Civil Rights History Sites in MS – Visit Mississippi

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Knol Aust — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:49:00 +0000

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 sacrifices of its peoples.

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Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument

Knol Aust — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:49:00 +0000

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 Medgar Evers at the time of his assassination.

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Southaven Veterans Monument

paulatravis — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 17:19:28 +0000

Located in Jim Saucier Memorial Park, this monument is dedicated to the Mississippians who shed their blood on the world’s battlefields. It was erected by the DeSoto Chapter 80 Military Order of the Purple Heart. […]

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Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Gardens

randylynn — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:47:01 +0000

At the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden in Ruleville, visitors can pay their respects at the grave of the influential civil rights leader and activist and view an inspiring bronze statue depicting Hamer giving an impassioned speech. Several of Hamer’s best-known quotes, including “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,” are displayed on the memorial markers.

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Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center

randylynn — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:17:04 +0000

The Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora honors the legacy of Emmett Till and the profound impact his story had on the Civil Rights Movement. Housed in the building that once held the gin from which Till’s killers took the fan and wire used to weigh down his body in the Tallahatchie River, the museum offers a deeply moving and immersive experience. Exhibits explore Till’s life, the tragic events surrounding his death, and the global outcry that helped ignite the fight for justice. The center also highlights the ongoing struggle for equality, making it a powerful stop for those seeking to understand the lasting significance of Till’s story.

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Canton Freedom House Civil Rights Museum

randylynn — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 21:58:20 +0000

The Canton Freedom House played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement as the local headquarters of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Canton business man George Washington offered the house as a safe haven and headquarters for volunteers organizing protests and voter registration efforts. In 1964, white supremacists shot at the house and attempted to bomb it. Today, the structure is the last standing Freedom House in Mississippi that was used by CORE. The home has been restored to serve as a civil rights museum, showcasing photographs, articles, and memorabilia.

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Tallahatchie County Courthouse

randylynn — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 21:30:22 +0000

Located in Sumner, Mississippi, the Tallatatchie County Courthouse is the site of the historic trial of J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant for the murder of Emmett Till on September 19, 1955. Milam and Bryant were both acquitted by an all-white jury but confessed to Till’s murder in a Look magazine interview the following year. The trial was called “the first great media event of the civil rights movement” by the journalist and historian David Halberstam.

While the building is still in use today as a county courthouse, its courtroom serves as a living memorial to Emmett Till. The courtroom was restored to its 1955 appearance and is open for tours booked through the Emmett Till Interpretive Center.

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Smith Drug Co.

randylynn — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:26:42 +0000

Established in 1925 by E. Hammond Smith, Smith Drug Company was the heart of Hattiesburg’s Mobile Street commercial district, providing medicines and everyday products such as perfumes, tobacco, razor blades, hair pomade, shoe polish, and other domestic items. The drug store also operated a soda fountain that was immensely popular among nearby Eureka High School students. The store became a focal point of the community during the civil rights turmoil of the 1960s, serving as a meeting place for local leaders and prominent activists. The drug store was restored and reopened in 2022 as part of Hattiesburg’s Sixth Street Museum District.

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Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker – Natchez NAACP Headquarters

jessica@visitnatchez.org — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:26:00 +0000

This house at 9 St. Catherine St., Natchez, Mississippi, was the home of Dr. John Bowman Banks (1862-1911), Natchez’s first black physician. During the 1960s, the house served as the headquarters for the Natchez branch of the NAACP. It also served as a boarding house where NAACP President George Metcalfe (1911-1989) resided. Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) briefly stayed at the house and referred to it as the “Metcalfe Boarding House.” Today it is the site of Natchez’s first Mississippi Freedom Trail marker, which was unveiled in April 2023. Metcalfe survived an assassination attempt in August 1965 when his car was bombed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

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Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum

Kirk Daniel — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 18:35:42 +0000

The Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum and Cultural Center of African and African American History was established to inspire, enlighten and enrich the lives of people everywhere by collecting, preserving and disseminating African and African-American contributions in the fields of history, art and culture in the United States and throughout the world.

A wide variety of family heirlooms and artifacts of African-American historic value comprise the collections of the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum. Of special importance is the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Room that contains a collection of personal memorabilia, awards and belongings of this courageous American figure.

The Local Genealogy Room contains documentation of genealogies of several Holly Springs African-American families.

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Former Greyhound Bus Station

Edie Kay Conner — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:30:47 +0000

The former Greyhound bus station in Jackson was a site of significant historic events in 1961 when Freedom Riders, protested racial segregation in public transportation. Their actions led to increased federal enforcement against discriminatory practices. Today, owned by Robert Parker Adams Architects, the building stands as a symbol of resilience in the Civil Rights Movement’s push for desegregation. They’ve maintained the appearance of the original bus station for historic preservation. There’s a historic marker outside of their building.

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Emmett Till Interpretive Center

Edie Kay Conner — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:32:31 +0000

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner serves as a beacon for restorative justice. Established in 2006, the center strives to break the silence surrounding the 1955 Emmett Till tragedy, promoting racial healing and reconciliation through museum interpretation, public education, memorialization, historic preservation, and community development initiatives. Today, it stands as a testament to fostering community healing and understanding. Visit during touring hours, or book a tour outside of those hours.

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