Special Collections Student Curator Exhibit Opening Set for April 15

News item published on: 2026-03-30 13:52:00

University Libraries’ Special Collections invites the University and Hattiesburg communities to an exhibit opening and reception on April 15, 2026, from 4 – 5 p.m. in McCain Library and Archives room 305. The event will showcase exhibits curated by three Southern Miss students.

Honorable Golden Eagles: The History of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Honors College is curated by Jocelyn Revoldt, a junior in the Honors College majoring in history with a minor in library and information science. The exhibit celebrates the Honors College’s upcoming 50th anniversary by examining how far the Honors College has grown from 1976 to present day. The exhibit highlights how honors scholars were introduced to influential figures through University Forum, the original plans for the Honors College, as well as pictures of the deans of the Honors College throughout the years. The materials on display are part of the Honors College collection in the University archives.

Withholding to be Heard, curated by Ashlynn Steiner, a library and information science graduate student, draws heavily on materials from the Emilye Crosby Civil Rights Collection to examine a critical boycott in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. Focusing on Claiborne County, the exhibit traces events over a thirteen-year period that culminated in the legal protection of the right to boycott. Mississippi’s connection to boycott history extends beyond local impact. In 1969, white merchants in Claiborne County sued the local NAACP chapter for $1.25 million in alleged losses caused by the boycott. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 1982 that boycotts are protected as free political speech and that participants cannot be held liable for resulting financial losses. This decision affirmed that all nonviolent boycotts are a lawful tool for pursuing political and social change and positioning Mississippi at the center of defining their constitutional protections.

Southern Food: Not Just Country Accents and Fried Chicken, curated by Lily Bridges, a history major and a minor in both anthropology and Spanish, explores the influence of immigrant culture on southern cuisine through a collection of cookbooks from Mississippi. In looking at recipes from community cookbooks and cookbooks written by immigrants, the influence of many diverse cultures on the southern way of life becomes evident through food. This exhibit highlights the ways Chinese, Lebanese, Mexican, and other cultures have impacted Southern American life. Even if they had to fight to be heard in other aspects of living, their recipes are evidence of their presence and impact in the south.

The Special Collections Student Curator Program offers a hands-on opportunity to create one-case exhibits using materials from the Library’s collections. Through the program, students gain valuable experience in selecting items for display, writing exhibit labels and descriptive text, installing materials, and promoting their exhibits to the public.

These exhibits will be on display on the third floor of McCain Library and Archives in the Cleanth Brooks Reading Room through March 2027. For more information or questions about the program or the exhibits on display, contact Jennifer Brannock at or 601.266.4347.