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NMHS Unlimited Film Productions (NMHS Unlimited) recently sponsored a student group that received 4th place honorable mention in the Planet Forward Storyfest Competition. The group, comprised of Jackson State University and Tougaloo College students, was a joint project with the two schools. Dr. Wilma E. Mosley Clopton was invited to participate in the collaborative project by Dr. Shameka Cathey of Tougaloo College. Dr. Clopton helped the students create a film that discussed the innovative measures being taken in Mississippi to improve the general health of the State’s population. The documentary, “Save our Farms, Save our Families”, examines the correlation between the decrease in family farms and the increase in health issues. Planet Forward, based in the Center for Innovative Media at George Washington University, engages young people and innovators in search of solutions to the biggest challenges facing our planet. It is where experts and engaged citizens come together to find solutions to our shared challenges, specifically in the areas of energy, climate and sustainability. Through storytelling, media and convening, this hub for learning empowers new voices and elevates compelling ideas. Planet Forward Storyfest 2016 sought stories about innovative solutions to help manage urban growth. The students, from Jackson State University, were some of the youngest participants at this international event, which included Fortune 500 CEOs, United States government cabinet level representatives and city mayors. The students were afforded one-on-one interaction with the esteemed business people. As a part of our commitment to nurturing young filmmakers, NMHS Unlimited not only mentored the students on this project, but also sponsored the five JSU students for the three-day event held at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Personal visit with the Congressman (first row from l-r) Dr. Wilma E. Mosley Clopton, Congressman Bennie Thompson, R’Myni Watson and Amari Barrett. (second row from l-r) Vernell Mitchell and Harrison Watson.
The JSU Group (from l-r) – Vernell Mitchell, Domonique Meeks, R’Myni Watson, Amari Barrett and Harrison Watson
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By the turn of the 19th century Mound Bayou, MS was a bustling town located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Founded by Isaiah T. Montgomery in 1887, Mount Bayou became a show piece for African-American enterprise. At a time when African Americans faced the possibility of death for just trying to vote, residents of Mound Bayou were founding banks, opening restaurants, grocery stores, building homes and serving in various capacities as duly elected officials.
African American’s also owned large amounts of land and plantations in this fertile, delta rich area around Mound Bayou which they also leased to tenant farmers who raised cotton, rice, and their families. Walter “Yank” Simmons, the grandfather of Dr. Ollye B. Shirley, was one of those landowners. United States Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce was his neighbor.
“In Spite of it All” is the story of how Dr. Shirley transformed these early experiences into action. Her activities as an activist brought the Electric Company and Sesame Street to the Children’s Television Network in Mississippi and twelve other states in the southwest. As president of the school board, Dr. Shirley also had a transforming affect on the Jackson Public School System.
We recently sponsored a student group that received 4th place honorable mention in the Planet Forward Storyfest Competition. The group, comprised of Jackson State University and Tougaloo College students, was a joint project with the two schools. Our own Dr. Wilma E. Mosley Clopton was invited to participate in the collaborative project by Dr. Shameka Cathey of Tougaloo College. Dr. Clopton helped the students create a film that discussed the innovative measures being taken in Mississippi to improve the general health of the State’s population. The documentary, “Save our Farms, Save our Families”, examines the correlation between the decrease in family farms and the increase in health issues.
Personal visit with the Congressman (first row from l-r) Dr. Wilma E. Clopton, Congressman Bennie Thompson, R’Myni Watson and Amari Barrett. (second row from l-r) Vernell Mitchell and Harrison Watson.
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was born a slave in Natchez, Mississippi. When Mrs. Holliday Greenfield moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Natchez, she took the young Elizabeth with her. Elizabeth established a career as an acclaimed vocalist. Known as “The Black Swan,” in 1853 she debuted at the Metropolitan Hall in New York before a whites-only audience of 4,000. On May 10, 1854, Greenfield gave a command performance for Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace. She was the first black to perform before royalty.
DeAnna Tisdale, a vocalist in her own right, portrays Greenfield in the upcoming production, “Walking in Their Footsteps,” on Wednesday, March 16, at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Tougaloo College in the Bennie G. Thompson Center Auditorium. A Q&A follows the 10:00 a.m. program. The performance is free of charge. Please share this post and upcoming ones on your timelines. Thank you for your support! #womenshistorymonth#blackhistory#blackhistoryplus#blackhistory365
