After ‘Sinners,’ Clarksdale Locals Used the Spotlight to Build Unity

CLARKSDALE, Mississippi — Dave Houston still can’t believe what he helped bring to life in his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi.

For three days last week, he, along with a small committee, hosted the first ever Clarksdale Day Festival to unify the city and celebrate the culture, history, and traditions of the people who live in the place known affectionately as the birthplace of the Blues. The idea picked up momentum after local organizers brought the Hollywood film Sinners to Clarksdale back in May.

This is a vision that has been years in the making, he said. 

On Saturday afternoon, Houston walked the streets of downtown Clarksdale while broadcasting live on Facebook, showcasing a car show, speaking to residents, and encouraging others to come outside and enjoy.

Houston, the owner of Dooney’s Barbershop and Carnival Treats, peered out into the crowd as hundreds of people danced, relaxed in lounge chairs, and lined up at food trucks at the Delta Blues Museum stage. Not only did white and Black residents of the Mississippi Delta attend, folks from other states and countries, including Tennessee and Mexico, were also there. 

Organizing the festival didn’t come without its challenges. Critics questioned the Clarksdale Day Committee’s decision to host the event on Labor Day weekend, which conflicted with another festival. There was also a dispute with the Coahoma County Tourism Commission over funding, scheduling hiccups, and logistical difficulties that come with planning large scale events in a small town. 

Despite the obstacles, the event was a huge success, Houston said. 

His emotions didn’t kick in until his daughter posted a heartwarming message on Facebook congratulating him. She wrote “your hard work, dedication, and love for the people around you truly shine” and that “it’s inspiring to see you recognized in a meaningful way.” 

“That right there is what really made me sit back and look at how overwhelming it was. People that criticized the festival [earlier on] we saw enjoying themselves,” Houston told Capital B. “But it was something that was needed for the city.”

In a city with a population of 14,400, many Black residents, who make up the majority, have voiced their concerns for years about the local blues tourism economy. They say that the traditional blues festivals, which are largely organized by non-natives, do not benefit them and primarily cater to white audiences and tourists. Residents also previously told Capital B that they travel elsewhere for entertainment, seeking genres such as Southern soul, hip-hop, and R&B. And some Black residents view traditional blues as a reminder of the sharecropping era and what they call a painful legacy. 

However, local Black residents are working to reassert Clarksdale’s place as one of the foundational homes of the blues, celebrate it as an art form and reap the economic benefits of the genre as a tourist draw, by bringing it back to its roots. 

“When we decided to do this, [residents] said that festivals in Clarksdale don’t focus on the culture, and so what we wanted to do was focus on the same thing that the festivals in Clarksdale focus on, but we want to also add in some seasoning to sprinkle in for our culture,” he said.

So, Houston and his team provided a solution: They would create a gathering space for the whole community.

During the Labor Day weekend, festivalgoers had multiple free events to go to, including a car show, a bull riding competition, a kids’ zone, and a unity prayer. The event also included a citywide line dance and a live concert, featuring artists such as Jaye Hammer, Otis “TCB” Taylor Band, and Clarksdale’s own Anthony “Big A” Sherrod, who is currently touring with Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience. 

During the holiday weekend, Mia Earl usually finds herself visiting a different country to celebrate her birthday. This year, the Clarksdale native chose a different experience: She traveled about 77 miles from her home in Memphis, Tennessee, to attend the festival. She has occasionally attended other festivals in town, but she was intentional about participating in this one because of its mission to “bring people together.”

“I understood the intent of creating unity and not division,” Earl said. “It was a good day. Those that were there, they enjoyed themselves.”

She’s already looking forward to the next festival in 2026, and hopes there are more artists and activities, and more communication around the event’s festivities.

Theodore “Teddy” Strong and his wife, Latanthony, enjoyed the festival as native Clarkdalians and local business owners. The couple co-own Sweet Tooth Teddy, a local bakery that creates nostalgic, old-fashioned desserts like tea cakes, butter rolls, and banana pudding.

“My favorite part about it, though, was seeing the different vendors and actually going and supporting different vendors,” Latanthony said. “We actually walked around … and that helped out too because then you have more people coming to them because we recommended them. That’s part of community — you help each other out.”

Houston said that he and the other organizers are determined to make next year’s festival even bigger.

“We’re gonna keep pushing. This was the first one. We did this in 90 days. Imagine us doing what we’re gonna do in a year,” he said. “We invited Clarksdale out. We invited our old citizens out. Our next fest, we’re gonna invite the world out.”