Resting Place of World-Renowned Country Blues Artist – Mississippi John Hurt
By Valerie Turner
The St. James Cemetery in Avalon, Mississippi, was the only burial site for African Americans in Avalon and its surrounding communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is also the final resting place of Mississippi John Hurt, a celebrated blues musician from that region.
Last spring, Mary Frances Hurt, granddaughter of Mississippi John Hurt and Founder/President of the non-profit Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, discovered that this historic cemetery had been desecrated. Although the grave of Mississippi John Hurt remained untouched, the graves of many others buried there had been disturbed. Also, a marker reading Durbin Cemetery had mysteriously appeared at the cemetery’s main entrance on St. James Road. This sparked an investigation by Ms. Hurt which revealed that the land had been sold to a local resident for use a private burial ground.
The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation is supported by the generosity of fans around the world. It is also supported in large part by Mary Frances Hurt herself. A loving and dedicated granddaughter, she has given it her life, her soul, her everything. Funding is urgently needed to maintain the historic structures on the Foundation’s property, to conduct Foundation business (including its annual festival and ongoing Blues education efforts in Avalon and Chicago), and now to protect the historic St. James Cemetery which is in danger of being lost forever. If you would like to help in this regard, the Mississippi Hurt Foundation appreciates tax-deductible donations at PayPal.Me/MSJohnHurtFoundation.
Sponsors, donors, philanthropists, and volunteer grant writers interested in helping the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation build a solid and sustainable financial base to support its important work are encouraged to contact Mary Frances Hurt at mfhurt_wright@yahoo.com. The Meanwhile, learn more about the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation and the musician himself at the Foundation’s official website, msjohnhurtfoundation.org.