Page 25 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2022

WHERE TO GO
The Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art
The Pleasant Reed House and City Within a City exhibit showcase the
history and culture of segregated post- WWII Biloxi, including photographs
of the schools, restaurants, and establishments fully owned and operated by African Americans during that time. Additionally, the museum’s exhibit Changing Tides: Gifts from Gordon W. Bailey, which features 15 African American artists, will be displayed until February 8.
The Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
For flight history lovers, the Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum highlights the incredible life of John C. Robinson, Gulfport native and first African American pilot to fly in combat for the United States. Known as the “Brown Condor,” he fought in 1935 and 1936 during the Ethiopian War against Fascist Benito Mussolini.
The Biloxi Visitors Center & Lighthouse
Learn about the Biloxi Wade-In, Mississippi’s first non-violent Civil Rights Protest, at the Biloxi Visitors Center
and Lighthouse. Four wade-in protests were organized by local Black physician Dr. Gilbert Mason Sr. and took place from 1959 – 1963, ultimately resulting
in federal courts opening the beaches to all residents. The Mississippi Freedom Trail marker near the Lighthouse commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the historical wade-ins.
WHAT TO DO
BBQ & Blues with Lucious Spiller, February 12, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., 100 Men Hall
The International Blues Challenge award-winner will perform at the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, which was originally built in 1922 by an African American community group and soon became an important musical landmark on the “chitlin circuit,” boasting performances from Etta James, Ray Charles, BB King, James Booker, and more. The Hall still hosts significant cultural events and a residency program for aspiring musicians. Michele Lee’s famous BBQ (Smokin Joe’s) will be on sale at the event. For tickets, visit www. the100menhall.com.
Mass at St. Rosa de Lima Catholic Church, 9 a.m., every Sunday
St. Rosa de Lima boasts one the best Southern Gospel choirs in the country, which members and visitors alike can hear at 9 a.m. mass every Sunday. The church opened the first school in Bay St. Louis for African American children in 1868 and features an incredible mural of an African Christ before a live oak tree. Can’t make it to a service? The church also hosts tours of its historic site by appointment only.
WHAT TO READ
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward In her third book, DeLisle native
Jesmyn Ward chronicles the life of a thirteen-year-old boy in fictional Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. The Southern Gothic novel, which explores family dynamics, racial tensions, and a little
bit of the supernatural, won the 2017 National Book Award for fiction, making Ward the first woman and first person of color to receive the award twice.
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
The former US Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner’s latest memoir begins with her childhood in Gulfport and ultimately uncovers the devastating tragedy leading to her mother’s death in Atlanta. Pick up a signed copy at Pass Christian Books while they’re still available.
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