MDAH News

Veterans Day Ceremony

The 2023 Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on the Entergy Plaza in front of the Two Mississippi Museums. The program will include a performance by the 41st Army Band, a moment of silence, and recognition of the veterans in attendance and of fallen heroes by Major General Janson D. Boyles—the Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard. A memorial volley and wreath laying will follow.

Evening for Mothers

Join us at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11, for Evening for Mothers at the Two Mississippi Museums. Visitors are invited for guided tours of the traveling exhibit Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See. The exhibit showcases the incredible journey of Mamie Till-Mobley, a mother who fought tirelessly for justice for her son. You’ll have the chance to connect with other mothers and learn more about the Till family’s story and the lasting impact it had on Mississippi civil rights history. This event is free and open to the public.

Gallery Talk: Emmett Till

Join us at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, for a gallery talk in the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums. Mississippi author Linda Williams Jackson will discuss how she transformed the facts surrounding Till's murder in 1955 into an award-winning middle grade novel, Midnight Without a Moon. The 2017 book features a budding teen character, Rose Lee Carter, wrestling with whether to participate in Mississippi's burgeoning civil rights movement.

Gallery Talk: Emmett Till

Join us at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 6, for a gallery talk in the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See exhibition at the Two Mississippi Museums. Museum Educator Olivia Williams will discuss the Emmett Till generation and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and keeping Emmett Till's life and legacy alive. For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Stickball and Social Dancing

Join us for Stickball and Social Dancing at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24, at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. Stickball is a traditional game of the native people of the Eastern Woodlands and is played by such tribes as the Natchez, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, and Cherokee. Music and dance are important forms of expression for some native peoples, and these living traditions serve to ensure that cultural heritage continues to thrive for future generations. This program is free and open to the public.

The Mysterious Circumstances Screening

The documentary Mysterious Circumstances: The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. This event will also include an introduction by Clark Richey, the director of the film. A Q&A from the audience will follow the screening. For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

Two Mississippi Museums Free on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Memory of Mississippi Governor William Winter on His 100th Birthday

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Two Mississippi Museums in December 2017, former Governor William F. Winter declared, “These two museums were built for all of us, but most especially they were built for our children and our grandchildren and future generations.” His dream was that every Mississippi student would visit these museums at least once.  

Winter would have turned 100 on Tuesday, February 21. To honor his legacy, the Two Mississippi Museums will be free to the public on that day. This day of free admission is made possible by Jones Walker LLP, which acquired Watkins, Ludlam, Winter and Stennis where Governor Winter worked for over 50 years. 

“Governor Winter had a such a profound impact on the people of Mississippi and our nation. We are pleased that more people will have access to the museum on the day of his birthday. This is the perfect way to honor Governor Winter’s legacy in such a meaningful and impactful way—the exact way he lived his life,” said Bill Hines, managing partner of Jones Walker LLP. 

Winter was known for his strong support for public education in Mississippi. He helped to raise endowment funds to bring Mississippi’s school children to the Two Mississippi Museums, or as he called them, “Mississippi’s largest classroom.” 

“On this day, which would have been our father’s 100th birthday, we can think of no greater way to celebrate his life,” said his daughter Eleanor Winter. “He and others worked for years to make these museums a reality. It would bring him the greatest pleasure to know that the doors are flung wide open on his birthday for all to explore and learn about our state’s history.”   

The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum stand at the intersection of Winter’s greatest passions—history, education, and racial justice—and he was the leading force behind the public/private partnership through which they were built.  

He believed the museums would, in his words, “challenge us to have a better understanding of where we have come from, and then inspire us to work harder to find our common ideals and goals.” He believed that “we will find that we have much more in common than what might appear to divide us.”   

“All Mississippians should have the opportunity to experience the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). “We are grateful to the Winter family and to Jones Walker for this wonderful tribute to Governor and Mrs. Winter at the Two Mississippi Museums.” 

Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums, said, “We hope you will visit us Tuesday, February 21, to honor this living memorial to Governor’s Winter’s life and work.”   

Winter served on the MDAH Board of Trustees for more than 50 years and was president for nearly that long. He died December 18, 2020, at the age of 97. Elise Winter, his wife of 70 years who was a community activist and author, died just six months after her husband on July 17, 2021.    

The William and Elise Winter Education Endowment was established by the Foundation for Mississippi History to memorialize Mississippi’s former governor and first lady and their commitment to education and preservation. Funds are used to defray costs such as admission, travel, and on-site lunches for students.   

For more information about free Tuesday, February 21, at the Two Mississippi Museums, email info@mdah.ms.gov, or call 601-576-6850. 

To learn more about school field trips to the Two Mississippi Museums or to make a field trip reservation visit https://2mm.mdah.ms.gov/learn/field-trips. 

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