African American Military Museum

I toured the African American Military Museum in Hattiesburg, MS today and it was great. This is my first time attending an African American museum in Mississippi. The museum was nothing I had expected. It was really informative about African Americans in the military. From the Spanish-American War on the the War on Terrorism today give insight on how African American soldiers. Many pictures, firgure displays, and machinery were displayed in the museum. Along with the museum there is a theater and outside memorial garden that is dedicated to the falling military people.
Even though many African Americans have not always be known as legal citizen in the U.S. they have always stood strong to fight for their country. People like Frederick Douglas, Colin Powell, Buffalo Soldiers, Jesse L. Brown, Ruth Bailey, and many unknown military people have featured information in the museum. Even Hattiesburg's own Brown and Bailey's biography are shared along with some pictures and clothing.
The museum was great and a wonderful addition to the African American accomplishment. I also took many pictures of various things inside the museum. There were also two history professors from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Vicksburg Battlefield Museum

About a couple of months ago I visited the Vickburg Battlefield Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I had heard of the museum from my college years at Hinds Community College but I never visited it. From me being a history minor I had always known about the Civil War in the South be had not had a first experience of it. I went one Saturday afternoon with my mother to go shopping and I saw the museum sign exit. So we took the battlefield sign exit and started to drive through the museum. Reminding myself and tell you that this is not a REGULAR MUSEUM because you can walk or drive-thru the battlefield.
I saw so many different sculptures, signs, cannons, figures, and boat throughout the museum. Many sculptures were from various states that were either on the Confederate or Union side. Some were big in size while others were not; only mentioning the states' names. Driving through I notice the battelfield territory was might deep with slopes and rocks. I can imagine what it was like to try to pull or bring a cannon up those hills. Signs of different war activity between the Union and Confederate was posted on the roadside in the museum. Many cannons that are in the battlefield museum are the exact cannons fired during the Civil War. The figures of civil war soldiers both African and White Americans were displayed throughout the museum too.
As I thought I was coming to the end of the museum tour I saw an enormous white tent from off the hilltop. What I was seeing as my mother made her way down the hilltop was a boat skeleton? It was the U.S.S Cairo being preserved under a white tent and beyond it was a graveyard full of tombstones. The U.S.S. Cairo was a Union Navy ship constructed by James Eads. It was under contract with the U.S. Dept. of War and in command by naval Lieutenant James M. Prichett. The naval ship was active from February 17, 1862 to December 12, 1862. The U.S.S. Cairo was sunked on December 12, 1862 by an electrically detonated mine. And beyond the navy ship there is a military cemetery to honor the falling soldiers of the Civil War with the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of the cemetery road. This tour was a great one with many images and figures to have a first hand account of this historical experience!!!

**My cultural exhibit post**

de Grummond Assignment


The de Grummond cultural exhibit is located here on the grounds of the University of Southern Mississippi. Most of the special collection is housed at the McCain Library and Archives also at the University of Southern Mississippi. It is one of the best children’s literature collections in the United States. The collection was founded by Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond in 1966. Lena de Grummond worked as a teacher here at the university and she was an admirer of children’s literature around the world. As a Library Science teacher, de Grummond focus on giving her students a first hand experience of how children’s literature could be expressed. According to the USM Website, “If students could study the creative processes of authors and illustrators by examining the manuscripts and illustrations first hand, she knew they would better appreciate the literature.”
The literature is that focused on by American and British children books, historical as well as modern pieces. Many of these books were requested by Dr. de Grummond to assemble a collection that would archive original materials of great children’s literature authors. According to the USM library Website, “The Collection holds the original manuscripts and illustrations of more than 1200 authors and illustrators, as well as 100,000+ published books dating from 1530 to the present.” The book holdings and exhibits for this collection are folklore and fairy tales, courtesy books, fables and tales, alphabets and nursery rhymes, primers and readers, grammars and schoolbooks, children’s Bibles and religious books, puzzles and riddles, sports and games, fantasy and fiction, almanacs, and science fiction. According to the USM library Website, “The de Grummond Collection was created to preserving the manuscripts and artwork of the creators of children's and young adult literature. These manuscripts, illustrations, galleys, dummies, correspondence, and fan mail document the entire creative process of this unique literature.”
Over 250 historical and modern magazines are also housed in the de Grummond collection. These periodicals date from 1788 to the present and are similar to that effect of the historical and modern book materials. The magazines include The Little Corporal, Little Folks, The Monthly Packet, Oliver Optic's Magazine, St. Nicholas, The Union Jack, Wide Awake, and Youth's Companion. All these magazines, manuscripts and artwork are found in the Cook Library and/or McCain Library and Archive for research and viewing. A virtual tour is also available for those who can not come to the university to explore it.