84th commemoration of Rhythm Night Club fire slated for Saturday, April 27

Monroe Sago is pictured with the historical  marker that tells the story of the Rhythm  Night Club Fire. Monroe and his wife, Betty Monroe, are the owners of the Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum.

————-

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The 84th commemoration of the Rhythm Night Club fire of April 23, 1940, will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Rhythm Night Club (on site) Memorial Museum at 5 St. Catherine Street, Natchez. It is free and open to the public.

Thelma Newsome, a retired educator and former member of the Natchez-Adams School District Board of Education, will be the guest speaker. A $500 (or more) scholarship will be presented to a student who has written a winning essay about the Rhythm Night Club fire. The program will include music, prizes, and refreshments.

For more information, call 601-597-0557 or send email to bettysago@rnconsitemm.org. Visit the official website at https://www.rnconsitemm.org/

Wiggins to share his story on MPB Radio

 

James Wiggins will be interviewed this morning (4/16/24) by Desare Frazier of MPB's Morning Edition, which is aired Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. 

Wiggins will talk about his new book, "Outliving the White Lie," and his April 23 lecture at the meeting of the Natchez Historical Society. I will post a link to the interview whenever it airs.

The meeting is free to the public and will be held at Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 S. Commerce St. It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m. Wiggins' book will be available for purchase at the meeting. 

Historian James Wiggins will discuss his new book at April 23 meeting of Natchez Historical Society

Historian James Wiggins

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Historian and retired educator James Wiggins will discuss his new book, "Outliving the White Lie: A Southerner's Historical, Genealogical and Personal Journey" (University Press of Mississippi, 2024), at the Tuesday, April 23 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society. 

The meeting is free to the public and will be held at Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 S. Commerce St. It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m. Wiggins' book will be available for purchase at the meeting. 

"I am very much looking forward to my talk at the Natchez Historical Society," said Wiggins. "I certainly want to promote the book, but more, this is a vitally important topic that cries out for more discussion and greater understanding. I hope we can advance those goals on April 23rd."

Wiggins said his talk will focus on the lies often told about slavery and race in the nation's history, from colonial times to the present. 

Wiggins will discuss the "lies of commission, omission, and willful ignorance," while acknowledging his own "ancestors' participation in that process over time, as well as his own."

Wiggins is a retired instructor of History at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He has published columns in The Natchez Democrat. Wiggins has spoken for the society in the past. 

The April 23 program is funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information, visit natchezhistoricalsociety.org or call 601-492-3004. Emails may be sent to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org

Sculptor Bob Willis receives Award of Merit for bust of Hiram Rhodes Revels

Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Apr 12, 2024 | 10:33 PM

Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, right, cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez, recently presented Oklahoma sculptor Bob Willis with the Award of Merit on behalf of the Mississippi Historical Society. Barnes, who is vice president of the society, said Willis was honored for the bust he sculpted of Hiram Rhodes Revels for Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church in September 2023.

NATCHEZ, Miss. — Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez, recently presented sculptor Bob Willis with the Award of Merit on behalf of the Mississippi Historical Society. Barnes, who is vice president of the society, said Willis was not able to attend the society’s annual meeting in February, where the award was formally announced.

“Willis’ work as a sculptor is simply amazing, and his talent is extraordinary,” said Barnes. “We could have mailed the award to him, but we thought it best to make a personal presentation. I was honored to make the presentation at the Visit Natchez office.”

Awards of Merit are presented annually by the society to individuals or organizations for their outstanding archival, museum, or media interpretation work. Willis was recognized for the bust of Hiram Rhodes Revels that he sculpted for Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church in September 2023.

Brother Rogers, the society’s secretary-treasurer, said Willis’ bust of Revels “is significant not just in Mississippi history, but in American history.”

Revels was the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress. He also was an early pastor of Zion Chapel and the first president of what is today Alcorn State University.

Willis, who lives in Oklahoma, accepted the award with his wife, Lynn, by his side. He said he was “truly humbled” to receive it and that he was grateful to honor the legacy of Revels.

See more at this link:

https://listenupyall.com/2024/04/12/sculptor-bob-willis-receives-award-of-merit-for-bust-of-hiram-rhodes-revels

African descendants of Prince Ibrahima returning to Natchez

By Roscoe Barnes III, Visit Natchez
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
(Apr 11, 2024 | 8:20 AM)

A group of elders from Timbo in West Africa met with Princess Karen Chatman of Natchez during her visit to the country in 2022. They are all descendants of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori.

NATCHEZ, Miss. — Twenty West African elders, all descendants of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori, are planning a return visit to Natchez in May, according to Princess Karen Chatman, who is coordinating the event.

Princess Karen Chatman, a descendant of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori, is pictured here with Elder Elijah Moody Berry in Timbo, Guinea, in West Africa, in December 2022.

The elders are from Timbo, Guinea, in West Africa. They are of the Official Royal House of Sori, said Chatman.  They will be in Natchez from Wednesday, May 8, to Saturday, May 11.

Their ancestor, Abdul Rahman (1762-1829), was an African prince from Timbo, who was captured in 1788 at the age of 26 and shipped to the United States where he was sold in Mississippi as a slave. He spent 40 years toiling on the plantation of Thomas Foster before he gained his freedom in 1848.

Abdul Rahman returned to Africa in 1829, but he died of yellow fever in Monrovia, Liberia, before he reached his home in Futa Jallon (now Guinea). He was 67.

Portrait of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori by Henry Inman and engraved by Thomas Illman. Available through U.S. Library of Congress.

Abdul Rahman’s story is told in Terry Alford’s book, “Prince among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold into Slavery in the American South” (Oxford University Press). It is also dramatized in the film, “Prince Among Slaves” (Unity Productions Foundation), which is based on Alford’s book.

The Timbo elders visited Natchez for the first time in May 2023. During their stay, they met with their local relatives, also descendants of the prince, according to Chatman. On their next visit, they plan to meet with local leaders, historians, and dignitaries for the purpose of building and strengthening relationships, Chatman said.

“Now we’re looking for sustainable interaction,” she said, noting they hope to meet with changemakers, representatives from the Natchez Historical Society, Historic Natchez Foundation, African American Museum of History and Culture and Visit Natchez, among other groups,

“We want to experience the places that Prince Sori visited and review records related to his history and the people who knew him,” she said.

The theme for the next visit is “Walking in the Footsteps of a Prince.”

The elders of Timbo will hold a symposium on Thursday, May 9, at the Natchez Convention Center. In addition to leading discussions about the life history of Abdul Rahman, Chatman said she will debut the film “From PRINCE TO SLAVE” that was a collaboration between the elders of Timbo and the U.S. Embassy in Guinea. Its purpose is to share historical information about the prince’s departure from Guinea and the latest research on his life, Chatman said.

Additionally, Chatman said, the elders of Timbo are hoping to work alongside the community and the mayors’ office to have a road or street in Natchez “on the path to the Thomas Foster property” named in Abdul Rahman’s honor. It was on Foster’s land where the prince spent 40 years enslaved.

Chatman said her organization, The Natchez to Timbo Connection, has opened a local office in Natchez to facilitate ongoing efforts in the areas of  research, culture, education, and cultivation of relationships. The office is managed by Darrel White, the mayor-appointed volunteer liaison, and Kerri Lewis, the organization’s  director of History and Culture.

The elders of Timbo envision having university students from Timbo coming to Natchez and working with Alcorn State University and other universities within the United States. “We’re interested in collaborations that allow for shared experiences and the introduction of diverse cultures” Chatman said.

Chatman, a native of Natchez, is a direct descendant of Abdul Rahman and his wife, Isabella. She said her great-great-grandmother was the couple’s daughter. In recent years, her work on her ancestor has been supported by Mayor Dan Gibson and others in Natchez.

“Mayor Gibson is a catalyst for the sharing of culture,” she said. “He’s an advocate for inclusion. He’s also a leader, an innovative thinker, and a champion when it comes to democracy. He’s shown that every single time I’ve spoken with him.”

Gibson will join the delegation when they travel to Hartford, Conn., and Washington, D.C.

“I am honored to represent Natchez in these activities that highlight this significant chapter in American History,” Gibson said. “The story of Prince Rahman is like no other. His is a noble tale of tragedy intertwined with both the best and worst of humanity. I am so grateful to see his legacy being given the recognition so very much deserved.”

 Elders’ Itinerary

May 8: Welcome Lunch Meeting for the delegation hosted by Mayor Dan Gibson and the Natchez Board of Aldermen from 11 to 2 p.m. at NAPAC museum.

May 9: A symposium with the theme “Walking in the Footstep of a Prince” at the Natchez Convention Center with guest speakers from the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State, along with Trinity College and Center Church of Hartford, Conn. The elders will also meet with Natchez leaders and history organizations, including representatives of the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.

May 10: Tour of Natchez, including visits to antebellum homes and other historic sites.

May 11: Meeting with local family members. Meeting with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is also planned.

May 12: Travel to Hartford, Conn., the home of Thomas Gallaudet (1787-1851), developer of American Sign Language, who assisted Abdul Rahman in raising money for his return home. The elders will also visit Trinity College.

May 16: Travel to Washington, D.C., where Abdul Rahman briefly stayed and gained the support of President John Quincy Adams.

May 21: They leave the United States and return to Africa on Tuesday, May 21.

See more at this link: https://listenupyall.com/2024/04/11/african-descendants-of-prince-ibrahima-returning-to-natchez/

Thelma Newsome to speak at 84th commemoration of Rhythm Night Club Fire

By Roscoe Barnes III, Visit Natchez
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com

(Apr 8, 2024 | 9:34 PM)

Thelma Newsome is the guest speaker for the April 27 ceremony commemorating the Rhythm Night Club Fire of 1940.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Thelma Newsome, a retired educator and former member of the Natchez-Adams School District Board of Education, will be the guest speaker for the 84th commemoration of the Rhythm Night Club fire of April 23, 1940.

This year’s event will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Rhythm Night Club (on site) Memorial Museum at #5 St. Catherine Street, Natchez. It is free and open to the public.

Monroe and Betty Sago, the museum’s owners, have been holding the annual ceremony for the past 16 years. The theme this year is “Your Journey, Your Success.”

According to Betty Sago, the commemorative event honors the 209-plus victims that died in the club fire in 1940, as well those who survived that “went on with their lives and made a life for themselves, even though they carried a burden for a number of years.”

The victims of the fire included Walter Barnes and members of his band. Woodrick McGuire, band director of Brumfield School, also died in the fire.

In addition to Newsome and the Sagos, this year’s program will feature soloists Janice Bernard Sago and Tonie Hunt, who will join others in providing music. Roscoe Barnes III will serve as master of ceremonies.

Monroe Sago is pictured with the historical marker that tells the story of the Rhythm Night Club Fire.

Monroe Sago said they are delighted to have Newsome as the guest speaker. Newsome is one of the managers of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum and the project director for the recently published booklet, “St. Catherine Street, Natchez, MS: Yesteryear through Today.”

During the ceremony, a $500 scholarship will be presented to a student who crafted a winning essay on the museum.

“We present a scholarship every year,” said Monroe Sago. “Last year the scholarship was matched by a donation of $500 from Magnolia Bluff Casino and Hotel. So we awarded the student a $1,000 scholarship.”

Last year’s winner was Charnecia Green, a student of Natchez Early College at Co-Lin, who plans to attend Alcorn State University School of Nursing in Natchez.

The ceremony will open with the siren blast of a fire engine from the Natchez Fire Department. As in previous years, door prizes will be given away, and refreshments will be provided.

At the end of the program, visitors are encouraged to tour the museum, which has acquired several new items in its collection. Those items include an Acrosonic piano, telephone, a Coca-Cola sign, a vintage tin Coca-Cola lunch box that advertises a six bottle carton for 25 cents, and a “Rhythm Nite Club” sign.

For more information, call 601-597-0557 or send email to bettysago@rnconsitemm.org.

See more here: https://listenupyall.com/2024/04/08/thelma-newsome-to-speak-at-84th-commemoration-of-rhythm-night-club-fire/

Natchez included in Freedom Summer Commemoration

Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Sunday, March 31, 2024, page 4A)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Top of the Morning

Natchez included in Freedom Summer Commemoration

By Roscoe Barnes III

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is launching an ambitious project this year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer. Natchez and other cities across Mississippi will participate in this important event that recognizes a pivotal period in American history.

MDAH’s project, which is titled, “Freedom Summer: 60 Years Later -- A Landmarks of American History Teacher Workshop,” will be held July 8 to12 and July 22 to 26, 2024. It is funded in part by a major grant awarded to MDAH by the National Endowment for the Humanities to present two workshops on teaching civil rights history.

According to MDAH, the project is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of History and Culture Grant program. Its goal is to bring 70 teachers from across the nation to Mississippi to attend one or two of the weeklong workshops. They will start at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, and from there the teachers will travel to the parts of the state that played a major role in Freedom Summer.

Al Wheat, MDAH director of education, is spearheading the project. “This grant is an incredible opportunity for us to show how this landmark event goes beyond Mississippi history; it's truly a national event,” he said. “Bringing teachers from across the country to Mississippi to see our sites, analyze our primary sources, and visit locations where the history actually happened will make a positive impact not just on workshop attendees, but on their students." 

I’m happy to report that MDAH has enlisted me to participate here in Natchez. I will lead two workshops and guided tours on the second and fourth Thursdays of July 2024. The specific dates are July 11 and 25. The workshops will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on both days at Historic Natchez Foundation.

Think about it. Educators from across the country will come here to learn about the role that Natchez played in the history of Freedom Summer and the civil rights movement. As teachers, they will take what they learn and carry it back to their respective schools and communities. This means that their students, with their young and fertile minds, will become empowered with lifechanging history about the struggles in Mississippi.

Freedom Summer was a 1964 initiative that sought to increase Black voter registrations in Mississippi. At the time, more than 700 volunteers, most of whom were White, worked with Black communities to help them overcome voter intimidation and discrimination at the polls, among other things.

These volunteers included teachers, ministers, lawyers, and students. They created Freedom Schools and helped communities with research and training. Leaders of the movement believed the work of the White volunteers would help bring national attention to their struggle.

The activists had previously suffered beatings, threats, incarcerations, murder, and other violence at the hands white supremacists, Ku Klux Klan, racist police, and hate-filled Whites throughout Mississippi. Unfortunately, these acts did not generate the national attention that they needed.

The work of the Freedom Summer activists eventually made a significant impact on the state of Mississippi. Not only did it result in national awareness of the struggle, but, as many believe, it was one of the factors that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It was during Freedom Summer that activist Dorie Ladner and other workers descended on Natchez to help increase voter registration in the Black community. Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council, has correctly observed that “Ladner was a vital part of the grassroots effort to change Mississippi and America.” Unfortunately, Ladner passed on Monday, March 11, following a long illness.

Ladner was one of the first workers to come to Natchez in 1964 to help register Black voters, according to Bobby Dennis, executive director of the NAPAC museum. That was at a time of heightened violence by the KKK, he said.

From every indication, it seems that the impact of this Freedom Summer project will be felt for a long time. MDAH has noted: “Teachers will collaborate to develop inquiry-based classroom activities and lessons about Freedom Summer using primary sources found in MDAH’s archives and experiential, site-based learning at the Two Mississippi Museums and key civil rights sites across Mississippi.”

This is great news for Natchez and the entire state of Mississippi.

---------------

ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez.

Alcorn to host art exhibition and forum on race and history

Mikael Levin

NATCHEZ, Miss. – An art exhibition and conversation on race and history will be held Wednesday, April 3, at Alcorn State University, Lorman, in Belles Lettres Hall. 

The program is hosted by the Alluvial Collective, Mississippi Humanities Council, and Alcorn State University’s Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning. It will start with the launch of Mikael Levin’s exhibition, “Critical Places: Sites of American Slave Rebellion,” from 1 to 3 p.m.

Following the exhibition, guests will be asked to join a facilitated dialogue circle from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to discuss their thoughts, according to organizers. On Thursday, April 4, another dialogue will be held at the same time and place. The event is free to the public.

Levin’s exhibition, which is touring the South, features compelling photographs of historic landscapes that were once the sites of slave rebellions, raising important questions for viewers about the history of race in America, said Teresa Busby, executive director of Alcorn’s Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning.

“Critical Places” will be on display until May 31. For more information, call Teresa Busby at phone 601-877-6551 or visit https://alluvialcollective.org/.

Meeting with officials of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Great meeting today (3/27/2024) at the offices of the Mississippi Humanities Council in Jackson. I was excited to join thought leaders and educators from across Mississippi in a meeting with officials of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I was especially delighted to meet in person the wonderful Malika Polk-Lee, executive director of the B.B. King Museum, which is in my hometown of Indianola.

In the photo, seated, from left:  NEH officials, Turry M. Flucker, Dr. Zanice Bond, and Jean Wortman. Standing, from left: Dr. Rolando Herts, Al Wheat, Meg Cooper, Melissa Buie, Lashetta Wilder, Malika Polk-Lee, Elisabeth Callihan.

Note: One photo shows Elisabeth Callihan at the far right and the other shows me in the same location. 😊

VIDEO: Flags from Mississippi Gallery Talk - USCT invited guests Roscoe Barnes III and Dr. Albert Dorsey

 

To view the video, please follow this link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSTjD0PeDes

 
This is a video of a fascinating and insightful discussion on the U.S. Colored Troops in Mississippi. The event was hosted by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at the Two Museums in Jackson, Miss.
 
I served as a panelist along with Dr. Albert Dorsey Jr., center, assistant professor of History at Jackson State University. Mr. Michael Morris, director of the Two Museums, served as moderator.
 
Many thanks to Drew Gardner, manager of Family and Community Learning at MDAH, for inviting me to participate in this important program.

New booklet tells the history of St. Catherine Street

By Roscoe Barnes III 

Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com

(Mar 19, 2024 | 8:57 PM)

Project Director Thelma Newsome displays a copy of the new booklet, "St. Catherine Street: Yesteryears and Now," which tells the colorful history of an area that was once vibrant and filled with businesses.

NATCHEZ, Miss. — A free booklet that highlights the cultural history of St. Catherine Street is now available to the public.

Titled, “St. Catherine Street Yesteryears and Now,” the booklet features more than 40 historical sites in the area that was once known as Natchez’s “Black Wall Street.” Photos of various buildings are included along with colorful anecdotes and historical descriptions.

Thelma Newsome, a staff member of the Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum, spearheaded the publication project. As project director, she plans to use the booklet for tours and other platforms to tell the complete history of  St. Catherine, she said.

“Though many of the places no longer exist, the contribution they made to the growth of the city of Natchez can never be completely erased,” she stated in the text on the back cover of the publication. She also noted that St. Catherine was once “a vibrant community, filled with businesses owned by Black, White, and Jewish citizens.”

The booklet is part of a larger project, which is called, “St. Catherine Street, Natchez, MS: Yesteryear through Today.” The project uses tours, photographs, and oral history to share the rare stories of the people, buildings, culture, and businesses on St. Catherine from as far back as the 1930s, according to Newsome.

In 2022, the project was awarded a $5,000 grant by the Mississippi Humanities Council. The booklet was funded with this grant.

The purpose for the booklet, in general terms, is summed up in a sentence on its front cover: “It is our hope that this booklet gives you some insight into the rich history of Saint Catherine Street and the people that lived there.”

Much to offer

Newsome said the publication has much to offer. “I encourage people to read it and relive vicariously the things we shared on St. Catherine Street,” she said.

Of the 41 stories presented, the one that stands out to her is “Hot Tamales,” which focuses on Mr. Jabo Johnson and his family who lived at 196 St. Catherine.

Thelma Newsome displays an open copy of the new publication on the history of St. Catherine Street.

“I knew that family personally,” Newsome said. “We ate hot tamales on Saturday nights. Back then, they cost about thirty cents a dozen.”

Newsome, a retired educator, said the idea for the booklet originated with a conversation she was having with Dora Hawkins, and Jacqulyn Williams. All three of them are members of Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church, which owns the Dr. John Banks House.

They were discussing the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice, and the role of the Dr. John Banks House in the civil rights movement.

“I started telling them about all the things that happened on St. Catherine, where I grew up,” Newsome said. “They were floored by the amount of information I shared with them. At one point, Dora said, ‘You should do something on the history of this street.’”

And that’s when the idea for the booklet was born.

“They wanted that information to be shared with others,” Newsome said. “We want everyone to understand what a viable part that St. Catherine played in the formation of the City of Natchez.”

Fresh content

The booklet presents 10-pages of content that feature historical nuggets with photos of historical sites on each page. Featured sites and people include:

George F. Bowles House, Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum, Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum, Mr. Whitehead’s Photo Shop, Three Together, Knoxall’s Grocery, The Iceman, Forks of the Road, Bob Lee’s Cleaners, Red Horse;

Texaco Service Station, O’Brien House, Holy Family Catholic Church and St. Francis High School, Ms. Sadie V. Thompson, Community Market, Ace Theater, White Rooster, Hot Tamales, Mr. Joe’s Store, Perrault Street;

George’s Alley, Churches, Brown’s Velvet Ice Cream, Other Entrepreneurs, Snow White Cleaners, The Bush House, Grocery Store Etc., Monmouth Street, Shotgun Houses, Donut Shop;

Ebony Barber Shop, Funeral Homes, Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church and Parsonage, Brumfield School, Winston Hill, 69 Saint Caterine Street, Combo Restaurant, Cedar’s Alley (Street), Junkin Street, Rembert Street, and Mr. Frazee Miller.

Copies of the St. Catherine Street booklet are available for free at Visit Natchez, Historic Natchez Foundation, NAPAC museum, and Natchez City Sightseeing Tours in the lobby of the Natchez Grand Hotel.

The booklet may be downloaded at https://visitnatchez.org/wp-content/uploads/St-Catherine-Street-Tour.pdf

For more information, call Roscoe Barnes III at Visit Natchez at 601-492-3004.

 

George F. Bowles house receives historical marker

By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
(Published 9:26 am Friday, March 1, 2024)

Mayor Dan Gibson and the City of Natchez recently dedicated a historical marker for the George F. Bowles House at 13 St. Catherine St. From left are Mayor Dan Gibson, Brenda and Larry Homes, Debra and Rev. Birdon Mitchell, and Alderwoman Valencia Hall.

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- The George F. Bowles House, located at 13 St. Catherine St., is the recent recipient of a historical marker presented by the City of Natchez and the NAPAC museum. 

Mayor Dan Gibson and a group of local residents unveiled the marker in front of the house during a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 28. 

The mayor was joined by Larry and Brenda Holmes, the current owners of the house; Alderwoman Valencia Hall; the Rev. Birdon and Debra Mitchell, next-door neighbors; and Dr. Neifa Hardy.  

Friends and family members of the Holmes also attended the event which was held in recognition of Black History Month.  “It is such a blessing to witness the great things happening in Natchez,” said Gibson. “Being able to celebrate the history of this home, located in the Holy Family Catholic Church Historic District, and in the heart of the historic black business and residential area of North Natchez, is just another step forward in telling our story, all of it, for One Natchez.” 

The marker is inscribed with the words, “The George F. Bowles House: 1886 – 1890.” It displays the NAPAC museum logo and a QR code for additional information on the site.

 Larry Holmes said that he and his wife were elated about the marker.  “We both feel good about it,” he said. “This is something we’ve wanted for a long time. George F. Bowles was an important man in our history and his story, as well as the story of his wife, needs to be told.” 

Larry Holmes grew up behind the house, across the street known as Bowles Alley. In 1977, he moved into the house as a tenant.  

He said that he and Brenda purchased the house in 1984, and it has been their home ever since.  Birdon Mitchell, pastor of Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church, has been the Holmes’ neighbor for many years. He said he was happy to see the recognition given for their property. 

“Larry and Brenda are very knowledgeable about the history of this property,” Birdon Mitchell said. “They love telling the stories about this house and they’re eager to share this information with the broader community. Natchez is fortunate to have this property preserved for the present and future generations.” 

George F. Bowles (1844-1899) was a prominent African American who played a significant role in Natchez’s history in the 1800s.  Born enslaved in Charleston, S.C., he gained his freedom before the start of the Civil War.   

Bowles came to Natchez in 1871 after practicing law in Tennessee. In the 1880s and 1890s, he served as a member of the state House of Representatives from Adams County.  He was a successful businessman, inventor, newspaper publisher, and philanthropist. His wife, Laura E. Davis Bowles, was a member of a prominent black family. 

George Bowles built his house between 1886 and 1890, according to Mimi Miller of the Historic Natchez Foundation.  It is located in the Hospital Hill neighborhood on the very site that was home to Natchez’s first public hospital building, the Mississippi State Hospital, built in 1813.   

Before its main section was demolished in 1866, the hospital existed on the north side of St. Catherine across from the present location of Holy Family Church.  The Bowles house is flanked on the west by the Dr. John Bowman Banks house and on the east by the parsonage of Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church. 

The Bowles lived in the house until 1899, the year that both of them died. Laura Bowles died on Aug. 17, 1899 and George died in their home on Dec. 26, 1899, at the age of 55. 

His pallbearers included Dr. John Banks, G.W. Brumfield and L.D. Kastor. John Roy Lynch was listed as an honorary pallbearer. 

The Bowles house is the latest historical site to be added to the city’s Self-Guided African American History tour, which features 29 sites related to African American history. Barber Jessie Winston’s home was added to the tour in December 2023. 

The city’s self-guided history tour project was unveiled during a Black History program in February 2023. It is a joint initiative of the City of Natchez and NAPAC Museum. 

Mayor Gibson has said the project is one of many ways through which the city is telling its complete history. 

A detailed article on the history of the George F. Bowles House can be read in the September/October 2023 issue of Natchez Magazine.

Read more at: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2024/03/01/george-f-bowles-house-receives-historical-marker/

Panelist for ‘Flags From Mississippi Gallery Talk: USCT.’

On Thursday, March 14, I had the pleasure of  serving as a panelist for the MDAH program, “Flags From Mississippi Gallery Talk: USCT.” The program, which focused on the U.S. Colored Troops, was held at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. My fellow panelist was Dr. Albert Dorsey Jr., center, assistant professor of History at Jackson State University. Mr. Michael Morris, director of the Two Museums, served as moderator. We had good turnout and good discussions. I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

I’m grateful to Drew Gardner, manager of Family and Community Learning at MDAH, for inviting me to participate in this important program.

Dr. Max Grivno to speak on ‘Natchez Diplomacy, 1540-1730’ at March 26 meeting of Natchez Historical Society

This program is free to the public

By Roscoe Barnes III
Visit Natchez

Dr. Max Grivno
University of Southern Mississippi

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Dr. Max Grivno, associate professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi, is returning to Natchez to talk about diplomacy in the early years of the city’s history.

Grivno will present his lecture, “Natchez Diplomacy, 1540-1730,” at the Tuesday, March 26 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society at 108 S. Commerce St. The program is free to the public. It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m.
 
“I am excited to have the opportunity to return to Natchez and to speak to the historical society,” said Grivno. “The previous decade has seen an outpouring of work focused on the Natchez nation -- work that has changed how we understand these people and their place in the history of the Lower Mississippi River Valley.  I look forward to sharing some of those findings with the society.” 
 
Grivno is associate professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi and editor of The Southern Quarterly. Specifically, he will speak about Native American diplomacy in the colonial period in Natchez.
 
Alan Wolf, a director of the society and its program chair, explained that Dr. Grivno’s presentation will examine how the Natchez wrestled with notable and critical changes diplomatically.
 
“He will look at Natchez diplomacy with other native peoples and the Natchez attempts to secure alliances with the encroaching European empires, while all the while attempting to maintain their own economic and political independence,” he said.
 
Grivno has spoken for the society in the past. For example, in November 2022, he gave a lecture on the topic, "Hernando De Soto and the First European Contact with the Mississippi Civilization of the Lower Mississippi Valley." It was well received.
 
This March 26 program is funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
 
For more information, visit natchezhistoricalsociety.org or call 601-492-3004. Emails may be sent to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org
  

Ladner remembered as ‘giant in the civil rights movement’

This story was published online at 5:08 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by The Natchez Democrat.

By Roscoe Barnes III

Dorie Ladner. Photo by Deborah Menkart
(Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ – Dorie Ann Ladner, who fought for civil rights and voter registration in Natchez, has died, her sister, Joyce Ladner, announced on Tuesday. Dorie Ladner was 81.

“My beloved sister, Dorie Ladner, died peacefully on Monday, March 11, 2024. She will always be my big sister who fought tenaciously for the underdog and the dispossessed. She left a profound legacy of service,” Joyce Ladner shared in a Facebook post. 

Dorie Ladner is remembered as a giant in the civil rights movement who worked closely with such leaders as Bill Ware, George Greene, and George Metcalfe, among others.

Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley, who knew Dorie Ladner personally, said it was interesting that she died on Monday, one day before the polls opened Tuesday on primary election day in Natchez.  In a Facebook post shared Tuesday, Boxley said he “brought her back to Natchez to tell her story and free her spirit from all the pent-up stress generated when she did outstanding community organizing for [the] SNCC Voters Project.” 

‘A good job done’

Boxley wrote that she had not returned to Natchez since leaving “after having plowed the grounds for voters’ civil rights and a good job done.” 

Boxley said he brought Dorie Ladner, and the Rev. Al Sampson of Chicago of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to Natchez in 2015 for the 50th anniversary of the modern civil rights movement in Natchez as part of his annual Black and Blue Civil War Living History program. The guests spoke at Jefferson College. 

Dorie Ladner was one of the first workers to come to Natchez to get people to vote, said Bobby Dennis, executive director of the NAPAC museum. “That was the beginning of the time when we had a heightened length of Ku Klux Klan activity here in Natchez,” he said.

Dennis said that when Dorie Ladner returned to Natchez as part of Boxley’s program, she visited the NAPAC museum. 

Dennis pointed to the film, “Black Natchez” (1967), which presents a documentary of the Natchez movement. He noted that Dorie Ladner is shown approaching activist Bill Ware as he stood on top of a car in front of the NAACP Headquarters. She rushed to him and beckoned for his attention. When he knelt to hear her, she said, “The mayor rejected all of the demands.” 

SNCC Field Secretary Dorie Ladner speaking passionately to volunteers in a training session on nonviolent self-defense in June 1964 in Ohio. Photo courtesy of Dr. Joyce Ladner

In addition to fellow activists, Dorie Ladner’s work has been praised by scholars, historians, and government leaders. The Mississippi Humanities Council described her as “a giant in the civil rights movement.”

“Dorie Ladner was a vital part of the grassroots effort to change Mississippi and America,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “A native of the small community of Palmer’s Crossing, she took her experience in the Mississippi movement to become a national leader in the effort for civil rights. The Mississippi Humanities Councils looks forward to honoring the life and legacy of Ms. Ladner and her sister Joyce with a new Freedom Trail Marker to be dedicated in their hometown on May 4th.” 

Metcalfe Boarding House 

Dorie Ladner was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).  In 1964, during Freedom Summer, she was one of several women who stayed at the Dr. John Banks House at 9 St. Catherine St. At the time, the house served as the headquarters for the Natchez Branch of the NAACP. It was also home to NAACP President George Metcalfe, who lived on the first floor. 

The civil rights workers called the residence “Metcalfe Boarding House.” They stayed at the house following the bombing of Freedom House #1 at 611 S. Wall St., according to Boxley. 

John Dittmer wrote about the bombing in his book, “Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi” (University of Illinois Press, 1995):  “In the late summer of 1964, when SNCC organizers Dorie Ladner, Chuck McDew, and Charles Neblett inaugurated COFO’s first project in Adams County, a bomb destroyed the building next to the house where the SNCC workers were staying. Chief of Police J.T. Robinson told Ladner that the ‘bomb was meant for you. I’m surprised you haven’t been killed already.’” 

Dorie Ladner featured in ProPublica article, "Keep on Pushing" (Sept. 18, 2014). Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick. Courtesy of  Dr. Joyce Ladner.

Other women who stayed at Metcalfe Boarding House included Janet Jemmott, who would later marry the respected civil rights leader, Bob Moses; and Annie Pearl Avery, who sometimes guarded the house using her .22 pistol, according to SNCC.

Her later years 

During Dorie Ladner’s later years, she struggled as her health began to deteriorate. A few weeks before her passing, her daughter, Yodit Churnet, opened a GoFundMe page for her mother. 

“Dorie Ladner is at a critical time of her life and is in urgent need of home healthcare assistance,” she wrote. “She suffered a stroke and was struck with cancer and underwent a mastectomy. She is also suffering from debilitating back problems such as arthritis and spinal stenosis (surgery in October 2023) and is still in recovery.” 

Churnet noted her mother joined the movement while still a teenager and continued to work for human and civil rights for more than 60 years. 

“America is a much more democratic society because of the sacrifices made by Dorie to end racial segregation,” she wrote. “Millions of African Americans throughout the South are now able to vote and participate in determining the direction of America because of her contributions.”

Read more at: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2024/03/12/ladner-remembered-as-giant-in-the-civil-rights-movement/

Scott George and the Osage Singers perform at the Oscars

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, I had the pleasure of watching Osage member Scott George and the Osage Singers sing “Wahzhazhe: A Song for My People,” at the Oscars. George is a regular performer at Natchez Powwow. He composed the song, “Wahzhazhe,” which is featured in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” In the film, it is performed in the closing dance scene by Osage tribal singers.

George’s song was nominated for Best Original Song. Unfortunately, the song did not win, but George and the Osage Singers gave a great performance at the Oscars, which I found to be powerful and deeply moving. I loved the standing ovation they received.

Now I can’t wait to see George when he returns to Mississippi for a performance at Natchez Powwow. I am so happy for him and the Osage Singers.

To see the performance, visit this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn4krzAKRfQ
 

Plans underway for the 2024 Natchez Powwow

Event slated for March 23, 24, at the Bluff

By Roscoe Barnes III
Visit Natchez

A Native American performer greets the Natchez family of Annabelle Wilson, seated, at the 2022 Powwow. Her children, from left, are Adeline, Ty, and Alice. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The 2024 Natchez Powwow will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, at 319 N. Broadway St., on the north end of the Natchez Bluff.
 
The popular event that draws hundreds of people from across the state and other parts of the country will give visitors two days of music, fun, food, crafts, and exciting events related to Native American culture, said Dr. Charles Borum, who chairs the event.
 
“These events are always exciting,” he said. “We have people who come every year and we have many who come for the first time. It’s a wholesome family event and a great opportunity to learn about the Native American culture.”
 
Borum said he has appreciated the music since he was a teenager, and he went to the dances when he lived in Oklahoma. Today, he travels throughout the country to participate in Native American powwows.
 
“I dance at many of the Osage and Ponca dances,” he said. “I love this music. As you learn and come to understand it, you develop a deeper level of appreciation for it.”
 
The Natchez Powwow is an annual event that celebrates the culture of Native Americans. It is popularly known for its dance, music, and the colorful Native American regalia worn by the participants. The event includes traditional food, arts, and crafts.

In 2018, the Natchez Powwow was listed as one of the top 20 events of that year by the Southeast Tourism Society. Borum, who started the Natchez Powwow in 1988, said someone from Natchez would need to travel a far distance to be able to enjoy live Native American music like we have at our Powwow.

 
He said one of the cool highlights last year was the “49 singing” event – an informal social celebration --held after the Powwow at 10 p.m. in the courtyard at Smoot’s at 319 N. Broadway St.
 
“This was a time to relax and to enjoy some fun songs,” Borum said.
 
Another highlight from last year was the game of stickball between high school students and members of the Mississippi Choctaw Nation and Natchez descendants. Borum said everyone enjoyed it. He encourages other athletes to come and participate in the game.
 
As in previous years, Native American crafts will be sold throughout the powwow. Craft and food booths will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, according to Borum.
 
In the event of rain, the event will continue in the multi-purpose room at Adam County Christian School at 300 Chinquapin Lane.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Powwow Schedule

 
This year’s program participants will include Chris Bryant of Lynchburg, Va., as master of ceremonies; Darsh Desilva of Round Rock, Texas, as arena director; Chad Tahchawwickah, Comanche, of Cache, Okla., as head singer southern drum; Guy Ray Pocowatchit, Pawnee-Shawnee-Comanche, of Pawhuska, Okla., as head man dancer; Nazhoni Tsosie, Quapaw-Otoe-Navajo of Chelsea, Okla., as head leady dancer; and Kevin Pohawpatchoko, Comanche and retired U.S. Navy of Cache, Okla., as head gourd dancer.
 
Saturday’s schedule
 
9 a.m. -- Food and Craft and Farmer Market Vendors open
11 a.m. -- Traditional Stickball Game
1 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
2 :30 a.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
4 p.m. -- Camp Feed for Singers and Dancers and family/friends
6 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
7 p.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
9 p.m. – Closing
 
Sunday’s schedule
 
9 a.m. -- Food and Craft Vendors open
1 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
2:30 p.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
 
Alcoholic beverages will be prohibited in the Powwow area, including those areas occupied by the traders and food vendors. Visitors are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Benches will be available for the dancers.

Outdoor camping will not be available at the Powwow site on the Bluff, Borum said. However, he noted, camping in tents, campers, and RVs will be available at the River View RV Park at 100 River View Parkway, Vidalia.

For more information, visit https://www.natchezpowwow.com, or send email to Powwow Chairman Dr. Chuck Borum at cborum@hotmail.com. Follow Natchez Powwow on Facebook.
 

Scott George, a regular at Natchez Powwows, will perform live at Sunday’s Oscars

By Roscoe Barnes III, Visit Natchez
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Mar 7, 2024 | 10:01 p.m.
 

Scott George is pictured here with Lily Gladstone. She was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Mollie Burkhart in "Killers of the Flower Moon."

NATCHEZ, Miss. – A Native American song by Osage member Scott George, a regular performer at Natchez Powwow, is nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Original Song, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The song titled, “Wahzhazhe: A Song for My People,” is featured in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” It was composed by George and is performed in the closing dance scene of the film by Osage tribal singers.

Winners of the 2024 Oscars will be announced on Sunday, March 10, during the 96th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. George and the Osage Singers will perform “Wahzhazhe” live at the ceremony, according to the academy website.

Dr. Charles Borum, chairman of the Natchez Powwow, shared the news of George’s nomination in a Facebook post, dated March 3, 2024.

“My friend Scott George has sung many times at the drum at Natchez Powwow … along with the Bighorse brothers and other great singers,” Borum wrote.

Scott George, third from left wearing white hat, is performing with the Bighorse brothers at a Natchez Powwow. They are all Osage.

The 2024 Natchez Powwow is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, at 319 N. Broadway St. George, a resident of Hominy, Okla., will not be attending this year, according to Borum.

“George and the other Osage singers have been in Natchez multiple times, and we hope to have them return soon,” he said. “It’s exciting for me to see people I know being recognized. George is one of the best singers I sat at the dances with.”

Scott George, center holding white cap, is joined by the Bighorse brothers at a Natchez Powwow. They are all Osage.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is a 2023 movie that is based on David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction book of the same name. It tells the horrific story of the Osage murders.

The movie shows how the Osage people became wealthy after oil was discovered on their land in the early 20th century, “only to be exploited and murdered by their duplicitous white neighbors,” reported RTL Today.

The news outlet noted the Osage people played a significant role in the making of the movie. Various scenes were also shot in their heartland.

According to A.frame, the digital magazine of the academy, other nominees competing in the Original Song category include:

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot with music and lyric by Diane Warren; “I’m Just Ken” from  Barbie with music and lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt; “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony with music and lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson; And “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie with music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

Natchez resident David Kelley, who was officially recognized in 2023 as a member of the Osage Nation, said George’s nomination is an important accomplishment for the great Osage Nation and Native Americans in general.

“Since the first invasion of the Europeans on the Native American homeland, the Indian people have been thought of as less than human,” Kelley said. “Even in today’s society, where I believe a conscious effort is being made to overcome racism, there is still a great deficiency in the recognition of the Indian people and the respect for our customs and traditions.”

Kelley said the nomination shines a small spotlight on an artist and great talented man.

“Hopefully, it will in some way begin to change the way this society views the Indian people,” he said.

As for the movie, Kelley said it is a well-made depiction of a great tragedy that was inflicted upon the Osage people.

“It is a story of the greed and murderous spirit of the people trusted with the well-being of the Osage,” he explained. “Our story is worthy of tears. But, through it all the Osage people remain strong. We have not let this wrong-doing change our spirit. God is in control of all things and we are still alive, well and prosperous today.”

See more at: https://listenupyall.com/2024/03/07/scott-george-a-regular-at-natchez-powwows-will-perform-live-at-sundays-oscars/