Mississippi played a central role in the struggle for civil rights in the United States, and there are many powerful resources available to help you explore that history.

• Two Mississippi Museums: We are the sum of the brave choices, bold inspiration, tragedies and triumphs that led up to today. Mississippi's Two Museums forge real connections to the moments and movements that continue to shape our world. These aren't exhibits trapped behind glass, but immersive stories of our first people, epic battles, great floods, potent protests and powerful music

• National Civil Rights Trail: The fight for American civil rights spanned decades, cities and states – from Topeka, Kansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma, Alabama and all the way to Washington, D.C. Chart the course of the Movement through the Civil Rights Trail and see firsthand the struggle for equity and the power of equality.

• Mississippi Freedom Trail: Making national headlines, Emmett Till’s 1955 murder put Mississippi at the forefront of one of the most pivotal periods of American history. This tragic event is widely considered the igniting spark of the modern Civil Rights movement. However, Till’s death wasn’t the only event setting the scene for this great struggle. In the months prior, the Rev. George Lee of Belzoni was assassinated after registering to vote. The Medgar Evers murder in 1963, the 1964 killings of three Civil Rights workers in Neshoba County, and other events in Mississippi rallied supporters of Civil Rights, bringing more people to the cause. Half a century later, Mississippi is the embodiment of changing times. Today, Mississippi has more elected African-American officials than any other state, and the Civil Rights movement continues as a strong element of political, social, and daily life. Visit Civil Rights sites in Mississippi like the interactive Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson and 25 sites on the Mississippi Freedom Trail.

• The University of Southern Mississippi Archives: The University Archives collects and documents the history and services of USM, as set forth (in part) by state law. This includes, but is not limited to, records and publications of USM such as: copies of all printed materials relating to the history, development and character of USM; all publications of departments, schools, and agencies of USM; records of organizational activities, campus offices, and campus branches; and USM theses and dissertations (i.e., an archival, non-circulating copy of each University of Southern Mississippi thesis and dissertation is maintained in the University Archives). The materials are primarily in English, 1910 to date.

• African American Military History Museum: The African American Military History Museum bears witness to the service and sacrifice of the African American soldier beginning with the American Revolution through the modern-day conflicts of Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. Hundreds of artifacts, photos, and unique displays fill the restored main hall, including one of the most complete sets of authentic Spanish-American War medals. Each item tells a story of pioneers such as Hattiesburg’s own Jesse L. Brown, America’s first Black naval aviator, and lesser-known heroes such as Ruth Bailey Earl, also of Hattiesburg, whose image and actions represented the more than 500 Black nurses who served during World War II.