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The Two Mississippi Museums will host the rescheduled 2024 MLK Night of Culture to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. Free admission to the Two Mississippi Museums on February 17 and the Night of Culture event is made possible through support from FedEx. 

Hosted by local Jackson artist 5th Child, this year's Night of Culture theme honors the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer.

Artists performing original pieces centered on freedom, voting rights, and education include:

Emcee - 5th Child (artist/producer)

Musician - Tyler Greer

African Drumming - Alkebulan

Spoken Word - Vortex, JT The Poet, Brittany Wilson

Vocalist - Kyesha Clark, Ally Durr 

Dance - Mississippi Elite Dance and Cheer

Visual Art - Al Thomas, Kira Cummings, and Kevin Brown

Overflow space, if necessary, will be open in the Trustmark Community Room and Spiro Pete Cora Classroom. Guests can access the free visitor parking garage from Jefferson Street between Amite and Mississippi streets.

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

In honor of the National Day of Racial Healing, the Two Mississippi Museums—Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History—will have free admission on Thursday, February 1. Free admission is made possible by the Foundation for the Mid South.  

The National Day of Racial Healing is hosted annually by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and was created with and builds on the work and learnings of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) community partners. Fundamental to this day is a clear understanding that racial healing is at the core of racial equity. The Foundation for the Mid South is a partner of WKKF. 

“The new Mississippi cohort of Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation is essential to the movement towards a more inclusive and equitable society,” said Meshelle Rawls, principal investigator at the Foundation for the Mid South. “By empowering our communities to lead these conversations, we’re doubling down on healing and unity at a crucial point in time." 

The Foundation for the Mid South works in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, bringing together public and private sectors to focus resources on increasing social and economic opportunity in the region.

 “We are grateful to the Foundation for the Mid South for sponsoring free admission to the museums,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “This is a phenomenal opportunity to kickstart Black History Month by sharing the rich history of Black Mississippians and a movement that contributed to improving our state and nation.”   

The Two Mississippi Museums are open Tuesday–Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are closed on Monday. Free parking can be found alongside North Street or in the Two Mississippi Museums Visitor Garage on Jefferson Street. 

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.   
 

Spence Flatgard of Ridgeland was re-elected as president of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Board of Trustees during its regular meeting in Jackson on January 19, 2024.

The board also elected Nancy Carpenter of Columbus as vice president and Mark Keenum of Starkville to a second six-year term.  

Lucius “Luke” Lampton of Magnolia, who was completing an unexpired term, has been elected to his first full six-year term.

Members of the MDAH board serve six-year terms and must be confirmed by the state senate. Other members are Carter Burns of Natchez, TJ Taylor of Madison, Reginald Buckley of Jackson, and Betsey Hamilton of New Albany.

MDAH is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the United States. The department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers various museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, state and local government records management, and publications.

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) approved $3.4 million in grants through the Community Heritage Preservation Grant (CHPG) program to seventeen preservation and restoration projects in Mississippi at its regular meeting on January 19. 

The CHPG program is authorized and funded by the Mississippi Legislature and has provided more than $61 million to preservation projects across the state since its inception in 2001. Schools, courthouses, and other Mississippi Landmark properties in Certified Local Government communities are eligible for the program to help pay the costs incurred in preserving, restoring, rehabilitating, repairing, or interpreting such historic properties identified by certified local governments or owned by the state of Mississippi.  

“The Legislature has saved hundreds of significant Mississippi properties through this program,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “The Department of Archives and History is grateful for the Legislature's support and pleased to be able to help preserve these local treasures.” 

The grant awards are as follows: 

• Angelety House, Natchez, Adams County — ­$142,161 

Exterior, doors, windows, roof and  gutter repairs  

• Carroll County Courthouse, Carrollton, Carroll County — $243,291 

Interior and exterior restoration; windows, doors, and cupola repairs  

• Masonic Building and Courthouse, Okolona, Chickasaw County — $171,977 

Door and window restoration  

• Okolona Elementary School, Okolona, Chickasaw County — $170,775 

Window restoration, interior and lighting repairs 

• Harriette Person Memorial Library, Port Gibson, Claiborne County — $274,931 

Roof and decking repairs   

• GM&O Railroad Depot, Quitman, Clarke County — $65,010 

Door and window restoration, interior and  exterior repairs   

• Hattiesburg City Hall, Hattiesburg, Forrest County — $99,200 

Interior repairs, HVAC, and security upgrades   

• Hinds County Courthouse, Jackson, Hinds County — $410,715 

Roof repairs  

• Jefferson Davis County Courthouse, Prentiss, Jefferson Davis County — $182,118 

Roof repairs   

• Spain House, Tupelo, Lee County — $110,936 

Interior restoration and repainting  

• Greenwood Fire Station #1, Greenwood, Leflore County — $237,450 

Masonry repointing, HVAC, and electrical upgrades   

• Tennessee Williams House, Columbus, Lowndes County — $158,423 

Front porch repairs and repainting  

• Old Salem School, Macon, Noxubee County — $159,538 

Structural stabilization, masonry repointing, and general repairs 

• Quitman County Courthouse, Marks, Quitman County — $188,008 

Exterior repairs and window restoration 

• Sharkey County Courthouse, Rolling Fork, Sharkey County — $368,000 

Courtroom restoration  

• Drew Rosenwald School, Drew, Sunflower County — $253,760 

Roof, masonry, door and window repairs, and electrical upgrades  

• Senatobia High School, Senatobia, Tate County — $260,000

Window restoration, classroom, east, and west hallway repairs  

Grant awards are paid on a reimbursable basis upon the successful completion of the entire project or at the time of the completion of pre-established phases of the project. Prior to application, all buildings must have been designated Mississippi Landmarks. A cash match of at least 20 percent is required. Only county governments, municipal governments, school districts, universities, community colleges, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations that have obtained Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the United States Internal Revenue Service may submit applications. 

To become a Certified Local Government (CLG), a community must adopt a preservation ordinance establishing a preservation commission in accordance with federal and state guidelines. Once the commission has been established, application for CLG status may be made to the National Park Service through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. MDAH works closely with local government officials and citizens to help them create and manage a workable local historic preservation program.  

To learn more about the CHPG program, contact 601-576-6850 or email chpg@mdah.ms.gov.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Board of Trustees awarded $753,150 in Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Grant (MHSPG) funding to American Battlefield Trust and Gulf Coast Housing Partnership for preservation projects during a regular meeting of the board on January 19. 

American Battlefield Trust was awarded grant funding for preservation work at 15 tracts of land inside Civil War battlefields that include: 

Chickasaw Bayou Battlefield, Warren County, $359,650;  

There are 12 tracts of land inside the Chickasaw Bayou battlefield: DeFrance Tract, M. Sanderford Tract, D. Sanderford Tract, Uzzle Tract, Hill Tract, Hedrick Tract, J. Nevels Tract, Kitchens Tract, M. Uzzle Tract, Barnes Tract, Pace Tract, and Whiting Tract. 

Chickasaw Bayou is heavily threatened by development and has an extremely low percentage of preserved land within its core area. The majority of the land has been built over and will be subject to day-of restoration, ultimately being stewarded by the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign. 

Iuka Battlefield, Tishomingo County, $42,500;  

The Lomenick tract is within the Iuka battlefield. The property is unimproved and sits within the Iuka city limits.  

Champion Hill Battlefield, Hinds County, $207,500;  

Preservation work will begin when the Ratliff tract is transferred to the National Park Service.  

Corinth Battlefield, Alcorn County, $11,435;  

The Emmons tract is within the Corinth battlefield. It is entirely unimproved and is likely to be developed in the next five years if not preserved. The property is just outside the borders of the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National Military Park. 

Gulf Coast Housing Partnership was awarded $125,000 in grant funding for preservation work at Leonard Court in the city of Jackson of Hinds County. The historic location on North Mill Street comprises 60 houses and one corner store. The area lies within the Farish Street National Register Historic District. The district was an important center of culture, Black economic empowerment, as well an incubator for community organizing during the Civil Rights Movement.  

The Mississippi Legislature created the MHSPG program in 2021 to fund acquisition of sites related to Civil War battles, Native American archaeology, and civil rights history. These funds will allow endangered and significant properties to be preserved.  

“This program builds upon our role in preservation by assisting our partners with the acquisition of significant historic properties,”  said Barry White, MDAH historic preservation director.  “These grants elevate Mississippi’s capability to preserve the historic integrity of these properties, tell their broader stories, and attract new visitors.” 

Funds in the MHSPG program are used to defray costs for land acquisition to protect historic properties. A one-to-one match is required. 

A receiving property may have significance in more than one area, such as a battlefield with a recorded archaeological site within its boundaries, which will be taken into consideration in scoring applications. In addition, the property must have been previously recognized as significant. It must be individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places, listed in the 1993 Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, or identified as nationally significant in a National Park Service Special Resource Study. 

For more information about the MHSPG program, contact 601-576-6850 or email hsmith@mdah.ms.gov.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) has been awarded $1 million by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through an Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant for the Natchez Center for American History project at Historic Jefferson College (HJC) in Washington, MS.  

The Natchez Center for American History (NCAH) is a $20 million project that includes two components: a preservation field school and an interpretive center that will share powerful stories of the rise and fall of Mississippi’s cotton kingdom era. NCAH will cultivate a strong workforce through the preservation field school, where high school and college students will gain skills critical to helping Mississippi’s economy thrive. 

“We are grateful to NEH for this major grant,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH. “It is the only award in Mississippi and the largest of the 260 projects across the nation.” 

The HJC campus is an 80-acre site with eight main buildings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. HJC was Mississippi’s first institution of higher learning, with the first building at the college completed in 1820, just as the cotton economy was expanding and generating vast wealth built predominantly through slave labor. It is the birthplace of Mississippi statehood, where delegates gathered to write the state’s first constitution. Jefferson College operated for many years as a preparatory school and later as Jefferson Military College. And it served briefly as a Freedmen’s Bureau after the Civil War. 

Restoration and development of Historic Jefferson College are key components of MDAH’s strategic plan for southwest Mississippi, where it operates two other historic sites—the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez and Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson. NCAH will serve as a gateway to understanding the region’s history and its significance in the greater American story.  

Restoration work will begin in spring 2024 thanks to a National Park Service Save America’s Treasures grant and congressionally-directed funding awarded to MDAH in 2023, which together provide over $600,000 in support for the project. A generous grant of $250,000 from Entergy Mississippi to the Foundation for Mississippi History will also support restoration work at HJC. In addition, MDAH has secured support for NCAH from the Mississippi Legislature.

NEH Challenge Programs grants strengthen the institutional base and organizational capacity of humanities organizations in the long term. Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants leverage federal funding to strengthen and sustain humanities infrastructure and capacity-building activities at cultural institutions. 

National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.

For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov.    

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The Two Mississippi Museums will host the 2024 MLK Night of Culture at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 15, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This event is made possible through support from FedEx.

Hosted by local Jackson artist and producer 5th Child, this year's Night of Culture theme honors the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer.

Artists performing original pieces centered on freedom, voting rights, and education include:

Musician - Tyler Greer

African Drumming - Alkebulan

Spoken Word - Vortex, JT The Poet, Brittany Wilson, and Fran Wade

Vocalists - Shelby Greer, Ally Durr, and Samantha Morrow; Miss Black Mississippi USA Talented Teen 2024

Dance - Mississippi Elite Dance and Cheer

Visual Art - Al Thomas, Kira Cummings, and Kevin Brown

This event is free and open to the public. In case the auditorium capacity is reached, overflow space will be open in the Trustmark Community Room and Spiro Pete Cora Classroom. Guests can access the free visitor parking garage from Jefferson Street between Amite and Mississippi streets.

Dr. King’s involvement in Mississippi included visiting Greenwood in support of Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, testifying in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) during the 1964 Democratic National Convention, and continuing James Meredith’s March Against Fear following the assassination attempt against Meredith in 1966. 

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

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The Old Capitol Museum has extended its visitor hours to Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email Info@mdah.ms.gov.

Reverend Reginald Buckley of Jackson has been elected to the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The action took place at a meeting of the board on Tuesday, December 19. Buckley’s nomination will be submitted to the Mississippi State Senate for confirmation. 

“Reverend Buckley has a wealth of pastoral and leadership experience,” said MDAH board president Spence Flatgard. “I am thrilled he agreed to join our Board. MDAH will benefit greatly from his insight and enthusiasm.” 

At a meeting of religious leaders convened by MDAH in 2022 through a Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, Buckley outlined plans of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi, Inc. (GMBSC) to make capital improvements to Huddleston Memorial Chapel at historic Natchez College—a historically Black college open from 1884 to 1989. This preservation project is now supported, in part, by the Lilly Endowment grant.  

Lilly Endowment awarded the grant to the Foundation for Mississippi History through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, a nationwide effort to help museums and other cultural institutions improve the public’s understanding of the role of religion in the U.S. and the beliefs and practices of diverse religious communities. 

Buckley has served as a pastor at Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church since 2007 and became senior pastor in January 2015. He is president of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi and has served as chairman of the board of trustees for the Mississippi Baptist Seminary.  

Buckley has served on the board of directors for the Hinds County Economic Development Authority, was a W.K. Kellogg Fellow, and was a member of the inaugural class of the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute. He is married to Lecretia A. Buckley, and they are the parents of two children, Jonathan and Anna.  

Members of the MDAH Board of Trustees serve six-year terms and must be confirmed by the state senate. Other current members of the board of trustees are Spence Flatgard of Jackson, president; Hilda Cope Povall of Cleveland, vice president; Carter Burns of Natchez; Nancy Carpenter of Columbus; Betsey Hamilton of New Albany; Mark Keenum of Starkville; and TJ Taylor of Madison.  

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the United States. The department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers various museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, state and local government records management, and publications. 

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Two Mississippi Museums’ 2022 exhibit The World of Marty Stuart won the 2023 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Exhibition Competition’s Bronze Award in the ‘Over $100,000 Budget’ category. Awards in this category are given to museums that demonstrate a commitment to best practices and professional standards in museum exhibition design. The Exhibition Competition received twenty-nine entries from twenty-seven institutions. 

“We are very proud of the staff who worked creatively and diligently to produce this beautiful exhibit that showcased a significant part of the amazing county music collection of musician and artist Marty Stuart,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), which administers the Two Mississippi Museums. “MDAH is honored to be celebrated for sharing stories of the region’s culture and history.”  

The World of Marty Stuart exhibit featured Stuart’s personal memorabilia collection, which he started collecting during childhood and has continued cultivating through his journey as a professional musician working with music legends like Johnny Cash and Lester Flatt. Stuart’s dedication to preserving the legacy of American music through his personal photography was also explored in the exhibit.  

SEMC presented the award to staff of the Two Mississippi Museums at its annual awards luncheon on November 15, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. Award winners will be announced in the Fall 2023 edition of INSIDE SEMC, a digital publication of the Southeastern Museums Conference.  

SEMC is a nonprofit membership organization, an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate partners focused on the southeastern United States including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.