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America250 Mississippi Grantees
Voices of Courage: Mississippi Leaders Who Shaped the American Story
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
SheCor Cares
“Voices of Courage: Mississippi Leaders Who Shaped the American Story” is a community-based program to explore Mississippi’s profound role in shaping the Civil Rights Movement and the broader American narrative. Through public lectures, a living-history performance, youth engagement workshops, and an oral history initiative, the project will highlight the courage and leadership of Mississippians whose actions helped expand freedom in Mississippi.
Columbia’s Freedom Festival
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $4,000
City of Columbia
City of Columbia’s “Freedom Festival” is a local festival featuring antique cars, music, fireworks, and a story time from people dressed as the founding fathers. They will also bring in the American Veteran Traveling Tribute, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial, and other veterans’ memorials.
Eupora Living Museum: Students Bringing Local History to Life and Exploring ‘We the People’
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $1,500
The SouthWay Foundation
“Eupora Living Museum” will allow local high school students to do primary document research on local historical figures and present live performances as those people.
America 250: Celebrate in Stone
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $2,500
Stone County Friends of the Libraries
“America250: Celebrate in Stone” will be a June 6th event honoring America250 and the D-Day invasion. Students will do readings from historical figures, and the town will open a 1976 time capsule and develop a 1976 pop-up exhibit.
MS250/Lucedale125 Oral History Project and Pilgrimage Day & Other Celebrations
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
City of Lucedale – MS 250/ Lucedale 125 Committee
“MS250/Lucedale125 Oral History Project and Pilgrimage Day & Other Celebrations” will feature a history tour of nine different local historic sites and a large community oral history project that will be displayed at the George County Historical Museum.
Sunday Afternoons at the Museum
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $1,296
Tennessee Williams House Museum
The Tennessee Williams House Museum will host three Sunday events in 2026 celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the museum’s 150th year. Each program will feature music, historic displays, and local heritage themes—honoring Independence, Indigenous culture, and Veterans—while inviting visitors to share “What America Means to Me” recordings.
Liberty & Legacy: Byhalia 250
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Town of Byhalia
Town of Byhalia’s “Liberty and Legacy: Byhalia 250” will be a series of programs, including a children’s activity to make founding father puppets, a time capsule, a local history scavenger hunt, and a 4th of July event.
Small Town Big Celebration
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $2,500
Caledonia Main Street LLC.
Caledonia Main Street’s “Small Town, Big Celebration” will expand on a successful 4th of July Parade. This year’s event will include a kiosk to record people talking about the meaning of America250. Includes a patriotic book reading for young people at the local library.
Stars, Stripes, & Soul: Celebrating America’s 250th
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $2,000
Picayune Main Street, Inc.
Picayune Main Street’s “Stars and Stripes and Soul” is an America250 event featuring music, a karaoke competition, community storytelling, and pop-up banners on local railroad and timber industry history.
The Father of a Nation: George Washington at America 250
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Community Foundation for Mississippi
The Mississippi Book Festival will bring acclaimed American historian H.W. Brands to the 2026 festival to speak about his book on George Washington.
Star Spangled Celebration on the River (Celebrating America’s 250th)
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
Petal Area Chamber of Commerce
This annual 4th of July event will feature a local history exhibit focusing on the role of the Leaf River in the development of Petal, along with a program honoring local veterans.
Carroll County Celebrates America 250
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $3,000
Carrollton Pilgrimage Board
“Carroll County Celebrates America250” will be a series of public programs and museum displays about local history, including the history of local U.S. Senators J.Z. George and Hernando Money, as well as a walking tour of historic sites in Vaiden.
Pontotoc Sound Showdown: Celebrating Mississippi Talent for America’s 250th
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $2,500
Pontotoc Chamber of Commerce
Pontotoc Chamber of Commerce will host “Pontotoc Sound Showdown,” a local musical/singing competition designed to enhance their annual July 4th event, which includes a patriotic parade and fireworks show.
Power of Place
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Baldwyn Main Street Chamber
The Power of Place project will run from April through July 2026, highlighting Baldwyn’s rich cultural heritage and community pride through a series of public events. Planned activities include historical exhibits, storytelling sessions featuring local voices, downtown walking tours, and family‑friendly gatherings on Main Street that showcase Baldwyn’s history, creativity, and civic spirit.
AMERICA 250 WINSTON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI GOD-FAMILY-COUNTRY
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $2,500
AMERICA 250 WINSTON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI
Scheduled for May to December 2026, “America 250 Winston County: God–Family–Country” will commemorate America’s 250th anniversary through local programming.
America250 Fourth of July Celebration in Montgomery County
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $3,500
Winona Active AKA Visit Winona
Visit Winona will host a county‑wide July 4, 2026, celebration at the Montgomery County Coliseum, anchored in the theme “We the People” and featuring live local music, free meals, commemorative T‑shirts, children’s activities, a fireworks finale, and local vendors. The event will also include a youth‑led performance of We, The People: The Musical to build constitutional literacy and civic engagement, alongside a community auction that supports future public programming while strengthening intergenerational ties and local entrepreneurship in Montgomery County.
Then—Now—Next: All Aboard America in Amory
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
Amory Main Street, Inc
“Then—Now—Next: All Aboard America in Amory” will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary by highlighting the town’s historical connection to the railroad and its continued role in community life. America250 activities include a historical exhibit and walking tour showcasing preserved train depots, businesses, and landmarks significant to Amory’s development, while storytelling sessions and school programs will involve local historians and students in sharing their own “Then—Now—Next” perspectives.
Mantee History Museum
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,600
Town of Mantee
By updating the Mantee History Museum, the Town of Mantee in Webster County will honor local veterans and their contributions to America’s story through an expanded collection featuring military memorabilia, new display cases, and framed exhibits. The project will also enhance community engagement by creating a digital inventory for online access and refreshing the museum’s interior with new furniture and décor. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will celebrate the updates and invite the community to reconnect with the museum and its history.
North Mississippi in the American Story: History, Culture, and Community
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College will host a series of historical programs, including lectures, panel discussions, and performances that explore how their local history connects to the larger American story, including Chickasaw history and a Gilder-Lehrman exhibit about major events of American history.
Taylorsville, Mississippi – The Power of Place. Celebrating America 250 and Taylorsville’s 125th Anniversary
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $3,000
Taylorsville Chamber of Commerce
“Taylorsville, Mississippi – The Power of Place,” will mark America’s 250th and Taylorsville’s 125th anniversaries with a July 3–4, 2026 celebration featuring a parade, live music, local vendors, historical exhibits, storytelling, educational booths, and a fireworks finale.
The Tunica America 250 Timeline Trail
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,500
Tunica Main Street
Tunica Main Street requests support to create the Tunica America 250 Timeline Trail, a one-day public project on July 3, 2026, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The initiative will feature local history displays and community engagement.
Glendora 250: Where Mississippi Made America’s Music
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,500
Glendora Economic and Community Development Corporation
The Glendora Economic and Community Development Corporation proposes “Glendora 250: Where Mississippi Made America’s Music,” a one-day cultural history event scheduled for October 17, 2026. The project, led by the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center, will celebrate Mississippi’s musical heritage.
100th Birthday of the Lawrence County Civic Center Building
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,595
Lawrence County Civic Center & Regional Historical Museum
The Lawrence County Civic Center & Regional Historical Museum’s project, “100th Birthday of the Lawrence County Civic Center Building,” will celebrate the centennial of this local landmark through a one-day community event on July 7, 2026. Planned activities include a historical exhibition featuring photographs, documents, and artifacts tracing the building’s evolution from its early days as a community gathering place to its present role as a museum and cultural hub. The celebration will also feature guest speakers, including local historians and civic leaders, sharing stories about the building’s contributions to Lawrence County life.
Stars, Stripes & Seafood: Honoring Biloxi’s Seafood Founding Fathers
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,250
City of Biloxi
The City of Biloxi’s “Stars, Stripes & Seafood” is a July 3 public event at the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum that uses reenactors, free tours, and seafood tasting to honor Biloxi’s founding seafood industry leaders and connect local coastal history to America250 themes.
America/Mississippi 250-A Celebration!
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,500
Music, Art & Practicality-MAP Children’s Theatre
Music, Art & Practicality (MAP) Children’s Theatre will perform “America/Mississippi 250—A Celebration!” running April–July 2026. The project will engage local children in live performances and creative arts, honoring Mississippi’s role in America’s 250th anniversary.
Historical and Cultural Influences on the City of Pass Christian in the Past 250 Years
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,111
Pass Christian Historical Society
This project features a multimedia presentation at the Pass Christian Historical Society showcasing the town’s history from 1838 to the present, highlighting key themes such as its founding, seafood industry, and major coastal storms, along with a special screening marking the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The project will launch with a July 4th public event and will serve both community visitors and local students through ongoing school field trips starting in August 2026.
A Memorial Day Commemoration in Recognition of America’s 250th Anniversary
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $3,300
Highway 442 Sharecropper Corridor Legacy Foundation
The Highway 442 Sharecropper Corridor Legacy Foundation will host a Memorial Day Commemoration event honoring local veterans by placing American flags at 75 graves in four historic cemeteries, along with public programs featuring musical performances, themed presentations on community, service, stewardship, and memory, and speakers from state agencies.
Preservation and Display of Historical Items
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,500
The Bellefontaine Belle Society, Inc.
The Bellefontaine Belle Society will purchase display cases, quilt hangers, and a fireproof file cabinet to install in the historic Adelphian Lodge Hall so that local photos, documents, quilts, books, and artifacts can be safely preserved, cataloged, and publicly exhibited. The grant will support ongoing community history programming—including a DAR grave rededication, senior and community events, and open houses—by creating permanent exhibit and storage infrastructure that highlights Bellefontaine’s long history as one of Webster County’s oldest settlements and a newly designated Mississippi historical hamlet.
Agriculture, bringing Americans to the table for 250 years
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum
The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum will host a four-part lecture series focusing on the richness of agriculture in the cultural history and development of Mississippi. Topics will include southern garden, musical traditions, the history of Mound Bayou, and the preservation of foods in the 18th and 19th centuries.
July 4th celebration of 250 years
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $2,250
Town of New Hebron
The Town of New Hebron will host a community-wide July 4th celebration, which will include a patriotic parade in 1940s and 50s era costumes, antique cars, and decorated bicycles. Live music during the program will highlight local military veterans, and the event will end with fireworks.
Mississippi 4-H Western Heritage State Roundup
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $3,000
Itawamba Youth Outdoors
Itawamba Youth Outdoors will expand the annual 4-H Western Heritage State Roundup to include history experts and demonstrators to help “bring history alive.” Topics will include frontier history, the Civil War, and Choctaw heritage.
We The People
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $1,600
Main Street Poplarville
American flags, America250 banners, and patriotic decor will be displayed along Main Street and in City Park.
Remembering the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927: 100 Years of Devastation, History, Progress, and Resilience.
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
City of Greenville
The Greenville Flood-Line Trail will be a permanent outdoor installation of high-water markers, building placards, and interpretive signage commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, honoring community resilience and connecting residents and visitors to Greenville’s defining relationship with the river. The project will create a durable, museum-quality interpretive trail highlighting the flood’s local impact and national significance on policy, migration, and culture. This proposal embodies the America250 Mississippi mission by telling how Greenville and the Delta were shaped by one of America’s most significant natural disasters.
Chickasaw Heritage Center Welcome Gallery
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Chickasaw Inkana Foundation
The Chickasaw Inkana Foundation’s Mississippi 250 project will support the creation and installation of The Great Seal and interpretive panels in the Welcome Gallery of the new Chickasaw Heritage Center in Tupelo, highlighting the Chickasaw Nation’s enduring connection to its Mississippi Homeland and its evolving relationship with the United States.
The Power of Place: Preserving and Sharing Gilded Age History of the Gulf Coast
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $15,750
Harrison County Library System
This project digitizes Gulf Coast newspapers, diaries, and artifacts from 1870–1900 to preserve fragile local history and make it more accessible through searchable databases, digital maps, and public programs. This project connects the Gulf Coast’s diverse immigrant and entrepreneurial past to the broader story of American innovation and community building.
Beyond the Census: Reclaiming Mississippi’s Forgotten Narratives through the Delta Burial Corporation
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
Quitman County Development Organization
The Beyond the Census project will digitize and preserve fifty years of funeral records (1925–1975) from the Delta Burial Corporation, creating a searchable online archive and a local digital kiosk that document the lives of everyday African Americans in the Mississippi Delta during and after the Great Migration. By safeguarding these fragile ledgers, the project restores missing narratives of community, migration, and identity, ensuring that Mississippi’s role in shaping the broader American story is permanently accessible to families, researchers, and the public.
The Power of Place: Tougaloo College and Mississippi’s Path to Freedom
[A Public Freedom Trail and Storytelling Initiative]
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $19,400
Tougaloo College
Tougaloo College’s “Freedom Trail” project will transform its historic campus into an interactive, multimedia interpretive landscape tracing the site’s evolution from plantation grounds to a center of Black education and civil rights leadership. Through digital trail markers and a storytelling kiosk, the initiative will immerse visitors in Mississippi’s layered history while strengthening archival stewardship and public engagement.
Museum of the Streets
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $15,000
City of Natchez
This project will replace and refresh 34 aging interpretive panels along the Natchez Downtown Walking Trails and add four new panels highlighting themes from the America250 Mississippi period, enhancing both the city’s educational offerings and its tourism infrastructure. Designed to be completed by July 4, 2026, this project will revitalize a beloved public history asset while deepening community engagement with the city’s layered past.
Sugar Ditch, Tunica. Knowing Our Past and Creating Our Future
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Tunica County Board of Supervisors
The Mississippi in the American Story project from the Tunica County Board of Supervisors will produce a 55‑minute documentary by filmmaker Willy Bearden exploring how Tunica County, Mississippi, became a national focal point for issues of race, poverty, and opportunity following the 1985 60 Minutes “Sugar Ditch” broadcast, illuminating how local struggles reflect broader themes of media, justice, and social change in America. The film and related museum exhibits will interpret Tunica’s history—from slavery and sharecropping to civil rights and modern revitalization—as part of the nation’s ongoing effort to realize its founding democratic ideals of equality and opportunity for all.
Power of Place: Kosciusko, Mississippi and the Original Natchez Trace
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $7,550
City of Kosciusko
The City of Kosciusko will install a series of permanent historical markers throughout downtown Kosciusko that connect to existing audio and video tours, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the city’s rich history along the Natchez Trace—from its Indigenous and early settlement roots through its Revolutionary and Civil Rights legacies.
Ulysses S. Grant in Mississippi: A Video Project About War and Freedom
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $9,860
Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library (MSU)
The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University will produce five short educational videos exploring Mississippi sites linked to Grant’s Civil War and Reconstruction-era leadership, illuminating how these locations shaped both state and national struggles over Union, freedom, and citizenship. By interpreting Mississippi’s Civil War landscapes through the lens of democratic expansion and resilience, the project embodies the America250 Mississippi program’s goal of connecting local history to the broader American story and examining how communities have pursued the nation’s founding ideals over 250 years.
The City Beautiful: A Microcosm of American Transformation
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
Laurel Main Street
The City of Laurel, in partnership with the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and Laurel Main Street, will create twelve historical markers that trace the city’s transformation from a 19th‑century timber town to a thriving cultural center, highlighting the people, industries, and institutions that shaped its identity and resilience. By preserving and interpreting diverse local stories through accessible, public displays, the project exemplifies the America250 Mississippi program’s goal of connecting community history to 250 years of national growth and reflecting on how small towns continue striving toward the nation’s founding democratic ideals of shared opportunity and civic progress.
The Chickasawhay Crossing: A Battlefield Overlook
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
City of Leakesville
This project transforms the historic McLeod’s Mills bridge area into an open-air interpretive site featuring outdoor exhibits, audio storytelling, and visual tools that immerse visitors in the history of the Battle of McLeod’s Mills and its ties to Mississippi’s broader heritage. By blending education, preservation, and place-based interpretation, the project will create a lasting public resource that deepens community understanding of how local people and landscapes shaped the national story.
Mississippi Choctaw Language Legacy
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will archive, publish, and distribute modern Choctaw language stories and interviews—completing a major bilingual dictionary and language documentation effort begun under an earlier National Endowment for the Humanities grant. By preserving and sharing Mississippi’s only living Indigenous language through digital, print, and educational platforms, the project both sustains a vital local heritage and deepens the state’s understanding of its oldest continuous culture within 250 years of American history.
Mississippi’s Hometown Heroes in American Space Exploration: Hologram Exhibit
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
INFINITY Science Center
This innovative hologram-based exhibit at INFINITY Science Center will celebrate Mississippi’s role in space exploration, particularly through astronaut Fred Haise, and the cultural significance of place, creativity, and storytelling in shaping the state’s identity within the American narrative.
Telling the Stories of Tishomingo State Park
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $15,000
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks will create new interpretive signage and a Chickasaw-commissioned sculpture at Tishomingo State Park to honor the park’s layered history—from the Chickasaw people’s deep connection to the land through its 1930s development by the Civilian Conservation Corps—while educating visitors about Indigenous, New Deal-era, and natural heritage. By presenting a more inclusive and accurate historical narrative, the project embodies America250 Mississippi’s goal of examining local history within the broader national story and confronting how communities can more fully realize the nation’s democratic ideals of representation, dignity, and shared stewardship.
Brush Arbor Cemetery and the Expansion of American Citizenship in Starkville
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $15,000
City of Starkville
The City of Starkville will preserve and interpret a historic African American burial ground (the Brush Arbor Cemetery) dating to the 1850s by creating a new, accessible entrance, installing interpretive signage and a commemorative plaque, and documenting community histories through an oral history archive. Through collaboration among the City of Starkville, Mississippi State University, and local partners, the initiative will make this sacred site safer, more visible, and better understood as a cornerstone of Black community-building from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights era.
Alva Temple and the Tuskegee Airmen Museum at the Columbus/Lowndes County Airport
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $15,000
City of Columbus, MS
The City of Columbus and Lowndes County will create a mini museum inside the Columbus/Lowndes County Airport terminal to honor Lt. Col. Alva Temple, a Tuskegee Airman and local leader, through documentary film, interpretive displays, and exhibits highlighting his life, achievements, and the broader legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. This project embodies the goals of the America250 Mississippi program by connecting local and national history—celebrating the perseverance of African American servicemen who helped the nation move closer to its founding democratic ideals of equality and opportunity for all.
“On Choctaw Homelands: Mississippi College, Memory, and Indigenous History”
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
Mississippi College
On Choctaw Homelands: Mississippi College, Memory and Indigenous History expands the college’s bicentennial “1826 Exhibition” through collaborative video, archival, and interpretive content developed with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, highlighting the shared geography, cultural connections, and civic contributions that shape both communities’ histories. Centering Indigenous perspectives and community collaboration, the project exemplifies America250 Mississippi’s goals by deepening public understanding of local history within the nation’s 250-year story and by inviting reflection on how contemporary institutions can better embody the democratic ideals of inclusion and shared stewardship envisioned at the nation’s founding.
Greenwood Cemetery and Mississippi’s Place in the American Story
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
Greenwood Cemetery Association
The Greenwood Cemetery Association’s Greenwood Cemetery and Mississippi’s Place in the American Story will transform Jackson’s oldest integrated cemetery into a permanent, self-guided public humanities site that uses biography, research, and interpretation to explore how Mississippians of all backgrounds shaped the state’s civic, cultural, and political life. Through on-site signage, digital tours, and student-produced media, the project connects individual lives to broader national narratives of citizenship, memory, and democracy.
Worrying the Weevil: Innovation and Ingenuity at Utica
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $7,200
Hinds Community College
“Worrying the Weevil: Innovation and Ingenuity at Utica” will revive the story of the Utica Institute’s agricultural and technological experiments—especially its community-based innovations like the Boll Weevil Catcher and early Black-run telephone exchange—to show how Mississippians turned local challenges into contributions of national significance. By linking contemporary students with this legacy of creativity, the project exemplifies America250 Mississippi’s goal of examining how local histories reflect and advance the nation’s democratic ideals of resilience, self-determination, and collective progress over 250 years.
Chakchiuma Chapter NSDAR of Greenwood
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
America 250 Celebration at Cotesworth
The Chakchiuma Chapter NSDAR of Greenwood received support for a community festival at the historic Cotesworth estate, including living history demonstrations and live music. The event is designed to bring greater historical awareness and community pride and connect Carroll County to the America 250 national milestone.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Walter Anderson Digitization Project
Project to digitize and preserve the museum’s treasured collection of Mississippi’s most important visual artist and create digital exhibits highlighting Anderson’s connections to the themes of America250, including “We the People,” “The Power of Place,” “Mississippi in the American Story,” and “Mississippi Traditions.”
City of Burnsville
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
Patriotic Celebration of America’s 250th
Will unite the Burnsville community in a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary through events that honor the state’s deep historical and cultural contributions to the nation—from its early territorial days and military service to its lasting artistic and civic legacy.
Prentiss Institute
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Mississippi in the American Story: The Rosenwald School Building @ Prentiss Institute,1926-2026.
The Prentiss Institute will host a day-long series of public programs on June 14th , highlighting the history of the Prentiss Institute and the Rosenwald School building program. These events will highlight the history of Black education in rural Mississippi and explore how institutions like Prentiss helped Black Mississippians define and enjoy economic and political freedom through education and self-reliance.
Mississippi Cultural Crossroads
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $6,300
The Real MS Sweet Tea: The Things We Keep and the Stories They Tell
Mississippi Cultural Crossroads (MCC) plans a series of oral history days that will uncover freedom stories of the region through artifacts kept by local families. Members of the community will be invited to share up to three historic artifacts that reflect the quest for freedom in their family. It will be an opportunity to share and document a family’s personal and historical narrative, passed down through heirlooms, in the context of America’s 250-year journey toward freedom. Participants will be recorded through oral histories, which will be turned into a video that will be displayed at the MCC into the future.
Foundation for Mississippi’s Downtown
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Independence Day at 250: Mississippi’s Story in the American Journey
The Foundation for Mississippi’s Downtown plans a day-long July 4th celebration in downtown Jackson featuring a morning historical tour by bicycle, children’s activities featuring presentations about America’s founding and Choctaw history and culture, food trucks and an evening symphony concert of American patriotic music on the capitol grounds featuring narration of Mississippi’s history and its role in our nation’s story. A fireworks show will end the celebration.
The Holmes County Power of Place Committee
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,900
HOLMES COUNTY: LEST WE FORGET
The Holmes County Power of Place Committee proposes a series of programs about important local historical events and figures that will be presented to a cohort of 30 youth from Holmes County. The local freedom struggle, including the role of local Black military veterans, will be highlighted. Other topics will include the March Against Fear and the historic election of Robert Clark to the Mississippi Legislature. The series will highlight Holmes County’s role in the American civil rights movement.
Greenwood Leflore County Chamber of Commerce
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
Stars and Stripes Festival
The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce proposes The Stars and Stripes Festival, scheduled for June 25, 2026, a free, family-friendly community celebration honoring the rich Blues heritage and patriotic spirit of the Mississippi Delta. This signature summer event will feature the internationally recognized B.B. King All-Star Band, an America 250 Celebration Parade, fireworks, free children’s activities, and food trucks showcasing the diverse culinary traditions of the Delta.
Partnership for a Healthier America
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
SOIL: A Traveling Exhibit Celebrating Mississippi’s Food and Cultural Legacy
The Clarksdale-based affiliate for Partnership for a Healthy America proposes a traveling photography exhibit entitled SOIL, accompanied by humanities-centered community engagement. SOIL tells the story of Mississippi Delta’s food, cultural, and civil rights legacy through the lens of today’s Black Farmers and land stewards. Created by Mississippi photographer Justin Hardiman, SOIL will travel to five different sites around the state, with associated programming, including Oxford, Jackson, Lorman, Starkville, and Cleveland. The exhibit highlights the American tradition of farming and land ownership, and links it to the experience of Black farmers in Mississippi.
Gulf Coast Main Street (DBA Biloxi Main Street)
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Red, White & Biloxi: An America250 Celebration!
Biloxi Main Street proposes the Red, White & Biloxi: An America250 Celebration. This project is a free, public celebration of America250 to be held on July 4 in Biloxi, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States while honoring Biloxi’s unique place in the American story. Events will include a patriotic musical performance, a show band, and a play depicting Biloxi’s history, stressing the theme of resilience.
City of Carthage
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
City of Carthage America250 Project
The City of Carthage’s America250 Mississippi project, Mississippi Traditions: Carthage Community Celebration, honors the nation’s 250th anniversary by showcasing the people, stories, and traditions that define Carthage and reflect Mississippi’s creative and historical heritage. Through public events, educational programming, and a July 2 celebration featuring music, storytelling, and recognition of Choctaw, civic, and military contributions, the project reflects Mississippi’s place in the American narrative.
Sunflower Community Committee
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Sunflower Stories
The Sunflower Community Committee seeks support to expand Sunflower Stories, a public history and education initiative that preserves and celebrates African American heritage in the Sunflower Community in Booneville. Through the Juneteenth Blues Festival and Parade, oral histories and veterans’ tributes, the project will uplift stories of leadership, service, and emancipation.
BARNETT RESERVOIR FOUNDATION
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
The Barnett Reservoir Foundation’s Independence Day Celebration at the Ross Barnett Reservoir unites communities across Rankin and Madison counties for a free festival honoring America’s 250th anniversary through music, fellowship , and fireworks.
McComb City Railroad Depot Museum, Inc.
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
We the People – America 250 Pike County, Mississippi
The McComb City Depot Museum’s “We the People” project will unite the towns of McComb, Summit, Magnolia and Osyka throughout 2026 in a yearlong series of patriotic events, performances and educational programs honoring America’s 250th anniversary. These community gatherings will highlight Pike County’s diverse population and explore how liberty and unity have shaped Mississippi’s history.
Visit Hattiesburg
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $5,000
The City of Hattiesburg in Partnership with Visit Hattiesburg Present Swinging the Stars & Stripes: An All-American Night of Jazz, Soul, and Patriotism
Visit Hattiesburg’s Swinging the Stars & Stripes: An All-American Night of Jazz, Soul and Patriotism is a free outdoor concert in Hattiesburg that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary by reimagining patriotic classics through Mississippi’s signature musical traditions of jazz, blues, gospel , and soul.
Golden Bridge Foundation
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,500
Roots of Freedom: Sowing the Past, Growing the Future — Cultivating the Legacy of 250 Years and Beyond
The Golden Bridge Foundation’s “Roots of Freedom: Natchez Community Garden” transforms a historic Mississippi landscape into a living classroom where gardening, storytelling and oral history illuminate how local resilience and civic action have shaped the American experience. Activities include intergenerational workshops, food heritage programs and community archiving projects. This event celebrates Mississippi’s contributions to the nation’s founding ideals by linking land, memory and democracy in a public space all may access.
City of Meridian
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Meridian’s 250th Anniversary Celebration of America
The City of Meridian’s Power of Place: Meridian’s 250th Anniversary Celebration of America will commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial with a July 4 community-wide celebration featuring a parade, a concert and interactive exhibits interpreting how Meridian and Lauderdale County have been shaped by centuries of change, culminating with a fireworks show.
Village of Satartia
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
Celebrating 250 in Satartia
The Village of Satartia’s “Celebrating 250 in Satartia” is a community project marking America’s 250th anniversary by installing a permanent flagpole and patriotic displays along Satartia’s main thoroughfare, symbolizing both national pride and local heritage. This project highlights Satartia’s deep Mississippi roots and enduring civic spirit.
Oakland Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
Oakland Celebrates America250!
The Oakland Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Oakland Celebrates The Power of Place will unite the community through a series of events from May to October 2026 that honor local history, veterans and civic pride while capturing oral histories and creating a time capsule for future generations. The project will underscore how perseverance and shared purpose define Oakland’s contributions to the broader American narrative.
Central Mississippi Blues Society, Inc.
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
Mississippi Women with Blues: Celebrating America 250
Mississippi Women with Blues: Celebrating America 250 is a free public program organized by the Central Mississippi Blues Society honoring three generations of African-American women blues artists—Dorothy Moore, Lady Adrena, and Maya Kyles—through performances and storytelling that explore their personal journeys, struggles, and triumphs in music and life. Moderated by Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts, associate professor of musicology at Jackson State University, the event will highlight the role of Mississippi’s blues women in shaping America’s cultural legacy while fostering community reflection on freedom, equality, and artistic expression. By illuminating how African-American women artists have given voice to democratic ideals of freedom, equality, and self-expression through the enduring tradition of the Blues, this proposal illustrates how a Mississippi-born art form continues to shape and reflect the American story.
Mississippi Heritage Trust
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $5,000
America250 Heritage Awards
The Mississippi Heritage Trust seeks support for a free America250 Heritage Awards event on June 4, 2026, in Brookhaven, celebrating individuals and organizations preserving Mississippi’s historic places. Through awards, storytelling and public engagement, the program will honor preservation projects that reflect America250 themes and showcase the enduring “Power of Place” in Mississippi’s cultural heritage. The America250 Heritage Awards embody the goals of the America250 initiative by highlighting how Mississippians’ efforts to preserve, protect and reinterpret historic places connect local heritage to 250 years of the nation’s history, while shining a light on important America ideals, such as civic participation, shared stewardship and community pride.
Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System
America250 Mississippi Mini Grant – $4,860
Exploring American Ideals: The Lowndes County America250 Celebration
The Columbus-Lowndes Library System requests support for “Exploring American Ideals: The Lowndes County America250 Celebration,” a series of public programs and exhibit about local and American history in partnership with the Mississippi University for Women. Grant funds will be used to support five scholarly presentations about American history and a “colonial tea party” as part of year-long series of 25 events. The overall focus of the initiative is to promote public understanding of civics and American history.
University of Mississippi
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
The Greenfield Farm Legacy Project
Funding to develop a traveling exhibit about Greenfield Farm, a working farm owned by internationally acclaimed Mississippi writer William Faulkner, which is in the process of being developed into a writer’s retreat. The exhibit will highlight Faulkner’s contributions to American literature and deepen Mississippians’ understanding of our state’s rich cultural history.
Union County Historical Society & Heritage Museum
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Creative Spirits and Discovery Zone Exhibits
Funding to create a new interactive permanent exhibit highlighting Mississippians from Union County who had a national impact on American culture in literature, journalism, music, television, and art. The exhibit will show how north Mississippians have made a lasting mark on American culture and history.
Pearl River Glass Conservatory
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Windows of Mississippi: A Legacy of Place and People
Funding to launch a new online digital archive of historic stained glass throughout the state, featuring churches, government buildings, including the Mississippi state capitol, and civic structures. Aligns with the America250 themes of “We the People” and the “Power of Place” by showing the diversity of Mississippi’s faith communities and highlighting how our stained glass reflects local traditions and identity.
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Keepers of the Coast: Preserving Black History at Pleasant Reed
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum will refurbish and update the historic Pleasant Reed House to tell the story of the Gulf Coast’s historic Black community through audio/visual exhibits and a documentary film entitled “Joys & Blues.” The exhibits will highlight the Coast’s role in the push for civil rights and connect this story to the national freedom movement to build a more perfect union.
Museum of the Mississippi Delta
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Music exhibit for the Museum of the Mississippi Delta
Creation of a new permanent exhibit that tells the story of music in the area around LeFlore County, including Blues pioneer Robert Johnson, country music legend Bobbie Gentry, and the music of the civil rights movement. The exhibit will highlight Greenwood’s role in the American civil rights movement and its contributions to the musical traditions that changed American culture.
Mississippi Delta Nature and Learning Center
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $10,000
Seeds of Freedom Pavilion
Project to create an outside educational pavilion and interpretive signage highlighting the history of Black farmers in the struggle for freedom and the role of the Stoneville research center in American agricultural development. The exhibits will feature Mississippians who made a significant mark on America’s history and economy, including Fannie Lou Hamer and various research scientists at Stoneville.
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Mississippi USO History Gallery
Creation of a new permanent exhibit about the history of the USO in serving soldiers stationed at Mississippi’s military bases. Interactive displays will highlight Mississippi’s strong support for the men and women in uniform who have played a vital role in protecting American freedoms.
Historical Society of Gulfport
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Founding Gallery – Gulfport Museum of History
Funding to create a new permanent exhibit about the founding and early development of Gulfport in the Gulfport Museum of History, located in the city’s historic train depot. The exhibit will highlight Gulfport’s role in the economic development of the United States, connecting with the America250 theme of “Mississippi in the American Story.”
Jackson-George Regional Library System
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $19,177.99
Gulf Coast Mosaic: Living Histories of Mississippi’s Shore
The creation of an accessible digital archive of library collections, including oral histories, family and school records, local TV programs, and photographs of daily life, industry, and local businesses that shaped the Gulf Coast’s economy and culture, highlighting its role in the American story. Aligned with the vision of America250, this project will connect the county’s history to the larger currents of American history, fostering a sense of place and community pride.
City of Gluckstadt
America250 Mississippi Legacy Grant – $20,000
Threads of a Flag: The Story of Gluckstadt
Creation of a short documentary film about the founding and development of Gluckstadt, highlighting its early settlers and German heritage. Gluckstadt’s founding families, church history, and agricultural roots illustrate important American themes of freedom and opportunity. The film will be screened at the town’s annual Germanfest event.
Alcorn State University
America250 Mississippi Minigrant – $5,000
The Power of Place: Stories, Memory, and Heritage in the Alcorn Community
An oral history and digitization project that will use online exhibits to highlight the role of Alcorn State University in the expansion of educational and economic freedom, from the establishment of the school after the end of the Civil War to educate former slaves to its impact today. This project aligns with the America250 theme of “We the People,” tracking the expansion of freedom in America.
The Town of Lena
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $7,000
Lena 4th of July
The grant proposal outlines Lena, MS’s initiative to revive its historic 4th of July celebration in 2026, using the event to honor local veterans, showcase the town’s heritage buildings and celebrate community resilience through music and storytelling. The project will include a veteran’s memorial, performances by local musicians, dramatic monologues, historical exhibits and restoration efforts for the town’s unique gymnasium, culminating in a fireworks display.
Magee Chamber of Commerce
America250 Mississippi Minigrant – $5,000
Magee Celebrates America250
Magee Celebrates America250 is a March–July series of public programs in Magee that use the Declaration of Independence and local military service as focal points to renew civic engagement, teach the history and ideals of American democracy and foster intergenerational patriotism. Activities include a family patriotic movie night with a veteran speaker, a public reading and discussion of the Declaration by local legislators and a July 4th fireworks celebration.
City of Long Beach
America250 Mississippi Minigrant – $5,000
Long Beach 4th of July Jubilee
Long Beach’s annual 4th of July Jubilee is expanded into a full-day cultural heritage celebration that highlights Mississippi traditions, music and history while strengthening civic pride and community identity. The June 27 event in downtown Long Beach will feature an outdoor festival with local vendors, a patriotic parade, a live music block party showcasing Mississippi musicians and a beachfront fireworks show, all designed to reflect themes of Mississippi Traditions, The Power of Place and We the People. The city emphasizes economic and social benefits—supporting local artists and businesses, fostering inclusive, family-friendly participation and building a lasting legacy of community storytelling and shared memory connected to Mississippi’s role in the American story.
The Rosa Foundation
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
BEHIND THE BIG HOUSE 2026
Behind the Big House 2026 is a historical and educational event in Holly Springs, MS, held in April 2026, as part of America250 Mississippi. The program centers on the theme “WE THE PEOPLE,” using guided tours, interpretive stations and community collaboration to educate audiences about the resilience and contributions of enslaved people and their descendants, highlighting Mississippi’s role in advancing freedom, equality and civic ideals. The proposal details hands-on exhibits, expert presentations and museum displays designed to reach students and the broader public, emphasizing inclusion and historical understanding in pursuit of “a more perfect union”.
Link Centre
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $6,200
How America Got the Blues: The Songs that Shaped Our Nation
“How America Got the Blues: The Songs that Shaped Our Nation” celebrates Mississippi’s deep roots in blues music by engaging elementary students in Tupelo with education, songwriting and performance activities. Through a mini-residency, students will learn about and create original blues songs, culminating in recorded student performances and a free public concert that showcases the blues’ influence on American music and culture. The project aims to inspire youth, preserve local musical history and build lasting community appreciation for Mississippi’s pivotal role in shaping national musical traditions.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
First Oval Office Project: Bringing Washington’s Marquee to Mississippi
The First Oval Office Project will bring a full-scale replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War marquee to Mississippi, offering an immersive public history experience on the grounds of the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson during fall 2026. Through this living history installation, in partnership with the Museum of the American Revolution, the project will engage Mississippians—especially students—by highlighting the state’s connections to the nation’s founding and providing educational resources, lesson plans and interpretive programs tied to the American Revolution. The initiative is free and open to the public and aims to leave a lasting legacy by deepening understanding of the state’s role in America’s journey toward democracy.
The Arts, Hancock County
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Place Apart, Place Connected: Remembrance and Reinvention at the Edge of America
Place Apart, Place Connected is a year-long arts and humanities initiative by The Arts, Hancock County that uses storytelling, documentary film, public dialogue and community art to explore Hancock County’s key role in American history and identity. Through events like an oral history Living Library, a participatory Story Slam and a juried community art exhibition, the project brings together diverse residents and partners to reflect on themes of movement, democracy and resilience—ultimately showing how local Mississippi stories and creativity embody central national experiences. Activities will run throughout 2026, building lasting civic connections, preserving community voices and amplifying Mississippi’s place in American heritage.
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $6,000
Fabric of Our Future: Mississippi’s Children Celebrate America250
This project commemorates America’s 250th anniversary through a large-scale community quilt created by children across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Guided by museum educators and local quilters, participants will design individual quilt squares expressing their visions for the future, which will be assembled into a collective artwork celebrating Mississippi’s cultural heritage and creativity. Culminating in a community celebration in August 2026 and later featured in a Smithsonian traveling exhibit, the project blends intergenerational artistry, civic pride and Mississippi’s enduring quilting traditions.
Lake Caroline Homeowners Association
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Lake Caroline America250 Mississippi Celebration
The Lake Caroline America250 Mississippi Celebration is a six-week program designed to honor 250 years of American history by highlighting the contributions of everyday Mississippians to the nation’s founding ideals of courage, liberty and community responsibility through educational activities, living-history performances and inclusive community events. With hands-on programming for children, tributes to veterans and public celebrations such as parades and flag ceremonies, the project aims to foster a deeper appreciation for Mississippi’s heritage and active citizenship, while leaving a lasting legacy of respect and patriotism for future generations. The events are scheduled from April through July 2026 and include interactive history crafts, parades, patriotic ceremonies and a Fourth of July fireworks finale.
Mississippi Children’s Museum
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Story to Stage: America250
The Mississippi Children’s Museum received support for its Story to Stage: America250 traveling exhibit, an interactive experience that encourages children to explore storytelling, character development and American history, with a particular emphasis on Mississippi’s unique contributions. The revamped exhibit will feature six engaging activities—including reading themed books, creating storyboards and performing on stage—to foster literacy, broaden understanding of US culture and inspire intergenerational conversations. Launching in early 2026, the project will travel to three locations across Mississippi, providing free, child-focused programming that connects communities to the nation’s heritage.
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s 10th Anniversary
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi will celebrate its 10th anniversary in March 2026 with a weekend of music-filled events that coincide with the national America 250 commemoration, showcasing Mississippi’s pivotal influence on American music history. The proposal seeks funding for a free Blues Brunch and outdoor festival, featuring performances, educational workshops and family activities that highlight the state’s musical heritage and deepen community engagement.
City of Nettleton
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
The Town Creek Celebration & Archaeology Exposition Festival
The Town Creek Celebration & Archaeology Exposition is a one-day, multi-generational event in Nettleton, Mississippi, designed to honor local Indigenous, civic and civil rights history through interactive exhibits, live performances and educational panels. Bringing together over 500 participants from diverse backgrounds, the event features Indigenous dance, genealogy workshops and oral history recordings, all aiming to promote community pride, historical awareness and cultural preservation. Its legacy includes permanent archival resources at Lowe Library, strengthened tribal partnerships and a replicable model to inspire future civic engagement and heritage programming.
Yoknapatawpha Arts Council
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Mississippi250
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council seeks support to 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.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
America250 Mississippi Program Grant – $10,000
Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration
The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration (NLCC) has, for more than three decades, positioned Mississippi voices, places, and stories within the wider American narrative. The 2026 event theme, “Stories of American Freedom,” will highlight how the pursuit of liberty, justice, and equality has shaped the nation and how Mississippi, and Natchez in particular, has played a vital role in that story. Events feature topics ranging from Revolutionary-era tavern songs, to Native American code talkers, to the Civil Rights struggles of Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Movement. By drawing nationally recognized authors and scholars into conversation with Mississippi history and culture, the NLCC situates Natchez not as a backdrop but as a focal point of America’s ongoing struggle for freedom.
Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System
America250 Mississippi Minigrant – $1,200
Community Leadership Consortium
With the “Voices of Mid-Mississippi: A Community Time Capsule” project, the Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System in Kosciusko will create and install a time capsule to capture and preserve residents’ reflections on American ideals and the library’s role in communities across its five-county region. Patrons will contribute handwritten note cards responding to prompts such as “What does America mean to you in the context of our local history?” and “How has the library shaped your pursuit of knowledge and community connection?” The time capsule will also include small mementos like library bookmarks, historical photos of the town, and a proclamation from local officials, such as the mayor, affirming the library’s enduring place in service to the area’s story.
2026 Grantees
Delta State University
$900
Annual History Lecture entitled ‘Radioactive Dixie: A Nuclear History of the American South
Dr. Caroline Peyton, Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of Memphis, will give a lecture entitled ‘Radioactive Dixie: A Nuclear History of the American South.’ She is an expert in the history of the American South, environmental and energy history, and the history of science and technology.
Mississippi State University – Dept of Architecture
$2,391.98
POP! Celebrating Mississippi Popular Culture at SPACE Con
SPACE Con Expo (Starkville Pop Culture, Art, Cosplay, Entertainment) is an annual event hosted by Mississippi State University students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. The event celebrates Mississippi artists, filmmakers, writers, and designers who use their art, films, literary works, and costume designs as vehicles for storytelling and creative expression.
Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, Inc.
$2,500
Smithsonian MOMS Spark! Places of Innovation Exhibit Development
Funds will support the research, development, and production of a local companion exhibit for the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street (MoMS) exhibition SPARK!: Places of Innovation. This exhibit will interpret innovation in Meridian and the surrounding region through a humanities lens, emphasizing local stories, historical context, and community identity. Rather than focusing on technology alone, this exhibit examines how people in Meridian and the surrounding area have understood, shaped, and responded to change over time.
Khafre, Inc.
$5,000
Voices from the Cotton Kingdom: Delta Elders Remember Cotton
Voices from the Cotton Kingdom is a Mississippi-centered public humanities project that documents and preserves the oral histories of elders from the Mississippi Delta who experienced childhood and family labor in planting, chopping, and picking cotton. Through a series of free, public oral history sessions held in Delta communities, the project will gather first-person narratives that deepen public understanding of Mississippi’s cotton economy as lived experience rather than abstraction.
Chahta Immi Cultural Center
$5,000
MS Choctaw Veterans Oral History Project
The Choctaw Veteran’s Oral History (CVOH) Project will capture at least 18 video interviews of Choctaw veterans through an intergenerational process of training summer youth interns in media production, conducting oral history research, and video interviews. The publicity plan is the outreach programming and developing a traveling exhibit. For these events, flyers, social media, emails, local newspapers, and other channels from the Office of Public Information will be utilized to include partner institutions of the Chahta Immi Cultural Center. This oral history project, once completed, will enrich the understanding of Choctaw military veterans’ experience from our past, today, and for future generations.
Katina’s Klassroom
$5,000
Read & Rise
Read & Rise is a family literacy program that brings children and parents together through shared reading, culturally relevant books, including works by Mississippi authors, parent workshops, and creative activities. Each session features community reading circles, guided literacy activities, strategies for supporting reading at home, and free book distribution to help families build home libraries. By engaging families in storytelling and reflection, Read & Rise promotes both literacy skills and a deeper understanding of human experiences and community values.
Mississippi Urban League
$2,174
Healing via History: Unearthing Our Roots Through Genealogy Research
Healing via History: Unearthing Our Roots Through Genealogy Research was a workshop hosted by the Mississippi Urban League in recognition of the National Day of Racial Healing. The workshop focused on promoting racial healing by teaching participants how to research their family histories and reclaim their narratives through genealogy. Attendees learned about the unique challenges African Americans face in tracing their ancestry, as well as available tools such as databases and DNA testing. The program empowered participants to connect personal stories to broader historical movements, build community across differences, and inspire justice and understanding.
Jackson State University
$2,500
A Gathering of Waters: The Power of Place & Pen in Mississippi’s Literary Landscape
A Gathering of Waters supported a four-part literary series at Jackson State University, highlighting Mississippi as a powerful “homeplace” for writers across generations and cultures. The program expanded access to contemporary literature for college and high school students and strengthened the foundation for future editors and publishers in Mississippi. Events featured JSU faculty and alumni, emerging Mississippi authors, international writers living in the state, and a scholar discussing Toni Morrison’s editorial legacy as a model for developing editing and publishing courses at HBCUs. Through readings, lectures, and community conversations, the series showcased diverse voices while emphasizing Mississippi’s role as a literary epicenter.
Hancock County Library System
$2,500
HOMEGROWN: A STORIED EXCHANGE (4th Annual Event ~ HOMEGROWN 2026)
HOMEGROWN supported the expansion of the 4th annual literary festival in Bay St. Louis into a four-day celebration of Southern writers and culture, which increased community access to literature, storytelling, and the arts across the Gulf Coast. The program included a youth-focused day of writing workshops and author conversations featuring Jesmyn Ward and Jason Reynolds, and multiple author talks and panel discussions. The festival also featured hands-on workshops, film screenings, a culinary literature panel, poetry and Southern noir sessions, and the presentation of a local oral history project, “From Roots to Rockets.”
2025 Grantees
Griot Arts, Inc.
$2,500
Clarksdale Culture Capital: The Return
Culture Capital Weekend: The Return is a three-day festival that uses film, music, food, storytelling, and land-based experience to examine and celebrate the cultural legacy of the Mississippi Delta, and to ensure the communities that built that legacy are centered in its future.
Water Valley Main Street Association
$2,500
Water Valley Literary Festival
The inaugural Water Valley Literary Festival will highlight the town’s literary heritage and focus on literature and history, with participants ranging from local and regional authors to such scholars as E. Stanly Godbold, Jr., professor emeritus of history at Mississippi State University and the author of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: The Georgia Years, 1924-1974.
Mississippi Museum of Art
$2,500
Consumed: Black Art and Subjectivity
Consumed: Black Art and Subjectivity was a public roundtable discussion hosted by the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Mississippi, examining the shifting cultural and market dynamics surrounding Black portraiture. Featuring Antwaun Sargent and Katy Morlas Shannon, and moderated by Chase Quinn, the program explored how Black imagery has been interpreted, commodified, and understood both historically and today. The event engaged the community in critical dialogue about representation, agency, and equity in the art world.
Twin Forks Rising CDC – Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival
$2,500
20th Anniversary, Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival
The 20th Annual Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival celebrates the history and culture of a community that was the Black business and entertainment district in Hattiesburg during the period of segregation and beyond. It explores the relationship between the culture of the area and the arts and how each influenced the development of the community. It delves into the history through the contribution of scholars and community members who will tell the story and highlight the impact of each aspect on the present status of the area.
Community Leadership Consortium
$5,000
Fordice Oral History Project – Phase Two
The Fordice History Project launched a website to collect and organize oral histories documenting the life and legacy of Kirk and Pat Fordice, Mississippi’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction. The site served as a portal for participants to sign up for interviews, complete surveys, and access information about the initiative. Through recorded interviews with key figures from Fordice’s administration and supporters, the project preserved firsthand accounts and historical insights into Mississippi’s political landscape in the 1990s. Phase Two builds on that foundation and adds the historic 1991 campaign and the transition into government from the previous administration.
Community Leadership Consortium
$1,000
Fordice Oral History Project – Phase One
The Fordice History Project launched a website to collect and organize oral histories documenting the life and legacy of Kirk and Pat Fordice, Mississippi’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction. The site served as a portal for participants to sign up for interviews, complete surveys, and access information about the initiative. Through recorded interviews with key figures from Fordice’s administration and supporters, the project preserved firsthand accounts and historical insights into Mississippi’s political landscape in the 1990s.
Magnolia Literacy Project
$2,500
The Blossoms Mother-Daughter Reading Club
The Blossoms Mother-Daughter Reading Club, an initiative of the Magnolia Literacy Project, brought together Gen-Z girls and their mothers for virtual workshops exploring themes of girlhood, womanhood, and cultural identity through diverse texts and media. Participants engaged in discussions, literary analysis, and presentations that fostered confidence, critical thinking, and leadership. The program culminated in public presentations at community literacy events, showcasing the voices and stories of the young women involved.
Tupelo Mutual Aid Project
$1,545
Still Here, Still Queer: LGBTQ+ History in Mississippi
The exhibit Still Here, Still Queer: An Exhibit on North Mississippi’s LGBTQ+ History was presented during the Still Here, Still Queer Street Festival in Tupelo, showcasing selected panels from the Magnolia Memories collection curated by the Invisible Histories Project. The exhibit highlighted key moments, individuals, and events in Mississippi’s LGBTQ+ history, with a focus on North Mississippi. The public programming also included a community Q&A panel featuring local queer voices and lived experiences, creating a space for dialogue, education, and visibility.
Jackson State University
$2,000
The Griot Tradition: A Day of Poetry at JSU
JSU hosted poets James Cherry, Jerriod Avant, and Kalamu ya Salaam. The event celebrated the griot tradition in Black poetry, focusing on the work of Black men poets through masterclasses, readings, and public conversations. It provided students, faculty, and the community with an inter-generational experience rooted in West African storytelling.
University of Mississippi: Center for the Study of Southern Culture
$2,500
1970 at Fifty-five: The End of Massive Resistance
The 1970 at Fifty-Five symposium brought together faculty, students, and community members to examine Black student activism and resistance on Mississippi college campuses during 1970. Hosted by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the event featured presentations and discussions highlighting student-led movements at the University of Mississippi, Jackson State, Delta State, and Mississippi Valley State. Through oral histories, archival work, and public dialogue, the symposium explored the enduring impact of Black student resistance and the importance of memory work in confronting institutional injustice.
Create Foundation Inc.
$2,500
Possumtown Book Fest
The Possumtown Book Fest provided free, public literary programming to Northeast Mississippi, featuring author panels, workshops, and a children’s program. Funding supported two humanities-focused panels: one on Choctaw history and traditions with the co-editors of Choctaw Tales and Choctaw Traditions, and another with Wright Thompson discussing the historical context behind his book The Barn. These panels helped launch a year-long community engagement series centered on Mississippi’s history, racial justice, and storytelling.
Mississippi2
$1,900
From Douglass to Duck Hill, The Bridging of Two Americas
From Douglass to Duck Hill was a public racial healing event that explored the legacy of racial violence in Mississippi by connecting Frederick Douglass’ famous Fourth of July speech to the 1937 lynching in Duck Hill. The program featured keynote addresses, live music, documentary excerpts, and a sacred soil ceremony as part of the Equal Justice Initiative’s community remembrance efforts. Through storytelling, reflection, and historical education, the event fostered dialogue, honored suppressed histories, and promoted community healing.
Blue Mountain Christian University
$2,500
Southern Literary Festival Lecture Series
The Southern Literary Festival featured public lectures by author W. Ralph Eubanks and screenwriter Chris Dowling, who shared insights into their creative work and personal stories. The event enriched the community by highlighting Southern writing and storytelling beyond the undergraduate participants. Both speakers engaged audiences at Blue Mountain Christian University, contributing to the festival’s celebration of literary arts.
Mississippi State University Institute for the Humanities
$2,500
Writer in Residence
Chigozie Obioma served as Writer in Residence at Mississippi State University, where he engaged students, faculty, and the broader community through a public reading and a virtual workshop. His reading, focused on themes of family and Nigerian heritage, encouraged the audience to reflect on their own histories, followed by a Q&A and book signing. The virtual workshop explored character-driven fiction and its role in fostering empathy and self-understanding.
University of Southern Mississippi
$790
Dirt and Deeds in Mississippi/Impressions of the Struggle
The University of Southern Mississippi screened the award-winning documentary Dirt and Deeds in Mississippi and hosted a conversation featuring civil rights veteran Virgie Clark and filmmaker David Shulman, moderated by faculty member Dr. Rebecca Tuuri. The event highlighted the overlooked role of African-American property owners in Mileston who risked their land to support the civil rights movement. Attendees also viewed the Impressions of the Struggle exhibition, which showcased primary documents and told the broader story of Mileston’s impact on Mississippi’s civil rights history.
Mississippi University for Women
$1,500
Community Read Author Event
The Community Read brought together MUW, MSMS, The City of Columbus, Columbus-Lowndes Public Library, Friendly City Books, and Columbus Light & Water to engage the community in a shared reading of First Gen: A Memoir by Alejandra Campoverdi, exploring themes like the immigrant experience, mental health, and generational trauma. The program included book giveaways, monthly discussions, a panel for Hispanic Heritage Month, a teaching circle, and a creative response contest for students. The events culminated with the author’s visit to campus to speak and connect with the community.
Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum
$2,500
Gulf Coast Vietnamese Narratives: A Story of Refuge and Resilience of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Vietnamese
The Gulf Coast Vietnamese Narratives exhibit was established as the first permanent Vietnamese American display at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, honoring the community’s history and contributions to the region’s seafood industry. The exhibit featured personal stories, artifacts, and multimedia presentations, alongside educational programs such as storytelling kiosks, workshops, and panel discussions to engage visitors of all ages. This project preserved and celebrated the Vietnamese American legacy, providing an important cultural and historical resource for the Gulf Coast community and beyond.
International Museum of Muslim Cultures
$2,500
From the Lowlands of Mississippi to the Highlands of Ethiopia: William Leo Hansberry and the Birth of African Studies
The International Museum of Muslim Cultures hosted Professor Debora Heard as the first speaker in its Gallery Talk series, where she shared insights on William Leo Hansberry’s contributions to African Studies. The event included a panel discussion with local scholars, engaging the audience in dialogue about Hansberry’s legacy and related topics. This program offered a free, public opportunity to explore African history and scholarship within the museum’s intimate setting.
University of Southern Mississippi
$2,578.76
Mississippi Philosophical Association 2025: Keynote: ‘AI, Art, and Artists: What They Are, What They Could Be, What They Should Be,’ Dominic McIver Lopes
The University of Southern Mississippi hosted the annual Mississippi Philosophical Association conference, featuring a keynote address by renowned philosopher Dominic McIver Lopes on the intersection of AI and art. The public event attracted scholars, students, and community members, sparking wide interest due to Mississippi’s rich artistic heritage. The conference provided a platform for philosophical engagement while fostering broader community involvement in contemporary discussions on art and technology.
Mississippi Historical Society
$2,500
_Local People_ at 40: Reflecting on the Impact and Legacy of John Dittmer’s Groundbreaking Work
A public panel held at the Two Mississippi Museums explored the legacy of Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by the late historian John Dittmer. The event brought together prominent scholars whose work was influenced by Dittmer’s groundbreaking book, offering personal reflections and analysis of its lasting impact on civil rights scholarship in Mississippi. Hosted by the Mississippi Historical Society and free to the public, the panel honored Dittmer’s contributions while highlighting the continued relevance of his research.
Natchez Convention Promotion Commission (NCPC)/Visit Natchez
$2,111
Prince Ibrahima: A Profile and Self-Guided Tour
A self-guided tour brochure was created to share the life and legacy of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori, an African prince who was enslaved near Natchez for 40 years. The publication included a map of significant local sites, historical context, photographs, and a QR code for enhanced digital access. The launch of the brochure was marked by a public program featuring a guided tour and remarks from Ibrahima’s descendants.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
$2,500
Follow the Frenchmen through Natchez: The Return Tour of the Marquis de Lafayette, a Bicentennial Salute
The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration presented a three-day public humanities event themed Follow the Frenchman Through Natchez: The Return Tour of Lafayette, exploring the life and legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette. The celebration featured scholarly presentations, film screenings, historical exhibits, a living history encampment for students, and period-themed performances. Through lectures, reenactments, and educational programming, the event brought Lafayette’s 19th-century Farewell Tour to life for contemporary audiences.
Laurel Jones County Black History Museum and Arts
$2,500
Blues on 5th Street
The Laurel-Jones County Black History Museum and Arts hosted Blues on 5th Street, a community event celebrating the rich blues heritage of southeast Mississippi. The program featured lectures by Rashad the Blues Kid and Jock Webb on the history and unique sound of Pine Belt Blues, a regional fusion of blues, gospel, soul, and rock. Through music, storytelling, and discussion, the event highlighted the cultural roots and emotional depth of Mississippi’s blues tradition.
Lincoln Lawrence Franklin Regional Library
$825
THE JAZZMEN: PRESERVATION HALL PORTRAITS IN BLACK AND WHITE,
THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF BOB COKE
The Lincoln County Library hosted an exhibit of Bob Coke’s photographic collection The Jazzmen, featuring twenty images that later joined the library’s permanent art collection. A public program included a gallery talk by David Kunian, Curator of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, and a live performance by Dr. Jessie Primer of Tougaloo College. The event highlighted the cultural and historical context of the photos during segregation and the jazz revival era.
University of Mississippi Center
$7,000
The Thirty-First Oxford Conference for the Book
The Oxford Conference for the Book is a three-day annual gathering inaugurated in 1993. The event takes place in various locations throughout Oxford and on the campus of the University of Mississippi. The mission of the conference is to promote reading, literacy and literature and to broaden knowledge about contemporary writing and publishing, as well as the history and role of books in American culture, particularly but not exclusively in the South.
Foundation for Mississippi History
$9,600
Teaching Hard History: Places, Objects, and
People
History Is Lunch (HIL) is a weekly lecture series exploring Mississippi’s history and providing a platform for presentations by scholars, experts, authors and thought leaders from both local and national spheres. Topics have ranged from Mississippi’s musical and literary legacies to pivotal moments in Civil War and civil rights history. In its upcoming season, HIL will prioritize lecture series that reflect the cultural heritage of Black communities. This request is for two speakers, Dr. Sharbreon Plumber, curator of an upcoming quilt exhibit (“Of Salt and Spirit”) at the Mississippi Museum of Art, who will spotlight the work and story of Hystercine Rankin, a native of Jefferson County, MS, who created 46 quilts throughout her lifetime. The second speaker is Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, who lectures on the physical sites associated with formerly enslaved people in Mississippi.
Emmett Till Interpretive Center
$10,000
Remembering Emmett: From Silence to Social
Justice
The Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC) will mark the 70th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till in 2025 and its impact on Mississippi, the South and the nation. As part of this year-long reflection, with multiple events culminating in an August 2025 commemoration, ETIC will create a traveling exhibit and programming intended to educate young people about this tragic yet triumphant story in American history.
Mississippi College
$3,850
Surviving Southampton: A Story in Three Grandmothers
Mississippi College has secured Dr. Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky to present a keynote lecture as part of its 2025 African American Studies Lecture Series. Holden will share research from her award-winning book Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in Nat Turner’s Community (University of Illinois Press, July 2021), which explores the contributions that African American women and children made to the Southampton Rebellion, often called Nat Turner’s Rebellion.
Margaret Walker Center, Jackson State University
$8,641
The History of the Mississippi Movement: Honoring 30 Years
of John Dittmer’s Local People &
Charles Payne’s I’ve Got the Light of Freedom
JSU Margaret Walker Center will host a retrospective panel on local people’s activism and organizing tradition, featuring two texts of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement—John Dittmer’s Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi (1994) and Charles M. Payne’s I’ve Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle (1995). The panel discussion will be part of multiple events centered around the University’s annual MLK Convocation and For My People awards. Originally envisioned as a conversation between Dittmer and Payne, due to Dittmer’s unexpected passing in July, the event will now feature a conversation among past For My People award recipients.
Mississippi Museum of Art
$9,250
L.V. Hull: Love is a Sensation
L.V. Hull: Love is a Sensation is the first solo museum exhibition to chronicle the art and life of visionary artist L. V. Hull (1942–2008), a self- proclaimed “unusual artist” who merged artmaking and the Southern art of “visiting” to transform her home in the rural town of Kosciusko, MS, into an immersive art environment that attracted visitors from around the world. Various public engagement activities related to the exhibit will be offered, including a screening of a new documentary film about Hull and her work.
The SouthWay Foundation
$8,500
The Small-Town Preservation Symposium in Eupora, MS
The SouthWay Foundation will coordinate a Small-Town Preservation Symposium in Eupora, MS, with a goal of bringing together local, state and national leaders for discussions on the preservation movement, cultural heritage and the value of sharing an inclusive history. The symposium agenda will include two panel conversations addressing themes of architectural preservation, the power of historic preservation and its relevance to small towns.
Rosa Foundation
$10,000
Behind the Big House 2025
The Rosa Foundation plans to continue its annual public event, Behind the Big House. The 2025 event will take place April 2-5 at the antebellum home known as the Craft House in Holly Springs, which includes the 1847 living quarters and kitchen built for enslaved Africans and the 1851 family home of Hugh and Elizabeth Craft. Experienced interpreters will interact with visitors, highlighting the challenges encountered and the skills required by those enslaved workers on this property. Featured presenters will include historical interpreter with the Slave Dwelling Project, Joseph McGill (Charleston, SC), who will speak about the daily life and work of the enslaved in historical context; Chef Jordan Wimby (Chicago), who will provide the history of the African origins of mid- 1800s food and cooking methods; and historical interpreter Tammy Gibson (Chicago), who will illustrate the complex and demanding task of the laundress. Additionally, a total of seven uniquely themed stations will be available to all audiences on the property.