Panel Discussion to Explore the Power of Storytelling

The Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy will host "The Stories We Tell: The Unexpected Power of Storytelling," at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 19) at The Inn at Ole Miss. The lecture series is the council's signature speaker initiative.

"Mississippi has always understood the power of a good story and, frankly, it's been one of our greatest strengths," said Liz Randall, chair of the lecture series and a former Women's Council chair. "Nowhere is that tradition more deeply rooted in Mississippi than Ole Miss.

"I believe it helps to explain the reverence our alumni feel for the school and how close we remain through the generations, all bound together through Ole Miss."

The community is invited to join the Women's Council for a free evening of conversation with distinguished individuals whose experiences in film, music, education, philanthropy and business reveal the enduring power of storytelling to connect, inspire and transform.

"The fascinating characters who tell our stories are just as fascinating as the stories themselves," Randall said. "We have brought together five individuals from seemingly unrelated walks of life to explore the unexpected places where storytelling exists and the extraordinary influence it has on our lives."

The panel features:

• Shannon Cohn – A former attorney who was part of the legal team that prosecuted Enron Corp., the largest white-collar crime investigation in FBI history, Cohn became a filmmaker whose works have aired on PBS, Apple TV, Amazon and Netflix. The Oxford resident's latest film, "Below the Belt," is available for streaming on Amazon and Apple TV.

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  Keith E. Johnson – An accomplished guitarist, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter, Johnson was born in the small town of Glen Allen in the Mississippi Delta. The great-nephew of blues icon Muddy Waters has amassed a songwriting catalog with multiple songs released on his debut album, "Come to Mississippi."
• Sam Lane – The chief development officer at Story Financial Partners in Jackson, Lane brings nearly five decades of experience and a deep commitment to the people and communities he serves. The Ole Miss graduate began his banking career as a teller in 1976 and has built a distinguished career rooted in relationships, leadership and service.
• Ellen Rolfes – Philanthropist Rolfes was mentored by civil rights icon Dororthy Irene Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, and was captivated by Height's talents as a storyteller. Rolfes became a book packager in New York trade publishing and developed "The Junior League Centennial Cookbook," "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook," "A Gracious Plenty" and "Occasions to Savor."
• Ethel Scurlock – Scurlock is dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and an associate professor of English and African American Studies at UM. She has been recognized as the College of Liberal Arts Teacher of the Year, UM Humanities Teacher of the Year and Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and with the Black Alumni Trailblazers Award and the Donald Cole Award for Faculty and Staff.

"Through this eclectic panel, we hope to illustrate that storytelling is not simply an art form, but one of the most powerful tools we possess to communicate ideas, inspire action and shape society," Randall said. "As technology challenges how we communicate and connect to each other, this distinctly human skill may be more valuable than ever."

Rolfes, founder and principal architect of the Women's Council, is participating because she, like the others, can trace her storytelling talents back to her childhood. While she was raised in the Mississippi Delta, she suffered from asthma and, as a result, spent a lot of time in bed at her grandparents' house.

"That's where my imagination blossomed," she recalled. "It's this time in my young life that I credit with laying the foundation for my career as a storyteller, which allowed me to become a social architect.

"Consequently, I was able to view life from a different perspective. This enabled me to change the trajectory of institutional structures. I firmly believe that institutions, like people, are remembered as long as their stories are remembered."

Rolfes started her professional journey with the Junior League of Memphis, where she chaired the cookbook committee. It was there that she began to see that recipe collections could be storybooks, revealing the ways people live together at a particular time and place.

She and a partner launched a seminar through which some 3,000 women learned to turn cookbooks into storybooks that eventually raised millions for charity.

"Storytelling is how we preserve history, pass along traditions, teach our children, share our faith, build companies, inspire generosity and even shape social and political movements," she said. "It's woven into the fabric of our churches, schools, businesses, families and communities.

"In many ways, storytelling is at the heart of how we learn, lead, influence and connect with one another."

The Women's Council's evening of storytelling is open to the public. Reserve free tickets here.

For more information, contact Suzanne Helveston, Women's Council program director, at shelveston@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2956.

Top: The next edition of the Khayat Lecture Series will feature five accomplished storytellers, who will explore how stories can help communicate ideas and inspire listeners to take action to improve society. The discussion, sponsored by the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy, is set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at The Inn at Ole Miss. It is free and open to the public.