Tuesday February 27th, 2018

 Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission.  (1976).  Baptists and the American Experience.  Retrieved 2/27/18

Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission.  Dr. Ruth Retrieved 2/27/18

I arrived at the Mississippi Baptist Historical Commission at 8:00 a.m.  I resumed digitizing oral histories.  The first cassette I digitized was, once again, another tape with two parts.  The first side of the tape was of an interview with Dr. Ruth (no first name was given) whom served as Executive Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention for 25 years.  During the interview, Dr. Ruth discusses the role the Executive Committee played in Southern Baptist Life.  Interestingly, Dr. Ruth discussed the role of the Southern Baptist Convention in relation to racial equality and civil rights.  Although a date is note given for the interview, it is assumed that this interview took place not too long after the very year that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, 1968.  Dr. Ruth reveals that after Dr. King's Assassination, "Many felt that the Southern Baptist Convention had an opportunity and demand to make a positive Christian contribution to the matter of racial justice" (MBHC).  Indeed, a 'Crisis' Statement was submitted by the Executive Committee to attempt to approach this issue in a reasonable way.  I found it interesting since the month of 'Black History Month' is coming to an end. The other side of the tape was of a panel about the beginnings of the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

I took a break for lunch at 12:23 p.m. and returned at 12:53 p.m. 

I resumed digitizing oral histories.  The next cassette was of a performance of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in 1975 which was a Bicentennial Production.  Notice that it is a Bicentennial Production yet it wasn't 1976 yet.  That's why, even if the cassette is listed as a bicentennial, I don't list the date unless it is spoken on the recording or written on the cassette.  The next tape was another Bicentennial related event.  This time it was a presentation in Washington D.C. pertaining to Baptists and the American Experience.  Although I completed the digitization, I was not able to replay it to get important details.  However, while digitizing the recording, I noticed many interesting points that were made.  For instance, it has evidently been said that early Baptists in the American Colonies believed in the 'Separation of Church and State' (MBHC, 1976).  In addition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was mentioned again and the Reverend Billy Graham was mentioned whom is being buried Friday.

(In honor of the mentioning of the two men, Here are Pictures of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend Billy Graham)