Center for the Study of Southern Culture

08/09/2026

Last week, Scott Barretta, UM lecturer in sociology and anthropology, and Tom Attah, UM assistant professor of sociology and Southern Studies, presented at the 12th annual B.B. King Day Symposium at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena.
The theme was "Blues, Its Present and Future – The Advancement of AI Technology and the Preservation of a Blues Culture," which brought together tradition and innovation as they explored how emerging technology can help preserve and advance one of the Mississippi Delta’s greatest cultural treasures. Later that evening, Tom performed at the nearby Historic Club Ebony.

03/09/2026

Cassandra Wilson, a Mississippian who blurred lines as one of Mississippi’s least predictable musicians, passed away Sept. 1 in Jackson. She once said, “Down South, musicians have to be able to play in many different circumstances and in many contexts. They have to play jazz, they have to integrate the blues, and they have to know country. And the lines are kinda blurry sometimes, ’cause that’s what everybody wants to hear.” Read more about Wilson's life in the Mississippi Encyclopedia at

Born in Jackson on 4 December 1955, singer Cassandra Wilson developed a style and repertoire that defied conventional descriptions. Sometimes described as a jazz singer because of her lilting, improvised performance style (and because she has recorded on Blue Note, a jazz label), Wilson sang a wide....

31/08/2026

Our fall SouthTalks series kicks off at noon Wednesday, Sept. 9 with Southern Studies alumna Teresa Parker. Read about the rest of our upcoming events at https://olemiss.edu/news/2026/08/fall-southtalks-series-showcases-campus-and-community-partnerships/index.html

14/08/2026

The Russell Sage Foundation named Ryan Parsons, assistant professor of sociology and Southern Studies, as a visiting scholar for 2026-27. He plans to examine the growing role of disability benefit programs within the social safety net, particularly in rural regions. Read more about his prestigious program at https://olemiss.edu/news/2026/08/southern-studies-professor-named-russell-sage-fellow/index.html

10/08/2026

Learn more about pride parades and festivals, sometimes described as “a party with politics,” in this newly published entry in the online version of the Mississippi Encyclopedia, a project that began at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Ellie Campbell, a Southern Studies alumna who is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Associate Reference Librarian at the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library at the University of North Carolina, wrote the entry.
https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/pride-parades-and-festivals/

06/08/2026

Liza-Handly Hughes is grateful to her Southern Studies professors for creating environments that encouraged exploration, and is using those skills as a sports content researcher for ESPN.

https://olemiss.edu/news/2026/08/southern-studies-alumna-combines-research-and-storytelling-at-espn/index.html

05/08/2026

In a newly published Mississippi Encyclopedia entry, University of Mississippi student James Chatman wrote about the “USS Cairo,” one of the Union’s innovative ironclad gunboats that became the first ship in history sunk by an electrically detonated naval mine. Chatman wrote this entry in the spring as a class assignment for WRIT 370, taught by Jimmy Thomas. In that class, Thomas reinforces the importance of editing and demystifies the process of publishing. Read the entry in the online version of the Mississippi Encyclopedia, a project that began at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, at
https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/uss-cairo/

21/07/2026

To learn more about Thomas W. Stringer, an African American minister who arrived in Mississippi after the Civil War, read this newly published entry written by DeeDee Baldwin in the online version of the Mississippi Encyclopedia, a project that began at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/stringer-thomas-w/

10/07/2026

An additional $100,000 gift from the R&B Feder Foundation by Ole Miss alumnus Ron Feder and his wife, Misty, is strengthening the university's commitment to preserving and studying the music traditions that shaped America. The contribution to the Music of the South Endowment will support research, teaching, and student opportunities focused on the South’s rich musical heritage, building on the endowment that was established by Feder and his late wife, Becky, in 2006.

An additional $100,000 gift from the R&B Feder Foundation by Ole Miss alumnus Ron Feder and his wife, Misty, is strengthening the university's commitment to preserving and studying the music traditions that shaped America. The contribution to the Music of the South Endowment will support research, teaching, and student opportunities focused on the South’s rich musical heritage, building on the endowment that was established by Feder and his late wife, Becky, in 2006.

STORY: https://zurl.co/3umb5



Center for the Study of Southern Culture
University of Mississippi College of Liberal Arts

30/06/2026

With only 68 days till football season starts, here is a new online Mississippi Encyclopedia entry about Eli Manning to turn your thoughts to fall. This a project that began at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, written by McCartney Smith.

Few names in football carry the legacy and recognition of the Manning family, and Eli Manning added a remarkable chapter to that tradition through his success at both the collegiate and professional levels. From his upbringing in New Orleans to his record-setting career at the University of Mississi...