Newsletter: Jubilee Picnic, Summer Feeding Program, Research Opportunity, and more
Your weekly roundup of events and other exciting news from the Margaret Walker Center!
Jubilee Picnic
Help us celebrate the birthday of our founder, Margaret Walker Alexander!
Born on July 7, 1915, Dr. Alexander founded the Institute for the Study of the Life, History, and Culture of Black People (later the Margaret Walker Center) in 1968 at Jackson State University.
This year, on July 3 at noon, join us at the COFO Civil Rights Education Center (1017 John R. Lynch St.) for food, cake, music, and community as we honor Dr. Alexander’s lasting legacy. The Pocket Park will also be open for anyone who wants to soak up some sun!
The picnic is free and open to the public! Parking is available along the street.
City of Jackson Summer Feeding Program
The City of Jackson’s Department of Human and Cultural Services is partnering with Jackson Public Schools for the Summer Feeding Program, providing free nutritious meals to school-aged youth throughout the city.
From June 2 through 27, meals will be served every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Smith Robertson Community Center
Sykes Park Community Center
Westside Community Center
All children and youth under 18 are welcome, no registration is required. Don’t forget to help spread the word to families, neighbors, and community members across Jackson!
For more information, contact the Department of Human and Cultural Services @ (601) 960-0383 or hcs@jacksonms.gov.
Paid Summer Research Opportunity
Attention students! Theron Wilkerson, doctoral student at Auburn University and 2025 Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellow, is looking to recruit a Jackson State undergraduate student to serve as a Research Assistant for his dissertation project, Upon a Silver Salver: Water, Hospitality, and the Habits of Lady Justice, supported by the 2025 Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellowship.
From July 7–18, he’ll be conducting archival work at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, with a focus on Black civic life, environmental memory, and infrastructural exclusion in the Pearl River District and Jackson. The assistant will receive a $750 stipend, gain hands-on archival experience, and receive mentorship in qualitative methods, historical analysis, and reflective journaling.
He's especially looking for a student from JSU who may have interest in history, Africana Studies, environmental studies, public service, or the arts. As part of the project’s long-term arc, he will encourage the student to develop and submit their work to the annual CASE Festival at Jackson State, with the possibility of pursuing the $1,000 prize for essays on the Black experience in the American South or the $500 Doris Derby Visual Arts and Social Justice Award.
Contact Theron at taw0062@auburn.edu for more information. Apply by June 23, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
In Case You Missed It…
Pocket Park Garden
We worked hard on Friday, June 30, to accomplish some landscaping goals for the COFO Pocket Park! Check out our garden, located just past the deck.
Connect with us
Want to get in touch? Send us an email at mwa@jsums.edu, reply to this newsletter, or find us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.
You can find plenty of pictures related to our events and programs.
To learn even more about us, visit our website. If you’d like to book a tour, you can use this form to schedule your visit.