A pilgrimage is a voyage of moral and spiritual significance. Typically, the journey is made to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith. It can also be a search for truth and revelation, an attempt to address and answer deep and important questions.
In the case of the Spiritual Pilgrimage to the Mississippi Delta, the semi-annual pilgrimages are a means to connect with past, both physically and spiritually, by traveling to and visiting sites relevant to Mississippi black history.
Stops on the pilgrimage this year include da’ House of Khafre in Indianola, an art house featuring African art and fashion, and the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden in Ruleville. The garden and grounds are dedicated to Hamer, one of Mississippi’s renowned voting and civil-rights pioneer.
Emmett Till is also a focus of the pilgrimage, with two stops dedicated to remembering Till. The first, the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora, used to be a cotton gin, but now serves as a converted sort of museum with photos, oral histories and audio-visual archives on Glendora’s association with the Till kidnapping, brutal murder and infamous trial. The second stop involving Till is the Bryant Grocery Store in Money, Miss., the scene of the alleged whistle that initiated Till’s kidnap and murder.
On Saturday, Aug. 25, the caravan excursion will meet the Jackson Medical Mall, 350 Woodrow Wilson Drive. Vehicles line up at 7:30 a.m. for an 8 a.m. departure. There is no cost to participate, but individuals must cover their own gas, snacks and food, and are requested to make admission donations where applicable.
For more information, call 601-957-2969.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.