Gordy Honors Forum Series: Dr. Jodi Skipper

Dr. Jodi Skipper, Associate Professor of Anthropology & Southern Studies, University of Mississippi
Author of Behind the Big House: Reconciling Slavery, Race, and Heritage in the U.S. South in conjunction with our 2023-2024 MUW Community Read of Clint Smith’s How the Word Is Passed made possible with funding from the Mississippi Humanities Council
Behind the Big House is one of few historic site tours developed with the specific goal of interpreting slavery. The program began with several private homeowners in Holly Springs, who opened slave houses on their properties to the public. This presentation discusses the development of the program, what it tells us about slavery in North Mississippi, and the necessity of telling these stories today. Dr. Skipper is an applied anthropologist at the University of Mississippi who explores the representation of African American lives through material culture.