The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with Jefferson National Parks Association (JNPA), has awarded a $795 Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative (LMDI) grant to Co-Lin for the 35th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration (NLCC).
"This grant will allow the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration to share the story of Duncan Morgan, the master brick mason who is responsible for the preservation of the brickwork seen all over Natchez,” said Betty Jo Harris, NLCC Coordinator. “A short film, which will be created by Mark LaFrancis, will preserve Morgan's story and educate future generations about his lifelong passion of maintaining the historical significance of this beautiful town."
The LMDI grants fund a variety of projects from building studies and museum exhibits to music heritage and cultural programming. This year’s grants will also support projects including the creation of an exhibit highlighting the role of women on the Ozark Frontier between 1800 and World War II and restoration of the Beulah Cemetery, a final resting place for members of the Vicksburg, Mississippi, African American community.
Established in 1994, the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative has provided more than $3 million in grants to organizations exempt from federal income tax, such as non-profit organizations, tribal groups, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and state and local governments. Administered by the NPS in partnership with JNPA, LMDI funds may be appropriated by Congress to support the Delta’s cultural entities in their work toward research, interpretation and preservation goals for the region’s cultural resources.
Learn more about the LMDI grant program, including geographic parameters and how to apply for future grants on the program website: https://www.nps.gov/locations/lowermsdeltaregion/what-we-do.htm
The 35th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration will be held February 22-24, 2024, framed by “Rites, Rituals, and Religion in the Deep South” as its theme. See the agenda at www.colin.edu/nlcc.