- The exhibit features a collection of photographs taken by Rojelio Rodriguez of a diverse group of Latinos who all make their home in Mississippi.
At a time when the state’s overall population has remained flat, Mississippi’s Hispanic population increased by 29% between 2010 and 2020. Dr. Stuart Rockoff, president of the Mississippi Humanities Council, says little public attention has been given to this growing community.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 to October 15, and this year, the celebration corresponds with the Nuestro Mississippi (translation: Our Mississippi) exhibit, now on display at the Mississippi Museum of Art in downtown Jackson. The exhibit runs through October 20th.
The exhibit features a collection of photographs taken by Rojelio Rodriguez of a diverse group of Latinos who all make their home in Mississippi. Rodriguez interviewed each of his subjects and you can watch excerpts of the powerful interviews here.
Nuestro Mississippi uses the photography and oral history to document Mississippi’s fastest-growing population: its Hispanic community. Immigrants from Latin America have set down roots and created communities across the Magnolia State for generations. Today, from Hernando to Biloxi, they work as farmers, public health professionals, business owners, professors, dancers, artists, archivists, and community organizers. Rodriguez’s photography and related programming highlight their resilience, historical impact, and ongoing contributions to Mississippi culture.
This exhibit is a result of a unique partnership between the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Immigrant Alliance for Justice & Equity (IAJE), and the Mississippi Museum of Art, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Community Foundation for Mississippi.
“The MHC has long been interested in the history of ethnic groups in Mississippi,” says Rockoff. Under the guidance of his predecessor, Dr. Barbara Carpenter, the Council produced two volumes on the ethnic heritage of Mississippi. Rockoff wrote an essay on the history of Jews in Mississippi for the second volume. “In recent years, I’ve been particularly interested in reaching our state’s growing Hispanic community.”
Rockoff reached out to Lorena Quiroz and her team at IAJE about managing the project, including selecting the subjects and ensuring their stories were collected authentically and thoughtfully. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the final result,” says Rockoff.
With immigration becoming a political lighting rod, highlighting the humanity of these fellow Mississippians is particularly important. The goal of the project was to give Latinos the opportunity to tell their own story, so that people viewing the exhibit can get an idea of what Mississippi is like through the eyes of an immigrant.
“As you view the exhibit, you are encouraged to see the subjects as a vital part of our state,” Rockoff says. “They are a part of our Mississippi. At their best, the humanities can help us understand the experiences of people different from us while also highlighting the common humanity we all share. Nuestro Mississippi, and the double meaning of its name, reflects the power and potential of the humanities.”
The exhibit will travel to other sites after its run at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Those interested in bringing the exhibit to their community can contact Rockoff at srockoff@mhc.state.ms.us.
