Film and original interviews preserved, now available to
the public
By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., Visit Natchez
 |
| Natchez filmmakers Robert Morgan and Darrell S. White donated "The Parchman Ordeal: The Untold Story," co-produced with the late director G. Mark LaFrancis, to the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University for preservation and public access on YouTube. This earlier photo shows the three producers (from left): Darrell White, G. Mark LaFrancis, and Robert Morgan. Photo courtesy of Robert Morgan (Click on image to enlarge.) |
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- “The Parchman Ordeal: The Untold Story,” a documentary
highlighting a pivotal chapter in the Civil Rights Movement in Natchez, has
found a permanent home at the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State
University. The film is now preserved in the university’s archives and
available for free viewing on the Center’s YouTube channel.
The Margaret Walker Center acquired the film and its
accompanying original interview footage through a donation from Natchez
filmmakers Robert Morgan and Darrell S. White, who co-produced the film with
director G. Mark LaFrancis. LaFrancis died in June 2024 following a long battle
with cancer.
“The Parchman Ordeal” premiered in October 2015 at the
City Auditorium in Natchez, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1965 civil
rights events it depicts. The documentary presents the story of African
Americans arrested in Natchez for attempting to march for their civil rights.
They were later jailed at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman in
1965, where they endured severe abuse.
“The Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University
is extremely pleased to be adding the documentary film, ‘The Parchman Ordeal:
The Untold Story,’ as well as its accompanying original interview footage to
our oral history collection,” said Alissa Rae Funderburk, oral historian at the
Margaret Walker Center.
“Though we have an extensive collection of civil rights
interviews in our archive, this documentary sheds light on an important moment
in the struggle and brings the stories of Parchman’s brave survivors to the
forefront,” Funderburk said. “We hope that by providing access to such a
thought-provoking film, we can remind our audience of the value of storytelling
and the power of truth.”
Morgan said he is “deeply appreciative” of the
university’s commitment to preserving and sharing Natchez’s history.
“We thank the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State
University for preserving the documentary and making it accessible,” Morgan
said. “Honoring the roughly 150 young men and women arrested for parading
without a permit during the civil rights era inspires future generations to
boldly stand up against unconstitutional injustice.”
White echoed those sentiments. “The filmmakers’ mission
was to accurately document the sacrifices made by those who took a stand on
behalf of others, and the price they paid for their efforts,” he said. “We
salute the Margaret Walker Center of Jackson State University for their
commitment in helping to tell this forgotten and previously untold story.”
Lynsey Gilbert, interim director of Visit Natchez,
applauded the decision by Morgan and White to partner with the Margaret Walker
Center.
“This is an important documentary of Natchez’s history
that highlights both the struggle and triumph of our local residents during the
Civil Rights Movement,” she said. “Visit Natchez was pleased to assist the
filmmakers with this new arrangement with the Margaret Walker Center. We’re
especially excited to know ‘The Parchman Ordeal’ will be professionally
preserved and made available to a much wider audience.”
In 2017, “The Parchman Ordeal” was recognized as the Most
Transformative Film at the Crossroads Film Festival. The film was produced in
partnership with the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture and
was funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council. In
addition to being aired on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, it became the basis
for the book, “The Parchman Ordeal: 1965 Natchez Civil Rights Injustice” (The
History Press, 2018).
“The Parchman Ordeal: The Untold Story” can be viewed on
the Margaret Walker Center’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/yJqTXt2tEp4
About the Margaret Walker Center
The Margaret Walker Center is an archive and museum
dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of African
American history and culture. Founded as the Institute for the Study of the
History, Life, and Culture of Black People by Margaret Walker in 1968, the
Center seeks to honor her academic, artistic, and activist legacy through its
archival collections, exhibits, and public programs.
See more at this
link: https://www.themississippimonitor.com/natchez-filmmakers-donate-the-parchman-ordeal-to-jsus-margaret-walker-center/
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