Black History program honoring African American women slated for Feb. 17 at Natchez City Auditorium

Dr. Carolyn Myers will host a Black History event that will honor the contributions of African American women at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Natchez City Auditorium. The program is titled, "Back Down Memory Lane: African American Women (Past and Present) who Changed History and Culture."

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Dr. Carolyn Myers is organizing a Black History program that will honor the contributions of African American women at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Natchez City Auditorium, 207 Jefferson St. The program is titled, “Back Down Memory Lane: African American Women (Past and Present) who Changed History and Culture.” It is free to the public.

Myers said the program will feature local women of various churches and organizations who will portray the women being recognized. A special segment of the program will focus on Mississippians and Natchez natives, she said.

The program is part of an on-going effort by Myers to share the stories of African Americans each year during Black History Month and throughout the year.

“Each year we do something for Black History Month,” she said. “Last year I did something on Emmett Till. We had two movie nights with a free showing of the film, ‘Women of the Movement.’ The weekend following, I took two buses of seniors to the Mississippi Delta to learn more about Emmett Till and the civil rights movement.”

Myers and her traveling seniors were joined on the trip by Mayor Dan and Marla Gibson, and Alderwoman Valencia Hall.

Myers’ travel group is called “Seniors on the Move.” The group takes week-long trips to historical sites in Mississippi and other states every year.

“This year I wanted to do something different,” she said. “I want to let people know about a lot of women who became ‘the first person’ in their respective fields that many people do not know about. Some of them have not received the recognition they deserve.”

Myers, a retired educator, said she “did a lot of research on women all over the world, not just those in Natchez.”

“In 2019, I did a program recognizing the ‘50 Distinguished Men Across the Miss-Lou Area,” Myers said. “During that program, the women presented the awards to the men. This time, the men will present the awards to the women.”

Those attending the “Back Down Memory Lane” program are asked to bring two canned goods or non-perishable items to donate to Stewpot.

This program is sponsored by Seeds of Change Resource Foundation.

For more information, call 601-870-6343.