Author: Imported Author 1852163

NATCHEZ, Miss. — Paula C. Johnson, professor at Syracuse University College of Law and director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI), will talk about racial justice at the Tuesday, February 25 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society. The program will be held at the Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 S. Commerce St. It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m., followed by Johnson’s presentation at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Johnson’s topic is, “Memory Lessons: Meeting the Imperative for Racial Justice through Memory, Memorials, Knowledge, and Empowerment.” She will discuss her organization’s efforts to seek justice for unsolved civil rights-era crimes while preserving the victims’ legacy.

The program is funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Johnson said her presentation will emphasize the importance of working for justice in all the forms it may take.

“In this regard, the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) works on behalf of families of victims of racial violence — homicides and disappearances — whose perpetrators have not been held accountable for their crimes,” she said. “The imperative for justice includes remembering the victims of such horrendous crimes and their families, and their sacrifices and contributions to American society for the ideals we profess to espouse.

“For example, collaborating with the family of Wharlest Jackson, Sr., of Natchez, MS, who was murdered by truck bomb in February 1967, is a key example of this meeting this imperative.”

Johnson said these memory lessons must be in the national consciousness, the classroom, and in the physical form of historical landmarks. “We must be dedicated to telling the complete story of American history and the continuing struggle for freedom, justice, and democracy,” she said.

Johnson is a co-founder of the Cold Case Justice Initiative which investigates racially-motivated murders that occurred during the civil rights era and in contemporary times.

She is also a widely respected teacher, author, and scholar in her fields of study. Her distinguished teaching posts include the Haywood Burns Chair in Civil Rights at CUNY Law School and the Sparks Chair at the University of Alabama School of Law, among other universities.

In addition to criminal law and criminal procedure, Johnson teaches courses on race and law, multicultural lawyering, and voting rights. She has also led seminars on women in the criminal justice system.

Johnson holds a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a  Doctor of Jurisprudence from Temple University School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.

Her books include “Interrupted Life: Experiences of Incarcerated Women in the United States” (University of California Press, 2010) and “Inner Lives: Voices of African American Women in Prison” (NYU Press, 2003).

Johnson has received many honors and awards for her work. In 2025, she was recognized as one of the 57 Most Influential Black Attorneys by the Northeast Black Law Students Association. Her honors include the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation Woman of Courage Award in Honor of Mamie Till Mobley (2015);  the National Civil Rights Social Justice Award (Philadelphia, MS 2014); and the Unsung Heroine Award from the Syracuse University Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Committee.

For more information on Johnson’s lecture, send email to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org.

NATCHEZ, Miss. — The Natchez Preservation Commission recently approved a site for a marker on Silver Street that will honor Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori. That approval came Wednesday, February 12 during a regular meeting of the commission.

Visit Natchez and the City of Natchez sought approval for the location, which is near the landing dock on the west side of Silver Street in the grassy area near the sidewalk overlooking the river. The property is owned by Silverland Inc., which has given its support for the project.

In his report on the requested location, Interim City Planner Riccardo Giani shared his assessment, stating, “Prince Ibrahima is one such figure in Natchez’s history whose captivating and important story offers a valuable opportunity to educate future generations about his time. The applicant has provided supporting documentation for this marker, including its proposed location.”

Carter Burns, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, welcomed the news. “I am glad to see Prince Ibrahima recognized with an official state historic marker in Natchez,” he said. “He was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary life.  The landing is an appropriate location for it since he arrived and departed from Natchez at that site.”

Ibrahima (1762-1829) was an African prince who spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez. When he came to Natchez in 1788, he arrived at the landing dock, which is also the place where he and his wife, Isabella, departed Natchez with their freedom in 1828.

Ibrahima’s marker will be acquired through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. In keeping with the Preservation Commission’s guidelines, the marker will be parallel with the street and located close to the lamp post that has an existing marker nearby. Ibrahima’s marker will be the same distance from the lamp post as the existing marker on the opposite side.

Lynsey Gilbert, interim director at Visit Natchez, said the location is ideal for the marker. “It will be seen by thousands of visitors, especially those traveling on the Mississippi River cruise ships,” she said. “Silver Street is frequented by many tourists and local residents throughout the year.”

Mayor Dan Gibson said he was excited about the project and the recognition it will give to Ibrahima’s legacy.

“On behalf of the City of Natchez, I want to express our gratitude to Dr. Roscoe Barnes and all who have worked to make this happen,” Gibson said. “Prince Ibrahima’s story has long been a source of inspiration to so many, not only here in Natchez but all across the world.

“His is a story of both triumph in the midst of adversity and of love overcoming hate. We have a number of the Prince’s descendants in Natchez, and I share their excitement to see this part of our amazing Natchez story being told. We consider him to be ‘Our Prince’.”

Once the application for the MDAH marker is submitted and approved, it will take at least six months for the marker to be manufactured and delivered to Natchez for installation.

The Silver Street marker will be the second one commemorating the prince in the Natchez-Adams County area. In October 2024, the Natchez Historical Society approved a donation for a marker off of Highway 61 North near the Historic Jefferson College.

NATCHEZ, Miss. — The Rhythm Night Club (On Site) Memorial Museum has opened a theater room where visitors can watch recordings of the people who survived the fatal fire of April 23, 1940 – the deadliest club fire in the nation’s history.

Monroe Sago, co-owner of the museum with his wife, Betty, recently cleared out his office in the back of the building and turned it into a 20×12 theater that can seat 15 people.

“We’ve been open since 2010, and we felt it was time to create space where our visitors can come and hear these stories,” Monroe said. “We have video recordings of some of the survivors. These people need to be seen and heard.”

The Rhythm Night Club Museum is located at 5 St. Catherine St. on the exact site of the original building. The survivors are the people who visited the club on the night of the fire where more than 200 people died, including Walter Barnes and members of his band, a jazz orchestra, known as the Royal Creolians.

Monroe said one of the survivors was Frank R. Robinson III, the grandson of Dr. John Bowman Banks, who built a home at 9 St. Catherine. Robinson died in 2003 at the age 83, according to his obituary.

“This is the only place where people can come and see these survivors, all of whom are now deceased,” said Monroe.

Photos and profiles of the survivors are displayed in a history panel on the wall of the museum. Visitors can select the survivors they want to see and enter the theater room to watch the selected recordings.

One visitor selected Sidney Fowler, who was 22 the night of the fire. He was 93 when he was interviewed by Monroe. Fowler appears on the screen with his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Audrey Martin. He talks about the piles of bodies he saw after the fire. He also speaks of how he rescued his sister.

“I couldn’t sleep at all that night,” he says. The fire was so tragic, people talked about it for many weeks, he says.

In addition to announcing plans for the theater room, Monroe said the museum is seeking community support for its annual scholarship fundraiser. Each year local high school seniors are invited to visit the museum and write an essay about their experience for a chance to win a scholarship of $500 to $1,000.

The scholarship is presented during the museum’s annual commemoration ceremony.

Monroe said the scholarship will help to defray the student’s cost to a college of his or her choice for the fall of 2025. This year, it will be presented on Saturday, April 26.

The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is open on Sunday by appointment.

For more information on the museum’s theater room and scholarship fundraiser, call 601-597-0557.

 Trustees of the Natchez Historical Society are ecstatic about their annual dinner held Tuesday, January 28, at the Natchez Grand Hotel.

Over 130 people turned out for the event that featured a presentation of the 2025 Historic Preservation Award to Lance S. Harris and an engaging talk by Matthew Skic on “Muskets Along the Mississippi: The Revolutionary War in the West.”

The program was funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Karen Hill, the outgoing president of the society, said she was more than happy about the program. “We had a record attendance of 137 people,” she said. “I am so proud of the people of Natchez in their support of the Natchez Historical Society and Natchez’s rich history.”

Hill said she was especially thrilled about the recognition given to Harris, “as he has contributed so much in various projects of historical significance.” Harris is the sites operation administrator for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Hill said the audience “thoroughly enjoyed” Skic’s presentation on the American Revolution. Skic, the featured speaker, is curator of exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

His talk focused on the significance of Natchez and New Orleans in the war, topics that are relevant as the nation reflects upon the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s independence. Skic talked about the “crucial military campaigns” along the Mississippi River. He used PowerPoint images to show how the region was deeply involved in the war.

Recognition of board members

During the business portion of the meeting, Hill thanked the society’s board members for their work. She acknowledged the board members who were leaving after completing their term. In addition to herself and Roscoe Barnes III, publicity chair, the departing board members included Norma Bearden, membership chair, and Adam Gwin, vice president.

Hill also thanked former board members Mary Eidt, Mike Gemmell, Page Ogden, Maria Bowser, and her husband, Charlie Hill, for their service, and all the other members who helped her along the way.

Hill introduced the new board members, who include Ginny Benoist, president; Nicole Harris, vice president; Fran Trappey, secretary; Al King, treasurer; Daye Dearing, program chair; Bobby Denis, communications and public relations chair; Elodie Pritchartt, publicity chair; Julianna Rabb, membership chair; and Laura Tate, hospitality chair.

Award presentation

Each year, the society presents a preservation award that honors individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to historic preservation or the study of history within the Natchez area.

This year, the award went to Harris, who was presented a plaque with the inscription: “Natchez Historical Society Proudly Presents THE PRESERVATION AWARD to Lance S. Harris For Significant Contributions to Historic Preservation, January 2025.”

Harris offered his appreciation for the award: “Natchez has held a special place in my heart for a long time. Many of you know that I had been an annual visitor to the city since my teenage years. Those trips fueled my love of history leading to my collegiate and professional career in the public history and museum sectors.

“I met my beautiful wife Nicole in graduate school and after spending a dozen years in Louisiana, we recrossed the river to Natchez right at 10 years ago. I am thankful that the community embraced us with open arms and has been such a special place to raise our children, Amelie and Roan.”

Finance report

Al King, the society’s treasurer, presented the annual financial report for the society. He said 2024 was a good year and the society looks forward to the new year with more exciting programs and new projects.

In 2024, the society made a donation to support a historical marker for Prince Ibrahima near Historic Jefferson College. King said the organization wants to support other projects in 2025.

In addition to providing support for the marker, King said the society upgraded its website and sound system.

King presented a financial report that shows a total of $7,491 in income receipts and a total of $10,982 in expenses. The society’s total ending net assets for 2024 were $318,129. The amount is up from $276,429 in 2023.

“We’re in good shape,” King said, noting the total for the net assets was due to “the good stock market.”

King acknowledged the $2,400 grant awarded to the society by the Mississippi Humanities Council. The grant helps cover its monthly lecture series from September through May.

King also acknowledged the contribution of Geoff Butcher and Jim Johnson, who own The Carriage House at Myrtle Terrace. They provide housing at their guest house for out-of-town speakers at the society’s monthly meetings.

2025 Goals

The mission of the Natchez Historical Society is to serve as a resource for the research, development, presentation, remembrance, and understanding of the formative history of the Natchez area. With that in mind, its goals for 2025 and beyond include:

* Collecting historical material about Natchez and Adams County

* Cooperating with officials in ensuring the preservation and accessibility of local records

* Disseminating historical information through publications and other means

*Preserving historic buildings, monuments, and markers

* Conducting meetings with lectures, papers, and discussions

* Participating in relevant field trips and tours

After serving for many years on the society’s board, Hill said she is grateful for all the things she has learned about Natchez.

“When i first accepted the Program Chair in 2017, I knew little about Natchez and Mississippi history,” she said. “Once I started studying and researching, I realized the national and global people and events in this area. I couldn’t get enough!”

With its new president and other board members, the society is in good hands, Hill said, and she looks forward to seeing the exciting things ahead.