5 things to know about the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Prepare to be moved to tears. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opens Dec. 9, and the media was let in for an exclusive sneak peek. Workers are still adding the finishing touches but the attention to detail is evident. Poignant and moving, this is one museum every Mississippian needs to make a point to visit. Here are five things you're definitely going to want to be on the lookout for.

Cameron Milby, right, works on the special lighting and speaker system for the "This Little Light of Mine" gallery in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Tuesday as the two new state museums host a "sneak peak" for media and guests of the almost completed facilities in Jackson. Both the civil rights museum and the adjacent Museum of Mississippi History are set to open Dec. 9.

1. Timeline tour of civil rights

Starting with Reconstruction, visitors go back in time as they walk through Mississippi's past. You'll visit Mound Bayou and walk through exhibits about the Jim Crow era, World War II veterans fighting for voting rights, the killing of Emmett Till and black empowerment. A number of the exhibits are interactive, and there are guides throughout to answer questions.

2. 600 names on towering structures

More than 600 names are written on lighted, towering structures in the Jim Crow portion of the exhibit, with the name, race, location and accused crime listed for each of the dead. Stop and read the names of those killed. Their accused crimes range from murder to debt to socializing with white people.

3. Stark reminder of not crossing the line

As you read the names of those who were killed by lynching, you'll follow a black carpet outlined in red. Pictures and memorabilia line the walls, with white carpet underneath. If you step across the red line onto the white carpet, a motion-activated speaker will remind you that you're not supposed to be on the white side, a stark reminder of what life was like for African-Americans during that era.

A visitor walks past an exhibit with the names, dates and locations of documented hangings in the "Mississippi in Black and White" gallery of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.

4. Galleries about Emmett Till

There is a gallery dedicated to the slaying of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African- American who was killed after a white woman said he whistled at her. Two separate galleries will show videos of the events surrounding Till's death, with one for children and one for those 13 and older.

5. 'This Little Light of Mine'

While the entire museum is interactive, the main interactive piece is located in the center of the museum, tying several of the exhibits together. As visitors walk in and out, motion sensors will detect the people in the room and twinkle lights will begin to illuminate as a recording of children singing plays "This Little Light of Mine." As more people enter the room, the song will transition from children to a full-fledged choir.