Here’s why Black History Month is celebrated in February
Black History Month is celebrated in February to commemorate the rich history and achievements of African-Americans.
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- Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and culture of Black Americans.
- Many museums and historic sites in Mississippi are dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement.
- The Mississippi Delta is known as the birthplace of the blues.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add information about Greenwood Cemetery.
Black History Month is a time to celebrate African-American culture. Each year, the country honors the contributions of Black Americans during February.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation naming February 2025 Black History Month. “I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration,” it reads.
Mississippi is home to many sites on the national Civil Rights Trail. The state is steeped in culture, like the delta region’s rich history as the birthplace of the blues.
If you’re looking for places to connect with the past, there are several options across Mississippi that are great to visit any time of the year.
What did Trump’s Black History month proclamation say?
The proclamation reads, in part:
“Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways. American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens. Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans. We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow.”
President Donald Trump
Is the US still celebrating Black History Month?
Yes. Though there have been some rollbacks to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives under the Trump administration.
But the the Department of Defense, per a memo sent in January by new Secretary Pete Hegseth, is no longer celebrating “identity months.”
- That list includes:
- Women’s History Month in March.
- Pride Month in June.
- National Hispanic Heritage Month from mid-September to mid-October.
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.
Service members can still participate in their own time, but the military and DOD are banned from using resources including staffing to hold events or celebrate.
Why didn’t Black History Month show up in my Google calendar?
Google announced this year that users will have to start adding some celebrations manually.
In a statement to USA TODAY, a company spokesperson said, “For over a decade we’ve worked with timeanddate.com to show public holidays and national observances in Google Calendar. Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world.”
Google started getting reports that some events and nations were not being added, and the company determined that keeping up with “hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable.”
The company quit manually updating some celebrations in mid-2024 but said users are encouraged to add their own.
Places to visit in Mississippi to honor Black history
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
Where: 222 North St. #2205, Jackson.
Why: The museum is among the USA TODAY Top 10 history museums in the nation. The exhibits are interactive and tell the stories of brave Mississippi activists. Hundreds of people lynched during the Jim Crow era are honored, along with their alleged crimes. It’s also connected to the Museum of Mississippi History.
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed for some holidays.
Cost: Adult admission – $15. Youth (age 4-22) – $8. Senior and military – $13. Kids 3 and younger get in free. Admission to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History are free on Sundays.
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home
Where: 332 Margaret W. Alexander Drive, Jackson.
Why: Medgar and Myrlie Evers worked together in the American Civil Rights Movement. Medgar, the NAACP field secretary for Mississippi, was assassinated at their home on June. 12, 1963. His death, the first slaying of a national leader in the movement, helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mylie Evers-Williams, also has served as chair for the NAACP and published books about Civil Rights. She worked for more than 30 years to get justice for her husband.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Rangers lead tours for groups of 10 or fewer people. Groups of 15 or more require a reservation, and the site can’t accommodate more than 30 people per group.
Emmett Till Interpretive Center
Where: 158 North Court St., Sumner.
Why: In 1955, Emmett Till visited relatives in Money, Mississippi. The 14-year-old was accused of whistling at a white woman and was kidnapped, tortured and killed. His mother insisted on an open casket at his funeral, which helped spark Civil Rights action across the nation. The site is part of the the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which also has sites in Chicago, Illinois and Glendora Mississippi. A free app, the Emmett Till Memory Project, can help guide people through historic sites.
When: noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or book a tour outside those hours by calling 662-483-1231.
Tallahatchie County Courthouse
Where: 401 West Court St., Sumner.
Why: The Tallahatchie County Courthouse was the site of the trial for J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant. An all-white jury acquitted them in the deaths of Emmitt Till in September 1955. But they later confessed in a magazine interview. The building is still used as a county courthouse, but the courtroom has been restored to look like the time of the trial. Tours can be be booked through the Emmet Till Interpretive Center.
When: The courthouse is open to the public Monday through Friday, event when the interpretive center is closed.
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
Where: 11191 Road 747, Philadelphia.
Why: The Ku Klux Klan attacked the church in June 1964. Three Civil Rights workers came to investigate and were murdered. The FBI file name was MIBURN for Mississippi Burning. The church rebuilt on the same site in 1966, and the congregation honors the deaths annually. There’s also a marker for the men outside the building. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History notes that the rebuilding is part of a historic period important to Black churches that were lost or damaged by arson. The story led to “Mississippi Burning,” a crime thriller about missing Civil Rights workers.
The Forks of the Road
Where: 105 Liberty Road, Natchez.
Why: This site was the second-biggest slave market in the Deep South. The National Historic Park now displays chains and shackles in concrete and information about the history of the area.
Longwood Plantation
Where: 140 Lower Woodville Road, Natchez.
Why: The Civil War halted construction on what would have been one the most glamourous homes in Natchez. The house has been preserved in its unfinished state, and information about what life was like for people enslaved there is part of the tour experience.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Tours start on the hour.
Cost: $25 for adults. $20 for youths 13-17. Children 12 and younger get in free. Book a tour online.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum
Where: 220 North Randolph Ave., Holly Springs.
Why: Ida B. Wells was a Civil Rights leader and journalist who was one of only two women to sign the call for the creation of the NAACP.
When: By appointment 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Call 662-252-3232 or 662-579-5747 to arrange a tour.
Cost: $20 for adults, and $5 for kids 12 and younger.
Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center
Where: 528 Bloom St., Jackson.
Why: The museum uses the building for the first public school in Jackson for Black children. It highlights state and local leaders and tells the story of Black people in Mississippi from slavery to today through artifacts and exhibits.
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Cost: $7 for adults 18-59. $5 for seniors 60 and older. $6 for military personnel. $5 for college students with ID. $4 for children 4-17.
1964 Freedom Summer Trail
Where: Hattiesburg.
Why: This self-guided driving tour has 16 stops that help highlight the summer of 1964, the largest freedom summer for the area. Volunteers from the area and out of state worked to drive Black voter registration. The tour has audio from people who participated in the activities that summer. Get more information at hburgfreedomtrail.org.
Proud to take a Stand Monument
Where: 415 South Canal St., Natchez (at the corner of Jefferson and North Canal streets)
Why: The monument honors more than 400 people who were wrongfully jailed while advocating for Civil Rights, charged with parading without a permit. Some were taken to Natchez Auditorium, and other were sent to local jails. About 150 were carried to Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman in October 1965. The inmates were abused for days. It became known as The Parchman Ordeal. The monument stands where the event happened.
Birthplace of the Blues
Where: The Delta.
Why: Towns across The Mississippi Delta contributed to the creation of blues music that inspires artists and threads through other genres. In Tunica, check out the Gateway to the Blues Museum and Visitor Center. The B.B. King Museum in Indianola is also the famous musician’s final resting place. In Clarksdale, you take take in The Crossroads where Robert Johnson is rumored to have sold his soul to the devil. The town also has museums, clubs and regular live music. Johnson is buried in nearby Greenwood at the Mount Zion Church, a trip many make to pay respects.
Vicksburg National Military Park
Where: 3201 Clay St., Vicksburg.
Why: The visitor center has information about Black history and the park includes a monument to Black soldiers.
When: The tour road is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, barring some holidays. The visitor center is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Check the park website for additional information.
Cost: Standard entrance passes cost $10-$20, and an annual pass is $35.
Tougaloo College
Where: 500 West County Line Road, Jackson.
Why: The college was a key spot for Civil Right organizers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers were hosted at Woodworth Chapel on campus. The Tougaloo Nine — a group of students — participated in sit-ins at several local segregated institutions.
Sixth Street Museum District
Where: Hattiesburg.
Why: The district includes the African American Military History Museum, Eureka School, Smith Drug Company, Oseola McCarty House, Generations Strong: Inspiring African Americans of Hattiesburg Commemorative Wall (at the Eureka School) and Moeller Military Vehicle Museum project. The museums and buildings were a key hub of Black commerce and community and integral in the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more at sixthstreetmuseumdistrict.com.
Greenwood Cemetery
Where: Jackson
Why: The original cemetery in Jackson is where Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty, past governors of Mississippi and hundreds of Black residents were laid to rest. According to Cecile Wardlaw, executive director of the Greenwood Cemetery Association, it’s adjacent to the Farish Street Historic District which was one of the largest Black business hubs in the South. There is a self-guided walking tour, which you can find as a brochure at the site. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contributing: Lici Beveridge, Jonathan Limehouse
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
