To understand a place like Mississippi, you must first look back—and refuse to look away. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, enduring effects of collective memory...
Those who stood up for change and those whose blood was shed during the battle are now commemorated with markers on the Mississippi Freedom Trail. Stories such as that of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman; or of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, who was assassinated outside his Jackson home in 1963; or of the three civil rights workers killed in Neshoba County the following year. There are several Freedom Trail markers in Jackson, so if you’re starting from there, you can see markers at the home of Medgar Evers, the Greyhound Bus Station, the Mississippi State Capitol, Council of Federated Organizations Civil Rights Education Center, Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, and the site of the 1963 sit-in at Woolworth’s.
Courtesy Mississippi Development Authority
In 2017, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History were opened in celebration of the state’s bicentennial. Visitors will witness the freedom struggle in eight interactive galleries that show the systematic oppression of black Mississippians and their fight for equality that transformed the state and nation. The Museum of Mississippi History is an ever-evolving archive of the story of Mississippi back to its first known inhabitants and their ancient cultures, through colonization to statehood, to the history of slavery and enduring legacy of Reconstruction. New industry, changing social landscape, struggle for equal rights. Admission to both museums is free every Sunday.
Courtesy Mississippi Development Authority
Vicksburg is a mecca of history. Commemorating one of the Civil War’s pivotal campaigns, Vicksburg National Military Park is arguably Mississippi’s most renowned historical attraction. Confederate leader Jefferson Davis himself referred to Vicksburg as the “nailhead that holds the South's two halves together,” and there’s no better way to explore the significant role the city played throughout the Civil War than by discovering the park’s many attractions firsthand.
Courtesy Mississippi Development Authority
Vicksburg National Military Park is jam-packed with attractions that serve as a testament to the location’s prominent place in American history. More than fourteen-hundred memorial monuments, tablets and markers dot the 1,800-acre park to honor soldiers who served on both sides of the Civil War. The park also features an impressive twenty miles of trenches and earthworks that have been reconstructed to reflect days gone by. The USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum are also located within the park, enabling visitors to view the restored vessel, along with Civil War-era artifacts recovered during the boat’s excavation.
Sponsored by Mississippi Development Authority
