When Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, the people of Mississippi found themselves at the forefront of one of the most pivotal periods of American history. This tragic event is widely considered the igniting spark of the modern Civil Rights movement. While the death of Emmett Till made national headlines, it was not the only event to set the scene for this great struggle. Only months before Till’s death, Reverend George Lee of Belzoni was assassinated after registering to vote. Other events in Mississippi, from the murder of Medgar Evers in 1963 to the killing of the three Civil Rights workers in Neshoba County the following year, rallied those involved with the Civil Rights movement and brought more people to the cause. Half a century later, Mississippi is the embodiment of changing times. Today, Mississippi has more elected African-American officials than any other state in the country, as the civil rights movement continues as a strong element of political, social and daily life.
The new, interactive Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson explores the true stories of the Civil Rights movement, and shows how those events shaped a state and changed the world. Once you visit the museum, venture to some of the 25 sites on the Mississippi Freedom Trail to experience history at the source.
Jackson, MS FEATURED
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum shares the stories of a Mississippi movement that changed the nation. Through eight interactive exhibits, the museum promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and its impact by highlighting the strength and […]
The Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, also known as Medgar Evers House, is a historic house museum at 2332 Margaret Walker Alexander Drive in Jackson, Mississippi. Built in 1956, it was the home of African-American civil rights activist […]
Jackson, MS
Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center is a comprehensive depository of artifacts portraying African-American Misissippians’ experience in the fields of history, art, music and literature. The museum was originally Smith Robertson Elementary School, the first public school for African-American children […]
Money, MS
The Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker is located in Money, about nine miles north of Greenwood. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till came to this site to buy candy in August 1955. White shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant accused the black youth of flirting with her, […]
During the 1960s, Greenwood was a hotbed of civil rights activity, including visits by Dr. Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael, who first used the slogan “black power” at a speech on Broad Street, a site now marked on Mississippi’s […]
Bay St Louis, MS
The Mississippi Blues Trail – Blues Hall – The 100 Men D.B.A. Hall, a longtime center of African American social life and entertainment, was built in 1922 by the One Hundred Members’ Debating Benevolent Association. Over the years the association […]
Vicksburg, MS
Vicksburg’s only museum for the study of history and culture of people of African descent features a collection of over 20,000 items. In addition, the collection houses selected artifacts, including items dating back to the slave period. […]
Vicksburg, MS
The first African Methodist Episcopal Church in Mississippi and the first Masonic Lodge in Mississippi were organized here in 1875. In 1890, Campbell College, the first African American College in Mississippi established without the aid of whites, operated out of […]
Vicksburg, MS
The only African-American cemetery in the city was established by the Vicksburg Tabernacle # 19 Independent Order of Brothers and Sisters of Love and Charity around 1884. There are more than 5,500 graves scattered across the grassy tree-studded cemetery, which […]
Vicksburg, MS
Gothic Revival-style church through to be the largest church built and owned by African-Americans in Mississippi. Drive-up tours only […]
Biloxi, MS
The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Freedom Trail marker is located at the foot of the Biloxi Lighthouse and marks the 1960 Biloxi Wade In. Dr. Gilbert R Mason lead more than 100 South Mississippians in a peaceful wade-in on segregated Biloxi […]
Hernando, MS
Founded in 1900 by the North Mississippi Baptist Educational Convention, the college was the first school in DeSoto County to offer instruction through grade twelve to African Americans and one of the earliest private schools for African Americans in north […]
Email Updates
Discover new ways to wander.
Tour Guide
Get your free Mississippi official Tour Guide.
Copyright ©2023 Mississippi Development Authority
All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
