“Computers, Welfare, and Southern Politics: The Technological Environments of Government in Mississippi”  by Marc Aidinoff In this SouthTalk, Marc Aidinoff will explore what the government looks like when it becomes computerized and how the expectations of citizenship have changed as a result. Moving from 1970 to the present, Aidinoff will trace the changing politics, practices, …

“The South’s Environmental Legacy: From Personal Accountability to Collective Power” by Heather McTeer Toney In this SouthTalk, Heather McTeer Toney will discuss how the South’s environmental history—ranging from agriculture to extractive industries—has shaped individual and collective behaviors. She will focus on reframing the conversation from personal recycling habits to holding industries accountable and advocating for …

“Snapshot: Climate, Exhibition and Conversation” Vanessa Charlot, Kariann Fuqua, and Brooke White In the fall of 2023, Southern Cultures published Snapshot: Climate. This issue featured more than sixty photographs and accompanying short reflections from artists, activists, photojournalists, and scientists to provide a “snapshot” of climate impacts across the South. The feature became a traveling exhibit …

“Art in Barnard” by Robin Whitfield Robin Whitfield is a Mississippi artist dedicated to connecting with nature and helping others do the same. Her creative process begins with observing natural environments such as rivers, swamps, and forests. Her paintings are poetic explorations of visual and ecological relationships. Whitfield works on paper using traditional watercolors or foraged plant and …

Film Screening of “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power” + Q&A with Director in Meek Hall Auditorium Sam Pollard, Spring 2025 Visiting Documentarian The Center for the Study of Southern Culture and instructors affiliated with the MFA in Documentary Expression host a visiting documentarian once per semester. The invited documentarian spends two days …