NATCHEZ — Learn more about the Civil Rights Movement or catch some beads at one of the Mardi Gras parades this weekend in the Miss-Lou.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast for today, but sunny skies should return Friday and Saturday.

NLCC

The 25th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration kicks off today and continues through Sunday with the theme, “60 Years and Counting: Voices of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Lectures, films, concerts, tours, book signings and panel discussions will explore the conference theme from the aspects of history, literature, music, film, journalism and church ministries.

“The 2014 NLCC will take place 60 years after a United States Supreme Court decision called Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional,” said Carolyn Vance Smith, NLCC founder and co-chairwoman representing Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez. “The NLCC will also take place 50 years after the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination in public places. These decisions caused sweeping changes, which continue to permeate our country’s daily life.”

Registration is not required for the mostly free conference, which is headquartered at the Natchez Convention Center.

For more information or a complete conference agenda, visit colin.edu/nlcc, email nlcc@colin.edu or call 1-866-296-NLCC.

Friday forum

This week’s topic includes representatives discussing the Natchez Arts Festival.

The weekly forum begins at 8 a.m. at Natchez Coffee Company.

Mardi Gras parades

The Krewe of Natchez Indians’ “Rhythm of the Night” parade is first up at 6 p.m. Friday in downtown Natchez.

The third annual parade will feature 16 floats and at least six bands, including Alcorn State University’s marching band.

The parade will start on Broadway Street, turn on Canal Street, go up Main Street to Rankin Street, where it will take a left then go down Franklin Street back to Broadway Street.

The Krewe of Vidal will bring their “Party Time of the River” to Vidalia at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The parade is in its third year and will feature at least 10 floats.

Line-up will begin at 1 p.m. at Vidalia Upper Elementary School and roll down Carter Street.

During the parade, traffic on Carter Street will be rerouted.

The parade will feature the Vidalia High School band, the Krewe of Lake St. John and is also looking for veterans to participate so they can be honored, as well as community organizations.

Centreville Community Youth Parents will host its first Mardi Gras parade at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The group will host a semi-formal ball at 7 p.m. Friday at the Centreville Civic Center on Main Street.

Social media lessons

Residents interested in learning more about Facebook and Twitter are invited to attend an informational session from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Ferriday Library.

Stephen Collins will teach residents how to navigate the popular social networks.

Call 318-757-3550 to register.

Black History Month parade

The Greater Concordia-Catahoula-Tensas Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will recognize Black History Month with a program and parade starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ferriday Junior High School.

Line up for the parade will begin at 1 p.m.

Following the parade, a program will be hosted at the Ferriday Junior High School gymnasium featuring guest speaker Samuel Thomas, a Tallulah, La., attorney.

NAACP chapter president Justin Conner said the event was an important one for all members of the community.

“Black history is anybody’s history on both sides of the river and up and down these United States of America,” Conner said. “It took every one working together to be a part of history, and we want to recognize the monumental steps taken by our forefathers that helped us get us where we are today.”

For more information, call 318-719-5454 or 601-870-0573.