The presentation of historical mile markers was hosted by the Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning and the Alcorn State University (ASU) College of Arts and Sciences on October 23rd at 1:00 pm at Dumas Hall in room 107.
Everyone was welcomed by Alfred Galtney, J.D., Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Executive Director of the ASU Foundation, Inc. and Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Dr. Marcus Ward, introduced the speaker.
Ryan Tyler, a graduate student at Alcorn and Administrative Assistant, greeted everyone by giving them insight into the program. “I want to help teach students about their history, so they can learn where everything started,” Tyler stated.
William “Brother” Rogers served as speaker at the event with the goal of telling the story of Southwest Mississippi and preserving the history behind the historical markers. He presented photos that he has collected of Southwest Mississippi mile markers over the course of 9 years.
He showed 6 types of markers to watch out for on the next car ride such as Green Markers from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), Blues Trail Markers, Country Music Trail, Freedom Trail (Civil Rights), Mississippi Mound Trail, and Writers Trail. He further discussed his findings in each category, such as his discovery of the Blues’ legend B.B. King’s marker, the Emerald Mound, and more. Rogers has collected over 1,500 pictures of historical markers, which can be found on his website Mississippimarkers.com.
After Rogers’ presentation the floor was opened for spectators to have their questions answered. The program concluded with closing remarks from Interim President of ASU, Dr. Tracy M. Cook.
