BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is a powerful and meaningful institution that has been open since 2017. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, the museum is dedicated to keeping and memorializing the significant moments of the civil rights movement in the state while giving special attention to the murders of Medgar Evers and Emmett Till. The museum is a place of learning and reflection, a testament to the resilience and courage of those who fought for civil rights in Mississippi.

The museum is divided into eight galleries, chronologically telling each phase of the state’s history between 1845 and 1976. The galleries feature exhibits on slavery, the Civil War, World War II, the history of segregation and discrimination, the struggle for voting rights, and the fight for justice and equality. The last gallery, titled “Where Do We Go from Here?” encourages the museum’s attendees to reflect on what they saw and learned from the eight galleries.

Guests are also invited to read what Mississippians think about the state’s progress over the years and what still needs to be done. Visitors can also explore these exhibits through interactive displays, audio recordings and video presentations.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum also has a library that includes books, magazines and other materials related to the civil rights movement.

MCRM.MDAH.MS.GOV

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, preserves the legacy of the 33rd president of the United States and serves as a repository for documents and artifacts related to his life and presidency.

The library holds a variety of documents, including official presidential papers, correspondence, photographs and other materials. Visitors to the library can take a self-guided tour of the museum, which includes exhibits on Truman’s early life, his presidency and his post-presidency years. In addition, the library has an extensive collection of books, periodicals and other materials related to Truman and his presidency.

The Truman Library is included in the U.S. Civil Rights Trail because of President Truman’s efforts to end segregation among the military, as well as his enforcement of anti-lynching laws and ending poll taxes that were used as a tactic to keep Black citizens from voting.

At the museum, visitors will learn about Truman’s personal process of transformation. As a child, the president was taught all races were not equal. He was cited using racial slurs and even working with the Ku Klux Klan during his first run for a political office. Later in his presidency, though, Truman was made aware that Black veterans were being brutally beaten and even lynched. As a veteran himself, Truman found this revelation unconscionable and started a civil rights committee and enforced the equality laws.

TRUMANLIBRARY.ORG

761st Tank Battalion Exhibit

By Art Meripol,

Louisiana

Like virtually every other sphere of life in the early 20th century, the U.S. Army was initially segregated. Black troops were expected to lay down their lives for their country just like white troops while experiencing segregation and discrimination. The 761st Tank Battalion challenged these long-held practices in the army and contributed to its desegregation in 1948. Formed in Louisiana in 1942, this tank battalion was an experimental unit entirely comprising Black soldiers. They fought in France in 1944 and 1945, experiencing 183 days straight of combat and liberating 30 cities on their way to Germany. They were the first African American tankers to see combat and became renowned for their strength and skill in battle. Their efforts directly contributed to the end of World War II. They were known as the Black Panthers, after the animal they chose for their emblem. Today, items from this battalion and an exhibit telling their story are on display at the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum at Camp Beauregard.