Skip to main content
Home
: 9:00 am-5:00 pmOPEN TODAY: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
601-576-6800
Museum of Mississippi History Two Mississippi Museums
Mobile Menu
  • Visit
  • Galleries
    • 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?
  • Events
  • Learn
  • Story
  • Support
  • Home
  • Visit
  • Galleries

    The Mississippi Freedom Struggle

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

    See The Gallery

    A Tremor in the Iceberg

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

    See The Gallery

    Mississippi in Black and White

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

    See The Gallery

    I Question America

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

    See The Gallery

    This Little Light of Mine

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

    See The Gallery

    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.

    See The Gallery

    A Closed Society

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

    See The Gallery

    Where Do We Go From Here?

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

    See The Gallery

  • Events
  • Learn
  • Story
  • Support
  • Home

The Murder of Louis Allen

In 1961, Allen witnessed the murder of Herbert Lee and was coerced into saying that the murder was in self-defense. After he recanted his story and told the FBI the true events of that night, Allen was a constant target for White violence and retaliation. On January 31, 1964, Louis Allen was murdered in Liberty. Allen planned to move to Wisconsin the next day for his own safety. After he was murdered, the local sheriff stated that "if Louis had just kept shut his mouth, he wouldn’t be layin’ there on the ground."

Pictured: A black and white photograph of Louis Allen. Allen is wearing a dark suit jacket over a light colored shirt and tie, and a light colored hat. 

Credit: Southern Poverty Law Center

Gallery
Gallery 6 - I Question America
Topic Image
A black and white photograph of Louis Allen
Image Caption
The Murder of Louis Allen
  • Mississippi Department of Archives & History
  • Visit Jackson
  • Trip Advisor

222 North St #2205
Jackson, MS 39201
601-576-6800

Contact

 

Copyright ©
Mississippi Department of Archives & History

 

Privacy Policy