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Historian Jeff Giambrone has a personal connection to the Mississippi Made temporary exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums.

With an emphasis on innovation, industry, art, and entertainment, the exhibit tells the story of Mississippi in celebration of America250 – the national observance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The exhibit displays some 250 artifacts, including items donated by Giambrone, who is assistant director of reference services at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, where he’s worked for nearly 14 years. 

Giambrone’s family has lived in central Mississippi since the 1920s, and he has donated many items to MDAH over the years. Three of these artifacts are now on display in Mississippi Made.

One is his dad’s 1967 credit card for The Emporium. Giambrone found it in a book, where it had been used as a bookmark. The Emporium was a department store in downtown Jackson until 1970. Giambrone’s father, J.T. Giambrone, was a banker, and he purchased suits at The Emporium.

Giambrone describes the downtown Jackson of his childhood as “vibrant.” He remembers the shift from department stores such as The Emporium to retail shopping centers like the Jackson Mall and the Metrocenter Mall – a shift that mirrored the national landscape. 

His two other items on display in Mississippi Made are both Jackson Mets artifacts. This farm team was a Class AA of the New York Mets and lasted from 1975 to 1990. Giambrone donated a baseball and a 1979 season program, both signed by members of the team. He remembers hanging out by the locker room to acquire the signatures of the popular baseball players. 

Giambrone was 12 when he caught the ball that is now on display. He and his family would attend many of these games at Smith-Wills Stadium. He describes the big crowds and atmosphere as “traditional Americana at its finest.” 

Farm teams like the Jackson Mets were often seen as a pipeline to the major leagues, which inspired even more excitement around local teams, he said.

 “These are the stories we need to preserve, particularly because they get lost the easiest,” Giambrone said. 

Anyone can donate to MDAH’s collections. To learn more, visit https://www.mdah.ms.gov/collections/donate-to-mdah-collections.

Mississippi Made is a free temporary exhibit on display until November 6, 2026. 

Chelsea McNutt, a Cornell University doctoral student, will research the role of Black women and their care work within the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi 

Chelsea McNutt, a doctoral student at Cornell University, has been named the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellow for 2026. McNutt will explore the Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers at MDAH this summer to pursue research related to the care work of Black women within local NAACP branches – work she describes as “foundational” to sustaining the Civil Rights Movement. 

“I am deeply grateful to the selection committee for their confidence in my project,” McNutt said. “The opportunity to conduct research in the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Papers at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History is incredibly meaningful, and I look forward to engaging these collections in ways that will strengthen my current work.”

McNutt’s research will center on the organizing networks that surrounded Myrlie Evers, exploring how women within those networks cultivated relationships, managed organizational responsibilities and maintained the continuity of civil rights work amid persistent threats of violence and surveillance. McNutt will examine correspondence, organizational materials, and personal papers housed at MDAH.

McNutt received a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in History from Arkansas State University. She also received a Master of Arts in History from Cornell University. She’s working toward a PhD with the dissertation, “Hidden Architects: Black Women NAACP Activists in the Jim Crow South 1935-1970.”

McNutt will use the $5,000 fellowship to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while doing primary research at the archives.  

Laura Heller, MDAH acquisitions and collections coordinator, said the department welcomes the opportunity to host a fellow each summer, and credits the partnership with the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute for making it possible.

“McNutt will have access to an extensive collection of archival material to support her research this summer,” Heller said. “The fellowship also seeks to increase scholars’ lifelong interest in history and to promote continued academic and public appreciation of Medgar and Myrlie Evers’ life and work, the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and the struggle for human rights.”

The Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson. For more information on the fellowship or about the collection, contact Heller at 601-576-6889, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov. 

The Mississippi Legislature honored outgoing Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Director Katie Blount on March 25. The Senate passed a resolution commending her “dedication, expertise and commitment.” Blount will retire June 30, 2026.

Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted Blount’s accomplishments, including the nationally recognized Two Mississippi Museums, which opened in 2017, and the agency’s work with the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag.

Blount thanked the legislature for generous support over many years and noted the tremendous impact of the Two Mississippi Museums, describing it to senators as "your legacy." Hopson noted that he and Blount have worked closely on agency budgets for more than a decade. After presenting her with the resolution, more than a dozen senators gathered for photographs.

Blount joined MDAH in 1994 as a public relations coordinator and became the agency’s seventh director in 2015. She is the second woman to hold the position.

Clarence Alton “Al” Hollingsworth, Jr., a founding member of the Mississippi Heritage Trust who died March 21, is remembered as a committed historic preservationist and supporter of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. He and his wife, Libby, spent decades advocating for the preservation of places.

MDAH and the Mississippi Heritage Trust often collaborate on preservation projects in the state.

“Al and Libby’s commitment to preservation helped ensure Mississippi’s sites and stories were not lost to time,” said Barry White, incoming director of MDAH. “Their life’s work will impact generations.”

Hollingsworth met Libby, his wife of 60 years, in Natchez. The couple later spent 20 years in Guilford, Connecticut, where they were also involved in historic preservation projects, including establishing a historic district in Guilford.  When they returned to Mississippi, Al Hollingsworth became manager for the Port Gibson Main Street Association program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. During this time, the couple joined the effort to form the Mississippi Heritage Trust, which was established in 1992. Hollingworth later launched the Mississippi Heritage Trust Endowment in memory of his late wife. 

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has transferred to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History 1960s-era Ku Klux Klan materials, including full Klan regalia, recently discovered as DPS staff prepared to move into new headquarters.

"Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers and Agents with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have worked for decades with our federal law enforcement partners to shed light on the darkness in which groups like the Ku Klux Klan chose to operate," said DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell. "By preserving these artifacts and shedding light on such organizations, we help ensure that future generations are never led astray by such hate."

Tucked inside a small blue suitcase were documents and other items, including charters, a spiral notebook with meeting minutes, a ledger book, a 1964 Imperial Executive Order and numerous pamphlets. There is also Klan propaganda material, including a pamphlet entitled, “The Ugly Truth about Martin Luther King,” published by United Klans of America.

Additionally, the inventory included file folders that contained news clippings about the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, then-DPS Commissioner T.B. Birdsong and material related to Freedom Riders. All will be processed by MDAH to be digitally accessible to the public in the future.

"MDAH is grateful to Commissioner Tindell for recognizing the historical significance of this material and transferring it to the archives,” said incoming MDAH director Barry White. “These records will give researchers broader access to documentation that deepens our understanding of Ku Klux Klan activities in Mississippi during the 1960s. Receiving a set of materials that includes both administrative records and propaganda from a local chapter of a national organization known for its secrecy is particularly significant."

Processing the material could take several months. It involves the arrangement, housing, and description of archival materials for storage and use by patrons. Description will involve writing a collection-level overview for the catalog, including the inventory’s transfer to MDAH from DPS, an item-level finding aid, and image-level metadata (index data) for the scans that will be produced.

Photos attached. 

The Mississippi Historical Society held its annual meeting March 5-6 in Meridian to honor its 2026 award winners, including Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dennis Mitchell, whose work has bridged public, academic, and school history.

Awards were also given for Book of the Year, Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year, and Teacher of the Year at the gathering that drew nearly 200 people to both the Riley Center and the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

In a career spanning five decades, Mitchell has advanced the cause of history and historical understanding as an advocate, scholar, educator, editor, and mentor. Mitchell spearheaded the development of a new history curriculum for Mississippi’s public schools and the production of what remains one of the most widely adopted textbooks for Mississippi studies.

M. J. O’Brien is an author and researcher who served for 25 years as the chief communications and public relations officer for a national not-for-profit cooperative. He won the Book of the Year Award for “The Tougaloo Nine: The Jackson Library Sit-In at the Crossroads of Civil War and Civil Rights,” which chronicles the historic 1961 sit-in by nine Black Tougaloo College students at Jackson’s segregated library, leading to arrests and a violent police response during Mississippi’s Civil War centennial.

“Everlasting: Life and Legacy of Medgar Evers,” a documentary by Mississippi Public Broadcasting, won the Excellence in History Award. The Outstanding Local Historical Society Award was presented to Walthall County Historical Society. The Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Catherine McGowin of Southeast Lauderdale High School.

Sean Scott, a professor at The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, received the Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year Award for “James Lynch and the Merging of Religious and Political Reconstruction in Mississippi.” 

Awards of Merit were presented to the Lanier High School National Alumni Association for organizing the celebration of the centennial of Lanier High School; to the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation for showcasing and preserving the legacy of Rodgers’ music career; to Juanita Green Hollinghead for writing “Beyond the Green Window: Consequences of the Piney Woods Murder of 1921” and preserving the history of Greene County; to Canton Tourism for preserving and promoting the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Canton through historical markers; to the Soulé Steam Museum in Meridian for preserving the history of steam engine factories and their contribution to the development of Mississippi’s lumber industry; to Rose Hill Storytellers for its annual cemetery tour and downtown history walk featuring storytellers in period costume; to Robert Luckett for the opening of the COFO Pocket Park at Jackson State University to highlight this center of civil rights activity in Mississippi; and to the Riley Foundation for renovating the Grand Opera House, Deen Building, and Rosenbaum Building to preserve the architectural history of downtown Meridian; to the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience for educating the public about the history of Mississippi’s artists, writers, musicians, and entertainers; to Meridian Community College for preserving Ivy-Scaggs Hall and restoring its mosaic mural; to Meridian Public School District for achieving Mississippi Landmark status for Meridian High School, Magnolia Middle School, and Crestwood Elementary School; to Meridian Rails Historical Society for opening the Meridian Railroad Museum and preserving and restoring artifacts from the railroad era.

Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, completed his term as president of the society and welcomed the new president, Keena Graham, superintendent for the Medgar and Myrlie Evers National Monument in Jackson. Tenured professor and director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University, Robby Luckett, was selected as vice-president. New board members are Owen Hyman, University of Mississippi; Thomas T.J. Mayfield, Vicksburg alderman; Patricia Rangel, The South Way Foundation; Brian Wilson, state treasury of Mississippi; Keith Wilson, D’Iberville Historical Society; and Jerid Woods, Baldwin and Company Books.

The Mississippi Historical Society, founded in 1858, encourages outstanding work in interpreting, teaching, and preserving Mississippi history. Membership is open to anyone. Benefits include receiving the Journal of Mississippi History, the Mississippi History Newsletter, and discounts at the Mississippi Museum Store. For information on becoming a member, visit www.mississippihistory.org. 

Photos attached. 

Roscoe Barnes III, Dennis Mitchell

Roscoe Barnes III, Joyce Dixon-Lawson, Taiwo Gaynor, Reena Evers-Everette, Pamela D.C. Junior 

Mississippi Makers Fest, the free outdoor celebration of music, food, and art, returns to downtown Jackson on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The annual event will take place on the Entergy Plaza in front of the Two Mississippi Museums and will feature an unforgettable lineup of live performances, including Grammy Award-winning headliner The Band Perry.

Makers Fest is more than a concert; it’s a showcase of Mississippi’s creativity. Alongside the music, visitors can browse over 60 artisan booths and enjoy fresh, made-to-order dishes from local food trucks, all while soaking in the vibrant atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind festival, sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. 

The Band Perry first captivated the music scene in 2010 with their RIAA DIAMOND-certified hit “If I Die Young.” Led by Kimberly Perry, the band returned in 2025 after a brief hiatus, and their Makers Fest performance marks a highlight of their 2026 comeback tour. Known for their Appalachian gothic sound and heartfelt storytelling, The Band Perry has earned multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM awards, cementing their place as one of country music’s most dynamic acts.

“Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi is proud to serve as the title sponsor of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s 2026 Mississippi Makers Fest in celebration of our state’s many diverse, emerging and established artists,” said Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Corporate Communications Director Cayla Mangrum. “With a vast platform showcasing creativity with enriching experiences set in an exciting festival atmosphere, Makers Fest fosters social connections, artistic education and civic pride, and when Mississippi’s cultural heritage curators and artists thrive, we all do.”

Before The Band Perry takes the stage, four Mississippi-based artists will set the tone for an incredible day of music:

• John Clayton White, a 14-year-old blues prodigy, will open the festival. Already touring the South with his band, White wowed crowds at Ground Zero’s 24th Anniversary, performing in front of co-owner and Mississippi native Morgan Freeman.
• Next up is Sam Donald, a “grunge country” vocalist and guitarist whose fame skyrocketed in 2024 after going viral on TikTok. Donald’s unique sound, developed with longtime producer Zack Keel, blends grit and country soul in a way that’s turning heads nationwide.
• Third is Vasti Jackson, a Grammy-nominated blues legend whose career spans decades as a vocalist, guitarist, producer, and educator. Jackson’s collaborations include work with major talents such as Tyler Perry.
• Rounding out the lineup before the headliner is KIRBY, a singer-songwriter who has songwriting credits spanning from “FourFiveSeconds,” a massive hit from 2015, Demi Lovato, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande tracks, to her own studio albums. 

Beyond the music, Mississippi Makers Fest is a full-day celebration of creativity under the open sky. Visitors can explore booths featuring Mississippi’s finest artisans, including ceramicists, bead makers, painters, textile artists, and more. These makers will sell unique, handmade treasures. With art to discover, food trucks serving mouthwatering dishes, and the energy of live performances, Makers Fest promises an unforgettable experience for all ages.

“We are thankful to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi for being the title sponsor of the 2026 Mississippi Makers Fest,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “Their continued support ensures free admission that day, an excellent musical lineup, vendor opportunities for Mississippi artists, and delicious food.”

Other sponsors include AT&T, StateStreetGroup, Nissan, Mississippi Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Capital City Beverages, Visit Jackson, Digio Strategies, Community Bank, Visit Mississippi, Lucid Ink, Cathead Distillery, and The Foundation for Mississippi History. 

Gates will open at 10 a.m., and music will start at 1 p.m. 

Festival Guidelines: Blankets and one collapsible lawn chair per person are allowed. Only clear bags will be permitted, including purses, fanny packs, diaper bags, and all other bags.

For more information, visit https://msmakersfest.mdah.ms.gov/. 

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Meredith Kehoe has been promoted to Historic Preservation Division Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). Previously serving as the Deputy Director of the same division, Kehoe was initially hired by MDAH as an Architectural Historian in October 2018. 

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Historic Preservation and Community Planning from the College of Charleston and a Master of Preservation Studies from Tulane School of Architecture. 

Kehoe assumed the role Feb. 1, taking the place of Barry White, who was selected as the Director of MDAH at the end of 2025. 

As the Historic Preservation Division Director, Kehoe will oversee the department’s programming in architectural history, archaeology, technical preservation, and preservation planning. 

“As a native Mississippian, it has been incredibly fulfilling to work with local communities and partners across the state on a variety of preservation projects,” Kehoe remarked. “I am excited to continue our work to preserve Mississippi's historic resources through all of our programming as I step into the role of Director of the Historic Preservation Division.”

Mississippi Made, a special exhibit highlighting the people, industries and creative traditions that have shaped Mississippi and influenced the nation, will open March 7 at the Two Mississippi Museums. 

Presented in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Mississippi Made traces more than two centuries of innovation, craftsmanship and cultural influence through approximately 250 artifacts. The free exhibit spans from the early 19th century to the present day, reflecting Mississippi’s role in agriculture, manufacturing, music, fashion, science, literature and the arts.

“The stories featured in Mississippi Made illustrate how Mississippi’s people and ideas have made a lasting impact on both the nation and the world,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “This exhibit offers visitors an opportunity to better understand those contributions through the objects that document that legacy.”

Objects on display include a 19th century cotton spin-ginner used on small plantations, patent models and tools tied to Mississippi inventors, and a Lindsey eight-wheel log wagon developed in the early 20th century to support the state’s timber industry. Together, these objects illustrate how Mississippians responded to local needs with ingenuity that achieved national and global reach.

The exhibit also highlights Mississippi’s impact on music and literature. Elvis Presley’s bathrobe and a Velvet Elvis wall tapestry are among the artifacts, along with those tied to music icons B.B. King and Jimmie Rodgers, and Leontyne Price. Literary contributions are represented through portraits of William Faulkner and Richard Wright, painted by Mississippi artists, and Eudora Welty’s typewriter.

Design, craft and cultural expression are featured through pottery by George Ohr, an embroidered piece by Ethel Wright Mohamed, a loom and a coverlet woven on that loom, a dress designed by Vicksburg native Patrick Kelly, and a gown worn by Miss America Mary Ann Mobley. Film and popular culture are reflected through set pieces from “A Time to Kill,” a film based on John Grisham’s novel of the same name. The movie was filmed primarily in Mississippi.

Mississippi’s connections to science, transportation and industry are explored through objects such as a NASA flight jacket worn by astronaut Richard Truly, along with vehicles manufactured by Toyota and Nissan in Mississippi. Artifacts tied to tourism and leisure highlight Mississippi’s mid-century tourism and hospitality culture.

“Mississippi Made brings together objects that tell a broader story about the state’s creativity, industry and innovation,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “Each artifact reflects how Mississippians responded to local needs in ways that shaped life far beyond the state.”

Mississippi Made is sponsored by Wayne-Sanderson Farms and will be on exhibit through Nov. 6, 2026.

"As a company with deep Mississippi roots, Wayne-Sanderson Farms has a long history in the state—beginning with the separate legacy operations of Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms and combining to become the industry leader we are today,” said Wayne-Sanderson Farms President and CEO Kevin McDaniel. “It's exciting to see the progress we've made together in Mississippi as business partners and as neighbors, and we're proud to sponsor this exhibit and share that story."

Museum hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson. Free parking is available along North Street and in the visitor garage on Jefferson Street.

For more information, visit www.mdah.ms.gov.

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In honor of the lives and work of Gov. William Winter and First Lady Elise Winter, admission is free at the Two Mississippi Museums on Saturday, Feb. 21. Free admission is made possible by Jones Walker LLP, which acquired Watkins, Ludlam, Winter and Stennis, where William Winter worked for over 50 years. 

"It is an honor and a privilege to recognize the contributions of Governor and First Lady Winter by supporting the Two Mississippi Museums’ William Winter Free Day," said Bill Hines, managing partner of Jones Walker LLP. "We are confident that visitors will gain insight into their commitment to Mississippi's history and their efforts toward educating future generations." 

Known for his staunch support for public education in Mississippi, Winter helped raise endowment funds to bring Mississippi’s schoolchildren to the Two Mississippi Museums – the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

The Two Mississippi Museums stand at the intersection of Winter’s greatest passions – history, education, and racial justice. He was a leading force behind the public/private partnerships that created the site’s conception and eventual construction. He once said the museums “were built for all of us, but most especially they were built for our children and our grandchildren and future generations.”

Winter served on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees for more than 50 years and was president for nearly that long. He died Dec.18, 2020, at the age of 97. Elise Winter, who was a community activist and author, died just six months after her husband on July 17, 2021. 

The Foundation for Mississippi History established The William and Elise Winter Education Endowment to memorialize the Winters and their commitment to education and preservation. Funds are used to defray costs such as admission, travel, and on-site lunches for students. 

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