In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, admission to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History in Jackson will be free on Monday, January 16.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s involvement in Mississippi included walking in Medgar Evers’ funeral procession in 1963, visiting Greenwood in support of the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, as well as testifying in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party during the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice,” King said in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. “Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
Sponsored by FedEx, MLK Night of Culture will take place at the museums beginning at 6 p.m. in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. This year’s theme, inspired by the Black Empowerment gallery in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, celebrates the unity and determination of Black Mississippians demanding their civil rights from 1965 to the mid-1970s, urged on by successes such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The evening will feature performances exploring how African Americans persevered through the turmoil of racial violence, and publicly demanded their rights as American citizens through boycotts, marches, and protests organized across Mississippi.
“We are grateful to FedEx for their continued support of our Martin Luther King Jr. celebration,” Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History said. “Welcoming the public into the museums as guests of FedEx is a wonderful way to honor this important holiday.”
To learn more about the Two Mississippi Museums, click here.
Stay up to date with all of Mississippi’s latest news by signing up for our free newsletter here.
Copyright 2023 SuperTalk Mississippi Media. All rights reserved.
