WELCOME

Welcome to the "official" website for the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation. This is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted primarily to preserving the musical legacy of Mississippi John Hurt, a Country Blues musician from Avalon, Mississippi, whose work represents a profound contribution to American culture. Thank you for stopping by!

THE FOUNDATION

The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation was founded in 1997 by John Hurt's granddaughter, Mary Frances Hurt, and is mainly supported by generous donations as well as proceeds from the annual Mississippi John Hurt Music Festival and the operation of the Mississippi John Hurt Museum.

The Foundation's mission is to help preserve the musical legacy of Mississippi John Hurt. It achieves this goal by maintaining John Hurt's home which was converted into the Mississippi John Hurt Museum, and the St. James Church, which was John Hurt's place of worship and his school. Additionally, the Foundation helps maintain John Hurt's grave in the historic St. James Cemetery. The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation also provides musical and educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth, such as an after-school program where participants learn about Blues music, learn to play an instrument and perform at events like the Chicago Blues Festival. Through the Mississippi John Hurt Music Festival, also known as Homecoming, the Foundation celebrates John Hurt's life and music annually in a meaningful and personal way.

We invite you to learn more about Mississippi John Hurt's life, music, and legacy through this website. We hope that you will become a special part of our music family!

DONATE

Please consider donating to the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation through the PayPal Giving Fund or through PayPal.Me/MSJohnHurtFoundation. If you are a resident of the United States, donations are typically 100% tax-deductible - and donations of $500 or more can be made from 401K accounts without any tax consequences.

Generous donations to the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation help maintain the Mississippi John Hurt Museum and the historic St. James Church. Your contributions also help fund the Foundation's musical and educational endeavors and the annual Mississippi John Hurt Music Festival. The Foundation thanks you for your kindness and for taking the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of Mississippi John Hurt.

IN THE NEWS

The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation is pleased to announce its emergence into the film festival circuit with a debut of A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt at the San Francisco Documentary Festival. This festival is the first opportunity for our fans and supporters to view the documentary, and it offers a viewing option for those who prefer to watch from home. For more information about this and future viewings, please visit our Film page. We hope you will get together with friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy the film and vote for it as your favorite. (Film Festival Info)

The Mississippi John Hurt Museum burned down on February 21, 2024, mere hours after being placed on the National Historic Register. The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation would like to express gratitude for the spontaneous donations it received in the wake of this tragic fire. Mississippi John Hurt was so much more than a museum and be assured that the Foundation will work to create a new physical symbol of his legacy. If you are so inclined, please feel free to contribute to a special fundraiser for this effort - Mississippi John Hurt's Legacy Will Rise! Donors contributing $250 or more will receive a limited edition "We Will Rise Again" t-shirt. (Donate Now)

The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation partnered with Carnegie Mellon and worked with a team of graduate students to produce an interactive, educational installation. The project's goal was to tell the story of Mississippi John Hurt in the historical context of his time. We invite you to learn about the installation by watching this project overview, but you'll have to visit the St. James Church in Avalon, Mississippi, to experience it fully! (View Project Overview)

October 7-8, 2023 - The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation concluded its 25th Anniversary celebration with a special Memorial Walk in Avalon, Mississippi. The event included unveiling a new marker at the historic St. James Cemetery. This is where Mississippi John Hurt rests with many family members and generations of Avalon's African American residents. During the two-day celebration, attendees were invited to play music at John Hurt's gravesite and on the steps of the Mississippi John Hurt Museum. And those who just enjoyed listening had a lot of good music to tickle their ears! It was an exciting opportunity to help honor the legacy of Avalon's most celebrated resident. (Visit Festival Page)

In collaboration with Draft, a creative production company from Knoxville, TN, the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation is proud to present the official Trailer for the upcoming documentary film, HURT - A Mississippi Inspiration. This is a major milestone for the project and we thank each person who has supported it - we have come this far because of you. Anyone wishing to donate to this important project is encouraged to contribute to the Foundation's Silver Anniversary Fundraiser Campaign. There is more work to be done! (Visit Film Page)

Desecration of Historic African American Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi, written by Valerie Turner and published by the African American Folklorist Magazine, shines a spotlight on an ugly tradition in the United States regarding the desecration of African American cemeteries. This article focuses on the historic St. James Cemetery, the resting place of Mississippi John Hurt. The St. James Cemetery is distinguished as being the sole African American cemetery in Carroll County, Mississippi, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and generations of African-Americans are buried there. A visit to this cemetery in the spring of 2022 by Mary Frances Hurt, granddaughter of Mississippi John Hurt, revealed that a mysterious marker had been installed at the cemetery's main entrance and that numerous graves had been disturbed. (Read Article)

The complete Mississippi John Hurt 2021 Online Concert Series is now available on the Foundation's YouTube channel. The artists presented in this concert series were Jontavious Willis, the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo, Andy Cohen, Hubby Jenkins, and Alan Lighty. Enjoy! (Watch Concert Series)

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