On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, travel journalist Terri Guthrie goes on location inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for the next installment of her Mardi Gras Train series. Joined by Lisa D. Smith, Terri talks with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased the hall in 2018, about the history, music, and community spirit of this Mississippi Blues Trail landmark, just across from the historic train depot.

This episode continues the series that kicked off with Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission: All Aboard! Exploring the Gulf Coast on Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train.

Listen to the episode:

A Lifeline Built in 1922
Rachel explains that the hall came together under the Hundred Members Debating Benevolent Association, a self-directed and self-reliant group formed in the Black community during the Jim Crow era. In 1922, a member who worked in the rail yard across the street spotted almost an acre of land for sale, bought it, and donated it to the association, which built the hall as a safe place for local families to gather and entertain each other. Crowd favorites included manless weddings, a comic skit with women in drag, and acts like the Creole Gossipers.

Legends of the Chitlin' Circuit
At a time when Black musicians could not play white establishments, they traveled a string of juke joints built by and for the Black community, including this one. Rachel names James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Guitar Slim, and BB King among the performers, and says that if you stood in the hall today, you would feel the energy in the room. She also credits Lou Rawls with coining the name "Chitlin' Circuit," for high-class music played in low-class joints, and points to the area's own artists, including sculptor Richmond Barthé and New Orleans piano great James Booker, honored every year at Booker Fest.

From the Merrymakers to the Mardi Gras Crew
One group that formed inside the hall began as the Merrymakers, started by a group of women, and grew into one of the oldest Black Mardi Gras crews on the Gulf Coast. Today, the hall's membership organization, 100 Women DBA, marches with that crew every Fat Tuesday.

A Hall for Every Community
Rachel's training was in difficult conversations about race and equity, and she has expanded the hall's mission to celebrate every group that doesn't get its day in the sun. Annual events include A Soulful Christmas for Black families with Black Santa and Mrs. Claus, Día de los Muertos, when the hall becomes a Mexican mercado, and the Matzo Ball, with 14 or 15 menorahs, a Tiki Torch menorah, and potato latkes. The hall also works to keep drag shows family friendly.

Four Big Annual Events
Rachel walks through the hall's four annual fundraisers: Rock 'N' Roux, a January gumbo fest with about 20 chefs; the Swamp(gr)Ass Get Down in April; Booker Fest, a three-day music festival over Labor Day weekend honoring James Carroll Booker III; and Cigars Under the Stars, which raises money for Gulf Coast veterans with the Gulf Coast Veterans Association.

Rooted in the Community
Rachel shares that the hall is one of the only African American landmarks with an endowment, started so it can continue in perpetuity, and that visitors have come from as far as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand for Booker Fest. Terri adds that Rolling Stone has called the hall a must-see Mississippi venue. Rachel credits the community that rose up to meet her vision, and Lisa reflects on why places like this matter as America marks its 250th anniversary.

Getting There
Bay St. Louis is a stop on Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, which runs twice a day between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

Plan your trip: 100MenHall.com | Amtrak Mardi Gras Service | Southern Rail Commission

The 100 Men Hall is at 303 Union St., Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Sign up for the hall's email list at 100MenHall.com to hear about upcoming events.

Rachel Dangermond is a writer and award-winning journalist who has hosted writers' workshops in California, New Orleans, and Mississippi and has written about race and parenting. In 2018, she purchased the 100 Men Hall, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gathers the community through cultural and musical events. Its membership organization, 100 Women DBA, supports women and girls in their business endeavors and awards scholarships to young women of color graduating from Hancock County high schools.

🎧 New episodes of Big Blend Radio's Travel with Terri Podcast air every other Tuesday at 9am CST.