America250 Mississippi - Red, White & Biloxi: An America250 Celebration!
2026-07-04 17:00 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Biloxi Town Green, 710 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS, 39531, United States
Red, White, and Biloxi: An America250 Celebration, July 4, 5-9:30 p.m. Biloxi Town Green 710 Beach Blvd. Family-friendly celebration honoring the nation’s heritage with music, history, entertainment, and fireworks. Patriotic music, a dramatic presentation at 7 p.m., Unfazed Show & Band at 9 p.m., vendors, food trucks, and fireworks. Free admission. Details: 228-435-6339

America250 Mississippi – Mississippi250
2026-07-04 18:00 - 20:00 | The Grove Stage, University of Mississippi, 49 University Ave, University, MS, 38677, United States
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will expand its annual June Summer Sunset Concert Series with a special July 4th celebration in Oxford in 2026. The project blends live concerts highlighting Mississippi’s musical traditions with historian-curated readings and writing prompts on democracy, plus short documentary films exploring how Mississippi’s culture shapes the arts. Designed as a free, multimedia program, it aims to celebrate the state’s musical and democratic heritage, foster community reflection, and engage diverse audiences across generations.
The series will highlight a different element of Mississippi’s musical legacy each week—blues, gospel, country, rock and roll, and other traditions—while pairing each concert with a community writing prompt curated from historical writings on democracy. A historian will be engaged to compile a list of significant texts and excerpts related to democracy in America, with particular emphasis on Mississippi’s history and culture. This curated collection will then be adapted into age-appropriate reading lists and reflection questions, ensuring accessibility for both students and adults.
Dates:

Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.
Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.
Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.

From Douglass to Duck Hill
2026-07-05 17:00 - 19:00 | St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral, 305 E. Capitol St. , Jackson, MS, 39201, United States
From Douglass to Duck Hill
An evening of remembrance, reflection, storytelling, and racial healing connecting the enduring words of Fredrick Douglass to the 1937 lynching of Roosevelt “Red” Townes and Robert “Bootjack” McDaniels in Duck Hill, MS. Virtual attendance is also available.
Sunday, July 5
5-7 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral
305 E. Capitol St.
Jackson, MS 39201

America250 Mississippi - 100th Birthday of the Lawrence County Civic Center Building
2026-07-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Lawrence County Civic Center, 125 East Broad Street, Monticello, MS, 39654, United States
We are planning a party!
Thank you to the Mississippi250 Grant Committee with the Mississippi Humanities Council for our matching grant to provide an America250 Birthday Party for you at your Lawrence County Civic Center! It is an exciting time for our country and for us!Our building will be celebrating its 100th Birthday, so we will have a double celebration!
Tuesday, July 7 at 6 pm we will have a short program highlighting our history and then birthday cake and socializing!
Celebrate our Country and our building with us! More details coming soon! RSVP will be encouraged.

Speakers Bureau: “Pioneer Toys, Games, and Music”
2026-07-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Smithville Baptist Church, 63388 Highway 25 N, Smithville, MS, 38870, United States
William Arinder presents “Pioneer Toys, Games, and Music” on July 9, 2026, at 10 a.m.
A living history program about the early pioneer settlers in Mississippi. Discussion centers around how they dressed, built their homes, produced and cooked their food, created children’s homemade toys, and made music on the mountain dulcimer. Period clothing worn, hands-on artifacts display and audience participation encouraged.

America250 Mississippi - America250 Lunch Lecture Series - Mound Bayou Museum & African American History & Culture
2026-07-10 12:00 - 14:00 | Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS, 39216, United States
This is the third in the series of luncheon lectures coming to the MS Ag & Forestry Museum. The highlight of this lecture will be Mound Bayou Museum & African American History & Culture. In the Heritage Center Auditorium, July 10th from Noon – 1PM.
Rev. Darryl Johnson & Hermon Johnson, present a program about the Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture and History, located in Bolivar County, MS, preserves the legacy of one of America’s first independent, all-Black towns founded in 1887 by former slaves.
This official America250 project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the State of Mississippi.

Dark Corner Reunion
2026-07-11 10:00 - 18:00 | FoxFire Ranch, 1465 Old Oxford Road, Waterford, MS, 38685, United States
On July 11, 2026, Foxfire Ranch invites our kinfolk, and community to a neighborhood reunion from 10 AM to 6PM celebrating over 250 years of Black land stewardship, story, and song.
Rooted in the living traditions from our nook of the North Mississippi Hill Country— the day weaves together remembrance, planting ceremonies, community quilting, podcast listening shrines, and blues performances into a constellation of culture and connection.
🤲🏿 Come ready to share a story, plant a seed, honor the departed, and dance — because the promised land has always been within us, within each other.
🎟️ RSVPS open this Monday, 6/22.
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

America250 Mississippi - Voices of Mid-Mississippi: A Community Time Capsule
2026-07-12 12:00 - 13:00 | The Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System, 201 S Huntington St, Kosciusko, MS, 39090, United States
Be Part of History! Help Us Fill a Time Capsule! Our library is starting a fun new project called “Voices of Mid-Mississippi: A Community Time Capsule!” We want to save our thoughts and memories from today for people to open in the future—50 years from now, during the America 300 birthday celebration!
What is a Time Capsule? It is a special container that we will fill with notes and small items from people all across our 5-county area. We are putting the capsule at the Mid-Mississippi Regional Library HQ in Kosciusko, MS.
What will we put inside? We want to collect your handwritten notes! We will ask you questions like: “What does America mean to you in the context of our local history?” or “How has the library shaped your pursuit of knowledge and community connection?” We will also add things like library bookmarks, photos of our towns, and a special message from our local leaders.
Why is This Important? Your stories show how our area’s history, from our towns to places like the library, makes our community special. The library is a place where people of all ages meet, and your stories are part of Mississippi’s bigger story!
How Can You Join In? We will kick off this exciting event on April 20, 2026, during National Library Week! From National Library Week until June 30, 2026, we will be collecting your notes and items. Everyone in our 5 counties can participate! Our mobile library will even visit nursing homes and other places to make sure everyone can share their voices.
After we gather everything, we will have a special ceremony Thursday, July 2, 2026, to commemorate the closing of the time capsule. Stay tuned to midmisslib.com/america250 for further details. Come share your voice and help us celebrate our history and the library’s role in our community! This official America250 project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the State of Mississippi.

Drew's Witness: The Freedom Memory Project Community Meeting
2026-07-14 14:00 - 16:00 | 167 N Main St, Drew, 167 N Main St, Drew, MS, 38737, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council and your local community to continue discussions about Drew’s Freedom Memory Project.
Tuesday, July 14, at 2 p.m.167 North Main Street
The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate in the conversation. Refreshments will be provided.Info: ggloria150@msn.com

Speakers Bureau: “The Challenges of the First Fifty Years of Women’s Suffrage”
2026-07-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th St N, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Dr. Rebecca Tuuri’s presentation examines the first fifty years of the women’s suffrage in Mississippi, with a focus on the work of the Mississippi League of Women Voters (LWV) from the months before the ratification of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment through the late 1960s when the state’s League was transformed into the progressive and interracial group that it is today. Nationally, the LWV was the organization that suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt founded in 1920 to replace the National American Woman Suffrage Association and to help educate the newly enfranchised woman voters in America. Therefore, the LWV in Mississippi was arguably the most important women’s voting organization in the state. This talk illuminates the successes and challenges of Mississippi women’s early efforts to empower voting women around the state.

America250 Mississippi - Happy Birthday, America!
2026-07-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-07-18 14:30 - 16:30, 2026-07-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-07-19 14:30 - 16:30 | Main Street United Methodist Church, 162 Main St,, Bay St Louis, MS, 39520, United States
Happy Birthday, America is an original musical celebrating the 250th birthday of America, and Mississippi’s part in forming our country. Performed by a cast of kids and adults of all ages, audiences will be delighted at this sometimes funny, sometimes not, presentation.
Told through story and music, we guarantee you’ll be tapping your feet and singing along. It’s a true celebration of the red, white, and blue!
July 17 & 18 @ 7:00 p.m. and July 18 & 19 @ 2:30 p.m.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
This Official America250 Project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the State of Mississippi.
Free parking available in the church lot on 2nd Street. Handicapped parking is also available on 2nd Street.

Jackson's Witness: The Freedom Memory Project Community Meeting
2026-07-18 11:00 - 17:00 | Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, 528 Bloom St., Jackson, MS, 39202
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council and your local community to continue discussions about Jackson’s Freedom Memory Project.
Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m.Smith Robertson Museum (528 Bloom Street)
The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate in the conversation. Refreshments will be provided.
Info: knoelsweet@gmail.com

Sunday Screening: Everlasting
2026-07-19 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a free event featuring a screening of Everlasting: Life and Legacy of Medgar Evers at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium at the Two Mississippi Museums. A 60-minute showing of this two hour documentary features interviews with Evers’s family, colleagues, and historians honoring the life, work, and impact of Medgar Evers. Everlasting offers a personal look at his legacy as a husband and father in the fight for civil rights. Following the screening, a panel conversation will feature moderator John Spann of the Mississippi Humanities Council, director Taiwo Gaynor, and Olivia Spann, supervisory park ranger at the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

America250 Mississippi - Mississippi Women in Blues: Celebrating America 250
2026-07-19 15:00 - 17:00 | F.D. Hall Music Center – Jackson State University Campus, 1400 John R. Lynch St, Jackson, MS, 39217, United States
This production of Central MS Blues Society, Inc. will bring three blues artists, all Mississippi women who are known to blues lovers worldwide, will share their music and stories of their struggles and successes as African American blues women in America. The music will be accompanied by a Jackson area blues band. Free and open to the public! Parking across the street from F. D. Hall Music Center on the JSU Campus

Moss Point's Witness: The Freedom Memory Project Community Meeting
2026-07-23 12:00 - 14:00 | Ina Thompson Moss Point Library, 4119 Bellview Ave., Moss Point, MS, 39562, United States
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council and your local community to continue discussions about Moss Point’s Freedom Memory Project.
Thursday, July 23, at noonIna Thompson Library (4119 Bellview Ave)
The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate in the conversation. Refreshments will be provided.
Info: jabaliincpresv@gmail.com

Speakers Bureau: "Mississippi Telling"
2026-07-30 16:00 - 18:00 | St Peter’s Episcopal Church, 113 N 9th Street, Oxford, MS, 38655, United States
Rebecca Jernigan presents “Mississippi Telling.”
Join scholar Rebecca Jernigan as she provides an overview of the storytelling Renaissance in America, with an emphasis on the oral tradition in Mississippi. The literary tradition of Mississippi owes much to the rich storytelling legacy that riddles the tales of our families and our communities, as reflected in the works of many of our best authors: Welty, Wright, Faulkner, Henley, and Williams. As part of the presentation, Dr. Jernigan performs as a storyteller, drawing on her rich repertoire of original tales and literary masterpieces, tailoring her choices to her audience, and offering material for children and adults.

Speakers Bureau: “Developing Community Spaces: Storytelling, Stewardship, and the Soul of Place”
2026-08-04 16:00 - 18:00 | Margaret Walker Alexander Library, 2525 Robinson St, Jackson, MS, 39209
Kevin Brown presents “Developing Community Spaces: Storytelling, Stewardship, and the Soul of Place”
In “Developing Community Spaces,” Kevin Brown explores how physical spaces—especially neglected lots, abandoned properties, and overlooked landmarks—can be transformed into powerful sites of memory, cultural identity, and civic healing. By honoring and acknowledging a community’s past, these forgotten sites can become reflections of historical pain and new hope.
Drawing from Kevin’s work creating Gertrude’s Garden in the historic Burglund District of McComb, Mississippi, this presentation offers insight into revitalizing historical spaces, engaging the community through oral histories, art, and public programs, and connecting with state-wide resources. “Developing Community Spaces” shares a living model of how the humanities can come alive through the land itself.

Mississippi Stories Grants Workshop
2026-08-05 10:00 - 11:30 | zoom
Join the Mississippi Humanities Council program staff on Wednesday, August 5, from 10-11:30 a.m. for a Zoom webinar exploring the new Mississippi Stories Grants. The webinar is free and open to all.
After the webinar, participants may request a one-on-one consultation regarding programs or events they are planning.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mhc-mississippi-stories-grants-workshop-tickets-1994204456211

Sunday Screening: Cole: Bridge to Justice
2026-08-16 14:00 - 16:00 | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS, 222 NORTH STREET , JACKSON, MS, United States
Join us for a free event featuring a screening of Cole: Bridge to Justice at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium at the Two Mississippi Museums. This 75-minute documentary traces the remarkable journey of Donald R. Cole, PhD—from his pivotal role as one of the “Ole Miss Eight,” who challenged segregation at the University of Mississippi, to his emergence as a national advocate for education, equity, and justice. Through archival footage, candid interviews, and powerful storytelling, the film follows Cole’s evolution from student activist to distinguished scholar, educator, and leader, whose work has expanded opportunities for Black students and scholars. Following the screening, a panel conversation will feature Don Cole, filmmakers Antonio Tarrell and Castel Sweet, and moderator John Spann of the Mississippi Humanities Council. For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Speakers Bureau: "All Things Mississippi: The Beautiful Landscapes and the Great Strength of the People"
2026-08-18 18:30 - 20:30 | Anguilla Methodist Church, 631 Front St, Anguilla, MS, 38721, United States
Anne McKee presents “All Things Mississippi: The Beautiful Landscapes and the Great Strength of the People”
Anne McKee is recognized statewide as a passionate teacher of Mississippi history. Through the art of storytelling, Anne McKee uplifts the accomplishments of famous Mississippians and shares explores the history of a land and a people like no other. Native to the state, McKee’s love and support for Mississippi began in childhood as she sat at the knees of relatives to learn the Mississippi story—a story for her that is always new and fresh. She dresses in costumes representing the time period of the stories featured on the day of her programs, and at times, if the audience is willing, involves attendees in her stories.

Spark! Places of Innovation exhibit in Greenville
2026-08-22 - 2026-10-03 | Greenville Higher Education Center, 2900 US-1 South, Greenville, MS, 38701
Spark! Places of Innovation exhibit in Greenville

Join MHC in Greenville for the Spark! Places of Innovation tour of Mississippi!
August 22-October 3, 2026
Greenville Higher Education Center at Mississippi Delta Community College Greenville Campus
662-332-8500 | msdelta.edu/ghec/
Exhibit hours:
Across 2026-2027, the Mississippi Humanities Council presents Spark! Places of Innovation, a Smithsonian traveling exhibit touring Utica, Meridian, Greenville, Oxford, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport. Special thanks to our statewide sponsor, Cadence Bank, for making this possible!
ABOUT SPARK!:
The story of human history is written in inventions and innovations. Across our nation. And right here in Mississippi. Join us in 2026-2027 to catch a new Smithsonian traveling exhibit touring the state…and spark some new ideas of your own.
Spark! uses photographs, digital stories, objects, and interactive elements to explore the places, people, and circumstances that ignite innovation and invention in rural communities across our nation. The exhibit also offers a springboard for diverse local programming, spotlighting the stories, ideas, and innovations of Mississippians — and a call to contribute to the future of the towns we call home.

Speakers Bureau: “Mississippi Telling”
2026-08-26 15:30 - 17:30 | Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi, 1242 S Green St, Tupelo, MS, 38804, United States

America250 Mississippi - Fabric of Our Future: Mississippi's Children Celebrate America250
2026-08-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, 246 Dolan Avenue, Gulfport, MS, 39507, United States
Join Lynn Meadows Discovery Center for a special America250 community celebration featuring the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind quilt created by children from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through their artwork, young participants have shared their hopes and dreams for the future of Mississippi and America.
The evening will feature the official community quilt unveiling, the MAC America250 Public Art Exhibit, a WINGS Performing Arts performance, family-friendly activities, and recognition of the local quilters and community partners who helped bring these collaborative projects to life.
The Fabric of Our Future project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.
The MAC America250 project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, through support from the State of Mississippi and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SPARK!: Why Greenville?!
2026-08-31 15:00 - 17:00 | Greenville Higher Education Center, 2900 US-1 South, Greenville, MS, 38701
Grand Opening of Spark!: Places of Innovation at the Greenville Higher Education Center on the Mississippi Delta Community College Greenville campus.
This session will highlight some of the workforce and industry opportunities offered by the city. Business partners will unpack what drew them to the city and why they chose to invest their projects in the Delta. This session will also push against the negative narrative that the city is past its prime and opportunities for the next generation are no longer available.

Speakers Bureau: "Before Natchez: A Journey Through Humanity’s Deep South"
2026-09-09 14:30 - 16:30 | Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Southern MIssissippi, 118 College Dr #5055, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, United States
Rev. Tracy Collins presents “Before Natchez: A Journey Through Humanity’s Deep South” on September 9, at 2:30 p.m.
This presentation captures Dr. Tracy “Rev” Collins’s descent into the intricate layers of history–an exploration that blurs the boundaries between myth, memory, and human experience in the Deep South. Before Natchez traces the evolution of humanity in the region now called Mississippi, beginning with the ancient seas that shaped its fertile river basin and the rise of the Mississippian peoples, ancestors of the Yazoo, Biloxi, and Natchez tribes.
From this deep past emerges a story of encounter and exchange. When the French arrived, they called the powerful Natchez people “Indians,” but their world was already one of complex diplomacy, trade, and cultural synthesis. Collins examines how the Natchez engaged with African peoples brought to the region–often through French mediation–and how shared technologies, beliefs, and social structures fostered forms of cooperation that challenge the conventional narrative of slavery.
This presentation invites audiences to reconsider early Mississippi as more than a colonial frontier. It becomes a crucible of humanity itself–a place where cultures met, mingled, and sometimes collided, revealing both the promise and peril at the heart of the American story.

America250 Mississippi - America250 Lunch Lecture Series - How We Pickled Our Food: 1850 - 1920
2026-09-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS, 39216, United States
This is the last of the series of luncheon lectures coming to the MS Ag & Forestry Museum. The highlight of this lecture will be How We Pickled Our Food: 1850 – 1920. In the Heritage Center Auditorium, September 11th from Noon – 1PM.

Join Research Historian Casey Heilman, for an opportunity to sample some of the popular flavors of the past. For over 7 years she served as the Living History Coordinator for a small 1847 first person historical site in Findlay, Ohio. She has given presentations for ALFAM, MCWCC, and other institutions.

This official America250 project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the State of Mississippi.

SPARK!: Creating the Skills We Need!
2026-09-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Greenville Higher Education Center, 2900 US-1 South, Greenville, MS, 38701
This session is part of the Spark!: Places of Innovation exhibit at the Greenville Higher Education Center on the Mississippi Delta Community College Greenville campus.

This session will feature MDCC’s collaborative work between the South Delta Planning and Development District, The Industrial Company (TIC), and the Capps Center to create an innovative workforce pipeline in the Mississippi Delta. The NCCER prepares applicants for work opportunities to build a new energy plant in the Mississippi Delta. The session will review how the program translates to job creation and economic vigor.
