JACKSON — A partnership with the Community Foundation for Mississippi will fund the development of a podcast and strengthen the “History Is Lunch” lecture series by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The gift expands on the Community Foundation’s previous $750,000 donation to the Two Mississippi Museums. 

“The Community Foundation has been a strong supporter of the department’s work,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We are grateful for this gift from their John and Lucy Shackelford Charitable Fund, which will allow us to expand our outreach of the popular ‘History Is Lunch’ series and bring in speakers from across the country.”  

The “History Is Lunch” series began in 2005 and explores different aspects of the state’s history. The hour-long programs — in a streaming-only format during the COVID-19 epidemic — are live-streamed at noon Wednesdays on the MDAH Facebook page and can be watched there and on the department’s YouTube channel anytime afterward. In-person programs will resume in December. 

“We are thrilled to partner in this endeavor,” said CFM president and CEO Jane Alexander. “As many of us are changing the ways we live and interact with one another, it’s more important than ever to invest in programs like these that make our lives worth living.

“By preserving Mississippi’s diverse historic resources, and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future,” Alexander said.

For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov