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Museum of Mississippi History Two Mississippi Museums
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    • The Mississippi Freedom Struggle
    • Mississippi in Black and White
    • This Little Light of Mine
    • A Closed Society
    • A Tremor in the Iceberg
    • I Question America
    • Black Empowerment
    • Where do we go from here?
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    The Mississippi Freedom Struggle

    The Mississippi Civil Rights Movement represents a heroic chapter in the centuries-long African American freedom struggle. 

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    A Tremor in the Iceberg

    Young activists organized in Mississippi with the aid of people from all over the nation.

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    Mississippi in Black and White

    Black Mississippians emerged from slavery with their first hopeful glimpses of freedom.

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    I Question America

    Freedom was the rallying cry of Black Mississippians in 1964 as demands for equal treatment intensified.

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    This Little Light of Mine

    This central gallery is the heart of the museum, a soaring space filled with natural light from large windows.

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    Black Empowerment

    A decade that began with Freedom Riders and sit-ins would end with Black leaders running Head Start programs and taking seats in the Mississippi state legislature.

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    A Closed Society

    Black citizens served in global conflicts, but began questioning why—what were they fighting for?

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    Where Do We Go From Here?

    Visitors of all ages are asked to reflect on their journey through the museum and share their thoughts.

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Will the Law Be Enforced in the South Or Not?

As the Freedom Riders made their way South, they intended to integrate bus station waiting rooms, lunch counters, and public restrooms, testing enforcement of the recent Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation in interstate travel. They expected to provoke opposition that would compel the federal government to enforce the law. After a quiet stop in Atlanta, they were met with violence in Alabama, turning the Freedom Rides into international news. However, the Riders were reinforced with fresh volunteers and would not be deterred.

Pictured: A black and white photograph of Freedom Riders loading into a police wagon after leaving a white waiting room. On the right, a news reporter stands behind an officer. In the center, two Freedom Riders make their way into the police wagon. In the background, a sign reading “White Waiting Room/Intrastate Passengers” hangs above the entrance to the bus terminal waiting room.

Credit: Bettman Collection/Getty Images

Gallery
Gallery 5 - A Tremor in the Iceberg
Topic Image
Freedom Riders loading into a police wagon after leaving a white waiting room
Image Caption
Will the Law Be Enforced in the South Or Not? (2)
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