Delta Center, MDNHA presents Delta Jewels in Mound Bayou

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The Delta Center for Culture and Learning, the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area and Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church of Mound Bayou are jointly sponsoring Alysia Burton Steele’s “Gathering of the Delta Jewels.”

This historic gathering will celebrate all of the Mississippi Delta church mothers who were photographed and interviewed for Steele’s book “Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom.”

The event will take place at Mount Olive in Mound Bayou on July 11 beginning with a social hour and refreshments at 12:30 p.m. The affair is one of several scheduled activities during the 128th Mound Bayou Founders’ Day Weekend. To see the full weekend schedule, visit http://www.alysiaburton.com/.

“These ordinary women lived extraordinary lives under the harshest conditions of the Jim Crow era and during the courageous changes of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Steele. “I am grateful to Reverend Andrew L. Hawkins and local ministers for connecting me to these precious matriarchs who are still vibrant, beautiful, loving examples of living history, and the faces of faith and courage during very difficult times. I also appreciate the support of The Delta Center and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. These organizations are committed to helping to tell these Delta stories in Delta communities to educate, inspire and heal.”

The official program begins at 2.pm with remarks from Keith Beauchamp, creator of the Emmy Award-nominated documentary film “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.” Mayor Darryl Johnson of Mound Bayou will also provide remarks. Fred Zollo, producer of the critically acclaimed films “Mississippi Burning” and “Ghosts of Mississippi” is also scheduled to be in attendance.

Following the program, there will be a book signing reception where guests can meet the author and many of the Delta Jewels. A representative from Delta State University’s Barnes and Noble bookstore will have copies of the book available for purchase.

Delta Jewels has been featured in The New York Times, Southern Living magazine and various other national publications.

Delta Center attends Alliance of National Heritage Areas meeting

Dr. Rolando Herts, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage area, joined fellow members of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas at their Spring Meeting in Alaska.

Dr. Rolando Herts, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA), recently attended the spring meeting of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas. The meeting was hosted by the Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area in Alaska.

Leaders of various National Heritage Areas gathered at Our Lady of the Snows Chapel in Girdwood, Ala. to discuss advocacy, preservation, program development and promotion, and quality of life improvement opportunities for their respective regions. Major topics included effective partnerships for commemorating the National Park Service 2016 Centennial and the creation of a National Heritage Areas system through U.S. Congress.

“The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area took the lead on commemorating the National Park Service Centennial during the 2015 Winning the Race Conference at Delta State,” said Herts. “The Delta Center and the MDNHA partnered with the conference and the National Park Service to sponsor an opening reception that welcomed over 200 guests from throughout the Mississippi Delta region and beyond.”

Learn more about the reception at http://www.deltastate.edu/news-and-events/mdnha-to-host-winning-the-race-reception.

During the Alaska meeting, Herts shared the importance of collaborating with National Park Service regional representatives to help stage impactful centennial programming.

The event featured remarks from former National Park Service director, Bob Stanton and Bill Justice, acting superintendent of Vicksburg National Military Park. The BB King All Stars Choir performed, a group that is comprised of musically talented youth from throughout the Mississippi Delta. 

At the MDNHA Opening Reception during Delta State’s Winning the Race Conference (left to right): Bill Justice, Herts and Bob Stanton.

In keeping with the centennial’s goal of creating the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, the MDNHA worked with Mayor Johnnie Thomas of Glendora, Miss. Through sponsorship from Eastern National, a not-for-profit cooperating association that supports the National Park Service, Thomas brought over 50 high school students from West Tallahatchie Consolidated School District to the reception. Tallahatchie County is one of the most impoverished in the Delta region, with over 90 percent of West Tallahatchie High School students coming from low income households.

While in Alaska, Herts also shared how the MDNHA has collaborated with the NPS and other Heritage Area representatives to conduct research that illuminates Mississippi’s status as a leading National Heritage Areas state. The Mississippi Delta, Hills and Gulf Coast National Heritage Areas combined cover nearly 60 percent of the state. Second only to Tennessee, Mississippi has the highest percentage of National Heritage Area designated land mass in the United States.

“It is important for our congressional representatives to know that Mississippi is a National Heritage Areas leader,” said Herts. “This makes the protection of our Heritage Areas a priority. It is in Mississippi’s best interest. Our Heritage Areas promote tourism, economic development,and broader understanding of the value of cultural heritage throughout our state.”

Herts with Brenda Barrett.

Alliance members also participated in experiential learning tours throughout the Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area. The tours highlighted rail and water transportation, natural landscapes and community histories. They also visited the Alaska Wildlife Education Center, where Brenda Barrett, editor of Living Landscape Observer and former national coordinator for Heritage Areas with the NPS, presented on opportunities to connect with landscape conservation efforts nationwide.

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The Alliance of National Heritage Areas is a membership organization of the congressionally designated National Heritage Areas committed to raising awareness among the administration, Congress, its partners and the public, of the benefits of National Heritage Areas to the public sector and private citizens and fostering educational opportunities and partnerships among organizations in the heritage development field. For more information, visit http://www.nationalheritageareas.us/index.html.

Delta Center speaks to Leland Rotary

Delta Center staff establish one of the new locations participating in the MDNHA Passport Program.

The Delta Center for Culture and Learning was recently asked to be a guest at the Leland Rotary Club. Dr. Rolando Herts, director of the Delta Center and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, gave the audience an update on the MDNHA and its new Passport Program.

Delta Center staff members Lee Aylward and Heather Miller briefed the group on how the MDNHA Passport Program is working to bring tourists to the Delta region.

The Delta Center then delivered passport stations to two Leland locations that have elected to take part in the program — the Kermit the Frog Museum and the Highway 61 Blues Museum.

The MDNHA sponsored the initial placement of one passport station in each of the Delta’s 18 counties. In Washington County, where Leland is located, the first passport was placed at the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Leland is the first municipality in the Delta to sponsor its own participation in the program by purchasing passport stations.

“The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area is pleased that Leland has taken the initiative to sponsor passport stations in their community through these iconic museums,” said Herts. “All MDNHA municipalities have the same opportunity to participate in the Passport Program. When done in a strategic way, participation in the program can encourage increased visitor activity, including local dining and shopping, as well as positive word of mouth about community attractions.”

Photos of the Leland passport stations will be included on the official list of MDNHA Passport Program locations, available at http://www.msdeltaheritage.com/ms-delta-national-heritage-area-mdnha-passport/.

Delta-based municipalities, businesses, cultural attractions, heritage sites, or other organizations that are interested in participating in the Passport Program should contact The Delta Center regarding the application process. For more information, call 662-846-4311 or email Heather Miller at hmiller@deltastate.edu.

Delta Center and MDNHA celebrate Mississippi Delta church mothers

The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area and The Delta Center for Culture and Learning, in collaboration with various regional partner organizations, have organized a series of “Delta Jewels Community Gatherings” in towns across the Mississippi Delta region, including Charleston, Clarksdale, Indianola, Yazoo City and Ruleville.

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The events are named after the book “Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom,” authored by Alysia Burton Steele, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism professor at the University of Mississippi.

The Delta Jewels Community Gatherings are free and open to the public. In all communities, Steele will read from the book. Some of the church mothers who are featured in the book will also speak. Receptions will be held immediately following the program where copies of the book may be purchased. Steele will be available to sign them. 

“I chose women in the Delta because they are my grandmother’s contemporaries, and I wanted dignified portraits of proud, black women who are powerful matriarchs,” said Steele. “There is a need for positive images of African American life and history in the Delta and throughout our nation and our world. This book project is about addressing that need and sharing educationally and culturally significant stories that deserve to be preserved and told today and for generations to come.”

Steele’s book features oral histories and photographs of over 50 African American church mothers from the Mississippi Delta, including Civil Rights icon Myrlie Evers-Williams. The book has been featured in The New York Times, Southern Living magazine, National Public Radio, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger and several other media outlets.

“It is an honor to present Mrs. Steele’s book and the church mothers’ stories throughout the region,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, director of The Delta Center and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. “These community gatherings are integral to The Delta Center’s mission of promoting greater understanding of Mississippi Delta culture and history. The gatherings also will feature life stories that connect with several of our National Heritage Area’s cultural heritage themes, including the Civil Rights Movement, race relations, literature, arts and religion.” 

Steele traveled over 12,000 miles during the summer of 2013 to interview and photograph the church mothers, several of whom are from Tallahatchie County. All of the church mothers, their families, pastors and congregation members have been invited to attend the gathering in Charleston. Some are expected to speak during the program, sharing stories from their lives ranging from the tragic to the triumphant. 

“This as a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to learn about, take pride in and celebrate the Delta’s distinctive culture through these revered keepers of community heritage,” said Herts. “Those who attend will hear powerful stories that not only are significant to our region’s history but also to our nation’s history and to all of humanity. These women and their wisdom make them living treasures. They are our beloved Delta Jewels.”

For more information about the gatherings, contact the DCCL at 662-846-4311. 

MDNHA to host Winning the Race reception

Robert G. Stanton, the first African American director of the National Park Service, and former senior advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will be the featured guest at the opening reception for the Winning the Race Conference March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Bologna Performing Arts Center.

Robert G. Stanton, former director of the National Park Service, will be the featured guest at the opening reception for the Winning the Race Conference March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Bologna Performing Arts Center.

The reception is sponsored by the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA) in partnership with the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University. All events affiliated with the Winning the Race conference are free and open to the public.

The opening event will serve as a venue for both residents and visitors to meet Stanton and hear him speak about the MDNHA and the upcoming National Park Service Centennial in 2016. 

“I was invited to the Delta when local leaders first announced interest in establishing a National Heritage Area here over a decade ago,” said Stanton, “I am honored to have been invited back to the region to participate in an event that promotes the Mississippi Delta.

“National Heritage Areas preserve and commemorate the nation’s rich and collective history and cultural heritage, and they are proven vehicles for partnerships, community engagement, diversity and inclusion. The Centennial’s primary goal is reconnecting the National Park Service with communities and people. These efforts go hand-in-hand, and I look forward to sharing this positive news in the Delta.”

Dr. John Hilpert, chairman of the MDNHA Board of Directors, and former Delta State president, is looking forward to bringing Stanton to campus.

“We are proud to provide this opportunity for Delta residents and guests to meet and interact with Robert Stanton,” said Hilpert. “As the first African American director of the National Park Service, Bob Stanton is a living historical figure. He has been a champion of diversity and inclusion throughout his career.

“He also is very committed to youth, using his deep knowledge of history and culture to educate and engage them. It is very fitting for him to participate in our reception, which is a collaboration among the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, the National Park Service, and the Winning the Race conference on race relations and diversity in the Delta and beyond.” 

In addition to being the featured guest, afterwards, Stanton will serve on a panel with acclaimed author and entrepreneur Clifton Taulbert, Rose Flenorl of FedEx, and Tricia Walker, director of the Delta Music Institute. The panel will be moderated by Governor William Winter who served as the Mississippi’s 57th governor.

In 1997, Stanton was unanimously confirmed as the 15th director of the NPS. He served in that role until the end of the Clinton administration. He was the first director to undergo confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate and the first African American to serve in this position since the NPS was established by Congressional legislation in 1916. Over his 35-year career with the NPS, he served in a number of management positions including park superintendent, deputy regional director, regional director and associate director.

Stanton has been recognized nationally through awards and citations for outstanding public service and leadership in conservation, historic preservation, youth programs, public and government relations, and diversity in employment and public programs. He has held professorships at Howard, Texas A&M and Yale universities and has been awarded five honorary doctorate degrees. He also remains a fan of Delta Blues music.

MDNHA updates provided in Greenwood

Dr. Rolando Herts (left to right), director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, recently met with Cheryl Taylor, executive director, Museum of the Mississippi Delta; Tonja Ray Smith, executive director, Greenwood Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Luther Wade, president, Greenwood Rotary Club.

Dr. Rolando Herts, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA), visited Greenwood recently to share updates on the implementation of the MDNHA Management Plan. The visit included a tour of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta to discuss their renovation plans and a presentation to the Greenwood Rotary Club.

Cheryl Taylor, executive director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, gave Herts a tour of the museum, which is scheduled to reopen in May. Taylor will use the MDNHA Management Plan to help guide the creation of new exhibits that will interpret the history of the Mississippi Delta. 

“We are excited to learn about the museum’s plans to incorporate our five cultural heritage themes,” said Herts. “The Management Plan was written as a resource for the people of the Mississippi Delta, particularly for cultural programming that stimulates tourism in the region and promotes local education and pride of place. By doing this, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta not only will be fulfilling its mission, but it also will be demonstrating how our institutions and citizens can actively engage with the Heritage Area.”

The MDNHA’s five cultural heritage themes are: (1) The Mississippi Delta and the Land It Embraces; (2) The Culture of the Blues and the Birth of an American Sound; (3) Moving Toward Freedom: Changing America’s Character in the Struggle for Rights; (4) Growing More than Cotton: The Delta as a Wellspring of Creativity; and (5) The Delta Divide: Creating the Delta’s Diverse Communities. 

“The Museum of the Mississippi Delta sees the importance of telling the Delta’s story comprehensively and inclusively,” said Taylor, “We can achieve this by interpreting Heritage Area themes in our new exhibits. The Museum is well known for its extensive Native American collection, as well as military and agricultural artifacts and Mississippi artwork. We look forward to using our collections to create innovative exhibits centered on the MDNHA themes.” 

After touring the museum, Herts spoke at the Greenwood Rotary Club. The presentation included an overview of the Delta Center’s role as MDNHA’s management entity, as well as the MDNHA’s goals and themes. Herts also discussed recent expansion of the MDNHA Passport Program throughout the 18-county region. The Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau serves as the passport stamp location for Leflore County. 

“The Greenwood CVB is pleased to collaborate with the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Passport Program,” said Tonja Ray Smith, CVB executive director, “By hosting the passport for Leflore County, we will welcome travelers to our community, direct them to area attractions like the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, and encourage them to visit other destinations throughout the Mississippi Delta that will educate tourists about the national significance of the Delta’s culture.” 

Herts also highlighted upcoming partnership events that promote MDNHA cultural heritage themes. These events include the opening reception of the Winning the Race diversity conference at Delta State University scheduled for March 30, which will provide Delta residents and visitors an opportunity to meet Robert Stanton, the first African American director of the National Park Service. The MDNHA will also be hosting Delta Jewels Community Gatherings featuring journalism professor, Alysia Burton Steele, and her new book of photography and oral histories on African American church mothers from the Delta. The gatherings will take place in municipalities across the region, including Clarksdale, Charleston, Ruleville, Indianola and Yazoo City.

Herts promotes Delta in D.C.

Dr. Rolando Herts (left), director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, recently met with Congressman Bennie Thompson and Senator Roger Wicker to discuss the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.

Dr. Rolando Herts, director of The Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA), recently attended the annual meeting of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas in Washington, D.C.

The purpose of the meeting was to acknowledge the ongoing support of federal Congressional representatives for the National Heritage Areas movement. The Delta Center is the management entity for the MDNHA.

“Engaging with elected officials at local, state and national levels is an important part of the work that The Delta Center does on behalf of the MDNHA,” said Herts. “Through the strong support of Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Roger Wicker and Congressman Bennie Thompson, the MDNHA Management Plan was approved in August 2014. Attending the Alliance of National Heritage Areas meeting provided an opportunity to update them on our progress so far, as well as to exchange best practices with other National Heritage Area and National Park Service colleagues.”

The Delta Center is collaborating with several partners across the region to begin implementing the MDNHA Management Plan. A major first project is the regional expansion of the MDNHA Passport Program, which is designed to stimulate tourist visits to all 18 counties in the Mississippi Delta region. Since the expansion was initiated in November of 2014, passport stations have been placed in convention and visitors bureaus, courthouses and museums in Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tunica, Warren and Yazoo counties.

In addition, the MDNHA is partnering with the Winning the Race Conference at Delta State University to host an evening reception on March 30. The reception will provide an opportunity for Delta residents and visitors to meet Robert Stanton, the first African American director of the National Park Service, and to learn more about the MDNHA. 

In April, the MDNHA is partnering with various civic, educational, and cultural organizations to host Delta Jewels Community Gatherings in Clarksdale, Charleston, Ruleville, Indianola and Yazoo City. These community gatherings will tell stories of Mississippi Delta church mothers whose photographs and oral histories are being published in the soon-to-be-released book, “Delta Jewels,” authored by Alicia Burton Steele, a journalism professor at the University of Mississippi.

Herts provides updates to Indianola Rotary Club

Pictured from L to R: Rod Veazey, President; Dr. Rolando Herts; Kathy Manning, 1st Vice President; Chip Moore, host (on behalf of Bill McPherson.)

Dr. Rolando Herts, director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, recently spoke at the Indianola Rotary Club where he shared information about the goals and themes of the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.