Dr. Roger Davis Gatchet and Dr. Stephen A. King's Faculty Colloquium on Their Book: Terror and Truth: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Movement
On April 25, 2024, Dr. Gatchet and Dr. Stephen A. King hosted a Faculty Colloquium that was open students and faculty of West Chester University. This hour-long presentation discussed why the book was created, explained topics and themes discussed in the book, and answered questions asked by the attendees.
Dr. Roger Gatchet is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and scholar. Dr. Stephen King who is a chairperson and professor of communication at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. These two professors collaborated and co-wrote the book Terror and Truth: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Movement. These two scholars discussed what Mississippi brags about as a state, in which the state defines themselves as The Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Gatchet and Dr. King described the financial gain Mississippi gets from tourism. This inspired these to scholars to research this topic and write a book explaining their research findings.
Dr. Gatchet and Dr. King covered the story of Medgar and Myrlie Evers. The Evers's house was made into a national monument that is open to tours, in which tourists can walk through the house and death place of Medgar Evers who was assassinated. This tour explains who Medgar Evers was, what he did, and how he died. The house was recreated to show what it could have looked like at the time. Dr. Gatchet and Dr. King dive deeper into their experiences and thoughts while conducting their research and writing their book.
Terror and Truth: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Movement examines how Mississippi confronts its history of racial violence and injustice through civil rights tourism. This book explores the museums, monuments, memorials, interpretive centers, homes, and historical markers marketed to heritage tourists in the state. Combining rhetorical analysis, onsite fieldwork, and interviews with museum directors, local civil rights entrepreneurs, historians, and movement veterans, Dr. Gatchet and Dr. King address important questions of memory and the Mississippi Movement. Terror and Truth: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Movement is available to purchase now through Amazon and other book retailers.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Terror-Truth-Mississippi-Movement-Rhetoric/dp/1496846540