NAPAC Executive Director talks about Natchez history in presentation at ASU in Lorman

Published 1:08 pm Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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

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

Busby said she is inviting Dennis back for the spring semester to present “Part 2” of his research. Dennis is the executive director of Natchez Museum of African American History & Culture. He presented a talk on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, on “The African American and Natchez: First 100 Years.”

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The program, which was hosted by the Southwest MS Center for Culture & Learning, took place in Medgar Evers Auditorium in the J.D. Boyd Library on Alcorn’s Lorman Campus.

“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 premier showing of his video, “The First 100 Years of Natchez,” which he produced with assistance from Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager for Visit Natchez. Barnes provided the voice over for the video.

Dennis said the students wanted to know how African American slaves came to Natchez. They were especially interested in the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a topic he will address on his next visit, he said.

Dennis is a 1975 graduate of Alcorn. A native of Natchez, he previously worked as an optician, a position he held for 30 years

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