You Can Now Help Preserve the First 50 Years of Delta Burial History
History has a way of looking right past our folks in the Delta. But for more than 100 years, Delta Burial Corporation’s books have been quietly documenting our lives—names, families, communities and stories that may not exist anywhere else.
Now, you can help us preserve them.
I received a $10,000 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council through the America250 Mississippi initiative for Beyond the Census: Reclaiming Mississippi’s Forgotten Narratives Through the Delta Burial Corporation. The grant allows us to begin digitizing the first 50 years of Delta Burial’s history, from its founding in 1925 through 1975.
The records include families from Quitman, Coahoma, Holmes and Humphreys counties. They help fill the gaps left by census records and other official documents that too often missed or inadequately documented Black families in the Mississippi Delta.
The work has already begun. We have received the first high-resolution scans, and I am reviewing and organizing the records so they can eventually become part of a searchable public collection. We are also developing privacy and redaction procedures to make sure sensitive family information is handled with care.
We Have to Raise $5,000
The Mississippi Humanities Council grant requires a $5,000 cash match. That means we must raise $5,000 from businesses, organizations, churches and individuals who believe this history is worth preserving.
The Quitman County Development Organization is serving as the project’s nonprofit fiscal recipient, Delta Burial Corporation is the records partner, and I am leading the work through Crimson Stories.
Every contribution helps us protect the original records, continue digitization, organize and describe the materials, and build public access for families, educators and researchers.
Ways to Support the Project
Lead Legacy Partner — $2,500
Preservation Partner — $1,000
Community Story Partner — $500
Project Supporter — $100
Individual Contributor — Any amount
We are working to secure commitments by November 1 and receive contributions by November 15.
Give Online
Visit www.qcdo.org, select Donate and choose Beyond the Census from the list of giving options.
Contributions are received through QCDO, which will provide the official contribution acknowledgment. I will also personally share updates about what your support is helping us accomplish.
For information about contributing by check, becoming a project partner or making a larger contribution, contact me at tjackson@crimsonstories.com or 662-609-0169.
Somewhere, a family is still looking for a name, a parent or the missing piece of a story. These records may hold the answer.
Help us make sure the people history overlooked are never forgotten again.
Tommiea Jackson, APR
Project Director, Beyond the Census
Founder, Crimson Stories LLC