Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 2/7/96
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  65

SLU SPONSORS SYMPOSIUM ON "PLAIN FOLK OF THE SOUTH"
     HAMMOND -- Renowned historians from across the nation will gather at Southeastern
Louisiana University Feb. 29-March 2 for a symposium on "Plain Folks of the South."
     The symposium, hosted by Southeastern's history government department, will explore
the history of "common Southerners" in the 19th century.  All events will take place in the
Southeastern Student Union Theatre and commons area.
     "In the past," said symposium coordinator Samuel Hyde, a member of the Southeastern
history faculty, "the history of the South has focused largely on the lives of the elite. This
unprecedented symposium will instead focus on those Southerners, black and white, men and
women, who remained outside the elite circles."
     "In the 1940s, historian Frank Owsley demonstrated that contrary to popular belief, the
vast majority of Southerners were relatively affluent farmers who remained largely outside the
slaveholding class -- a middle class of Southerners that Owsley referred to as the plain folk,"
Hyde said.
     Hyde said the symposium will include scholarly presentations designed to enhance
popular awareness of the lifestyles and aspirations of the common folk of the South. Also on the
program are a book fair and an explanation and demonstration of the music of common
Southerners from the bayous of Louisiana to the hills of Appalachia. Southeastern's Center for
Regional Studies also will host a slide presentation of "Piney Woods People," an historic photo
exhibit of pioneers in the southeast Louisiana lumber frontier. Social hours each evening will
allow professionals and the public to exchange ideas.
     Guests historians will focus on topics emphasizing the role of women, free blacks, the
sharecropping system, politics, southern music, architecture and the perennial problem of
Southern violence.
     Guest participants include Dr. Bradley Bond of the University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Lacy K. Ford, University of South Carolina; Dr. J. William Harris, University of New
Hampshire; Dr. Jerah Johnson, University of New Orleans; Dr. Sally McMillen, Davidson
College; Dr. Grady McWhiney, Texas Christian University; and Dr. Gary Mills, University of
Alabama.
     From Southeastern, Hyde, author of "Pistols and Politics: Planter and Plain Folk
Relations in the Piney Woods South," will speak on "Perceptions of Governance and Resolution
of Grievances in the Piney Woods South" and Dr. Michael Kurtz, author of "Earl K. Long: The
Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics," will address "New South Demagoguery and Plain
Folks."
     Dr. Bill Malone of Tulane University, author of "Singing Cowboys and Musical
Mountaineers: Southern Culture and the Roots of Country Music," will open the program at 6:30
p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 with a presentation and musical demonstration entitled "Neither Anglo-
Saxon nor Celtic: The Music of the Southern Plain Folk." The symposium will resume at 9 a.m.
Friday with sessions each hour throughout the day and early evening and will continue with
additional sessions Saturday morning.
     All sessions, the photographic exhibits, book fair and social hours are free to the public.
The public is also welcome to attend lunch and dinner on Friday. Lunch will cost $11 and the
prime rib supper Friday evening will be $15. Payment for meals must be received by Feb. 20.
Checks should be made payable to the SLU Department of History and Government and
addressed to Dr. Samuel Hyde, SLU 895, Hammond, LA 70402.
     Co-sponsors of the symposium co-sponsors are the Louisiana Endowment for the
Humanities, the Southeastern Development Foundation, Dan Durham Foundation, Hibernia
National Bank, D.C. Heath Company Publishing and Harcourt-Brace College Publishing.
     For additional information about the symposium, contact Dr. Hyde at 549-2106/2109.
                                 -SLU-