Endesha Ida Mae Holland
The latest Mississippi Writers Trail marker was unveiled today in Greenwood. The marker, located at the Rail Spike Trail on Johnson Street in Greenwood between Fulton Street and Howard Street, memorializes the artistic contributions of playwright, scholar, and civil rights activist Endesha Ida Mae Holland. The author of six plays, her best known work was the autobiographical From the Mississippi Delta which earned Holland a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 1988.
“Endesha Ida Mae Holland is an important voice in the chorus Mississippi authors. She was able to translate the difficulties of her childhood into a celebrated story of hardship, dreams, and accomplishment,” said Visit Mississippi Director Craig Ray. “The markers along the Mississippi Writers Trail each have a story to tell about our community and the remarkable people who continue to shape the story of the Magnolia State.”
Born in 1944, the challenges of Holland’s early life in Greenwood began to change while she worked as a volunteer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She would eventually earn a Ph.D. in American studies in 1986 and served as a professor of theater at the University of Southern California, retiring in 2003. In addition to her plays, Holland wrote a memoir, also entitled From the Mississippi Delta, that was published in 1997. She passed away in 2006.
“When you learn about the life that Ida Mae Holland was born to, it is incredibly uplifting to see how far she came as a teacher and playwright,” said Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams. “Coming from such a difficult background to earn advanced degrees and accolades for her writing, her story is proof positive of how much can be accomplished through grit and determination.”
The event included an introduction by Mayor McAdams followed by remarks from Mississippi State Senator David Jordan, Leflore County Supervisor Reginald Moore, and Jeanette Cunningham Jones, a friend of the author. The marker was unveiled by Kristen Brandt of the Mississippi Arts Commission.