Mississippi’s Cultural Heritage

Culture & Folk Culture 1.Culture is the way of life in a certain area. 2.Examples of things that make up an areas culture are: language, religion, occupation, education and art. 3.Most people learn about their culture through their family and their formal education. 4. Folk culture is a type of culture learned informally through stories and songs passed down from generation to generation. 5.Folk culture is especially important in rural areas such as MS.

MS’s Culture 1.MS’s culture is a blend of several cultures: 1.Native American (<1%) 2.European (59%) 3.African (37%) 4.Asian (<1%) 5.Hispanic (2%)

MS’s Arts 1.The various cultural groups of MS have had a huge influence on the arts of MS (and the U.S.) 2.The four areas we will cover are: 1.Literature 2.Music 3.Visual Arts 4.Craftsmanship

MS’s Literary Tradition 1.MS’s literature developed from oral storytelling that usually revolved around legends, community gossip and family histories. 2.MS’s authors have been heavily influenced by: 1.The history of the MS. 2.The conflict and change that has occurred in MS. 3.The racial diversity of MS.

William Faulkner 1.One of MS’s most well- known authors is William Faulkner. 2.Faulkner is considered to be one of the most important authors of American literature. 3.Many of his books deal with the decay of the old south and old south values.

William Faulkner

Eudora Welty 1.MS’s most well-known female author is Eudora Welty. 2.Welty’s most famous books deal with what life is like in small- town MS.

Eudora Welty

Richard Wright 1.MS’s most well-known black author is Richard Wright. 2.Most of Wright’s books had racial themes, protesting black American’s place in society.

Richard Wright

Tennessee Williams 1.MS’s most famous (and one of the U.S.’s) playwright is Tennessee Williams. 2.A central theme of many of his plays is the deceit and greed of humanity and the certainty of retribution (payback) for those traits.

Tennessee Williams

Shelby Foote 1.MS’s most well-known historian is Shelby Foote. 2.He’s most well-known work is a three-volume history on the Civil War.

Award-Winning MS Authors 1.Nobel Prize in Literature: William Faulkner 2.Pulitzer Prize: William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Richard Ford, Beth Henley, Natasha Trethewey, Hodding Carter III, William Raspberry, Charles Overby, Ira Harkey, Hazel Brannon Smith and David Goodwin (2) 3.National Book Award: Walker Percy, Jesmyn Ward and Winthrop Jordan 4.Newberry Award: Mildred D. Taylor

MS’s Musical Tradition 1.MS musicians are known not only for the large number of performing artists from the state but also for the different genres of music they have influenced. 2.A genre is a style or form of music. 3.The four major genres MS musicians have influenced are: 1.gospel music 2.the blues 3.country music 4.rock and roll

MS’s Gospel Music 1.MS’s gospel music developed from church music with roots in folk spiritual traditions that were influenced by the rhythms of the African slave community and the folk music of the British Isles. 2.Black gospel music combined the rhythms of African spirituals with instruments and popular music styles – the Staple Singers from Sunflower County was one of the earliest and most popular black gospel groups in the U.S. in the 1950’s. 3.White gospel music had its origins in the rural churches and camp meetings of the 19 th century – the Blackwood Brothers were tenant farmers from Ackerman who became one of the U.S.’s most popular white gospel groups in the 1930’s.

MS’s Gospel Music Staple SingersBlackwood Brothers

The Blues 1.The blues developed in the MS Delta from black folk songs. 2.The blues were considered to be the songs of the black working class.

Famous MS Bluesmen 1.Charley Patton – the most important early Delta blues musician – was the first to make a record. 2.Patton influenced other blues musicians, including Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson and Roebuck “Pops” Staples of the Staples Singers. 3.Others include Robert Johnson, “Son” House, “Mississippi” John Hurt, W.C. Handy, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. 4. B.B. King is considered to be the greatest of the MS bluesmen – he’s made more than fifty records, won fifteen Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

B.B. King

Country Music 1.Country music developed from folk songs from the British Isles. 2. Country music was considered to be the music of the white working class.

Famous MS Country Musicians 1.Jimmie Rodgers is known as the Father of Country Music because he was one of the first artists to make country music nationally popular (thanks to the radiio) – he was know as the “Singing Brakeman” and the “Blue Yoldeler”. He was the first person inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 2. Charley Pride became America’s most popular African American country music singer in the 1970’s. 3.Others include Faith Hill, Mickey Gilley, Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette (the First Lady of Country Music), Marty Stuart, LeAnn Rimes and Jimmy Buffett.

MS Country Musicians Jimmie RodgersCharley Pride

Rock and Roll and Elvis Presley 1.Rock and roll developed from a style of music called rockabilly, which combined southern blues and country music. 2. Elvis Presley was the first artist to hit the big time playing rockabilly and eventually became known as the King of Rock and Roll. 3.Other rock and roll artists from MS include Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner and Mary Wilson of The Supremes.

Leontyne Price 1.Leontyne Price is a prima donna, which is the principal female singer in an opera. 2.In 1966 she was chosen to open the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Visual Arts 1.Visual arts only played a minor part of MS’s cultural heritage until the 20 th century. 2.Visual arts include painting, sculpture, pottery and photography. 3.The Gulf Coast region of the state was the first area to begin producing visual artists, mainly because of its proximity to New Orleans, LA.

George E. Ohr 1.MS’s most well-known visual artist is George E. Ohr. 2.Ohr became well- known for his original styles of pottery and photography. 3.He was known as the Mad Potter of Biloxi.

George E. Ohr Pottery