
A Walk
Amongst the
Tombstones
Part II
By Emily Hilliard

On Sunday October 9th, I once again visited Shiloh MB Church in Ashland. Though I had made the trip a few times the past few weeks, this time felt different, because this was the day I presented our case to mark the grave of Nathan Beauregard to the congregation. The night before, MZMF executive director Dr. DeWayne Moore had offered a few talking points. Yet, while driving to the church, I continued to go over in my mind what exactly I would say once in the church.


As I pulled into the church parking lot, I thought about all the work we had done up to this point. All the research trips, the phone calls, the previous visits to the church–all of which had culminated to this moment–the moment I was finally given the chance to speak to the congregation face to face. I could not afford to mess it up.
To say I was a little anxious was an understatement.

Walking into the church, I didn’t know what to expect. Up to this point I had only seen the outside of the building. As I made my way through the doors, I was taken aback. The church looked as if it had been preserved in a time capsule. The building, though old, had been very well maintained. I noticed the congregation was very small, which immediately made me stand out like a sore thumb.
Every member of the congregation knew one another. Even though they were very hospitable, as an outsider I felt that I really stuck out. Yet, from the moment I stepped into the church, I was treated like one of their own. As accepting as they were, I was not exactly sure how they might receive our request.
When the time finally came for me to speak, it was deathly quiet. You could have heard a pin drop, hit the floor, and crash around to a rumbling stop as I walked to the front of the building. Once I made it up to the front without falling down, I abruptly turned around to face the three dozen or so people in attendance that Sunday. I explained our mission at the Mount Zion Memorial Fund, and I emphasized our efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of African Americans in Mississippi. I told them that our work was about much more than blues music. Indeed, the music was more like a soundtrack to our historic preservation initiatives. I was well aware that I was standing on holy ground that afternoon, and I did not want to overemphasize our relationship with the blues–or, as some folks have called it, the Devil’s Music.

December 6, 2022 @ 10:29 am
Looking forward to visiting this historical site. Thankful and appreciative for the time and diligent work that you have invested thus far.