, will serve as the keynote speaker for the dedication of a state historical marker honoring the late George Metcalfe. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the intersection of Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue, and South Concord Avenue, on the west side of the former Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company.

The event is hosted by the City of Natchez and Visit Natchez. It is free and open to the public.

Metcalfe was the president of the Natchez NAACP when his car was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan on Aug. 27, 1965, in the triangle area near the plant. That single act of violence became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez, galvanizing the Black community and helping spur a sustained campaign for voting rights and desegregation.

Metcalfe was targeted by the Klan because of his leadership in the Black community and his courageous civil rights activities. He successfully led a voter-registration drive that resulted in more than 8,000 African Americans registering to vote.

He and the NAACP called on the Natchez city administration to denounce white supremacist groups like the Klan and to end police brutality. They also urged the city to hire Black employees and to desegregate swimming pools, parks, and other public facilities. Metcalfe also led a delegation which confronted the school board with a signed petition calling for the desegregation of the public school system.

Winters said he is honored to participate in the Aug. 27 program and to speak about the legacy of Metcalfe.

A native of Tunica, Winters is a nationally recognized leader in racial reconciliation and healing.

“He is known for his passionate advocacy for building beloved communities through dialogue, understanding, and shared action,” said Dr. Felicia M. Bowens, executive assistant to the president of Mission Mississippi. “Under his leadership, Mission Mississippi became a statewide catalyst for conversations and collaborations that bridge racial divides.”

She noted Winters has dedicated his life to fostering oneness across racial, cultural, political, and denominational lines.

Winters served for many years as president of Mission Mississippi, a pioneering organization committed to racial reconciliation through Christian relationships and community engagement.

In addition to his public speaking and leadership, Winters serves as an adjunct professor at Belhaven University, where he teaches “The History, Theology, and Practice of Christian Reconciliation.”

Winters is a graduate of Alcorn State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. He holds a master’s degree in public finance management from American University’s Kogod School of Business.

In addition to Winters, the ceremony will feature remarks by Mayor Dan Gibson and Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP.

Other participants will include Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez, who will serve as master of ceremonies and introduce the keynote speaker.

The invocation will be given by the Rev. Dr. Chase Caldwell, associate pastor of First Presbyterian Natchez, and the benediction will be given by the Rev. Clifton Marvel Sr., pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

Historical reflections will be shared by Alderman Billy Joe Frazier; local historian Jeremy Houston; Frances Bailey and Paul Bacon, eyewitnesses to bombing; Denise Jackson Ford, daughter of Wharlest Jackson Sr., and Wharlest Jackson Jr., his son.

Thelma Newsome, representative of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum, will read a letter presented by Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater-Irving. Bobby Dennis, director of Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, will give the closing remarks.

For more information, call 601-492-3004.