Do you ever visit somewhere new in your city and realize that you’ve been missing out the WHOLE time? Thats how I felt this Saturday when Meag and I visited the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History. Jackson, MS never ceases to amaze me with all of it culture, history, and just plain fun. Whether you’re a local or not, there is ALWAYS something for you to enjoy in my city!
This outing was no different. I enjoyed every moment. The museum is absolutely AMAZING and 100% worth the visit. I’m going to share some photos and all my thoughts below so keep on readin’ (I’m really feeling my southern accent after visiting)! Some of the photos are kind of grainy because it was so dim inside (no flash)!
At first glance, we were BLOWN away at the beauty of the building itself. It’s nestled at the edge of Downtown Jackson next to the State Archives. Being the design buff that I am, I find the architecture of the building to be a work of ART. Be sure and stop outside to capture some memorable photos of your trip. Every corner is BEGGING to be photographed.
Mississippi Museum of History
I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that the inside of the building had even more to offer than the outside! We started our tour in the Museum of Mississippi History and as a Louisianan (I’ve only been in MS for 3 years), I really enjoyed getting to know my new home state. There are several videos throughout the tour are SUPER informational if you don’t have time to stop and read every little thing, but I encourage that as well. And if you think this is a boring, typical museum, you’re 100% wrong. It’s colorful, vibrant, and above all, super well designed. The information is well placed and easy to follow and the artifacts and photos are eye-catching and beautiful. I learned so much in our short time touring that portion of the museum.
At the end of the tour there was a HUGE sign that said ‘ONE MISSISSIPPI, MANY STORIES’ and it gave me ALL the feels. Jackson, Mississippi has welcomed Keith and I with open arms and we can truly say we love our home and are so glad Kate gets to grow up here.
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
From there, we ventured to the other side of the building where we could hear, “This Little Light of Mine” playing and see lots of colorful lights flashing. The Civil Rights Museum had me sucked in at first glance. The museum weaves in and out of a central atrium space that is filled with the most amazing light sculpture. Every hour (I think, it may be every 30 minutes) the sculpture comes to life and lights up the faces of the heroes and heroines who lost their lives in the Civil Rights Movement all while staying synchronized by the music that inspired a generation.
I’m won’t waste your time by chatting idly about the design of the space except to tell you that it’s entrancing and it is the perfect backdrop to the history of movement that changed the world.
The museum was inspiring, humbling, and unbelievably raw. There was a full history of Mississippi’s African Americans and those that helped and hindered their fight for freedom. The museum doesn’t sugar coat anything or give grace to those who wrongly treated anyone. It tells the truth, the whole truth, the raw, unfiltered truth in a way that I’ve never heard it before. There is a recreation of a segregated school and graphic depictions of lynchings in the state of Mississippi among other things.
The thing I really took away from the museum was how BRAVE the people really were. I enjoyed reading the stories of the heroines (heroes too – but I’m all about some #girlpower) who stood up when everyone else sat down – or maybe I should honor Ms. Parks and say that they sat down when everyone else stood up. The only thing that eases the knot in your stomach as you walk through reading story after story is knowing that every tiny little bad thing added up to one really GREAT thing. Freedom & Equality (I’m not at all suggesting that we don’t still have hurdles to overcome, though).
The ‘Where to We Go from Here’ Gallery at the end of the tour was truly a moment of reflection and of action. Along with all the words of so many freedom fighters were the words of people who have visited the museum and left their thoughts and prayers and intentions. It was a challenge for me to DO BETTER, BE BETTER, and LOVE BETTER and I think – no matter who you are or the color of your skin – you’ll feel the same.
Gift Shop and Cafe
We ended our trip with a stop in the gift shop and a little snack at the Cafe. The gift shop is less of a typical gift shop and more of a perfectly curated mini museum where everything is for sale! Everything (except some of the kid stuff) is made right here in MS and it’s gorgeous.
The museum can be an all day affair if you spend time really experiencing every little thing, so don’t forget to stop in the Cafe. We had a delish salad with some homemade potato chips and ice cold SWEET tea! It was all made super fresh as well! YUM!
To say we had a great time would be a complete understatement! Trust me, I’ll be back soon. I’ve been telling everyone I’ve seen since visiting that it’s a MUST see in Jackson! No trip to JXN, or exploration of your home city is complete without a dive into it’s history and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is the finest display of real, raw Mississippi History that I’ve ever seen!
Thanks so much to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and The Mississippi Museum of History (linked their website for more info!) for having us! I hope you guys check it out and enjoy the photos of our trip below!
