The Queer Mississippi Oral History Project consists of interviews with lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and/or queer people in North Mississippi. The project began in the spring semester of 2018 in Dr. Jessica Wilkerson’s Seminar, “Oral History of Southern Social Movements,” Southern Studies 560. Graduate and undergraduate students in that class conducted interviews with people in Oxford and on the campus of the University of Mississippi, focusing largely on recent changes in the social climate for LGBTQ people and LGBTQ activism in and around Oxford.
The project then expanded when Wilkerson and Dr. Amy McDowell (sociology) applied for and received an Isom Fellowship for the summer of 2019. They worked with graduate students Hooper Schultz and Maddie Shappley to add interviews with people connected to queer communities in Tupelo, Mississippi. Simultaneously, McDowell donated the record collection of DJ Charles “Prince” Smith, who had worked at several gay bars in and around Tupelo. Students in Wilkerson’s fall 2019 oral history seminar again collected interviews for the Queer Mississippi project, further adding to the collection.
To date, the interviews reflect the experiences mostly of queer white Mississippians—young and old, from the state and transplants, working-class and middle-class. The next phase of the project, which was supposed to begin in spring of 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will focus on queer people of color in Mississippi.
This project is also affiliated with the Invisible Histories Project-Mississippi to document and preserve LGBTQ history in Mississippi.
Photo from Tupelo Pride 2018 by Ellie Campbell
2019
Invisible Histories Project comes to Mississippi, Joan Allison
Brinlee, Josh, Josh Brinlee and Christina Alison Huff
Bristow, Moe Kirk, Moe Kirk Bristow and David Hooper Schultz
Brock, Greg, Greg Brock and William Timothy Stribling
Burchfield, Hays, Hays Burchfield and David Hooper Schultz
Campbell, Larrison, Larrison Campbell and William Timothy Stribling
Cogar, Jessica, Jessica Cogar and Christina Alison Huff
Conwill, Lena, Lena Conwill and Maddie Shappley
Criss, Leslie, Leslie Criss and David Hooper Schultz
Dottley, Jason, Jason Dottley and Kevin Cozart
Fowlkes, Jen, Jen Fowlkes and Maddie Shappley
Fowlkes, Laura Leigh, Laura Leigh Fowlkes and Maddie Shappley
Gladish, Rick, Rick Gladish and David Hooper Schultz
Grimes, Jeffrey, Jeffrey Grimes and Carlynn L. Crosby
Grisham, Sketer, Sketer Grisham and Cecelia L. Parks
Swerve South Podcast: An introduction to the Invisible Histories Project, Jaime Harker, Amy McDowell, and Jessica Wilkerson
Isom Fellowship Proposal: Queer Life Histories in Mississippi, Amy McDowell and Jessica Wilkerson
Pamphlet proofs: Invisible Histories Mississippi, Amy McDowell and Jessica Wilkerson
Tupelo Pride 2019 Exhibit, Amy McDowell, Jessica Wilkerson, Maddie Shappley, and David Hooper Schultz
Miller, Pat, Pat Miller and Cecelia L. Parks
Newsom, Julia "Star", Julia "Star" Newsom and David Hooper Schultz
Newton, P. J., P. J. Newton and David Hooper Schultz
Sproles, Cheryl, Cheryl Sproles and David Hooper Schultz
Sullivan, Betty, Betty Sullivan and Kevin Cozart
Vanhorn, Rufus, Rufus Vanhorn and Maddie Shappley
Walden, Cecil Price, Cecil Price Walden and Carlynn L. Crosby
White, Eric "Godiva", Eric "Godiva" White and Maddie Shappley
Whitlock, Joshua, Joshua Whitlock and Maddie Shappley
Wotring, Linn, Linn Wotring and David Hooper Schultz
2018
Tupelo Pride (documentary), Ellie Campbell
Cantrell, Jaime, Jaime Cantrell and Kaimara Herron
Cozart, Kevin (part 1 of 2), Kevin Cozart and David Hooper Schultz
Cozart, Kevin (part 2 of 2), Kevin Cozart and David Hooper Schultz
Gordon, Pip, Pip Gordon and Ellie Campbell
Grimes, Dixie, Dixie Grimes and Mary Knight
Harker, Jaime (part 1 of 2), Jaime Harker and Frankie Barrett
Harker, Jaime (part 2 of 2), Jaime Harker and Frankie Barrett
Speech delivered at Tupelo Pride 2018, J. M. Benson Hill
Pridgeon, Malik, Malik Pridgeon and Alice Aitken
Stratton, Gail, Gail Stratton and Sarah Heying
Whisenant, Brian, Brian Whisenant and Jonathan Smith
Queer Mississippi Oral History Project Performance, Jessica Wilkerson
Syllabus for S ST 560 Introduction to Oral History, Documenting LGBTQ Histories in Mississippi, Jessica Wilkerson
2008
Program for the memorial service for Charles Lyndon Smith; Obituary, Friends of Charles Smith