This SouthTalk will bring together two of the Center’s favorite things: film and discussion. We invite former SouthDocs producer and current assistant professor of broadcast and digital journalism at Mississippi State University, Rex Jones, to screen his documentary Jesus Was a Democrat. The film follows funeral-home owner and Mississippi legislator Steve Holland as he approaches the end of his 36-year tenure in office. After the film, Center director Katie McKee will engage in a conversation with Holland, and discuss how Holland navigated his intersecting environments—politics, his work at the funeral home, and his decision later in life to pursue a Southern Studies degree.

SouthTalks is a series of events, including lectures, performances, film screenings and panel discussions, exploring the interdisciplinary nature of Southern Studies, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. All events are free and open to the public.