SouthTalks: Moving Spirits: Encountering the Ancestors

Overview

Through dance, song, and the search for ancestry, Moving Spirits: Encountering the Ancestors illuminates the hidden histories of those enslaved on the property now known as Rowan Oak and reveals the enduring desire of Black Mississippians to uncover their family legacies.

Join the producers of this documentary, Jennifer Mizenko, Rhondalyn Peairs, and Antonio Tarrell, for an event to screen the thirty-minute film and host a Q&A.

Jennifer Mizenko is a professor emerita of dance and movement for the actor at the University of Mississippi where she ran the dance and movement program for thirty years. Jennifer’s creative research draws upon her knowledge and experience in modern dance choreography and physical theatre techniques. Her recent creative research has focused on community projects that tell the stories of the enslaved in Lafayette County.

Antonio Tarrell makes documentaries that explore history, social justice, education, memory, and cultural identity in the American South. Through Antonio Tarrell Films, he centers his work on preserving underrepresented narratives and creating cinematic experiences that foster dialogue, reflection, and public engagement. His projects frequently examine the intersections of race, institutional history, and community storytelling while amplifying voices connected to civil rights and regional cultural histories.

Rhondalyn Peairs is a public historian and founder of Historich, an educational services and tourism company headquartered in Oxford. Peairs is also an executive producer and writer for the 2025 documentary Moving Spirits: Encountering the Ancestors with Jennifer Mizenko and Antonio Tarrell.

This SouthTalk is hosted by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture in conjunction with the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library’s programming in support of the Smithsonian’s Spark! Places of Innovation exhibit on view at the library from October 10 to November 21.