” Delta Jewel”, Mrs. Tennie S. Self
During Black History Month, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson will recognize African-American women of the Mississippi Delta. The women are featured in the novel, “Delta Jewels: In Search of My Grandmother’s Wisdom” by Alysia Burton Steele (see more here). “These women are hidden figures, and their stories will be told,” Thompson says.
The first “Delta Jewel” to be acknowledged is Mrs. Tennie S. Self of Clarksdale. Mrs. Self told author, Alysia Burton Steele she “never had a problem speaking up, especially during the Civil Rights Movement.” Her response to racism was to voice her opposition both vocally and through her actions.