Courtesy of MSDAH
This weekend, you can visit the Two Mississippi Museums for free.
FedEx Corp. is supporting free admission to the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 20. The museums will also be open free of charge Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19.
“We are grateful to FedEx Corp. for enabling hundreds to visit these museums and reflect on Dr. King’s contribution to Mississippi and the nation,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
“At FedEx, we believe that when we connect people and possibilities, we can change the world,” shared Shannon Brown, senior vice president, Eastern Division U.S. Operations and Chief Diversity Officer, FedEx Express. “We are proud to support free public admission to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History and help thousands of visitors connect with Dr. King’s legacy, appreciate diverse ideas, and leave inspired to drive positive changes of their own.”
The museums will open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
At 6 p.m. Monday, January 20, the Two Mississippi Museums will host MLK Night of Culture: “I Question America,” an evening of free performances in honor of women who led the struggle for civil rights in the state. Artist Amanda Furdge will serve as master of ceremony. Local poets and artists will perform during the event and DJ JKeyes will provide music.
Dr. King’s involvement in Mississippi includes attending the funeral of NAACP state field secretary Medgar Evers in 1963, visiting Greenwood in support of Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, and testifying in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) during the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
When James Meredith was shot during his March Against Fear in 1966, Dr. King and his wife, Coretta, went to Mississippi to continue the march. In 1968, Dr. King teamed with Fannie Lou Hamer and the MFDP to launch the Poor People’s Campaign, which began in Marks, Mississippi, and ended in Washington, D.C.
The Museum of Mississippi History explores the entire sweep of the state’s history. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the first state-operated civil rights museum in the country, explores the period from 1945 to 1976, when Mississippi was ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement nationally. Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 601-576-6800 or visit twomississippimuseums.com.
