Alcorn State University will host a screening of the award-winning documentary “Natchez,” which explores the complex interplay of history and memory in the Mississippi town, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m. in the James L. Bolden Campus Union Building Ballroom on the main campus.

The documentary, which won the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival’s Best Documentary Feature award, captures a layered mosaic of people grappling with a deeply troubled past that remains thoroughly ingrained in the present. Equal parts amusing and disturbing, the film journeys through an antebellum tourist destination at a crossroads.

The screening, presented by the Alcorn State University Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning, highlights the University’s role as a regional hub for heritage and cultural exchange. Dr. Garry Lewis, executive director of the Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning, is elated to bring this opportunity to Alcorn.

“When we gather to witness and discuss our shared history, we build trust,” said Lewis. “We affirm that every voice matters, especially those that have been overlooked or unheard. That’s the heartbeat of our Center’s mission.”

Dr. Lewis shared that the opportunity to host the screening came about after he began working to establish partnerships with community leaders.

“The first person I contacted was the owner and director of Rev’s Tour,” Lewis said. “I guess I won him over because he invited me to the screening in Natchez and later presented this opportunity to host on campus.”

Lewis added that hosting this event marks another step toward establishing Southwest Mississippi as a formally recognized National Heritage Area, a long-term goal for internal and external stakeholders.

“We hope viewers walk away not just informed but inspired,” Lewis continued. “Inspired to ask deeper questions about our region’s history, to honor the resilience of those who came before us, and to see themselves as active participants in shaping a more inclusive future.”

The documentary has received multiple accolades, including the 2025 Tribeca Special Jury Mention for Cinematography for Noah Collier and Editing for Pablo Proenza. “Natchez” will be released theatrically by Oscilloscope Laboratories and broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens.

The film’s director, Suzannah Herbert, is a filmmaker from Memphis whose work focuses on the American South. Herbert’s directorial debut, “Wrestle,” was Emmy-nominated, named one of the top five documentaries of 2019 by the National Board of Review, and hailed as a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Herbert also edited the Grammy-nominated music video “I Get a Kick Out of You” for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

The Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning is focused on building momentum through student-led heritage events and formal partnerships with regional museums, all aimed at elevating voices, honoring legacy, and creating spaces where heritage comes alive.

The Center is also seeking partnerships with educators, historians, and heritage organizations who share its commitment to inclusive learning and legacy-building. Their next milestone is restoring the Oakland Memorial Gravesite on campus, pending approval from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the screening or to inquire about partnership opportunities, contact the Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning at 601-437-1622.