Juneteenth events are happening across the state, with one of the biggest taking place at the Two Mississippi Museums this weekend.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History in Jackson will offer free admission on Friday and Saturday. Sundays are always free at the museums.
In addition to the no-charge, the Juneteenth Jubilee will be held on museum grounds on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with themes of emancipation and liberation in Mississippi. The family-friendly event will include special flash tours at the Museum of Mississippi History at 5 p.m. and at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum at 6 p.m.
Local food trucks will be on site during the jubilee, where visitors can enjoy line-dancing workshops, games, giveaways, arts and crafts, and face painting. Spoken-word performances by JT the Poet and Sadie will be held at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., while live music will be played throughout the event.
There will also be an adults-only lounge and kids’ zone. For the fifth year in a row, the Juneteenth Jubilee is sponsored by Ingalls Shipbuilding.
“Ingalls is proud to once again support the Two Mississippi Museums’ Juneteenth celebration,” Ingalls Corporate Stewardship and Community Relations Manager Lisa Bradley said. “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.”
“This annual event draws hundreds of people to the museums each year. It’s a chance to celebrate history and family,” Two Mississippi Museums Director Michael Morris added. “Ingalls has been a great corporate partner to the museums. Their sponsorship is the reason we’re able to offer free admission during the holiday weekend.”
Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021 with the purpose of honoring and remembering the emancipation of slaves in the U.S. at the end of the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, roughly 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were freed two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln.