The Most Southern Place on Earth: Music, History, and Culture of the Mississippi Delta

FAIN: ES-256843-17

Delta State University (Cleveland, MS 38733-0001)
Rolando Herts (Project Director: February 2017 to November 2021)

Two one-week institutes for seventy-two school teachers on the history and culture of the Mississippi Delta, with music as a focus.

The Most Southern Place on Earth: Music, History, and Culture of the Mississippi Delta was presented as a Landmarks in American History workshop with NEH support in June and July of 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. This 2018 institute will inform participants of the important role that the Mississippi Delta has played in American history, a role that is very often ignored or overlooked. Since the Delta is a place of “mean poverty and garnish opulence” (according to Will Campbell), intellectual exploration of its heritage requires building a community of civility. Our approach is highly experiential and tells heritage stories at the places where they happened.