"Courage to Meet the Day “ - Rhondalyn Peairs - Sunday, October 2, 2022

Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain without fear or despite criticism. It may be relatively simple to define it, but how do we implement it? Some things are easier said than done. There are many models of courage gleaned from the modern Civil Rights Movement as a whole. However, few have looked at the way courage enacted by local people shaped the terrain of the integration of education from 1962 and beyond. I feel honored to have the opportunity to share some of those stories.

Rhondalyn Peairs is a native Oxonian and proud Mississippian. Her passion for the complex history of Mississippi and its people started early and runs deep.  She has served in many roles throughout her life including, educator, historian, entrepreneur, activist, and culture bearer. Following in the footsteps of her parents, Peairs became a certified educator in English and Social Studies in 1998.While she has done several stints in traditional K-12 classroom settings, her career has included other educational positions such as a Reading Instructor at the Finch-Henry Job Corp Center (FHJCC), Documentary Project Educator and Coordinator at the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation (WWIRR)and as a Consultant for the UM Slavery Research Group (UMSRG). During her consultancy for the UMSRG, she coordinated and facilitated L.O.C.A.L, a community/university collaborative initiative around local history. As an outgrowth of this work, she partnered with fellow UMSRG member Jennifer Mizenko to develop the documentary Moving Spirits: The History of the Enslaved and Civil Rights Through Movement, Dance and Song. She served as researcher, writer and creative advisor for the project. These recent initiatives demonstrate her ardor for connecting communities with their past to positively impact their future.
 
In 2018, Peairs decided to leave the traditional classroom in favor of facilitating experiential learning for a broader community. In order to accomplish this goal, she founded Historich, an experiential learning and educational services business. The company offers tours, public lectures, curriculum development, and consulting among other services. Historich specializes in highlighting the rich history and culture of North Mississippi including the Mississippi Hill Country and the Mississippi Delta. Our current clients and partners include Visit Oxford, UMSRG, the UM Center for Community Engagement, Bridging Winona, and a growing list of others.
 
Currently, Peairs is a Master of Arts candidate in Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi and a part of the research team on a Russell Sage Foundation funded grant that explores regional and racial identities in the 21st century.

UUCO is a welcoming congregation and we invite you to join us either in person or online for services this Sunday at 11 am.  Unfortunately, due to security concerns we are unable to publish the link to the service.  Please contact Sandra Moss at [email protected] to have the link sent to you.  Please request link before Sunday.