By: Yasmine Malone | June 2, 2025
Clarksdale, Mississippi – On Thursday May 29, the Civic Auditorium hosted thousands of patrons for a free screening of the movie ‘Sinners’ sponsored by Warner Brothers Inc. Following the screenings, a panel, moderated by Capital B News rural reporter, Aallyah Wright, a beloved Clarksdale native who also made sure voices of Clarksdalians were heard by national audiences.
Jaleesa Collins, event coordinator for Clarksdale Day, proposed the idea of having a screening of Sinners as a part of the Clarksdale Day celebration. The Clarksdale Day planning committee initiated planning of a festival celebration in order to incorporate more local venues, vendors, and artists in the celebration.
Clarksdale Day, which was founded by Dave Houston, has been an effort for inspiring peace, collective economics and healthier culture in the city. After open discussions with the public through Facebook and phone calls, Dave Houston initiated organizing this as a festival for the people of Clarksdale.
From that meeting, they never would have imagined the way the community and nation would rally around Clarksdale, quickly blossoming into a full out national festival celebration around the rich culture and history of Clarksdale.
Jaleesa knew this would take tactical assistance like licensing, marketing, strategy and organizing to make it happen. Her consistent effort to ensure community collaboration brought in some key local players in executing this project.
Jermeria Skillom provided logistical assistance in planning and organizing. Aallyah Wright helped garner national attention with disseminating this information to national blogs and news publications. Yasmine Malone assisted with curating panel discussions. Tyler Yarbrough’s open letter to Ryan Coogler would be the catalyst to drive this project home. Tim Lampking brought resources and expertise in strategy to the table. Mayor Chuck Espy assisted with helping bring the conversation to the national stage through regional news networks.
The community showed persistence and dedication in executing this at all levels.
According to Jaleesa, “ Seeing the success of it all has been very welcoming to me. Seeing Sinners come home like we’ve been preaching about this entire event. For years we have seen people come and go through the city and take from us. It’s rarely returned. In this instance, though it went around the world, the universe returned it to us. We put our positivity and energy into this. They honored the grassroots efforts behind all of this. With so little time, we embraced the moment. We got it done. We adapted and overcame. I’m excited. I think it’s the birth of a new Clarksdale. Collaboratively, we can get so much done.”
The panel itself featured filmmaker Ryan Coogler, some cast members, and musical muses for the film. The honorable blues legend Bobby Rush accompanied the crew in this conversation, offering nuggets of information about the value of blues as a cultural staple even during times of segregation in America. The conversation itself basked in a mixture of fascination for the musical inspiration, set design and wonder for how native creatives can contribute to the representation of Delta culture in their own ways.
This was a win for Clarksdale and the Delta. This moment is an opportunity to celebrate what can happen when we come together with a shared vision.
Tim Lampkin, Director of Higher Purpose Hub, a key sponsor of this event, sat at the back of the Civic Auditorium as thousands of people poured into the makeshift theatre.
“We’ve always known that Clarksdale is the center of cultural capital not just for the state but for the world. When you think of all the things birthed from this soil it touches every part of the globe. We have to be intentional about different ways we engage in the work. A big part of that is having opportunities where we are properly recognized and actually brought to the table. We can’t sit in the sideline wheels; our culture is being commercialized and monetized without intentional recognition. We’ve always had a cultural organizing power, that’s why Clarksdale was the backdrop for this film anyway.”
This event birthed Clarksdale Culture Capital, a collective of community members who came together to orchestrate planning for the festival on all levels of effort that made this entire festival possible.
This event is a Culmination of years of hard work in determination to restore social economic and agricultural justice in the Delta. What the public does not always witness is the years of work that have gone into creating these powerful networks of resources, rich with individuals and organizations that want to see Clarksdale and the Delta be better.
We have witnessed history while on the path to actualizing a healthier future: A New Clarksdale.
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