Riverside Hotel African American Historic Preservation Center added to the National Park Service African American Civil Rights Network

We are very proud to announce that the Riverside Hotel African American Historic Preservation Center has been designated as part of the historic National Parks Service (NPS) African American Civil Rights Network.

The African American Civil Rights Network encompasses properties, facilities, and interpretive programs, all of which present a comprehensive narrative of the people, places, and events associated with the African American Civil Rights movement in the United States. The resources (properties, facilities, and programs) chosen for inclusion in the African American Civil Rights Network help us to understand the significance of the civil rights movement to the broader history of the United States.

From the NPS: “The continuing African American struggle for social, economic, and political equality has forever changed the United States. The African American Civil Rights Network seeks to tell the story of the men and women whose bravery and sacrifices shaped the movement throughout American history, and still impact our country today. The Riverside Hotel African American Historic Preservation Center plays a critical role in this story, and we are pleased to include it in the Network.”  

The Riverside Hotel African American Historic Preservation Center now take’s its place on the African American Civil Rights Network amongst the likes of the Lorraine Motel, Little Rock Central High School, Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail and the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. The link to the African American Civil Rights Network  “Discover the Sights that Comprise the African American Civil Rights Network”  can be accessed at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/discover-the-network.htm and in due course the Riverside Hotel African American Historic Preservation Center will be added to the website.

The Riverside Hotel “was dreamed up, owned, and operated by an entrepreneurial African American woman, Mrs. Z. L. Hill, living in Jim Crow–era Mississippi and since 1944 and up until the Pandemic in 2020, the Riverside Hotel had “provided safe lodging in the Delta for some of the most famous musicians in history as well as like-minded folk”, and was the place “where Blues Gave Birth to Rock and Roll”. As one of the few African American hotels in Mississippi during Jim Crow, it was listed in the Green Book and played host to a Who's Who of historic Black artists including Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters, and Robert Nighthawk. Others, like Howlin’ Wolf, Sam Cooke and Ike Turner, made the Riverside Hotel their home away from home as they toured and crisscrossed the South.  Rocket 88; considered to be the first Rock N Roll song ever, was written and rehearsed at The Riverside Hotel by Ike Turner, Jackie Brenston and Raymond Hill.  

Prior to becoming the Riverside Hotel, the property opened on July 12, 1916 as the Clarksdale Colored Hospital and played a very significant role (1916 – 1942) in the Black community of greater Clarksdale during segregation and in 1937 was where the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith died, after being seriously injured in a car wreck while traveling between shows. Today, the room she passed in is preserved as a shrine in her honor, as a tribute to the most famous woman of the Blues.

In June of 2021, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Riverside Hotel as one of America's Most Endangered Places giving our story much needed visibility. In May of 2022, we were awarded a $499,500 NPS African American Civil Grant towards the restoration and preservation of the Riverside Hotel and the adjacent shotgun houses. In July 2022, we participated in the Smithsonian Institutes Traveling Green Book Exhibition in Jackson, MS. In January 2023, we commenced with our initial restoration projects under our grant funding.

The Riverside Hotel has a rich history in the music and African American history and is a significant part of the tourism business in the Mississippi Delta. Original owner, Mrs. Z.L. Hill's granddaughters, Sonya Gates and Zelena Ratliff, are working to ensure that their family's legacy and the hotel’s legacy of African American culture, blues music and civil rights history is preserved for generations to come. The ability to restore and eventually re- open the hotel is critical not only to the Ratliff family, but the community at large and Mississippi.

For more information on The Riverside Hotel’s rich legacy and to learn about the Ratliff Family and their family’s fight to save, restore and preserve this valuable and irreplaceable African American landmark, please visit our website including our Go Fund Me Campaign at www.riversideclarksdale.com

Like/Comment/Share Your support on social media:

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Please direct all media enquiries to:

Brenda Williams

Brendawilliams2121@hotmail.com

778-847-7121

Landmark Legislation to Ensure Long-Term Stability for America’s National Heritage Areas Now Law

President Biden signed the National Heritage Area Act yesterday

MS Delta NHA hosting the 2022 Alliance of National Heritage Area Spring Meeting 2022 with a visit to the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora, MS

January 6, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, President Biden signed the National Heritage Area Act (S. 1942). On December 22, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation by a bi-partisan vote of 326-95, after the Senate passed the legislation without opposition two days earlier. It was one of the last bills passed in the 117th Congress. 

The National Heritage Area Act creates standard criteria for the funding, management, and designation of National Heritage Areas across the country and provides them an annual authorization of up to $1 million per year for the next 15 years. S. 1942 solves a challenge that as many as 45 existing NHAs would have experienced in the next two years, when their authorizations were set to sunset. Reauthorization requires Congressional approval, typically done through individual bills. S. 1942 also authorizes seven new National Heritage Areas.

“The National Heritage Area Act is a testament to the tremendous work National Heritage Areas do within communities across America,” said Sara Capen, Chairwoman of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas. “It is a direct reflection of the determination and resilience that is not only the bedrock of National Heritage Areas, but also the history of the places and people National Heritage Areas represent. The Alliance of National Heritage Areas is profoundly grateful for the tireless leadership and support we have received on a bipartisan basis within Congress and look forward to serving our communities for an additional 15 years.”

“Congress has shown bipartisan leadership by passing the National Heritage Area Act, and we thank our Mississippi Congressional leaders — Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Congressman Bennie Thompson, and Senator Roger Wicker — for voting in favor of the Act and for their unwavering support over the years,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, Executive Director, Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, headquartered at The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. “Now that President Biden has signed the Act and made it federal law, NHAs will be able to continue bringing tremendous economic and cultural benefits to the regions they serve and to every corner of the United States.” 

President Ronald Reagan established National Heritage Areas in 1984 when he signed a bill that created the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Area. Since then, 54 additional NHAs have been created across the United States, all through community-led efforts. Rather than an enclosed park as is typical of other programs administered by the National Park Service (NPS), NHAs are lived-in spaces that often span large geographic areas that cross multiple jurisdictions, including a total of 591 counties in 34 states.

“The passage of this act is great news for cultural heritage development in the Mississippi Delta,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council and MS Delta NHA board Chair. “We’re thankful for the persistent support of our congressional delegation in getting this act over the finish line.”

Dr. Kathie Stromile Golden, Provost at Mississippi Valley State University and MS Delta NHA Vice Chair is excited for what this means for the future of the Heritage Area. “We finalized a new Strategic Plan at our board retreat this past fall and The National Heritage Area Act gives us the long term stability to enact that plan and continue to invest in the people, places, and stories of the Mississippi Delta.”

NHAs are administered by a local coordinating entity and receive matching funds through the National Park Service but are not National Park units. Importantly, they do not impact the private property rights of existing landowners within or adjacent to an NHA designation. In addition to Congressionally authorized matching funds, NPS provides technical assistance and a strong partnership. NHAs match every federal dollar with an average of $5.50 in state, local, and private contributions, and a 2012 study determined that NHAs are responsible for a nearly $13 billion economic impact in the communities they serve.

“The Heritage Area is a valuable asset to Delta State and to the Mississippi Delta.” said Dr. Andrew Novobilski, Provost at Delta State University and MS Delta NHA board member. “We’re proud to have the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area housed here at the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, and we’re excited to see what comes next with the passage of this Act.”

The National Heritage Area Act was championed by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-WV) in the House and Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) in the Senate. The bipartisan bills were co-sponsored by 16 Senators and 138 House members (through the House companion bill, H.R. 1316).

“Establishing a system for National Heritage Areas will help breathe new life into the historic preservation movement in America,” said Alan Spears, Senior Director for Cultural Resources for National Parks Conservation Association. “Our history, complicated as it may be, serves as a rallying point for Americans of different backgrounds and ideologies. This piece of legislation exemplifies what our country can do when we stand together to protect our shared legacy.”

To learn more about NHAs, their value, and their work, please visit https://www.nationalheritageareas.us. You can also view a short video created by ANHA that explains why The National Heritage Area Act is needed for the future of NHAs.

The Alliance of National Heritage Areas works collectively to protect and promote the people and places that tell America’s stories. We are a membership organization of congressionally designated National Heritage Areas and partner-affiliated organizations promoting the professionalism and benefits of the program through education and advocacy. Together, we facilitate and celebrate partnerships that improve our effectiveness and impact.

MDNHA at The Delta Center Receives Commendation From MS Department of Archives & History

MDNHA receives commendation at MDHA Board of Trustees Reception in Cleveland. From left to right: Dr. Andrew Novobilski, Provost, DSU; Hilda Povall, MDAH Board of Trustees; Dr. Rolando Herts, MDNHA/Delta Center; Spence Flatgard, MDAH Board of Trustees; William N. LaForge, President, DSU; Lee Aylward, MDNHA/Delta Center; and Wayne Dowdy, MDNHA/Delta Center.

The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA) was honored with a Resolution of Commendation from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) at a recent MDAH Board of Trustees reception in Cleveland.

The commendation celebrates the MDNHA’s “dedication to preserving and sharing Mississippi history.” It highlights the MDNHA’s web-based Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Heritage Archive and a current partnership between the MDNHA and the MDAH to complete a Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Sites Resource Study involving a “comprehensive survey of more than 400 Civil Rights-related sites across the Delta.” The MDNHA Civil Rights Heritage Archive is available at www.msdeltaheritage.com/civil-rights.

“The department recognized the innovative ways MDNHA is documenting the important history of the region,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We were proud to partner with MDHNA on the Civil Rights survey, which provides comprehensive information on sites of national significance throughout the Delta.”

The Civil Rights archive and study are the latest efforts in the MDNHA’s Congressionally recognized commitment to support cultural heritage development projects that connect with the MDNHA theme “Moving Towards Freedom: Changing America’s Character in the Struggle for Rights.” Because of this commitment, earlier this year, the MDNHA was added to the National Park Service’s (NPS) African American Civil Rights Network.

The MDNHA recently hosted an online community engagement session that connected the Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Sites Resource Study with the NPS’ African American Civil Rights Grant Program and other heritage preservation funding opportunities for underrepresented communities. Over 40 people from Mississippi Delta communities and nationwide attended this first ever session. A recording is available on the National Park Service Civil Rights Grant Session tab of the Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Heritage Archive

“The Mississippi Delta is a story within itself. Those stories and experiences are worth preserving so that we can have written and oral records on people, places, and events that helped shaped our country,” said U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District, which includes the MDNHA's 18 counties. “That is why I supported increasing funds to the National Park Service.”

Community unveiling of the Unita Blackwell Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker in Mayersville, MS attended by Mayor Linda Short, U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, Dr. Rolando Herts, and Dr. Leslie McLemore, chair of the MS Freedom Trail Task Force, September 2016

“This year, Congress appropriated $16,750,000 to the National Park Service to support the African American Civil Rights Grant Program. This is the largest Congressional appropriation the program has received in its history,” said Congressman Thompson. “Congress also supported the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, History of Equal Rights, and other grant programs. It is equally important to have local organizations like the MDNHA on the ground to help with the continual preservation of stories told and stories yet to be told about the Mississippi Delta.”

In previous years, the MDNHA has supported the installation of the Unita Blackwell Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker in Mayersville, MS, and the Dr. Arenia C. Mallory MDAH State Historical Marker in Lexington, MS; Mississippi Valley State University’s "Breaking Bread: Itta Bena, MS in the Civil Rights Movement” research project; the Hawkins vs. Town of Shaw 50th Anniversary Commemoration; Delta State’s “Voices from the Sit In” oral history and documentary film project and various other initiatives.

Community Unveiling of the Dr. Arenia C. Mallory MDAH State Historical Marker in Lexington, MS, May 2019

“The most important role a university has is to teach and mentor our community – students, faculty, and friends within the region,” said Dr. Andrew Novobilski, Delta State Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The commendation recognizes the significant contribution the MDNHA makes to the educational opportunities Delta State can provide access to.”

The Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Heritage Archive is a dynamic, living public resource. It serves as a repository for Mississippi Delta Civil Rights heritage stories and makes interpretive information about such stories accessible to community members and national stakeholders.

“The MDNHA is honored to receive the commendation from MDAH, just as we were honored to be added to the NPS African American Civil Rights Network,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, Director of The Delta Center and executive director of the MDNHA. “Our collective understanding of the ongoing Civil Rights Movement is ever evolving. Our goal is to represent this in the archive, updating it as we engage and learn with Mississippi Delta communities.”

Results from the MDNHA MDAH Mississippi Delta Civil Rights Sites Resource Study will be added to the Civil Rights Heritage Archive in the near future. Architectural historian and project consultant Judith Johnson presented preliminary study results at a recent MDAH History is Lunch program and during the online community engagement session with the National Park Service.

“The study identifies buildings and locations of historical Civil Rights significance in all 18 counties of the Heritage Area,” said Johnson. “The study will be a long-term resource to Mississippi Delta residents and stakeholders towards preserving the region’s nationally significant cultural heritage.”

Delta State’s “Voices From The Sit In” project won the 2020 Excellence in History Award from the Mississippi Historical Society, an MDAH affiliate. The Hawkins vs. Town of Shaw 50th Anniversary Commemoration received the 2020 Preserver of Mississippi Culture Award from the Mississippi Humanities Council, a MDNHA and MDAH partner.

Several MDNHA partners also received MDAH commendations, including the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, the Amzie Moore House, The Martin and Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum, and the Delta Arts Alliance. Individuals also were commended for their contributions to historic preservation work in the area, including Chet and Carmen Oğuz, Ben Powell, and Hilda Povall. 

“We’re proud of the work done not only by the Delta Center, but by our community friends also recognized for their significant contributions to the understanding of history in our region,” said Dr. Novobilski.

The MDNHA includes 18 counties that contain land located in the alluvial floodplain of the Mississippi Delta: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo. The MDNHA was designated by U.S. Congress in 2009 and is governed by a board of directors representing agencies and organizations defined in the congressional legislation. More information about the MDNHA, including the complete approved management plan, is available at www.msdeltaheritage.com.

The mission of The Delta Center for Culture and Learning is to promote greater understanding of Mississippi Delta culture and history and its significance to the world through education, partnerships, and community engagement. The Delta Center serves as the management entity of the MDNHA and is the home of the International Delta Blues Project and the National Endowment for the Humanities Most Southern Place on Earth workshops for K-12 educators. For more information, visit www.deltacenterdsu.com

Delta State’s 2020 Blues Conference going virtual with Mississippi Delta Blues Festival Brazil Online Edition

Delta State University’s 7th Annual International Conference on the Blues is going virtual this month with a Brazilian beat.

Delta State, through The Delta Center for Culture and Learning and the College of Arts and Sciences, has been invited to participate in the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival (MDBF) Brazil Online Edition scheduled for Friday, November 20 – Sunday, November 22, 2020.

The MDBF Brazil online festival will be free and accessible to the public. The online festival will be broadcast on MDBF Brazil’s official website: www.mdbf.com.br

Delta State’s participation in the virtual festival this year will serve as the 7th installment of the International Conference on the Blues. The festival will include performances from seven international locales including Holland, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Brazil.

“We are thrilled about this international partnership, especially since it unites the extraordinary Afro-Brazilian music tradition with the African American Blues tradition,” said Dr. Shelley Collins, professor of music and conference co-chair.

Delta State’s virtual presentation is being supported in part by a grant from the National Park Service’s Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative to lift the theme “Spirit of the Blues: Celebrating Roots of Delta Music Through Spirituals and Gospel.” Due to COVID-19, the grant has been expanded to support the online presentation this year, as well as the 8th annual conference in October 2021, which is scheduled to be in-person.

“We anticipate that the Spirit of the Blues theme and the online festival will engage diverse audiences and expand the conference’s international footprint,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, director of The Delta Center and executive director of the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. “The 2020 and 2021 conferences will continue the Spirit of the Blues theme established in 2018. Also, this year’s online presentation is an outcome of DSU’s Delta Delegation to Brazil partnership project started in November 2019. We thank the National Park Service for their continued support as we expand global understanding and appreciation of Mississippi Delta culture through music.”

Delta State’s virtual presentation will feature a Blues and gospel performance from Delta State alum (Delta Music Institute, College of Business) Keith “Prince of the Delta Blues” Johnson, great-nephew of Blues legend Muddy Waters. The presentation also will include highlights from past International Conference on the Blues events and from B.B. King Day at Mississippi Valley State University, a “Spirit of the Blues” project partner.

Operated in southeastern Brazil in the city of Caxias do Sul for over a decade, MDBF Brazil is considered the largest and longest-running Blues festival in South America. According to festival organizer Toyo Bagoso, MDBF Online Edition will offer an innovative way for global Blues fans to pay tribute to the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the Blues.

“COVID-19 hit us very hard in Brazil, which led to the closing of our Mississippi Delta Blues Bar in Caxias do Sul,” said Bagoso. “Through our Mississippi Delta partners like Delta State and other global connections, we are able to keep the festival going online. We will have performances coming from the UK, France, the U.S., and Brazil. We also look forward to reopening the Mississippi Delta Blues Bar soon.”

“Like the Mississippi Delta and the rest of America, Brazil has been hit hard by COVID-19. In particular, live music and the performing arts have been facing unprecedented challenges to make sure that ‘the show must go on,’” said Don Allan Mitchell, associate professor of English and conference co-chair. “This unique take on traditional live performances of the Blues & Gospel keeps our audiences safe, and also gives us continuity while we build towards our next conference in 2021.”

The National Park Service is one of several partners supporting the virtual presentation. Others include the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Delta State Visual Media Arts, Mississippi Valley State University, Visit Mississippi, BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, and the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association.

For more information, please contact Dr. Collins and Mr. Mitchell at blues@deltastate.edu.

BB King Day at MVSU goes virtual !

Join Mississippi Valley State University in celebrating "The Best of the Best" during the 6th Annual B.B. King Day at MVSU Symposium. This year's virtual event will air at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 5th, on the official MVSU YouTube Channel and will feature replays of live performances, discussions and jam sessions from legendary Blues musicians and artists. You don't want to miss it!