Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544721
B M & T ••• May/June 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 29 The South doesn't simply welcome you, it remembers you. It reveals itself as a place where heritage, history, and homecoming move together, where every journey carries a sense of return, whether personal or shared. Here, gatherings take on a different tone. They begin with an agenda but quickly expand beyond it into neigh- borhoods rich with story, onto riverfronts and coastlines, and into spaces where the past and present meet in quiet, powerful ways. You feel it in the in-between moments. In the warmth of a shared meal that lingers a little longer. In the sound of music rising from a street corner or drifting through an open door. In the recognition that you are walking through places that have shaped genera- tions and continue to shape what comes next. Across the region, African American her- itage is not held at a distance. It is lived, honored, and expressed through culture, creativity, and community. At the same time, the South makes gathering feel easy. Walkable districts, connected convention spaces, and wel- coming accommodations give you the freedom to focus on what matters most: connection, mean- ing, and memory in the making. It's where every destination invites you not just to visit, but to belong. BY PATRICE A. KELLY Jackson MIssissippi Convention Complex