Witt in the Delta

If the wildly popular reactions to the bestselling novel, The Help, and the blockbuster film, The Blind Side are any indication, Americans continue to harbor a fascination with “the South.” We appear to be captivated with all things “Southern.” This course provides an opportunity to explore Southern culture via a 3-week journey into the Mississippi Delta, a mythically rich place many have called “the most Southern place on earth.”     

 

Following the trajectory of cultural studies scholars, we will explore facets of Southern culture including art, religion, food, agriculture, history, family, race, gender, and class. Our goal in studying the Mississippi Delta as culture is not to make the case that there is anything distinctively unique about the South or the Delta per se. Instead, we seek to map the complicated convergences and overlappings of these facets of Southern culture with an eye for understanding 1) how they might shape the identities and communication of those who live within the area, 2) why Southern culture continues to feed our national imaginary, and 3) what that might say about our own cultural identities as those living outside of the South.       

 

The course concludes with a week-long service immersion experience in Cary, Mississippi, a rural farming community of less than 500 people located in one of the most economically impoverished counties in the U.S.  Students will have the opportunity to work closely with local residents via the Cary Christian Center, seeing immediately the impact of their service while fulfilling their community service requirement (CMSV 100).

 

 

Tentative Schedule

 

Monday, May 18

Depart Wittenberg 7:30 am; Arrive Batesville, MS, 5:30 pm; BBQ dinner at Phillips’ cabin

 

Tuesday, May 19

2 hr class in morning, field trip afternoon to Oxford, Mississippi (University of Mississippi: Lyceum, James Meredith memorial), Square Books; dinner on own in Oxford

 

Wednesday, May 20

2 hr class in morning, field trip to Rowan Oak (Faulkner’s home), Catfish dinner at Taylor Grocery

 

Thursday, May 21 Travel to Clarksdale: Shack Up-Inn, Hopson Plantation, Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club, Delta Blues museum; travel to Cleveland, Mississippi: Delta State University; stop for groceries in Cleveland

 

Friday, May 22
2 hr class in morning, guest from the Delta Center for Culture and Learning; afternoon speaker art/literature, field trip McCarty Pottery (Merigold)

Saturday, May 23
2 hr class in morning, field trip to Strike City with a guest speaker

Sunday, May 24
Field trip to Leland, Mississippi: Leland United Methodist church service, lunch Connie’s Kitchen (on your own), Jim Henson Museum, Birthplace of Kermit

Monday, May 25
2 hr class in morning, field trip afternoon to Dockery Plantation, Fannie Lou Hamer memorial (Ruleville), Emmett Till store, Tallahatchie Bridge (Money)

Tuesday, May 26
2 hr class in morning, field trip to private home/guest speaker in afternoon on class\Southern hospitality, dinner on your own

 

Wednesday, May 27
2 hr class in morning, field trip to USDA agricultural experiment station (Stoneville); farm tour across MS River, Dinner at Vince’s (Leland)

Thursday, May 28
2 hr class in morning, guest speakers in afternoon on race and religion

Friday, May 29
2 hr class in morning, free time to write Application Paper, Blues Club at night

Saturday, May 30
Field trip, Onward Store (home of Teddy Bear), Vicksburg Nat Park, groceries Vicksburg, arrive Cary Christian Center,; guest speaker

Sunday, May 31
Church service at historically Black church, free afternoon to work on Application Paper, orientation to Cary Christian Center in evening