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.

 

New panels at Natchez National Historical Park preserve stories of the enslaved

I enjoyed my visit with KNOE 8 News reporter Shahid Evans!

See video at this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BfiAfsapn/

New marker will honor Civil Rights leader George Metcalfe

Natchez will dedicate a historical marker Aug. 27, 2026, honoring NAACP leader George Metcalfe at the site of the 1965 Ku Klux Klan bombing that seriously injured him.

Staff Reports
The Natchez Democrat

George Metcalfe. Photo courtesy of Ed Pincus Film Collection Amistad Research Center, New Orleans, LA (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ – Natchez will unveil a Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) historical marker honoring George Metcalfe, a World War II veteran and former president of the Natchez branch of the NAACP whose leadership helped advance the local civil rights movement.

The marker will be dedicated on Aug. 27, 2026, during a public ceremony tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. near the triangular area formed by Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue and South Concord Avenue near the former Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company, where Metcalfe was seriously injured in a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1965. Dr. Robert James, president of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, will serve as keynote speaker, with remarks from Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, president of the Natchez NAACP. The event is free and open to the public.

“For too long, essential chapters of our city's history have gone unrecognized in the public eye,” said Mayor Dan Gibson. “By dedicating this marker to George Metcalfe and his courage in the fight for civil rights, we take another vital step forward in telling our city's complete and honest story. His unwavering determination in the face of profound personal danger paved the way for progress in Natchez and for citizens formally ill-treated to be treated with respect. Facing our past with clarity ensures we build a stronger, more united future together.”

During his tenure as president of the Natchez NAACP, Metcalfe led voter registration efforts that added more than 8,000 Black residents to the local voter rolls. He also worked alongside other civil rights leaders to advocate for desegregation, equal employment opportunities, ending police brutality and greater political representation for Black residents.

The marker’s location was intentionally selected as it recognizes the site of the Aug. 27, 1965, bombing, where a bomb hidden inside Metcalfe's car exploded after he finished his shift at Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company. Although he survived the attack, he sustained serious injuries, and no one was ever charged in connection with the bombing.

The bombing prompted protest rallies, marches and boycotts throughout the community. In the weeks that followed, the Natchez chapter of the Deacons for Defense and Justice was established to help protect Black residents and civil rights workers, and by the end of 1965, the City of Natchez had agreed to demands presented by the NAACP.

“George Metcalfe's courage and leadership helped shape the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez,” says Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez and immediate past president of the Mississippi Historical Society. “By placing this marker at the site of the bombing, we are preserving an important chapter of our history and ensuring future generations understand the sacrifices made in the pursuit of equality.”

The new marker builds on ongoing efforts to preserve and interpret Natchez's African American and Civil Rights history through public markers, educational initiatives and community-led storytelling.

Additional details about the dedication ceremony and related programming will be announced closer to the event.

Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C. M. Boxley: Defender and Pioneer of Black History Programs in Natchez, Mississippi

He is now featured in Mississippi History Now
 
by Roscoe Barnes III
Mississippi History Now
August 2026
 

Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley is pictured in this 2014 tintype photo wearing a 6th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery uniform at the 150th anniversary of the Fort Pillow Massacre in Tennessee, which occurred on April 12, 1864. Photo courtesy of Ser Boxley (Click on image to enlarge.)

 

More than anyone else, Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C. M. Boxley has consistently and vigorously fought for the recognition of Natchez’s African American history, and his impact, according to writers and historians, is unmistakable.

Boxley has been a warrior for justice and human rights for most of his life. He has established himself as an author, civil rights activist, and historian of the African American history of Natchez.

In the book, The Deepest South of All (Simon & Schuster, 2020), Richard Grant describes him as having “the air of a warrior… and his battlefield was the intersection of his history, memory, and tourism.”

During the 1960s, after spending many years working for justice and other causes in California, Boxley joined the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice, an organization that provided armed protection for the Black community and civil rights workers against the Ku Klux Klan. Among his various activities, Boxley assisted the Deacons with a fundraising campaign in California that allowed them to purchase firearms and acquire other resources for the struggle in Natchez.

See the full article at this link: https://mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/ser-seshsh-ab-heter-c-m-boxley-defender-and-pioneer-black-history-programs-natchez

Forks of the Road features new history exhibits

Natchez National Historical Park has added new panels at the Forks of the Road slave market site, using U.S. Colored Troops pension records to share stories of enslaved people and the market’s destruction.

By Roscoe Barnes III 

The Natchez Democrat

August 7, 2026

Jeff Mansell, lead historian at Natchez National Historical Park, stands next to the new location sign at the Forks of the Road site. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Natchez National Historical Park has installed new interpretive wayside panels at the Forks of the Road slave market site. Drawing on U.S. Colored Troops pension records, the panels share the stories of formerly enslaved people recruited there between 1863 and 1865 and recount how African American soldiers helped dismantle the slave market structures to construct army barracks.

 
The panels replace earlier displays that had deteriorated. The new panels were installed in July 2026, shortly before the Julyteenth celebration.
 
A new, larger, identity sign featuring the National Park Service arrowhead now stands on the south side of the site.
 
Jeff Mansell, historian for the Natchez National Historical Park, said the new content was drawn directly from the pension applications filed by former U.S. Colored Troops veterans, their widows, and their children.
 
“Most of them specifically reference the Forks of the Road - either being trafficked there, or visiting their husband, son or veteran there in the regimental barracks or the hospital which were located there on the site,” Mansell said. “We intentionally looked for records that specifically mentioned the Forks of the Road. We wanted to highlight experiences that took place on the site itself.”
 
Mansell drafted the text on all the panels. Stephanie Metzler, graphic designer with the Southeast Region of the National Park Service, created the background images for the wayside panels.
 
Wayside panels
 
One panel, “Pressing Their Claim,” uses pension records to tell the heart-felt story of Elzira Bright:
 
“I was born in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky and I belonged to a man named Allen Anderson. My father was Hickman Hickenbottem and my mother was Minerva and we all belonged to the same man. I was sold to a negro trader when I was 19 years old and he brought me to Natchez with a gang of a hundred head and I was sold at the forks of the road to Faultneroy of Jefferson County and lived on his place until the war came.
 
“His place was counted 16 miles from Natchez, Mississippi. Allen Lewis came from Boyle County, Ky. And the same trader, Dick White, brought us down in the same gang. I was taken from Richmond to Lexington, Ky. And there I met up with Allen Lewis and we were brought to Natchez together and sold to Frank Faultneroy and taken to his place in the Church Hill community.”
 
Mansell noted: “Elzira Bright’s account is similar to many who were trafficked in the domestic slave trade. A trader transported her from Kentucky to Natchez alongside a group of one hundred people, including her future husband. Though her story represents countless others sold at the Forks of the Road market, Elzira Bright stands apart because we know her name and fate.”
 
Bright was approved to receive her husband’s pension in 1903.
 
The earlier panels were created by Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C. M. Boxley and the Friends of the Forks of the Road. Mansell said the National Park Service initially funded the site’s large four-panel kiosk in 2005, which it has now refurbished.
 
Mansell said the new wayside panels were funded by the park with “generous assistance” from its philanthropic partners: the National Park Foundation and the Trust for Public Land.
 
These partners also helped the park acquire Freedom Hall, formerly the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, at 105 Devereaux Drive on the east side of the Forks of the Road site. On July 12, 2026, the park held its first program at the site that featured a presentation by Mansell titled, “Julyteenth: When Freedom Came to Natchez.”
 
“Freedom Hall will eventually serve as the visitor contact station at the site, where a ranger or guide will be there,” Mansell said. “We hope to have a film, and there will be more extensive exhibits on site for visitors to experience.”

Lead Historian Jeff Mansell points to a historic photograph featured on a new interpretive panel in the free-standing kiosk at the Forks of the Road site. (Click on image to enlarge.)

 

Free-standing kiosk
 
Other new features include history panels displayed in the free-standing kiosk. One section, titled, “Leveled to the Ground,” describes how the slave market site came to an end.
 
The panel notes:
 
“The last sales at the Forks happened in early 1863, just months before the U.S. Army occupied Natchez that July. The arrival of Federal troops brought freedom to the tens of thousands of enslaved people in the Natchez District. Freedpeople (persons recently released from slavery) flocked into town from the surrounding countryside. Many settled here at the Forks near an encampment of African American soldiers, known as the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT).
 
“In the fall, soldiers stationed in Natchez were given orders to tear down the slave pens at Forks of the Road. Men of the newly created 58th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment willingly joined the efforts. With some poetic justice, African American soldiers who had previously been enslaved and sold as property at Forks of the Road carried out the physical destruction of the slave market.”
 
The panel includes the image of a letter published in the Milwaukee Sentinel describing the event.
 
The Forks of the Road was the second largest slave market in the Deep South during the antebellum period. The first part of the 18-acre site was donated to the National Park Service in 2021. Mansell said plans for the site’s long-term development are underway, though no final decisions have been made. He said land acquisition is continuing.
 

Armand Saiia featured in Mississippi Business Journal

(Click on image to enlarge.)

I'm happy to congratulate my friend, Armand, on being featured in the August 2026 issue of the Mississippi Business Journal! He has an impressive two-page spread. Well deserved!