The Two Mississippi Museums to Celebrate Juneteenth

The Two Mississippi Museums will host a Juneteenth celebration with free admission, from June 19-21, sponsored by Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi. 

The three-day celebration also includes Juneteenth Jubilee, a free, family-friendly event celebrating community and culture. The Jubilee is Friday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The activities include specialized flash tours at 5 p.m. at the Museum of Mississippi History, and 6 p.m. at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. The focus will be on themes of emancipation and liberation in Mississippi.

Local food trucks will be on-site as visitors enjoy line-dancing workshops, games, crafts, and facepainting. There will be an adults-only lounge and a kids’ zone.  

The Jubilee celebration will feature spoken-word performances by JT the Poet and Sadie, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. Live music will be performed throughout the event. There will also be a live art raffle, offering a painting by Tony Davenport or a wood-burned piece by Kira Cummings.

“Ingalls is proud to once again support the Two Mississippi Museums’ Juneteenth celebration,” said Lisa Bradley, Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporate Stewardship and Community Relations Manager. “This annual event brings families and communities together to learn more about Mississippi’s history. We are honored to help provide free admission and support the museums’ enduring legacy of education and innovation.”

Ingalls Shipbuilding has sponsored this event for five years.

“This annual event draws hundreds of people to the museums each year. It’s a chance to celebrate history and family,” said Two Mississippi Museums Director Michael Morris. “Ingalls has been a great corporate partner to the museums. Their sponsorship is the reason we’re able to offer free admission during this holiday weekend.”

Signed into law on June 17, 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, or Juneteenth, is a federal holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War.

Celebration of Juneteenth began on June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with some 2,000 troops, and decreed the Emancipation Proclamation freed all enslaved people, officially enforcing emancipation in the Confederate-controlled state.

For more information, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov.