Newsletter: Piney Woods Student Showcase, OHA Call for Chairs, Student Research Opportunities, and more
Your weekly roundup of events and other exciting news from the Margaret Walker Center!
Piney Woods School Event: Rooted in Legacy, Rising for the Future
“Join us for an inspiring evening as Piney Woods scholars take the stage to showcase their talents, stories, and dreams. Featuring powerful performances by the Piney Woods School Choir and Theater Arts students, this event is a celebration of creativity, courage, and purpose.
Rooted in a proud legacy and rising with intention, our students are not only stepping boldly into their futures—they’re committed to leaving every place better than they found it. Come experience the brilliance of young leaders shaped by history and driven to make a difference.”
The event will take place in Duling Hall, 622 Duling Ave, Jackson, MS 39216, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on May 29, 2025. Learn more on their website. Be sure to RSVP before May 29 by calling 601-845-2214 or emailing pwsmail@pineywoods.org.
OHA Call for Chairs
The Oral History Association has a call out for session chairs! The Program Committee is seeking submissions from individuals who would like to serve as a chair for the Annual Meeting panels held in Atlanta during October 16-18, 2025.
The OHA Annual Meeting benefits from having volunteers serve as chairs for sessions that align with their expertise. Interested parties will have the opportunity to describe their background and oral history experience, and the committee will choose individuals from the applicant pool who fit well with the themes of the constructed panels. If chosen, chairs must aid in the general organization of their panel presentations in the months preceding the event and also be officially registered for the conference prior to arrival.
Visit their website to learn more and apply. The deadline is May 30, 2025.
“Keep Us Afloat” Exhibit at the Municipal Art Gallery
Open now, Keep Us Afloat is a student-led art exhibit created by the JSU Art Department in collaboration with the Jackson Municipal Art Gallery, where it will be on view for a month.
From the website: “Keep Us Afloat is a collective reflection, inviting the community to pause, see, and celebrate the quiet anchors who keep us grounded amid the currents of daily life. Through photography, mixed media, and narrative, we illuminate their stories and their roles, sparking a deeper appreciation for the unseen figures who ensure our communities remain afloat.”
Voices of Grambling Workshop Opportunity
The Voices of Grambling Initiative is seeking proposals for works-in-progress and roundtable position papers for a 2025 Fall Workshop: “Digital Technologies + Historical Storytelling.” Hosted at Grambling State University in Grambling, LA, and held on Thursday, October 16 & Friday, October 17, 2025. The workshop will feature a keynote presentation and digital demonstration by Dr. Bryan Carter (University of Arizona), three workshopped papers/digital projects, and three roundtable conversations. Workshop participants who participate for the whole event will receive modest stipend to help defray costs of attendance.
The deadline for application is 15 June 2025 via this form. Roundtable presenters will submit a 3-5 page “position paper” by 5 October 2025. See below for more information about the workshop and submission guidelines.
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…
HBCU Radio Preservation Project: Charles Harrison
Need a pick-me-up to make it through the rest of the week? Listen to the new episode of the HBCU Radio Preservation Project! As a collaborator in the project, the Margaret Walker Center serves as a repository for the histories of HBCU stations and the community members who have been a part of them.
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.