Jackson Free Press

The National Endowment for the Humanities recently presented Jackson State University's Margaret Walker Center with a grant of about $40,000 that the university will use to produce a traveling and digital exhibition about Margaret Walker.

She was an influential poet and author who was known for works such as the poem "For My People" and the novel "Jubilee." She became a literary professor at Jackson State University, then called Jackson State College, in 1949 and founded the center in 1968 as the Institute for the Study of the History, Life, and Culture of Black People. Today, the Margaret Walker Center is an archive and museum dedicated to preserving, celebrating and sharing African American history and culture.

The center is open to the public and houses historical records such as the papers of the late Walker and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, who is the current interim president of JSU. The center also features an oral-history department that includes nearly 2,000 interviews, and has exhibit spaces that highlight the center's collections and the university's history.

Jackson State University also opened Mississippi's first School of Public Health during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Jackson Medical Mall on Monday, April 3, coinciding with National Public Health Week.

The School of Public Health is part of JSU's push to curb rising medical costs associated with treating worsening health conditions in the state. Researchers at the school will examine issues such as health disparities in Mississippi.

The Council on Education for Public Health approved JSU's application to begin the two-year accreditation process for the School of Public Health in February after the university met council's requirements, which included having at least 21 faculty members, multiple departments, at least two doctoral degree programs and five degree concentrations.

For more information, call 601-979-2121 or visit jsums.edu.

Mississippi Children's Museum Names Gertrude C. Ford Literacy Garden

Today, the Mississippi Children's Museum announced the naming of the Gertrude C. Ford Literacy Garden, a 13,000-square-foot outdoor gallery that first opened in the summer of 2014. The Gertrude C. Ford Foundation made a $500,000 commitment to the museum for the Literacy Garden.

The Literacy Garden is designed to encourage early language and reading-skill development for children 8 years old and under. It includes literary-inspired sculptures, native plants and an edible garden, among other features. The museum uses the space to host activities such as "Know to Grow," a monthly program that combines storytelling with hands-on gardening activities.

The American Automobile Association selected the Literacy Garden as a Southern Travel Treasure in 2014. In spring 2017, the Institute of Museum and Library Services nominated the Mississippi Children's Museum as a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, which is the United States' highest honor for institutions that make significant contributions to their communities.

For more information, call 601-981-5469 or visit mschildrensmuseum.org.