Preservation and Public History in Mound Bayou, Mississippi

Author

Walker BrayFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2022

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

History

First Advisor

Ted Ownby

Second Advisor

Ethel Young Scurlock

Third Advisor

Noell Wilson

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the history of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all Black community in the Mississippi Delta formed by freedmen in the wake of Reconstruction. This paper also discusses the ways in which Mound Bayou citizens are working to preserve their history and make it known to a wider audience. In particular, this work discusses the recently opened Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture and History and related efforts to restore and preserve historic structures in Mound Bayou. In addition, this work also seeks to explore ways in which the University of Mississippi can effectively supplement Mound Bayou’s resources while maintaining a healthy partnership.

The paper’s first section is focused on Mound Bayou’s overall history. This section’s content is sourced from secondary scholarship along with written primary sources and interviews, mostly found in the J.D. Williams library Archives and Special Collections. The second half of the paper is drawn from conversations with Mound Bayou citizens and leaders and discusses their endeavors in public history.

Recommended Citation

Bray, Walker, "Preservation and Public History in Mound Bayou, Mississippi" (2022). Honors Theses. 2527.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2527

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