March 3, 2023
Brian White, an American History instructor at East Central Community College, was selected as the college’s Humanities Teacher of the Year and will present a special program on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at 3 p.m. in Huff Auditorium. The program is free to attend, and the public is invited.
His presentation is titled “American History as Heard Through Music.”
White said, “My goal as an instructor is to find ways to reach my students and have an impact on them, and I have learned that music is a great outlet that can do that. This program builds on that concept and will take listeners through numerous eras, from World War II to the protest songs of the 1960s, to the rock and roll of the ‘80s. We will discuss the lyrics and meanings behind infamous songs and how they intertwined with American history.”
Along with his presentation at the College, White will be recognized at the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Public Humanities Awards Ceremony in Jackson on March 24.
Originally from Meridian, White earned an Associate of Arts degree from Meridian Community College before earning a Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, and Educational Specialist degrees from Mississippi State University.
He has been an instructor at East Central since 2016, with stints at Carver Middle School and Kemper County High School before moving into his role at ECCC. While teaching at the high school level, White wrote and received a grant that assisted underprivileged school children in learning to read.
As a historian, his research interests are in twentieth-century European and American History.
Brian and his wife Michelle reside in Collinsville where they are happily raising four children.
