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This story appears in the Thursday, March 6, 2025, issue of The Mississippi Link.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Saturday, March 1, 2025
February 2025 was a busy and fruitful month.
This clipping is from The Natchez Democrat.
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Friday, February 28, 2025
A MAN OF FREEDOM: Charles Evers honored with Freedom Trail marker
By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
Published Sunday, March 2, 2025
Published Sunday, March 2, 2025
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| The family of Charles Evers celebrates the memory of the civil rights leader who was honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker Friday, February 28, 2025, in Fayette, Mississippi. (Click on image to enlarge.) |
FAYETTE, Miss. -- The town of Fayette hosted a ceremony Friday for the unveiling of a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honoring James Charles Evers, who served for 16 years as the town’s mayor.
About 200 people turned out for the event which was held at the Jefferson County Courthouse at 1484 Main Street in Fayette.
Dr. Tracy M. Cook, president of Alcorn State University, said it was an honor to recognize Evers, whose courageous actions during the Civil Rights Movement left a lifetime mark on the nation’s history. “After the assassination of his brother, Medgar Evers, he continued the calling his brother started: the fight for an equal opportunity,” Cook said in his opening remarks.
First elected in 1969, Charles Evers was the first Black mayor of a biracial town in Mississippi since Reconstruction, following passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which enforced constitutional rights for citizens.
He was remembered Friday as a fearless leader and man of principle who stayed the course in the fight for justice, freedom, and equality.
Charles Evers’ son, Carlos Evers, said he was pleased with the recognition given to his father.
“Today’s program was awesome,” he said after the ceremony. “It’s an acknowledgement of my father and some of the things he achieved in the state of Mississippi. It was great to finally see that marker, which will be there for generations to come. This means his name will not be forgotten in Mississippi history. This marker highlights the areas of the struggle in the Civil Rights Movement.”
Guest speakers
The guest speakers for the ceremony included Dr. Michael V. Williams, professor of History and director of Africana Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Democratic Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, who represents Mississippi's 2nd congressional district.
Williams said Charles Evers’ life came “to epitomize what it meant to fight for and demand freedom, to fight for and demand equality, to fight for and demand justice, and to dedicate his life to the defense of humanity .…”
Williams said Charles Evers was unwavering in his belief that Mississippi could be better, but that it was up to the people to make it so. “He told us that we have a responsibility to challenge wrong, wherever we found it,” Williams said.
Charles Evers was down-to-earth in his talks with the public, Williams said, adding his talks also revealed his fearlessness, as in his statement, “I would rather be dead and in heaven than be afraid to do what I think is right.”
Thompson said Charles Evers made an impact on Mississippi that is still being felt today.
“It’s important for us to acknowledge people for the work that they have done,” he said. “What we have done here today with this [marker] … is to make sure that that legacy is not forgotten.”
Ceremony participants
Participants in the ceremony included Kelvin T. King, president of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, who gave the Welcome. Fayette Mayor Londell Eanochs and Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks, Mississippi Court of Appeals (District 2, Post 2), each shared remarks about Evers, as did V. Charlene Evers-Kreel, Charles Evers’ daughter.
Tributes were presented by Johnny L. Ford, first African American mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama; Jefferson County High School Scholar; and the Step by Step Kinder-Kids Academy.
John Spann, program and outreach officer at Mississippi Humanities Council, thanked Fayette officials, volunteers, and the public for supporting the day’s program.
The Mississippi Freedom Trail was created to honor the people and places in the state that played an important role in the American Civil Rights Movement. The markers are administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council and Visit Mississippi.
‘Man of the Year’
Charles Evers was born in 1922 in Decatur. He spent many years of service as a businessman, civil rights activist, and politician. He also worked as station manager for WMPR, where he hosted a weekly political talk show.
Charles Evers served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a 1950 graduate of Alcorn A&M College in Lorman, which is today’s Alcorn State University.
In addition to his time as mayor of Fayette, Charles Evers served as Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP following the assassination of his younger brother, Medgar Evers, on June 12, 1963. During the mid-1960s, Charles Evers became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez after the attempted assassination of NAACP President George Metcalfe, whose car was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan on August 27,1965.
Charles Evers played a significant role in the success of the Natchez movement, according to historians. When he departed Natchez, he left “with his own position strengthened statewide,” wrote John Dittmer in “Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi” (University of Illinois Press, 1995). “Nationally, the charismatic brother of Medgar Evers had come to symbolize the civil rights movement in Mississippi.”
In 1969, the NAACP named him the “Man of the Year” because of his accomplishments.
Charles Evers died in July 2020 in Brandon. He was 97.
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Black History talk at the Rotary Club of Natchez, Mississippi
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| Dr. Roscoe Barnes III and Deanna Kimbro (Click on image to enlarge.) |
I spoke at the Rotary
Club of Natchez on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. My topic was, “Black
History Initiatives and Updates in Natchez and Adams County.” I was a guest of
Deanna Kimbro. Photo by Allen Richard.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Looking back at the origins of Black History Month
Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Wednesday, February 26, 2025, page 4A)
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Top of the Morning
Looking back at the origins of Black History Month
When I was a kid growing up in the Mississippi Delta, I was a big fan of TV westerns. I watched many shows about cowboys and Indians, and for the longest time, I believed the Indians were the villains in our history. But as I grew up, I learned the Indians were not the villains.
The media and historians in the late 19th and 20th century led us to believe that Native Americans were the bad guys. However, that is not the story they told themselves. They believed they were the good guys defending their homeland from interlopers. But the historians did not tell those stories until the 1960s and 1970s, much like the stories of African Americans being told in modern times.
Today we see attacks on Black History Month. Its relevance is questioned by politicians and celebrities. Sadly, some people are simply misinformed. With these concerns in mind, I will discuss for a moment the origin of Black History Month, something we cannot do without mentioning Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950).
Woodson is known as the “Father of Black History Month.” He was a distinguished historian, writer, editor, and publisher. Before he came along, historians showed little interest in the history of African Americans. The former slaves and people of color had a history, but it was often overlooked or omitted from the history books.
Woodson biographer Burnis R. Morris correctly noted, “Many of the historians of the 19th century and early 20th century left African Americans out, and those who included them in their history books distorted facts and included many untruths.”
Speaking of historian John Hope Franklin, Professor Leon Litwack astutely observed that Franklin’s book, “From Slavery to Freedom,” holds that “African Americans had a history—a past based not only on what white men did to black Americans but on what black Americans did for themselves.”
Woodson believed that African Americans made significant contributions to the history of the United States and other nations. He also believed this history should be recorded and celebrated. In addition to giving African Americans a sense of pride and inspiration, this history should help to address the issues of racism, he thought, showing that all people are created equal.
On February 7, 1926, Woodson announced the first celebration of Negro History Week. Woodson chose this time period to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass (February 1818) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809), two men who played important roles in the freedom of African Americans. This period of celebration would later expand to the full month and become known as Black History Month.
Contrary to what some have claimed, Black History Month was not given to African Americans by whites, and it was not relegated to the shortest and coldest month of the year. While it is true that Black History Month received official recognition in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, February was intentionally chosen decades earlier because of Lincoln and Douglass.
Woodson said, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” This quote is true and deadly accurate without debate.
Today, we have Black history that we can look to for lessons, insight, and inspiration. For it reveals what we all have contributed to the success of our great nation. It recognizes from all periods of history the intelligence, resilience, and contributions of African Americans in all fields. At the same time, it promotes acceptance and inclusivity.
So instead of criticizing this history and pushing it aside, we should all come together and learn from this history as we work to find common ground and build a healthy society.
ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Black History program at Adams County Correctional Center, Natchez, Mississippi
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I was honored to serve as guest speaker for the Black
History program held Friday, February 21, 2025, at the Adams County
Correctional Center. My
topic was "Black History in Natchez, Mississippi." The staff did an amazing job. I’m pictured here with Warden
Jason Streeval and the facility staff.
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Friday, February 21, 2025
Johnson to talk about racial justice at Natchez Historical Society meeting
By Roscoe Barnes III
ListenUpYall.com
Feb 20, 2025 | 9:02 AM
ListenUpYall.com
Feb 20, 2025 | 9:02 AM
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| Professor Paula C. Johnson |
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Paula C. Johnson, professor at Syracuse University College of Law and director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI), will talk about racial justice at the Tuesday, February 25 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society. The program will be held at the Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 S. Commerce St. It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m., followed by Johnson’s presentation at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Johnson’s topic is, “Memory Lessons: Meeting the Imperative for Racial Justice through Memory, Memorials, Knowledge, and Empowerment.” She will discuss her organization’s efforts to seek justice for unsolved civil rights-era crimes while preserving the victims’ legacy.
The program is funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Johnson said her presentation will emphasize the importance of working for justice in all the forms it may take.
“In this regard, the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) works on behalf of families of victims of racial violence — homicides and disappearances — whose perpetrators have not been held accountable for their crimes,” she said. “The imperative for justice includes remembering the victims of such horrendous crimes and their families, and their sacrifices and contributions to American society for the ideals we profess to espouse.
“For example, collaborating with the family of Wharlest Jackson, Sr., of Natchez, MS, who was murdered by truck bomb in February 1967, is a key example of this meeting this imperative.”
Johnson said these memory lessons must be in the national consciousness, the classroom, and in the physical form of historical landmarks. “We must be dedicated to telling the complete story of American history and the continuing struggle for freedom, justice, and democracy,” she said.
Johnson is a co-founder of the Cold Case Justice Initiative which investigates racially-motivated murders that occurred during the civil rights era and in contemporary times.
She is also a widely respected teacher, author, and scholar in her fields of study. Her distinguished teaching posts include the Haywood Burns Chair in Civil Rights at CUNY Law School and the Sparks Chair at the University of Alabama School of Law, among other universities.
In addition to criminal law and criminal procedure, Johnson teaches courses on race and law, multicultural lawyering, and voting rights. She has also led seminars on women in the criminal justice system.
Johnson holds a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Temple University School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.
Her books include “Interrupted Life: Experiences of Incarcerated Women in the United States” (University of California Press, 2010) and “Inner Lives: Voices of African American Women in Prison” (NYU Press, 2003).
Johnson has received many honors and awards for her work. In 2025, she was recognized as one of the 57 Most Influential Black Attorneys by the Northeast Black Law Students Association. Her honors include the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation Woman of Courage Award in Honor of Mamie Till Mobley (2015); the National Civil Rights Social Justice Award (Philadelphia, MS 2014); and the Unsung Heroine Award from the Syracuse University Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Committee.
For more information on Johnson’s lecture, send email to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org.
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Tribute to Norman B. Rohrer, founder and director of the Christian Writers Guild
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| (Click on image to enlarge.) |
Note: This article is published by the Evangelical Press
Association. You can view it here or by following this link: https://www.evangelicalpress.com/norman-b-rohrer-former-epa-executive-secretary-has-passed/
This is one of the most meaningful articles that I have
written. Why? It’s an article about Norman B. Rohrer, the man
who taught me how to write and publish. He died in December 2024 at the age 95.
His family authorized me to write this tribute, and I was fortunate to have it
published by the Evangelical Press Association, the organization that meant so
much to Norm.
Norm was known as the man who “fired” writers. I will
forever be grateful to him for “firing” me with enthusiasm for developing my
God-given writing talent and extending my work and ministry.
I took Norm’s writing course in the early 1980s while
serving in the Army. It was a 3-year correspondence course offered through
Norm’s Christian Writers Guild. This single course changed my life and provided
me with a successful career as a writer.
Norm was a great teacher and mentor. We stayed in touch
long after I completed his course in 1984. May he rest in peace.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Honored to speak at Greater St. James' Annual Black History Program
I had the pleasure of speaking Sunday (2/16/2025) at the Annual Black History Program at Greater St. James Baptist Church in Natchez. My topic was "Black History: Why It Matters." We had a great time. In the photo, Pastor Johnson is on my right, and Deacon Lyles is on my left. (Click on image to enlarge.)
Friday, February 14, 2025
Marker for Prince Ibrahima gets green light for Silver Street
By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.comFeb 14, 2025 | 2:00 PM
A marker commemorating Prince Ibrahima has been approved for Silver Street by the Natchez Preservation Commission. The marker will be located near a lamp post on the west side of the street. Its precise location is indicated by the red circle on the left side of the post. Source: Image capture August 2024 (c)2025 Google (Click on image to enlarge.)
NATCHEZ, Miss. — The Natchez Preservation Commission
recently approved a site for a marker on Silver Street that will honor Prince
Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori. That approval came Wednesday, February 12 during a
regular meeting of the commission.
Visit Natchez and the City of Natchez sought approval for
the location, which is near the landing dock on the west side of Silver Street
in the grassy area near the sidewalk overlooking the river. The property is
owned by Silverland Inc., which has given its support for the project.
In his report on the requested location, Interim City
Planner Riccardo Giani shared his assessment, stating, “Prince Ibrahima is one
such figure in Natchez’s history whose captivating and important story offers a
valuable opportunity to educate future generations about his time. The
applicant has provided supporting documentation for this marker, including its
proposed location.”
Carter Burns, executive director of the Historic Natchez
Foundation, welcomed the news. “I am glad to see Prince Ibrahima recognized
with an official state historic marker in Natchez,” he said. “He was an
extraordinary man with an extraordinary life. The landing is an
appropriate location for it since he arrived and departed from Natchez at that
site.”
Ibrahima (1762-1829) was an African prince who spent 40
years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez. When he came to
Natchez in 1788, he arrived at the landing dock, which is also the place where
he and his wife, Isabella, departed Natchez with their freedom in 1828.
Ibrahima’s marker will be acquired through the
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. In keeping with the
Preservation Commission’s guidelines, the marker will be parallel with the
street and located close to the lamp post that has an existing marker nearby.
Ibrahima’s marker will be the same distance from the lamp post as the existing
marker on the opposite side.
Lynsey Gilbert, interim director at Visit Natchez, said
the location is ideal for the marker. “It will be seen by thousands of
visitors, especially those traveling on the Mississippi River cruise ships,”
she said. “Silver Street is frequented by many tourists and local residents
throughout the year.”
Mayor Dan Gibson said he was excited about the project
and the recognition it will give to Ibrahima’s legacy.
“On behalf of the City of Natchez, I want to express our
gratitude to Dr. Roscoe Barnes and all who have worked to make this happen,”
Gibson said. “Prince Ibrahima’s story has long been a source of inspiration to
so many, not only here in Natchez but all across the world.
“His is a story of both triumph in the midst of
adversity and of love overcoming hate. We have a number of the Prince’s
descendants in Natchez, and I share their excitement to see this part of our
amazing Natchez story being told. We consider him to be ‘Our Prince’.”
Once the application for the MDAH marker is submitted and
approved, it will take at least six months for the marker to be manufactured
and delivered to Natchez for installation.
The Silver Street marker will be the second one
commemorating the prince in the Natchez-Adams County area. In October 2024, the
Natchez Historical Society approved a donation for a marker off of Highway 61
North near the Historic Jefferson College.
See more at this link: https://listenupyall.com/2025/02/14/marker-for-prince-ibrahima-gets-green-light-for-silver-street/
Friday, February 7, 2025
Rhythm Night Club Museum opens ‘theater room’ to share stories of survivors
By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Feb 7, 2025 | 12:09 PM
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Feb 7, 2025 | 12:09 PM
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Monroe Sago, co-owner of the Rhythm Night Club Memorial
Museum, views a video recording of Sidney Fowler, a survival of the night club
fire that occurred April 23, 1940. Visitors can now view recordings of Fowler
and other survivors in the museum’s theater room. (Click on image to enlarge.) |
NATCHEZ, Miss. — The Rhythm Night Club (On Site) Memorial Museum has opened a theater room where visitors can watch recordings of the people who survived the fatal fire of April 23, 1940 – the deadliest club fire in the nation’s history.
Monroe Sago, co-owner of the museum with his wife, Betty,
recently cleared out his office in the back of the building and turned it into
a 20×12 theater that can seat 15 people.
“We’ve been open since 2010, and we felt it was time to create space where our visitors can come and hear these stories,” Monroe said. “We have video recordings of some of the survivors. These people need to be seen and heard.”
The Rhythm Night Club Museum is located at 5 St. Catherine St. on the exact site of the original building. The survivors are the people who visited the club on the night of the fire where more than 200 people died, including Walter Barnes and members of his band, a jazz orchestra, known as the Royal Creolians.
Monroe said one of the survivors was Frank R. Robinson III, the grandson of Dr. John Bowman Banks, who built a home at 9 St. Catherine. Robinson died in 2003 at the age 83, according to his obituary.
“This is the only place where people can come and see these survivors, all of whom are now deceased,” said Monroe.
Photos and profiles of the survivors are displayed in a history panel on the wall of the museum. Visitors can select the survivors they want to see and enter the theater room to watch the selected recordings.
One visitor selected Sidney Fowler, who was 22 the night of the fire. He was 93 when he was interviewed by Monroe. Fowler appears on the screen with his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Audrey Martin. He talks about the piles of bodies he saw after the fire. He also speaks of how he rescued his sister.
“I couldn’t sleep at all that night,” he says. The fire was so tragic, people talked about it for many weeks, he says.
In addition to announcing plans for the theater room, Monroe said the museum is seeking community support for its annual scholarship fundraiser. Each year local high school seniors are invited to visit the museum and write an essay about their experience for a chance to win a scholarship of $500 to $1,000.
The scholarship is presented during the museum’s annual commemoration ceremony.
Monroe said the scholarship will help to defray the student’s cost to a college of his or her choice for the fall of 2025. This year, it will be presented on Saturday, April 26.
The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is open on Sunday by appointment.
For more information on the museum’s theater room and scholarship fundraiser, call 601-597-0557.
Mississippi State University Libraries
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| Dr. Roscoe Barnes III (Click on image to enlarge.) |
Mississippi State University Libraries
DeeDee Baldwin (Date: 2.6.2025):
“Yesterday, Dr. Roscoe Barnes, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Manager for the city of Natchez, shared the incredible true story of Abdul Rahman Ibrahima—an African prince who was enslaved in Natchez and later secured his freedom. Want to learn more? Check out Prince Among Slaves by Terry Alford!”
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori (1762–1829): A Story of Unexpected Patience, Courage, and Freedom
My talk on the Muslim prince who spent 40 years enslaved in
Southwest Mississippi
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| (Click on image to enlarge.) |
Read or download the paper at this link:
Monday, February 3, 2025
Norman B. Rohrer, founder and director of the Christian Writers Guild, has passed
His family shared his final, heartwarming message on YouTube
I was saddened to learn that Norman B. Rohrer, founder of the Christian Writers Guild, has passed. He was 95. His family shared this video of him on YouTube. I'm proud to say I was one of Rohrer’s many students in the early 1980s. He was a great teacher and mentor.
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Natchez Historical Society honors Lance S. Harris at 2025 Dinner Meeting
By Roscoe Barnes III
ListenUpYall.com
Jan 31, 2025 | 3:17 PM
ListenUpYall.com
Jan 31, 2025 | 3:17 PM
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| Karen Hill, president of the Natchez Historical Society, presented Lance S. Harris with the 2025 Historic Preservation Award at the society’s annual dinner on Tuesday, January 28, at the Natchez Grand Hotel. Harris is sites operation administrator for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (Click on image to enlarge.) |
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Trustees of the Natchez Historical Society are ecstatic about their annual dinner held Tuesday, January 28, at the Natchez Grand Hotel.
Over 130 people turned out for the event that featured a presentation of the 2025 Historic Preservation Award to Lance S. Harris and an engaging talk by Matthew Skic on “Muskets Along the Mississippi: The Revolutionary War in the West.”
The program was funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Karen Hill, the outgoing president of the society, said she was more than happy about the program. “We had a record attendance of 137 people,” she said. “I am so proud of the people of Natchez in their support of the Natchez Historical Society and Natchez’s rich history.”
Hill said she was especially thrilled about the recognition given to Harris, “as he has contributed so much in various projects of historical significance.” Harris is the sites operation administrator for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Hill said the audience “thoroughly enjoyed” Skic’s presentation on the American Revolution. Skic, the featured speaker, is curator of exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His talk focused on the significance of Natchez and New Orleans in the war, topics that are relevant as the nation reflects upon the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s independence. Skic talked about the “crucial military campaigns” along the Mississippi River. He used PowerPoint images to show how the region was deeply involved in the war.
Recognition of board members
During the business portion of the meeting, Hill thanked the society’s board members for their work. She acknowledged the board members who were leaving after completing their term. In addition to herself and Roscoe Barnes III, publicity chair, the departing board members included Norma Bearden, membership chair, and Adam Gwin, vice president.
Hill also thanked former board members Mary Eidt, Mike Gemmell, Page Ogden, Maria Bowser, and her husband, Charlie Hill, for their service, and all the other members who helped her along the way.
Hill introduced the new board members, who include Ginny Benoist, president; Nicole Harris, vice president; Fran Trappey, secretary; Al King, treasurer; Daye Dearing, program chair; Bobby Denis, communications and public relations chair; Elodie Pritchartt, publicity chair; Julianna Rabb, membership chair; and Laura Tate, hospitality chair.
Award presentation
Each year, the society presents a preservation award that honors individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to historic preservation or the study of history within the Natchez area.
This year, the award went to Harris, who was presented a plaque with the inscription: “Natchez Historical Society Proudly Presents THE PRESERVATION AWARD to Lance S. Harris For Significant Contributions to Historic Preservation, January 2025.”
Harris offered his appreciation for the award: “Natchez has held a special place in my heart for a long time. Many of you know that I had been an annual visitor to the city since my teenage years. Those trips fueled my love of history leading to my collegiate and professional career in the public history and museum sectors.
“I met my beautiful wife Nicole in graduate school and after spending a dozen years in Louisiana, we recrossed the river to Natchez right at 10 years ago. I am thankful that the community embraced us with open arms and has been such a special place to raise our children, Amelie and Roan.”
Finance report
Al King, the society’s treasurer, presented the annual financial report for the society. He said 2024 was a good year and the society looks forward to the new year with more exciting programs and new projects.
In 2024, the society made a donation to support a historical marker for Prince Ibrahima near Historic Jefferson College. King said the organization wants to support other projects in 2025.
In addition to providing support for the marker, King said the society upgraded its website and sound system.
King presented a financial report that shows a total of $7,491 in income receipts and a total of $10,982 in expenses. The society’s total ending net assets for 2024 were $318,129. The amount is up from $276,429 in 2023.
“We’re in good shape,” King said, noting the total for the net assets was due to “the good stock market.”
King acknowledged the $2,400 grant awarded to the society by the Mississippi Humanities Council. The grant helps cover its monthly lecture series from September through May.
King also acknowledged the contribution of Geoff Butcher and Jim Johnson, who own The Carriage House at Myrtle Terrace. They provide housing at their guest house for out-of-town speakers at the society’s monthly meetings.
2025 Goals
The mission of the Natchez Historical Society is to serve as a resource for the research, development, presentation, remembrance, and understanding of the formative history of the Natchez area. With that in mind, its goals for 2025 and beyond include:
* Collecting historical material about Natchez and Adams County
* Cooperating with officials in ensuring the preservation and accessibility of local records
* Disseminating historical information through publications and other means
*Preserving historic buildings, monuments, and markers
* Conducting meetings with lectures, papers, and discussions
* Participating in relevant field trips and tours
After serving for many years on the society’s board, Hill said she is grateful for all the things she has learned about Natchez.
“When i first accepted the Program Chair in 2017, I knew little about Natchez and Mississippi history,” she said. “Once I started studying and researching, I realized the national and global people and events in this area. I couldn’t get enough!”
With its new president and other board members, the society is in good hands, Hill said, and she looks forward to seeing the exciting things ahead.
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Visiting Mississippi State University to talk about Prince Ibrahima
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| (Click on image to enlarge.) |
I’m looking forward to my upcoming presentation at
Mississippi State University, where I will talk about the “Prince Among
Slaves.” Many thanks to my friend, DeeDee Baldwin.
Monday, January 20, 2025
Natchez's Military Museum featured in Arkansas Review
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This is my article on The Miss-Lou Military Museum and Veterans Welcome/Information Center that was published in the December 2024 issue of the Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies. The article is eight pages long and includes photos.
You can read it (or download) at this link:
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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Civil rights pioneers and participants to be honored in MLK parade
Alderman Frazier will serve as grand marshal
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| Billie Joe Frazier Natchez Alderman, Ward 2 |
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Natchez Alderman Billie Joe Frazier, Ward 2, will serve as the grand marshal for the Natchez NAACP Dr. MLK Parade on Monday, January 20, announced Jacqueline Marsaw, who chairs the parade committee.
“It is an honor and a pleasure to be named grand marshal
for this parade,” said Frazier. “This is an important event. It is very special
to me, and I appreciate what it means to our city.”
The parade will kick off at 3 p.m., with the line-up
beginning at 2 p.m. on Broadway Street on the Bluff. This year’s theme is
“Natchez All In.”
Prominent names in Black History, such as Medgar Evers
and Wharlest Jackson Sr., will be honored in the parade, along with Ida B.
Wells-Barnett, whose image now appears on the U.S. quarter.
Others who will be honored include Derrick Johnson,
president of the National NAACP; Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C. M. Boxley, former
civil rights worker and coordinator of Friends of the Forks of the Roads
Society; and Nick Bezzel, founder of the Elmer Geronimo Pratt Pistol &
Rifle Gun Club.
Marsaw said that one of the highlights of the event will
be the “Parchman Living Legends,” the civil rights workers who were arrested on
October 2 and 3, 1965, for marching through the streets of Natchez, defying a
court ban against marching. This resulted in several hundred of them being
arrested.
When the local jails became full, the authorities bused
150 of them to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman where they
received harsh treatment at the prison. Their experience became known as “The
Parchman Ordeal.”
The “Parchman Living Legends” will have their own float
in the parade, according to Marsaw. Those who were arrested but did not go to
Parchman, will also be honored, she said.
The parade is especially meaningful to Frazier. In an
August 2023 interview, Frazier said that in the 1960s, he was one among many
teenagers who participated in the protest marches during the Civil Rights
Movement in Natchez. “It all started at the grassroots level,” he said. “We
were the young people then who took everything to the forefront.”
Frazier went on to serve in law enforcement. In 2008, he
retired as a lieutenant with the Natchez Police Department, where he served for
32 years. Frazier spent three and half years in the Navy. He is serving his
ninth year as a member of the Natchez Board of Aldermen.
Marsaw reported a team of nine volunteers with AmeriCorps
will assist with the parade. The team, designated as River Five, will be led by
Team Leader Craig Kuhnert of AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community
Corps).
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
A deserving tribute to the 'Parchman Living Legends'
Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez
Democrat (Wednesday, January 15, 2024, page 4A)
NOTE: The parade has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 26, due to inclement weather.
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Top of the Morning
A deserving tribute to the ‘Parchman Living Legends’
By Roscoe Barnes III
When Jacqueline Marsaw decided to feature the “Parchman Living Legends” in the Natchez NAACP Dr. MLK Parade on January 20, she made an excellent choice.
Marsaw chairs the MLK parade committee, and by recognizing these veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, she is doing her part to share their stories while helping to preserve an important piece of Natchez’s history.
Marsaw is also introducing these heroes to a new generation. This is important, in part, because some of the atrocities that occurred at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan – and other racists – are simply hard to imagine today. For many, the terror that ripped through Natchez in the 1960s (and earlier) is either forgotten or hardly discussed.
But who are these “Living Legends” that the parade will feature? In short, they were the warriors of the movement who refused to give up in the face of racial violence. As Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley has stated, “They didn’t let nobody turn them round!”
On the weekend of October 2-3, 1965, over 300 of them were arrested after they marched through the streets of Natchez, defying a court ban against marching. When the local jails became full, the authorities bused 150 of them to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, where they endured harsh treatment. It is said that they were “Proud to Take a Stand.” Their experience became known as “The Parchman Ordeal.”
In his book, “Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi” (University of Illinois Press, 1995), John Dittmer writes that the protesters over 12 were sent to Parchman.
“City officials hoped that this action would crush the movement, for at Parchman male prisoners were stripped naked and for two nights suffered through temperatures in the forties with windows open and fans blowing,” Dittmer writes. “Men and women both were force-fed laxatives and given only ‘sparse supplies’ of toilet paper.”
According to Stanley Nelson, author of “Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s” (LSU Press, 2016), some of the protesters were ordered to drink out of the toilets. Nelson notes that one of those arrested and sent to Parchman was Exerlena Jackson, the wife of Wharlest Jackson Sr. Wharlest was killed in the February 27, 1967, bombing of his truck by the Ku Klux Klan on Minor Street in Natchez.
Nelson also reports: “One fourteen-year-old female inmate was sent home early by bus, arriving just in time to be rushed to the hospital, where she delivered a stillborn child.”
As you can see, these veterans of the movement made notable sacrifices for the cause. They paid a high price for freedom and civil rights, but in the end, their efforts resulted in one of the most successful community victories in Mississippi.
A few days ago, I asked Marsaw about her reason for featuring these civil rights veterans. She said the idea originated with Helen White, who was one of the protesters who went to Parchman. White had asked her about honoring these heroes in the 2024 parade and onward.
Marsaw liked the idea. She said that many from the movement are now up in age, and some have passed on. “I wanted to make it a point to honor them this year and each year going forward,” Marsaw said. The honorees will include the protesters who were arrested but did not go to Parchman, she said.
The “Parchman Living Legends” will have their own float in the parade. Marsaw said she’s grateful to the people who made donations for the float.
The MLK parade will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, January 20, with the line-up beginning at 2 p.m. on Broadway Street on the Bluff.
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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez.
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Mark your calendar for the 2025 Annual Dinner of the Natchez Historical Society
The dinner is Tuesday, January 28, at the Natchez Grand Hotel.
Reservation and payment deadline is January 14.
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Monday, January 6, 2025
‘I Have a Dream Youth Luncheon’ set for Jan. 20
By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, January 3, 2025
The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, January 3, 2025
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| Praise Dancers of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church perform at an earlier "I Have a Dream Youth Luncheon." The next program will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, January 20, at the Natchez Convention Center. Photo courtesy of William Terrell of The Bluff City Post. |
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- After being on hold for several years,
the “I Have a Dream Youth Luncheon” will once again be held in recognition of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event, last held before COVID-19 in 2019, will
be held at 10 a.m. Monday, January 20, at the Natchez Convention Center. The
price of the meal is $11 per person.
The program is being organized by the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture (NAPAC) and the Natchez Business and Civic League.
Jimmy Ware, president of the Natchez Business and Civic League, said the program is a way for the volunteers and the community to live up to the ideas of King. He noted that for the past 30 years, attendance at the event actually grew from 75 guests to about 1,200.
The luncheon, which was held annually, shut down in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Mary White, a longtime member of the MLK Day Committee, said the program is exciting for everyone. It features children ages three to young adult who share their talent in presentations and a variety of performances, she said.
“We have kids from churches and schools participating,” she said. “They perform in dance groups. They give speeches, and some of them sing. After the performances, we feed them lunch and then they go to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. All of the kids are talented.”
The music is provided by a professional musician, White said.
The MLK Day Committee is seeking sponsors for the event. Ware shared: “All sponsors are asked to make a monetary contribution, which will help offset expenses such as facility rental fees, food services, and publicity. Sponsors may also purchase tickets that will be donated so that local youths may attend the luncheon.”
Sponsorship levels include: Platinum Sponsor: $1,000; Gold Sponsor: $700; Silver Sponsor: $500; Bronze Sponsor: $250; Sponsor: $50; and donations of any amount.
Sponsors are asked to promote the event in their place of business, Ware said, adding the names of all of the sponsors will be listed in the luncheon program.
The 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, which will follow the luncheon, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, January 20, with the line-up beginning at 2 p.m. on Broadway Street on the Bluff.
For more information, call Flora Terrell at 601-446-6288 or Jimmy Ware at 601-870-5088.
The program is being organized by the Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro-American Culture (NAPAC) and the Natchez Business and Civic League.
Jimmy Ware, president of the Natchez Business and Civic League, said the program is a way for the volunteers and the community to live up to the ideas of King. He noted that for the past 30 years, attendance at the event actually grew from 75 guests to about 1,200.
The luncheon, which was held annually, shut down in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Mary White, a longtime member of the MLK Day Committee, said the program is exciting for everyone. It features children ages three to young adult who share their talent in presentations and a variety of performances, she said.
“We have kids from churches and schools participating,” she said. “They perform in dance groups. They give speeches, and some of them sing. After the performances, we feed them lunch and then they go to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. All of the kids are talented.”
The music is provided by a professional musician, White said.
The MLK Day Committee is seeking sponsors for the event. Ware shared: “All sponsors are asked to make a monetary contribution, which will help offset expenses such as facility rental fees, food services, and publicity. Sponsors may also purchase tickets that will be donated so that local youths may attend the luncheon.”
Sponsorship levels include: Platinum Sponsor: $1,000; Gold Sponsor: $700; Silver Sponsor: $500; Bronze Sponsor: $250; Sponsor: $50; and donations of any amount.
Sponsors are asked to promote the event in their place of business, Ware said, adding the names of all of the sponsors will be listed in the luncheon program.
The 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, which will follow the luncheon, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, January 20, with the line-up beginning at 2 p.m. on Broadway Street on the Bluff.
For more information, call Flora Terrell at 601-446-6288 or Jimmy Ware at 601-870-5088.
Friday, January 3, 2025
Prince among slaves: New grant will fund Prince Ibrahima brochure
By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, January 3, 2025
The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, January 3, 2025
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Beverly B. Adams, a descendant of Prince Ibrahima, displays a copy of the book she wrote about the prince. It’s titled “Chronicles of the Life of Prince Abdul-Rahman Ibrahima: A Journey through Slavery From Timbo to Natchez” (The Gazell Studios LLC, 2018). Adams said she and her family are elated about the forthcoming publication on the prince. (Click on image to enlarge.) |
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Ibrahima (1762–1829) was a Muslim prince from Timbo,
Guinea, West Africa, who was captured in 1788 and sold to slave traders. He
spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez.
Ibrahima arrived in Natchez in August 1788. He gained his
freedom in 1828 with the help of Andrew
Marschalk, who was known as the “Father of Mississippi Journalism,” and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay in
President John Quincy Adams’ administration.
On April 8, 1828, Ibrahima and his wife, Isabella, boarded
the Neptune steamboat and departed Natchez with their freedom as they waved goodbye
to their children who remained enslaved. In 1829, they sailed to Liberia where Ibrahima
died at the age of 67. He never reached his homeland.
Ibrahima’s story is told in Dr. Terry Alford's book,
"Prince Among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold into
Slavery in the American South" (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977). Most
of the research in the new publication is based on Alford's book.
The new publication will support other historical and promotional
initiatives implemented to tell Ibrahima’s story, according to Visit Natchez.
In October 2024, the Natchez Historical Society approved
a donation of $3,420 that will cover the cost of the area’s first historical
marker honoring the prince. The marker will be acquired through the Mississippi
Department of Archives and History. It will be located on MDAH property off of
Highway 61 North near Historic Jefferson College.
Read more at:
https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2025/01/03/prince-among-slaves-new-grant-will-fund-prince-ibrahima-brochure/
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Inspiring message by V. Charlene Evers-Kreel
(Click on image to enlarge.) This story appears in the Thursday, March 6, 2025, issue of The Mississippi Link.
