NAPAC Executive Director Talks Natchez Story During Presentation at ASU in Lorman – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

LORMAN – A presentation by Bobby Dennis on African American history at Natchez was a hit with students at Alcorn State University, according to Teresa A. Busby, executive director of the Southwest MS Center for Culture & Learning.

“He did a great job,” she said. “The audience really enjoyed the presentation. There were some good questions afterwards, which is always a good sign.

Busby said she is inviting Dennis to return for the spring semester to present “part 2” of her research. Dennis is the Executive Director of the Natchez Museum of African American History & Culture. He presented a talk on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 on “The African American and Natchez: First 100 Years”.

The program, hosted by the Southwest MS Center for Culture & Learning, took place in the Medgar Evers Auditorium of the JD Boyd Library on the Lorman Campus in Alcorn.

“I enjoyed the experience,” said Dennis. “The students were interested and very engaging. Their questions reflected their interest in my topic.

Dennis opened the program with a first screening of his video, “The First 100 Years of Natchez”, which he produced with the help of Roscoe Barnes III, Cultural Heritage Tourism Manager for Visit Natchez. Barnes provided the voiceover for the video.

Dennis said the students wanted to know how the African-American slaves got to Natchez. They were particularly interested in the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a topic he will bring up on his next visit, he said.

Dennis graduated from Alcorn in 1975. Originally from Natchez, he previously worked as an optician, a position he held for 30 years.

For more information on the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, visit www.visitnapac.com.