Guide to Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival
In 1973, trailblazing poet and writer Margaret Walker invited 30 leading black female authors to Jackson State University for a pioneering conference and bicentennial celebration of Phillis Wheatley’s “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” the first-ever published volume of poetry by an African American author.
Now, a half-century later, JSU is proud to host the 50th Anniversary of the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival on November 1 - 4, 2023.
![Margaret Walker with Phillis Wheatley bust](https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=742cfa6bab6a6961c705d89d3788b494 320w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=2daf65c725099e1d7247436c82cbaa36 540w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=15e32145da3caf050d8a05b862db3011 768w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=d288ad1238abc5e32348dbac22c67806 1024w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=ac31a684c64325ab5ea8e39eb2e7f002 1200w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=932799f6f97e03a22b164294610101f1 1440w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Margaret-Walker-with-Phillis-Wheatley-bust-credit-Roy-Lewis.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=c0a2e0d545b90b80c0b108f268a9caa5 1920w)
Alongside ten original participants, a new generation of notable writers like Jesmyn Ward and Angie Thomas will guide intergenerational conversations, scholarly analysis, and creative writing seminars surrounding Black excellence. Read on to learn more about the event, as well as other important information to make the most of the festival.
Conference Chair & Keynote Speakers
At the helm of the festival is Dr. Ebony Lumumba, Conference Chair, whose background as a Jacksonian and dedication to literature and education sets the tone for the event’s intellectual and artistic discourse.
The festival’s keynote speakers are luminaries in the literary, theater, educational, and social justice worlds — Jesmyn Ward, Alice Walker, Angie Thomas, Sonia Sanchez, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Tonea Stewart, Eve Ewing, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Imani Perry, Paula Giddings, Vinie Burrows, Maryemma Graham, Carole Gregory, Nic Stone, Joanne Gabbin, Shelly Lowe, and Maria Rosario Jackson.
Schedule of Events
Readings, conversations, and exhibitions take place over four days between The Westin Jackson, Jackson State Convention Complex, and JSU & The Margaret Walker Center. The fourth day concludes with traveling tours and a special concert at Thalia Mara Hall featuring the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra – “Bravo 2: American Constellation” – where several of Margaret Walker’s poems will be read alongside American standards.
![Mari Evans speaks to Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival attendees](https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=1ee24a950348eda3f34f8b49a48091f7 320w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=464e6a0f9ab9d0e93e759a8f0fb1094e 540w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=9bfbd4062e5e8e149006b638300e373a 768w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=a84b6f5593c7c1ca1ea71692e5d95423 1024w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=4325f40edfa4a6045e36404a97115da8 1200w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=c812c715a628c6d3bcb49b7566156235 1440w, https://visit-jackson.imgix.net/images/Mari-Evans-speaks-to-Phillis-Wheatley-Poetry-Festival-attendees.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=41a9198becca85636a9ecafc07d64b40 1920w)
Shop, See, Dine & Drink
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of the Phillis Wheatley Festival than by exploring the city's vibrant black-owned businesses and history. Embrace civil rights stories and exhibits at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, and along the Mississippi Freedom Trail. In the historic Farish Street district, the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center honors African American heritage, while the Big Apple Inn has been a generational and culinary hub for decades. For shopping downtown, stop by Offbeat, an alternative art, apparel, and record store owned by DJ Young Venom.
James Beard-nominated Sambou's African Kitchen serves Gambian food on the city's northside while James Beard-award-winning Bully’s Soul Food has classics like turkey necks and greens to fried green tomatoes in West Jackson. For a taste of the Caribbean, head to Godfrey’s in North Jackson, and at Sugar’s Place Downtown, fill up on classic meat-and-threes. For a late-night blues experience, head back to Farish Street for F. Jones Corner and Johnny T’s Bistro & Blues.
Accommodations & Parking
The recommended accommodations for the festival include Hampton Inn & Suites Jackson-Coliseum, Holiday Inn Express Jackson Downtown-Coliseum, and the Homewood Suites Jackson-Fondren. Rates may vary.
Shuttle service will be available for the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn on Thursday, November 2. Due to the distance between the Homewood Suites location and the Jackson Convention Complex, shuttle service isn’t guaranteed.
For parking, please view the maps for the Jackson Convention Complex and JSU/Margaret Walker Center.
Related Content:
“Institute for Study of History, Life and Culture of Black People”
1400 J.R. Lynch Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39217
(601) 979-3935
Website
Margaret Walker Center1400 J.R. Lynch Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39217
382-Seat Theater + 330,000 SF of Meeting and Exhibit Space
105 Pascagoula Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
(601) 960-2321
Website
Jackson Convention Complex (JCC)105 Pascagoula Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201