Director's Message

Commemorating 250 Years as a Country

Though I was just a small child in 1976, I still have distinct memories of America’s bicentennial. I can recall the special bicentennial quarters—for years, it was always a little exciting to get one of these when you got change from a purchase. I remember waiting in a long line when the Freedom Train came to Houston that year. To be honest, I remember the line more distinctly than the treasures of American history on display inside the train—I was only seven at the time!

I’ve thought a lot about 1976 as our country prepares for America250, which will be celebrated throughout 2026. During the bicentennial, local groups around the country were inspired to take on ambitious projects that celebrated local history. Grants from the American Revolutionary Bicentennial Administration helped to support many of these projects, which included everything from the creation of a railroad museum in Ogden, Utah, and the placement of a 19th century pioneer cabin in a Maryland state park, to a seafood heritage trail in Biloxi. In 1976, the Oktibbeha County Bicentennial Committee oversaw a project that converted the old train depot into a local history museum in Starkville, which is still thriving today thanks to the foresight of those leaders in 1976. These enduring historical assets are the bicentennial’s greatest legacy. As we prepare to mark America250 in Mississippi, we have studied the achievements of the bicentennial.

While Mississippi was not part of the United States during the founding, our state has been at the forefront of the struggle over the principles of freedom and equality set forth by the Declaration of Independence. Mississippi, through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the 20th century movement for civil rights, has been a central part of the American story.

"Our goal is to help communities across the state take part in this historic commemoration by preserving their unique histories, fostering a deeper understanding of Mississippi's vital role in the American story, and inspiring meaningful engagement with our shared heritage."

For this reason, we are very excited to work with Visit Mississippi and the America250 Mississippi Commission to offer grants to support local celebrations and commemorations of this important milestone in our nation’s history. Inspired by the legacy of 1976, we will also award larger grants that enhance a community’s capacity to explore and promote local history. Our goal is to help communities across the state take part in this historic commemoration by preserving their unique histories, fostering a deeper understanding of Mississippi’s vital role in the American story, and inspiring meaningful engagement with our shared heritage. We hope to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to foster public engagement with America and Mississippi’s history.



America250 comes at a challenging time, when political and cultural divides have sparked heated national debates about how to tell our country’s story. Yet over the past decade, most Mississippians have come to a consensus that, while our state’s rich history and culture should be celebrated, we can’t ignore the more difficult parts of our past. The Two Mississippi Museums are a brilliant reflection of this. The programs we support through the America250 Mississippi grant program will do so as well. Even during these divided times, America250 belongs to all of us.

Dr. Stuart Rockoff

MHC Executive Director

America250 Mississippi Grant Program Is Now Live

As Mississippi prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the America250 Mississippi Commission and the Mississippi Humanities Council invite communities across the state to apply for several new matching grant opportunities. The America250 Mississippi grants are available to Mississippi-based nonprofits and educational and local governmental organizations in support of educational and commemorative programming focused on the 250th birthday of the founding of the United States of America.

The Legacy, Program and Minigrants are designed to support initiatives and programming in calendar year 2026 that highlight Mississippi’s history, Mississippi’s innumerous contributions to the United States, and foster exploration of how America’s founding ideals and the effort to create a more perfect union have shaped the Mississippi experience.

"Mississippi has always been a place where stories come alive—from our music and traditions to the people who shape our communities,” said Mississippi First Lady and America250 Mississippi Commission Co-Chair Elee Reeves. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, I encourage every town, every organization, and every Mississippian to take part in this historic moment. These grants are more than funding—they’re an invitation to celebrate our legacy and share our voice in the American story. Let’s make 2026 unforgettable, together."

Grant applicants are encouraged to develop projects that explore at least one of the following themes: We the People, The Power of Place, Mississippi in the American Story, and Mississippi Traditions. The America250 Mississippi grant application portal is officially open and accepting applications for projects to be completed within the 2026 calendar year.

“We are very excited to help the state’s America250 Mississippi Commission support local celebrations and commemorations of this important milestone in our nation’s history,” said Mississippi Humanities Council Executive Director Dr. Stuart Rockoff. “We hope these grants give communities all across the state an opportunity to explore Mississippi’s rich history and culture while highlighting our state’s role in the American story.”

To learn more about these grant opportunities, please visit America250.ms/grants.

First Graduate of MHC-Funded Prison Education Program

A graduation ceremony for a single community college student marked a major milestone for the MHC’s Prison Education Program.

When Shannon Hinton earned her associate of arts last month, she became the first person in the program to complete the degree while still incarcerated.

Hinds Community College chose to celebrate Hinton’s academic success with a commencement ceremony with one graduate. Hinton graduated magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society. The ceremony took place at the Mississippi Correctional Institute for Women in Pearl.

Explaining the decision to hold the July 29 ceremony, Hinds President Stephen Vacik said, “Everyone matters, every victory matters.”

The prison education program began in 2021 when MHC began partnering with three community colleges to offer for-credit classes in three prisons. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, this fall the program will support five community colleges teaching in 10 prisons and provide academic support for Mississippi Valley State University at two facilities. Students typically enroll in nine or fewer hours each semester.



While Hinton’s graduation marked a first, more graduations from the program are expected in the 2025-26 academic year.

The Last American House Party: 8 days of century-old Southern tradition

Join us for a screening of The Last American House Party Sunday, August 24, 2-4 pm at the Two Mississippi Museums, Jackson. This 60-minute film is a colorful celebration of the unique culture, family roots and community spirit of Mississippi's annual Neshoba County Fair.

Stay after the screening for a panel discussion that will include director, Bryan Carpenter.

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

This program is co-sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Film Office, and the Mississippi Film Society.

September 15 Grant Deadline Suspended

The Mississippi Freedom Trail continues to honor the legacies of courageous individuals and pivotal moments that shaped the Civil Rights Movement. This September, three new markers will be unveiled to commemorate the Fulton Chapel Protest at the University of Mississippi, Dr. Clinton Battle, and Anne Moody, each a powerful reminder of the struggle for justice and equality in Mississippi. 

By uplifting the stories of the Fulton Chapel Protest, Dr. Clinton Battle, and Anne Moody, Mississippi preserves the legacies of those who fought to make democracy real for all its citizens. The public is warmly invited to attend these ceremonies and take part in remembering and honoring this powerful history. 

To learn more about the Freedom Trail, contact John Spann, program and outreach officer, at JSpann@mhc.state.ms.us.

HEADLINES

MHC Prison Book Clubs to be Featured at 2025 Mississippi Book Festival

Once again, the MHC will be an active part of the Mississippi Book Festival, which will take place on September 13th in downtown Jackson. The MHC will present the session “Prison Book Clubs: Building Community Behind Bars” in State Capitol Room 204 at 1:30 p.m. The panel will feature writers Alan Huffman and C.T. Salazar, both of whom lead MHC-funded prison book clubs, and Chaplain Reginald Watts, who ministers to men at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and who helped launch the book club program in Unit 29. Carla Falkner, MHC’s program coordinator for prison education, will moderate the session. What started three years ago with one book club at Parchman has grown to sixteen book clubs in twelve different prisons around the state. Join us at the session to learn how reading and discussing literature have helped transform lives within Mississippi’s prisons.

In addition to this program, the MHC will be sponsoring panels on Mississippi History and Memoir. “The Mississippi Humanities Council has been an avid supporter of the Book Festival since it was launched in 2015,” said MHC Executive Director Stuart Rockoff. “While the significant cuts to our federal funding forced us to reduce our level of support for the festival this year, I am so pleased that we were able to co-sponsor three panels. The Mississippi Book Festival is not just Mississippi’s literary lawn party; it’s the state’s leading cultural event.”

The MHC will also have a table in the Capitol Rotunda with information about upcoming events, giveaways, and a button-making station. Please stop by and say hello! For more details about the Mississippi Book Festival, including the full schedule, visit msbookfestival.com.

America250 Mississippi Speakers Bureau Collection Is Live

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the MHC Speakers Bureau will have a new collection of presentations that explore America’s founding and Mississippi’s pivotal role in the realization of our nation’s highest ideals.

With a combination of new offerings and Speakers Bureau mainstays, this collection will give Mississippi nonprofit organizations communities a variety of topics to build on America250 programming throughout their community. Read below to see a few of the new America250 presentations:

• Dr. Susannah Ural pulls from Mississippi State University’s Williams Collection of Lincolniana to explore the ways that America’s founders influenced Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln and America250.

• In Civil War Era Mississippians Debate America’s Founding Principles, Dr. Ural examines actual correspondence between Mississippi governors and their constituents to learn how they were interpreting the Constitution in their everyday lives.

• Michael Morris will detail the history of Mississippi’s first institution of higher learning and its role in the creation of our state in Jefferson College: Mississippi’s Birthplace.

Browse more topics for America250 here.

The Speakers Bureau features presentations from some of Mississippi’s finest historians, writers, and storytellers speaking on topics they know best. Thanks to the vital support of the Phil Hardin Foundation, organizations can bring these experts to their community to engage in informative, thought-provoking discussions at no cost.

For questions about hosting a speaker or joining the Speakers Bureau, contact Katie Molpus at kmolpus@mhc.state.ms.us.

MHC Welcomes New Communications Manager

Rei Lott is a central Mississippi native and holds a B.A. in English from Mississippi University for Women. She taught high school English and literature electives for several years in the Jackson Public School system before joining the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as special projects coordinator at the Eudora Welty House and Garden. In that role, she helped expand public engagement with one of our state’s most significant literary landmarks. Rei was thrilled to join the MHC team in August 2025, bringing with her a deep commitment to education, literature, and cultural preservation.