America250’s “Our American Story” Initiative to Visit Cleveland, Columbus, and Jackson This October
America250 Mississippi is excited to announce the October 2025 dates for the national America250 initiative, Our American Story — a national oral and visual storytelling project designed to gather and preserve the voices that shape our nation.
Our American Story is a year-long, cross-country journey collecting thousands of recorded interviews. Each tour stop will feature local activation events, media opportunities, and community engagement activities. Mississippi is proud to be one of the first five stops on the tour.
Mississippians are invited to take photos with the America250 Airstream, interact with America250 kiosks, and record their own engaging American story. The America250 Airstream trailer will make a special appearance at the annual Great American Mississippi State Fair on Saturday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Facilitated by trained interviewers, sessions will follow curated storytelling prompts centered around themes of identity, service, community, and personal legacy. Conversations will be recorded and archived, with a portion preserved at the Library of Congress — ensuring these voices become a permanent part of the American record.
Select stories — especially those featuring veterans, educators, and intergenerational families — will be shared with the public through collaborations with documentary filmmakers, broadcast outlets, and digital platforms.
Our American Story Walk-Up Kiosk stops will feature:
- A kiosk where citizens can record and share their unique American stories
- Community engagement events and local storytelling activations
- Media opportunities to highlight local voices and perspectives
Cleveland - Thursday, Oct. 9
10AM - 4PM
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
Columbus - Friday, Oct. 10
10AM - 3PM
Tennessee Williams Home & Visitor Center
Jackson - Saturday, Oct. 11
2:30PM - 6PM
Two Mississippi Museums
The initiative is supported by founding sponsor Walmart, which will host many of the tour stops at its retail locations, and by Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, which provide the vehicles transporting the mobile studios.
To find out how to participate or view the full tour schedule, visit www.America250.org/OAS and follow @America250 on social media.
About America250
America250’s mission is to celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial. We aim to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation. America250 will foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America.
About America250
Mississippi America250 Mississippi is the state’s commission charged with collaborating and coordinating partnerships for the historic semiquincentennial commemoration of the United States. Funding for commemorative programming and grants is made possible in part by the Mississippi Legislature and by A250 MS local public and private partnerships.
For more information on A250 MS opportunities, programs, and initiatives, please visit https://america250.ms.
For media inquiries, please contact Katie Coats, Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Mississippi, at 228-357-4086 or KCoats@Mississippi.org.
For more information, please contact Paige Robertson, Executive Projects Manager at Visit Mississippi, at 601-359-6624 or PRobertson@Mississippi.org.