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The Lebanese in Mississippi: An Oral History

  • Home
  • A Short History
  • Oral Histories
  • Audio Docs
  • Curator Statement

At its core, The Lebanese in Mississippi: An Oral History is a collection of memories. It is a collective oral record, either recalled or passed down across generations, by members of a community who came to America neither on the Mayflower nor on the Clotilda, but oftentimes as steerage passengers on ships like the Majestic. Each of the participants here contributes a piece of an inherited puzzle, and the themes that emerge from this collection demonstrate a collective understanding of why such a large number of Lebanese-Syrians left “the Mountain” and traveled west as far as the Americas. They illustrate an understanding of how and why these people came to Mississippi, what their lives were like living in a predominantly biracial society, how they chose to make a living and find a place within that place, all while maintaining an ethnic identity.

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Jim Angelo / Vicksburg
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Ellis Paul Antoon / Greenwood
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Marie Antoon / Jackson, Greenwood, and Oxford
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Mary Tonos Brantley / Greenville and Madison
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Chafik Chamoun / Clarksdale
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Keith Fulcher / Vicksburg and Cleveland
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Alfred J. Katool, Sr. / Jackson
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Mary Anne Rice Lefoldt / Jackson
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Pamela Jabour Mayfield / Vicksburg
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Dan Nicholas / Yazoo City
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Teresa Nicholas / Yazoo City
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Mary Louise Nosser / Vicksburg
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Dave Sherman / Greenville
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Gloria Shamoun Thomas and Charles Shamoun / Greenville and Leland
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James G. Thomas, Sr. / Leland
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John Michael Tonos, Jr. / Greenville and Oxford
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Matthew Tonos / Tupelo and Oxford
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Dolores Thomas Ulmer / Jackson
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Lillian Louise Abraham Wilson / Clarksdale

ABOUT:

The Lebanese in Mississippi: An Oral History is a documentary project by James G. Thomas, Jr. at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Permission to publish audio and personal materials has been granted by interview subjects. The project exists because of the generous contributions by Mississippi’s Lebanese communities and support from the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

CONTACT:

James G. Thomas, Jr.
Center for the Study of Southern Culture
University of Mississippi
Barnard Observatory
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
Office: (662) 915-3374
jgthomas@olemiss.edu