On Friday, February 28, 2020, Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Professor of English at Alcorn State University (ASU), and Erica A. Booth, a Junior Biology major from Bassfield, Mississippi, attended the 31st Annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration (NLCC) as William Winter Scholars.
The theme of this year’s celebration was “Visits, Vittles, and Vines.” In addition to watching films and attending lectures on the life and legacies of authors that she teaches such as William Faulkner and Eudora Welty, Dr. Coleman set up an exhibit that complemented a lecture on Welty. “My exhibit constituted a visit because the focal point of my display was a life-sized representation of Phoenix Jackson, the main character in Welty’s “A Worn Path,” Dr. Coleman stated.
The celebration was the first literary conference for Booth. She said, “Though I could not stay for the entire celebration, “I enjoyed the lectures that I did get to attend, and I was pleased to be recognized as a Winter Scholar for my academic achievements.”
William Winter was the governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984. He now works on projects related to historic preservation and racial reconciliation.