The Margaret Walker Center invites proposals for papers, presentations, and panels for the 19th Annual Creative Arts & Scholarly Engagement (CASE) Festival, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 4 & 5, 2025. The CASE Festival will feature a keynote address by Natasha Trethewey, a Mississippian, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and Pulitzer Prize-winner.

Proposal submissions should be 250 words, include a title and name of the participant’s school, and should fit in one of four categories:

Poetry/Spoken Word (10-15-minute presentations in original storytelling or poetry, including brief comments about inspiration &/or form of the work)

Visual Arts (up to 3 pieces of artwork in any media with 10-minute presentations)

Written (8- to 10-page essays with 20-minute presentations)

Performing Arts (10-minute dance, musical, and theatrical presentations)

Schedule

Friday, April 4 – COFO Civil Rights Education Center

3:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. Remembering Emmet Till 70 Years Later: Rev. Wheeler Parker and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center Staff, Benjamin Saulsberry and Jay Rushing

4:30 p.m. Sunset with Students: Music, Food, and Spoken Word — Reception and Open Mic

The CASE Festival is free and open to the public.

Date: April 4 - 5, 2025