Roses and Thorns
The Commercial Dispatch
February 7, 2009
Roses to the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau's Columbus
Cultural Heritage Foundation for a weekend feast of cultural events
- literally and figuratively. Catfish in the Alley kicked off
Friday with, (what else), catfish in the alley. Catfish Alley - the
strip of Fourth Street South between Main and College streets, once
a booming business and restaurant area - got its nickname from the
aroma of catfish wafting in the air. And Friday afternoon the area
rekindled a bit of that nostalgia, as dozens of people lined up for
fresh-cooked catfish and chips. Music from Muzik in Action topped
off the event.
During the day, free walking tours were led by members of the
Missionary Union Baptist Church Youth Drama Ministry. MU is one of
the oldest black churches in Northeast Mississippi.
Saturday, the festivities continued with driving tours,
conducted by Chuck Yarborough, Mississippi's Gilder-Lehrman
Institute History Teacher of the Year. His history students at
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science also offered
dramatic performances at Sandfield Cemetery, a historic black
cemetery.
The CVB's annual tribute to African-American history calls
attention to of the rich African-American history right in our
backyard. It also serves as a reminder that black history is more
than just black history - it's American history.