Former Mayersville mayor and civil rights activist, Unita Blackwell, will be honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker. The unveiling ceremony will be held in Mayersville at Grey Russell Park on Friday, August 26 at 10:00 a.m.
Both a visitor attraction and an educational tool, the Mississippi Freedom Trail recognizes the bravery and courage of the men and women who were a part of the movement in the 1950s, 60s and beyond. It serves as an acknowledgement of the state’s dark past, but most importantly, the trail is a reminder of Mississippi’s thriving present and bright future.
The first Freedom Trail markers were unveiled in conjunction with the Mississippi Freedom Foundation’s 50th reunion for the 1961 Freedom Riders held in 2011. The marker honoring Blackwell will be the 22nd Freedom Trail marker unveiled in the state.
Unita Blackwell moved to Mayersville in 1960 and became a leader in the Civil Rights movement and for Mayersville as she led the town toward incorporation. Blackwell was elected mayor of Mayersville in 1976 thus becoming the first black female to be elected mayor in the state of Mississippi.
Blackwell’s Mississippi Freedom Trail marker is sponsored by Visit Mississippi, the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, the Town of Mayersville and Mississippi’s Lower Delta Partnership.
