The Ambassadors program was begun through the Delta Center for Culture and Learning in collaboration with a grant from the Walton Family foundation as a way to elevate the voices and stories of community members in the Delta. A place of rich musical, cultural, and historical significance, the Mississippi Delta has been designated as a National Heritage Area through the National Parks Service. The Ambassadors program seeks to preserve this culture and uplift its voice for future generations.
About.
EXAMINE
·
ELEVATE
·
EMPOWER
·
EXAMINE · ELEVATE · EMPOWER ·
Examine
The Mississippi Delta is one of the most culturally and historically rich regions in the United States, with deep ties to the blues, Civil Rights Movement, and the struggle for Black freedom and liberation. The Ambassadors Program encourages cohort members to re-examine and rediscover this history in order to better understand its legacy in the Delta and in the broader United States.
Elevate
The Ambassadors Program seeks to elevate the voices of community members and give them a platform to share their own perspectives and experiences in the region. We believe that when it comes to history and culture, who is telling the story matters, and our cohort was created to elevate the voices of the Delta's cultural heritage communities.
Empower
Examine
Empower
“Told by residents of the communities, owned by residents of the communities, and stewarded by residents of the communities.”
During their time in the Ambassadors program, cohort members build a network, strengthen their personal voice, and learn the tools to create change. Our program is designed to empower them to take action in their communities.
Elevate
— AMANA WALLACE, AMBASSADOR
PARTNERS
Walton Family Foundation
Program funding and support
Dr. Rolando Herts
DIRECTOR, DELTA CENTER FOR CULTURE AND LEARNING
Program Director and Program creator
Jenna Welch
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, STORYWORKS THEATRE
Capstone project director and co-creator.
PROGRAM MANAGER, MISSISSIPPI DELTA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Wayne Dowdy
Program Manager
Aallyah Wright
PRODUCER AND JOURNALIST, STORYWORKS THEATER
Capstone project editor
Rebecca Welch Weigel
EDUCATION DIRECTOR, STORYWORKS THEATER
StoryWorks Theater researcher
Delta Narratives
…is a virtual storytelling project designed to trace the journey and to tell the story of the Mississippi Delta Cultural Heritage Ambassadors Program, a pilot program jointly produced by The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, and StoryWorks Theater that elevates the stories of community members in the Delta.
Our Ambassadors
…are leaders and visionaries from Clarksdale/Coahoma County and beyond united by a love for this region and a desire to create change by uplifting Mississippi Delta cultural heritage stories. Ten community storytellers came together to form the very first cohort of the Mississippi Delta Cultural Heritage Ambassadors Program.