MC Professor Christian Pinnen Wins Humanities Scholar Award

Pinnen earned the award for his work as a scholar of Mississippi’s colonial history, his involvement in the MHC, and his role in several council-funded humanities projects.

Dr. Pinnen teaching his 9 a.m. U.S. history class in Jennings Annex.

The Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC) awarded the Mississippi Humanities Scholar Award to Mississippi College Associate Professor of History and Political Science Dr. Christian Pinnen in March 2024. Pinnen has been a faculty member since 2012, and he currently teaches several classes, such as U.S. History and American Revolution. 

“MC is and always has been a liberal arts college whose educational philosophy is rooted in the humanities,” Pinnen said. “As such, the students here have always pushed me to continue my research, to develop a deep knowledge of my subject and to provide the students with a strong education.”

The Mississippi Humanities Council is a private corporation funded by grants and Congress through the National Endowment for Humanities. The nonprofit provides Mississippians opportunities to learn about history and culture around the world. Pinnen has been part of the Speakers’ Bureau of the MHC since 2015. Since then, he has applied for two grants to host MC’s African American History (MDAH) program. 

The Mississippi Humanities Council announced the winners of their annual Public Humanities Awards in a ceremony at the Two Mississippi Museums. The Council called for nominations in each category, followed by a vote. Pinnen was notified of his achievement in December of 2023. The Humanities Scholars Award was granted to Pinnen because of his work as a scholar of Mississippi’s colonial history, his involvement in the MHC, as well as his role in several council-funded humanities projects, like MC’s African American Studies program, which launched in 2022. 

Alongside his involvement on campus, Pinnen has been a public speaker at events like the MDAH “History is Lunch” lecture series. He is the author of two books: “Complexion of Empire in Natchez: Race and Slavery in Mississippi” and another book, “Colonial Mississippi: A Borrowed Land,” which he co-wrote with Dr. Charles Weeks.

“It is a tremendous honor to win this award,” Pinnen commented. “Since it is a statewide honor, I was selected among all humanities scholars from all universities in the state. I am proud that my work at MC has resulted in this award, and it is especially meaningful to me because I firmly believe in the importance of the humanities in our modern society.”

“Dr. Pinnen exemplifies academic excellence, publishing results of his own archival research and continuously mentoring undergraduate students through thesis projects, senior capstones, and entry into postgraduate studies,” Associate Professor of English and Philosophy Dr. Kristi Melancon commented. Melancon is Pinnen’s colleague and co-director of the African American Studies program. 

“Christian realizes the job of a professor day in and day out, grinding in the archives yet always being accessible to his students, usually in his stylish Nike’s and with an Einstein Bagels’ chocolate chip cookie,” Melancon continued. “I could not be happier that he was chosen as this year’s Humanities’ Scholar of the Year, nor more grateful for him.”