Copy of NEH "Most Southern Place" July Workshop: Day 6

The July session of the Delta Center’s “Most Southern Place on Earth” workshop concluded this Saturday. Dr. John Strait, a professor of geography at Sam Houston State University, delivered the final lecture. He discussed the diffusion of Delta culture throughout America, focusing on how Southern events, ideas, and people shaped national music, religion, and politics. The group then reflected on their experience by creating their own mojo, an activity that originated in the folk magic of the Hoodoo spiritual tradition. Participants chose symbolic ingredients, such as flowers from the Chinese Cemetery and water from the Mississippi River, and wrapped their selections in black cloth. The mojo acts as both a personal souvenir and an educational tool. Finally, the group presented the Delta Center staff with cards, relived the week through photos and videos, and prepared to say goodbye to “the most Southern place on earth.”

Delta Center begins eighth year of “Most Southern Place on Earth” workshops

The Delta Center’s “Most Southern Place on Earth” workshop began its eighth year this week with an opening reception at the Martin and Sue King Railroad Museum in downtown Cleveland on Sunday evening.

The workshop, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, attracts 36 K-12 educators from across the country. Participants will spend a week in the Delta immersed in the history and culture of the region, interacting directly with its people and places.

Brooke Willis, a high school teacher from Greensboro, North Carolina, said she looks forward to combining her interest in the blues with her passion for history and civil rights.

“I’m excited about looking at history and being in it versus the idea of learning about it through books and movies,” she said. “Actually being in the space, I’m really about getting in touch with the energy.”

Katherine Hackney of Marietta, Georgia said she is excited for the hands-on learning.

“I’ve been teaching a civil rights unit for 12 years, and I’m finally visiting the places I’ve been teaching about,” said Hackney. “I felt like [the Delta] is a place where I could grow.”

This workshop has created a national network of over 500 educational and cultural ambassadors for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. Participants take what they have learned from the workshop back to their schools and communities, sharing stories and lessons from the Delta with students, colleagues, family and friends, both nationally and globally.

Learn more about the Delta Center at http://deltacenterdsu.com/.