Prentiss Institute included in America250 celebration

By Dr. Travis T. Armstrong

JA Guest Writer

Prentiss Institute has been awarded a Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC) America250 grant to commemorate the centennial anniversary of its 1926 Rosenwald School Building. Monique Hester, chairperson for the “Mississippi in the American Story: The Rosenwald School Building @ Prentiss Institute, 1926-2026”, stated, “This grant not only affirms the significance of Prentiss Institute’s educational legacy, but also the historic and cultural importance of the 1926 Rosenwald School Building.” 

Jeff Davis County Economic Development Director, Gary Bass, was also instrumental in Prentiss Institute’s application for the $7,500 grant to explore and elevate the diverse narratives that shape American history in anticipation of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The centennial program is scheduled for June 14, 2026, and planned activities include film screenings of the Rosenwald Rural School Building Program, Prentiss Institute historical documentary, a Rosenwald digital slide exhibit, a PNII historical timeline display, prominent community speakers, tabletop presentations, a children’s history engagement room, and an alumni oral history project. 

Prentiss Institute Board Chair, Bobby Rushing, stated, “The Rosenwald Centennial Program will deepen the public understanding of the vital role the Rosenwald Building played in shaping the local community and how it stands as a powerful symbol of resilience, progress, and community investment over the last one hundred years.” 

The 1926 Rosenwald School Building is located on the campus of Prentiss Institute, circa 1907-1989. Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute was founded by Professor J.E. Johnson and wife Bertha LaBranche Johnson; visionaries who offered educational opportunities to African American students in the early 20th century. The Julius Rosenwald Fund assisted in the construction of over five thousand schools across fifteen southeastern states from 1913-1932. African Americans donated financially and with their labor, these communities raised more money than the Rosenwald Fund across that span that funded the construction of these facilities. The Rosenwald School Building is a state landmark designated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

For more information on the centennial event, please visit Prentiss Institute’s Facebook page at Prentiss Institute: Rosenwald Building, Prentiss, MS.