By: Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., Visit Natchez
 |
| Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C.M. Boxley Photo courtesy of Kathleen Bond (Click on image to enlarge.) |
The Mississippi Encyclopedia now features a biographical
entry on Ser Seshsh Ab Heter‑C. M. Boxley. The entry is a chronological and
thematic overview of his life, highlighting his significant contributions to
Natchez and Mississippi history as an activist, author, preservationist, and
public historian.
The Mississippi Encyclopedia is published by the Center
for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi and has been
funded by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi
Humanities Council, said he was pleased to see Boxley featured in the
publication.
“It is fitting for Ser Boxley to become part of the
Mississippi Encyclopedia,” he said. “His commitment to preserving the story of
the enslaved in Natchez and at Forks of the Road has blazed a trail in how we
can tell a more honest and accurate story of our past.”
James G. Thomas, Jr., associate director for publications
at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, said he and his team were all
happy to feature Ser Boxley in the Mississippi Encyclopedia.
The biographical entry focuses on Ser Boxley’s early life
and family background, as well as his education and civil rights activism,
which includes his role with the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice. It
also covers his trips to Africa and the adoption of his African name.
Additionally, the entry features his major achievements
as a historian and cultural preservationist. Those achievements include his
decades-long work on the Forks of the Road slave market, which is now part of
the National Park Service, and his creation of living history programs.
It also underscores his contributions as an author and
the donation of his life’s work to the Mississippi Department of Archives and
history.
The idea for the entry originated with Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. It can be viewed at: https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/boxley-ser-seshsh-ab-heter-c-m/
No comments:
Post a Comment