Natchez High School graduates awarded scholarship by the Wharlest & Exerlena Jackson Legacy Project and Cold Case Justice Initiative

Khari Anderson and Henry Davis III were recognized in recent news report by the Syracuse University College of Law

Khari Anderson

The Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson Legacy Project (Jackson Legacy Project) and the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) of Syracuse University College of Law have announced the inaugural recipients of the Jackson Legacy Project Scholarship. Khari Anderson and Henry Davis III, both Natchez High School Class of 2023 graduates, are the 2023 recipients of scholarships.

Anderson and Davis submitted statements that addressed the Jackson Legacy Project’s motto (Justice, Empowerment, Legacy), personal experience or interest in racial or social justice activities, and how will receiving the Jackson Legacy Project Scholarship assist your long-term goals to contribute to movements for justice and social change.

Announced at the Jackson Legacy Project Seminar in 2022, the Jackson Legacy Project Scholarship awards $500 scholarships to two current senior high school students. This scholarship honors the legacy of Wharlest, Sr. and Exerlena Jackson, for their selfless courage and sacrifice in the cause of racial and social justice for all. The story of Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson was told on the PBS Frontline film “American Reckoning.”

“Love is the only force capable of transforming enemies into friends,” says Wharlest Jackson Jr.

Henry Davis III

“I am so pleased that CCJI has helped the Jackson family realize this goal to memorialize their parents’ legacy through the Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson Legacy Scholarship.  The Jackson Legacy Scholarship will support deserving students who will continue the work of racial and social justice for which the Jacksons devoted their lives.  We look forward to future events to commemorate the Jackson family’s legacy and contributions to a just and inclusive American society,” says Paula Johnson, Professor and Director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative.

Tamika Ford, Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson’s granddaughter quotes Rosa Parks: "Memories of our lives, of our works, and our deeds will continue in others."

Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson’s daughter, Denise Jackson Ford says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.”

Anderson writes, “Being awarded the Jackson Legacy Project scholarship could jump-start my career as a cosmetologist and social advocate for every hair type and every little girl and lady globally. This long-term goal of mine could very well positively affect so many lives just by them trusting me to enlighten them on the importance of their strands. I hope to change the outlook of hair care companies as well as the cosmetology field. The impact that this social change can have on this country and the world can change for the better. I plan to help every person find the true beauty in themselves and the ones around them by guiding each other through the thick and thin of this very controversial topic.”

As part of his statement, Davis writes, “We must empower one another instead of pulling down or killing one another. We must stand together to do things that uplift our community and race. The people who participated in and led the Civil Rights movement did it so there could be a better place and environment for future generations. We must do the same. It is my belief that every generation should get better. When we see our brothers and sisters doing things that are not productive and cause harm, we must be that voice to lead them to do better and to be wiser. I strive to be an example for other young Black youth.”

About Wharlest Jackson

During the Civil Rights Movement, Wharlest and Exerlena were active in Natchez, Adams County, MS to assist people of color to register to vote, have a voice in their community, and increase educational and employment opportunities. Wharlest became the Treasurer of the local NAACP Chapter, in Natchez. Exerlena was also active in the movement for voter registration and civil rights. Wharlest had the qualifications that earned him a promotion within Armstrong Tire and Rubber Company for a job that previously had been held only by Whites. The Ku Klux Klan was very active in the area, and Wharlest was constantly threatened for his activism and his employment position. He was murdered on February 27, 1967, when a bomb was detonated under his truck when he left work.

No one has been held accountable for Wharlest Jackson’s death. However, Wharlest and Exerlena’s work was not in vain. They were courageous and their actions galvanized the community to insist on the equal rights and civic participation that they fought for. The Jackson Legacy Project will carry on their legacy by providing the annual two-day program to inspire others to continue to fight for voting rights, education, and employment opportunities for all people.

About the Cold Case Justice Initiative

The Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at Syracuse University College of Law was co-founded by Professor Paula C. Johnson and Professor Emerita Janis L. McDonald. Professor Johnson continues to direct the Initiative. CCJI investigates unsolved racially motivated homicides and disappearances, such as the Wharlest Jackson case, which occurred during the Civil Rights Era and contemporary times. CCJI works to hold responsible parties accountable and conducts relevant research, academic education, professional training, public awareness, and memorial legacies of victims of racial crimes who fought for the rights and freedoms of present and future generations. For more information, visit CCJI.

 

My article on Bluff City Savings Bank, the first and only black-owned bank in Natchez, Miss.

It appears in the July/Aug 2023 issue of Natchez Magazine

I’m happy to share my latest piece of writing on African American history in Natchez. This effort resulted in many pleasant surprises. Throughout the process, as I sought to discover the location of Bluff City Savings Bank, I stumbled upon quite a few gems that shed light on the bank’s founders and on the history of the bank itself. I must admit, however, that I was surprised to learn that the bank existed for only a few years and that it only closed after the failure of a local white bank, which affected all of the local banks at the time.

Grateful acknowledgments are made to Mimi Miller, executive director emerita of Historic Natchez Foundation, for her knowledge, research, and overall support.

The Article

When Eric Berry purchased the Natchez Manor Bed & Breakfast in 2019, he didn't know that he' d also acquired a piece of African American history. The former NFL football player learned recently that the back section of the Manor, a new addition, is resting on the actual site of the Bluff City Savings Bank -- the first black-owned bank in Natchez.

Natchez Manor is located at 600 Franklin St. The historical site to its rear, on which its property lies, faces North Union Street. The site includes the area that was once home to the office of Dr. John Bowman Banks, Natchez's first black physician. Dr. Banks' office was located next to Bluff City, where he also served as bank president.

To read the full article, visit here or follow this link:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372279676_'THIS_HISTORY_IS_IMPORTANT'_Remembering_the_Bluff_City_Savings_Bank

#BluffCitySavingsBank #DrJohnBanks #NatchezCulturalLegacy #VisitNatchez #NatchezHistory #BlackHistory #MississippiHistory #VisitMississippi

Theresa Merritt donates Madam C.J. Walker doll to NAPAC Museum

Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
(Jul 13, 2023 | 12:23 p.m.)

Roscoe Barnes III

Natchez doll artisan Theresa Merritt recently donated a Madam C.J. Walker doll to the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture. The doll will be featured in the upcoming exhibit at the museum titled, “Accenting the Natchez Black Business District.” The exhibit will open Sept. 30. Merritt is pictured here with Bobby Dennis, the museum’s executive director.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – A Madam C.J. Walker doll created by Theresa Merritt of Natchez will be the highlight of a permanent exhibit at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, which is commonly called NAPAC museum. Walker, who visited Natchez in 1916, was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire.

The NAPAC exhibit is titled, “Accenting the Natchez Black Business District.” It will open as a free public event on Sept. 30 at 301 Main St.

According to Bobby Dennis, the museum’s executive director, the exhibit will tell the story of Walker, an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and St. Catherine Street, where many businesses once thrived in the black community.

“A lot of people are not getting the full story of Natchez,” Dennis said. “How many people in Natchez know that the first black female millionaire in our nation had a relationship with local residents?”

Merritt donated the Walker doll to the museum on Saturday, July 8. Merritt is a doll artisan who has created dolls for over 30 years. She said her niche is creating African American dolls. Her dolls have depicted Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, and Phillis Wheatley, among other figures in African American history.

Theresa Merritt, a Natchez artisan, gazes at the Madam C.J. Walker doll she created and recently donated to the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture. The doll will be featured in the upcoming exhibit at the museum titled, “Accenting the Natchez Black Business District.” The exhibit will open Sept. 30.

‘Lady with a Past’

“All my dolls are inspired by the past,” Merritt wrote on her webpage. “I have always been fascinated with history, especially the stories I have found about the strong women, famous or not, who helped shape history in their own way.”

Merritt said she created Walker’s doll over the last few months, after watching the Netflix miniseries, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” that featured Octavia Spencer.

“I had read about her, and I watched the miniseries on Netflix and became fascinated by her story,” Merritt said. “It made me sad that I had not heard of her before that. She was monumental for women’s rights, especially black women’s rights.”

Merritt said Walker’s story should have been taught in schools. “She was a tremendous example for young women of any walk of life,” Merritt said.

As for donating it to the museum, Merritt said this was something she had thought about for years. “I had visited the museum one time and was so impressed by what I saw,” she said. “I thought it would be a nice gesture to give them something, a lady who had ties to Natchez. I was also inspired by the enthusiasm by Bobby Dennis.”

Merritt said Walker used to travel to different cities to market her cosmetics and beauty products, and she came to Natchez for that reason.

Walker and the Dumas brothers

Walker was an acquaintance of the Dumas brothers: Dr. Albert Dumas Sr., a physician, and Dr. Henry Joseph Dumas, a pharmacist, who managed Dumas Pharmacy at 707-09 Franklin St. When Walker visited Natchez in 1916, she stayed at Dr. Albert’s home at 729 N. Pine St., which is now 729 M.L.K. Jr. Road, according to Dr. Albert’s grandson, Joseph Dumas.

The two brothers apparently made a great impression on Walker. So much so that she raved about them in a letter to her attorney, F. B. Ransom. In the letter, which was dated, Nov. 8, 1916, Walker wrote:

“I surely made a hit in Natchez and am sure we’ll get some good business from there. Write a nice letter to Drs. Henry and Albert Dumas [who] vied with each other in showing us every courtesy [and who] not only refused to take pay for our room and board, but carriage hire, medicine, professional services and even advertising. I never have met such people before in all my life to be strangers. I’d like so much for you to know them.”

This letter was shared online by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, in the article, “Madam Walker and The Doctors Dumas of Natchez.” Bundles is a journalist and the author of “On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker” (Scribner, 2001).

Bundle noted the Dumas brothers were unusually successful, not only in Natchez, but as far away as Howard University’s School of Medicine, where the brother, Dr. Michel O. Dumas, served as the school’s chairman of the board.

“At this point, I’ve spent so many years doing research on African American success stories that I’m no longer surprised by the existence of people like the Dumas Brothers, which is not to say that I don’t also still stand in awe of their accomplishments,” Bundles wrote. “The Doctors Dumas may have been the exception to the rule a century ago, but the intelligence, motivation and hunger that spurred them on was in rich supply among black men and women born during the generations immediately after the Emancipation Proclamation.”

Walker died on May 25, 1919, after succumbing to kidney failure reportedly brought on by high blood pressure. She was 51.

For more information on NAPAC museum’s exhibit, contact Bobby Dennis at (601) 445-0728, or by email at bobbyden@visitnapac.com

Story of Devil's Punchbowl in Natchez is reported by Yahoo! News

Myths are dispelled in this thorough, accurate piece by Marquise Francis

I was delighted and more than pleased to see the June 17, 2023, article on the Devil’s Punch Bowl by Marquis Francis, national reporter for Yahoo News! As I’ve told others about this period of Civil War history, Francis’ article is a breath of fresh air that is badly needed on this controversial and widely misunderstood topic. Especially now with the proliferation of self-proclaimed experts, ghost hunters, pseudo-science, and conspiracy theories.

Unlike the many YouTube videos and platforms spouting misinformation about this period in the history of Natchez, Miss., Francis tells the story as it needs to be told, and that is with simple logic, valid assertions, and relevant facts as opposed to fallacies. His work is thorough, and his research is solid. His interviews included multiple people, such as local historians and scholars, in his quest for the truth. Thankfully, he found the truth and he wrote about it with a voice of authority. He explained in very clear terms how the Devil’s Punch Bowl has been misunderstood and unfairly promoted as a “concentration camp.” Indeed, this piece of writing is a must-read. 

I should also mention that I am one of the historians quoted in this article. I'm proud to be included with Francis' impressive list of scholars and researchers.

You can read the article here or by following this link: https://news.yahoo.com/the-devils-punchbowl-debunking-the-social-media-myth-of-a-civil-war-massacre-090017590.html

#DevilsPunchBowl #CivilWar #USColoredTroops #NatchezCulturalLegacy #NatchezHistory #ColoredTroops

Natchez’s David Kelley ‘takes seat’ with Osage Nation

He and his family receive Native American names

From The Natchez Democrat
Published 10:28 pm Sunday, July 2, 2023 
By Staff Reports

Here in full Native American regalia are Dr. Chuck Borum, left, and David Kelley. Borum is director of the Natchez Powwow.

From left are Katy Tingtella, Kelsey Kelley, David Kelley, Kylin Kelley, Kaylin Kelley, and Jodie Revard, Osage congresswoman and cousin to David, and Guy Ray Pocowatchit, Jodie’s partner.

David Kelley and his family are members of the Osage Nation. They recently attended ceremonies in Oklahoma where they were given their Native American names, and David was officially seated as a member of the Osage tribe. From left are Kelsey Kelley, David Kelley, Kylin Kelley, Kaylin Kelley, and Jody Revard, Osage congresswoman and cousin to David.

By ROSCOE BARNES III 

Special to The Natchez Democrat 

NATCHEZ — After years of wondering about his Native American heritage, David Kelley is now officially recognized — and embraced — as a member of the Osage Nation.

On May 27, while visiting Pawhuska, Okla., the nation named him, Wah-shin Sah, which means “Black Bird.”

“It’s black bird, but it’s more than a black bird,” said Kelley in a recent interview. “It’s a spirit bird, more along the lines of the ‘intangible shadow of the eagle’ — a spirit bird, as it was explained to me.” 

Kelley said the experience of being named was so exciting and so meaningful, it is hard to put into words. “It was amazing,” he said, noting his wife, Kelsey, received the honorary name, Hein Kin Pi, which means “Has seen and understands” (Treasure for the People).

His daughters, Kylin and Kaylin, are “legitimate natives” and received Osage names, Kelley said. Kylin was named Maun-Tseh Tsey Key, which means “Sacred Arrow Staff” (Entrusted by the People), and Kaylin was named, Hein-Keh Maun-Key. Her name means “Plume Falling into Nest” (Mother’s Love Always Present). 

On June 22, on his second trip to Oklahoma, Kelley took his seat with the Osage tribe in Pawhuska during the I-Lonschka, an important ceremonial gathering in Osage culture. “It’s the great ceremony of the Osage nation,” said Kelley. 

“I am now known,” he said, explaining the seating gives him an official connection with his Osage family. “Before, when I attended dances, I was only a visitor, but now, wherever I go, no matter what dance, I will be seated with Osage. I am Osage.”

Osage seating 

Kelley said he had to be named before he could be seated. The seating occurred on the first day of the dance ceremony. Kelley said he was seated at the 2 p.m. dance on Thursday, June 22. It was a moving experience, he recalled. 

Kelley was standing outside the arbor, which he described as a big pavilion, when an Osage man, the town crier, approached him. Kelley covered the man with a Pendleton blanket as a gesture of respect. 

The man led him inside the arbor while speaking loudly in a Native American tongue. Along the way the man cried out Kelley’s name, saying, “Wah-shin Sah! He is Osage! Wah-shin Sah! He is Osage!” “He is one of us!” 

Kelley went inside and presented five blankets to his Osage brothers, which included the head men and drum keepers. 

The committee man stepped up and gave a presentation on Kelley’s family lineage “so that everyone could understand my history and know that I was legitimate and eligible to be seated,” Kelley said.  The head committeeman took an immature golden eagle feather and placed it on Kelley’s headdress, after which, the whip man came over and placed Kelley in a seat. 

At that moment, Kelley officially took his seat as Wah-shin Sah. 

As a sign of his acceptance, his brothers granted him the right to wear the roach, a traditional Native American male headdress made from the soft quills of a porcupine.

Dr. Charles Borum’s help 

Kelley credits Dr. Charles Borum, director of the Natchez Powwow, with helping him to learn about the ways of Native Americans in general and the Osage Nation in particular. 

“Without him none of this would have happened,” Kelley said. “He led me in the right direction, and he assisted me in many other ways. I’ve learned a lot from him, and I am so grateful to him for everything he’s done.” 

According to Borum, Kelley has been involved with the Natchez Powwow for the past couple of years. “It was really neat to see him go through the process and be seated,” said Borum. “I was honored I was able to be a conduit. I’m proud of him.” 

Back in March, Borum said in an interview that Kelley had approached him seeking information on the Osage people. “He was Osage, but he did not know about the Osage ways,” Borum recalled. “Since then, he’s gotten connected with the Osage family.” 

Borum said that he and Kelley were attending the Lone Star War Dance in Granbury, Texas when he introduced Kelley to Otto Hamilton, a legislator in the Osage congress, and he in turn helped connect Kelley with his relative, Jodie Revard, who is also a legislator with the Osage legislature. 

“Jodie was my first connection to my family out there in Oklahoma,” Kelley said.

Osage history 

When Kelley initially thought about receiving his Native American name, he thought the process would be quick. It was not. Kelley met with Eddy Red Eagle Jr., the designated name-giver for Kelley’s section of the family. Red Eagle said that Kelley’s family was part of the Eagle Clan known as Tzi-zho wah-shah-keh. 

“Mr. Red Eagle had a big TV and slide projector that he used to tell our story,” Kelley said. “His objective was to make us understand the old way.” 

Red Eagle urged Kelley to read David Grann’s book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” (Doubleday, 2017) and to watch the movie by the same name. The book and the movie tell the story of the Osage people. 

Kelley said that in the early 1900s, the Osage people “hit it big time” with oil on their reservation. “The Osage men became rich during the great depression. Mr. Red Eagle said a lot of people thought we got lucky because of the oil,” Kelley said. “But we weren’t successful because of what people brought to us, but it was because of who we are.” 

After sharing the history of the Osage Nation, Red Eagle began to name each member of Kelley’s family. He began with David. Red Eagle explained that he didn’t just choose a name. Instead he selected a name that was handed down through generations, a name that belonged to other people in history. 

“The name, black bird, is connected to the spirit world,” Kelley said. 

Red Eagle explained, “Where other people can’t function in the night or in the darkness, you can see in the darkness. You’re very spiritual. You have no fear of the night. 

“Your name is Wah-shin Sah.”

Read more at: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2023/07/02/natchezs-david-kelley-takes-seat-with-osage-nation/