NATCHEZ &045; Writing the script and taking part in a living history production at Forks of the Road has given a small group of college students an important new experience, their professor said.

Dr. Phyllis Thompson said the 16 students in her British literature class at Alcorn State University have learned stories about real people who were among the slaves who passed through the infamous market on the outskirts of Natchez. Furthermore, students have connected with the community in new ways.

At 3 p.m. Saturday, at the Forks of the Road site, corner of St. Catherine Street and Liberty Road, the final production of the season of &uot;Slavery Meets Freedom at the Forks of the Road&uot; will be presented. It is free and open to the public and is slightly longer than one hour.

&uot;It’s very important to me as an educator that my students are sharing what they’ve learned in the university classroom with members of the larger local community,&uot; Thompson said. &uot;They’re passing it on.

And, isn’t that what knowledge is all about, anyway? Sharing what we learn and passing it on.

In this way, Alcorn students are expanding classroom walls 38 miles down the Natchez Trace.&uot;

Thompson had students compare narratives written by freedmen in England with stories from slaves in the Natchez area.

&uot;I don’t remember how we became involved in Forks of the Road, but it occurred to me students would be interested in those narratives. And we began to think of living history, not unlike the cemetery re-enactments.&uot; She referred to the Angels on the Bluff program produced each year at the Natchez City Cemetery.

The idea grew, and students formed partnerships with others interested in Forks of the Road, including Ser Boxley, who has spearheaded efforts to have the site of the slave market recognized and publicized.

Students in the British literature class would have taken part in some other cultural presentation if the Forks of the Road idea had not materialized, Thompson said. So the presentation of &uot;Slavery Meets Freedom at Forks of the Road&uot; fit into the curriculum.

Still, the production became more than a play, Thompson said. &uot;It shows what Alcorn students and the Natchez community can do together. It’s exciting to see what students are doing in sharing what they have learned.&uot;

Also, the partnership among Alcorn students, Friends of Forks of the Road and many other groups and individuals creates a strong example of ASU President Clinton Bristow’s idea of a communiversity &045; a solid partnership between Alcorn and the community of Natchez, Thompson said.

&uot;We have a template for everything. The students have written a script,&uot; she said. &uot;We hope it will grow and will become a part of what Alcorn students and the Natchez community can do together.&uot;

Students have taken part in a variety of ways, some in the music, some in acting and some in publicity, for example. &uot;Everybody has put a thumbprint on this production somewhere,&uot; Thompson said.

Friends of Forks of the Road have added their own imprint, she said. The community has supplied children and other actors for roles such as a white female abolitionist and several white slave traders.

&uot;But this started with the students. I think it’s important for the community to understand that these students are their children.&uot;