Martin Luther King Day {Life}

“I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too big a burden to bear.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we rest and reflect on this beautiful Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are reminded of what an extraordinary man he was.  Today, we commemorate the birth of a man whose wise words still resonate so deeply within our hearts. 

On December 10, 2017, Mississippi will celebrate its 200 anniversary as a state.  On that very day, a powerful new Civil Rights Museum will open its doors to the public in downtown Jackson. 

Lucy Allen, Museum Division Director for the Department of Archives and History, is the project director for not only the Civil Rights Museum, but also the Museum of Mississippi History, which will also open in 2017.

This state of the art Civil Rights Museum will feature impressive interactive exhibits, with the voices of Mississippi guiding guests through the struggles and victories of civil rights.  One of many galleries will be titled, “Where Do We Go From Here?” and focuses on where Mississippi has been, where we are in 2017, and where we still need to go.  Lucy eloquently says, “The gallery will be forever changing.”

Stephanie Morrisey, also of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, says there will be a tranquil “This Little Light of Mine” Gallery in the middle of the museum.  “This is a hub where guests can go in, re energize, and contemplate.  The museum tells a story that is overwhelming to hear.  Music such as This Little Light of Mine will play in this peaceful space, as people view a beautiful white sculpture, bathed in light.”

Lucy says, “The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is the first state supported civil rights museum in the nation; the legislature has provided the funds.  It is very important that Mississippi’s civil rights museum is state supported.  It shows that what happened in Mississippi has not only had an impact on our state, but also on the nation.”  She adds, “We will not concentrate on many national events; we want to talk about the common people who made a difference in Mississippi.”

With the focus solely on Mississippi’s civil rights story, the Civil Rights Museum will feature around 500 artifacts, including content from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, historic footage from WLBT, and the Medgar and Myrlie Evers papers, which are a “true treasure trove,” says Lucy. 

The outside of this exquisite, moving museum will be completed in June of 2015, and will usher in guests in late 2017. 

For more information on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, please click here. 

{Blog by Mitchell Walters}