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‘In Their Own Words: The History of Delta Black Farmers’ opens at Delta State’s Capps Archives and Museum

By February 14, 2007General

Charles Reid, guest lecturer for the opening of the exhibit “In Their Own Words: The History of Delta Black Farmers,” has his first look at items in the exhibit with Eleanor Green, Special Projects at Delta State University. Reid’s lecture involved his story of growing up on a farm in Sherard. Green was instrumental in developing and organizing this exhibit.

The story of black farmers in the Mississippi Delta is one that began in the early 19th century. The black community is a significant portion of the region’s rural population which has been overlooked in compiling the history of the area, especially as it relates to farming. In partnership with the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives, faculty and students conducted 20 in-depth oral history interviews with black farm families in the Mississippi Delta over a six month period. The interviews, documents and photos, then established this permanent collection. The exhibit will be on display through Friday, March 30.

For more information on this exhibit, please contact Delta State’s Capps Archives and Museum at (662) 846-4780.