Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., The Fannie Lou Hamer Institute @ COFO will host a film screening of “The 30th of May.” For over 100 years, the city of Natchez had two Memorial Day celebrations—one black and one white. By the mid-1990’s, the white celebration faded away, while the black celebration known as the “30th of May” continued to march on. Virtually unknown outside of the region, this annual event is passed down from generation to generation giving evidence that the roots of patriotism run deep in the Mississippi River towns of Vidalia, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi.
Using animation, archival and aerial footage, and interviews with veterans, organizers and participants, the “30th of May” documentary brings to life the remarkable untold story of this African American-led patriotic tradition in the Deep South. It’s a tradition like no other on the country.
