Mississippi
A night at the museum? Learn more about MS Museum of Art’s free upcoming event
MS fastest growing population will get its own exhibit on display for a special evening viewing this Thursday.
With a unique combination of oral history and contemporary photography, the Mississippi Museum of Art in partnership with Mississippi Humanities Council and Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity is presenting “Nuestro Mississippi,” an exhibit documenting how Hispanic immigrants have found a home in the Magnolia State for decades.
The exhibition will be open until Oct. 13, but museum go-ers will get a special chance to take a look at it this Thursday, Aug. 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. as the museum invites guests to see the photography display of Mississippi’s Latino community with a twist: a night at the museum.
“Guests can expect a celebration of our Hispanic communities here in Mississippi through food, dance, art and a panel discussion with community leaders about the challenges, joy and contributions of their people,” Jasmine Williams, associate curator of public programs and community engagement at The Mississippi Museum of Art, said in a statement.
The project started with The Mississippi Humanities Council, which wanted to find a way to raise visibility about the state’s Latino community, the fastest-growing population in the state with numbers projected to double between 2020 and 2024.
Enlisting the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity, or IAJE, they selected Austin-based photographer Roj Rodriguez, who has made a name for himself documenting communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The two organizations brought Rodriguez to Mississippi for two multi-day tours of the state, where he was tasked with documenting Mississippi’s diverse Latino population.
“We have college professors. We have a rancher. We have folks who work in the poultry industry. We have archivists. A really wide array of folks,” said Stuart Rockoff executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “What I love is the richness in the stories that reflect both the history and the contemporary times.”
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In both English and Spanish, Rodriguez and IAJE interviewed a variety of immigrants from Latin America, documenting their stories in an oral history series on YouTube.
At the museum, visitors will get an in-person look at Rodriguez’s images, Mississippi Museum of Art’s Associate Curator Kaegan Sparks said in a statement. Each image will be paired with the subject’s name, where they currently live and where they were born.
“Our hope is that the exhibit will get visitors to understand the diversity in our state and to appreciate and recognize a community whose stories have not always been incorporated into the larger Mississippi story,” Rockoff said.
More on MS Hispanic Community: What does the Hispanic population of Mississippi look like? It’s diverse and growing
The after museum experience is also a chance for visitors who don’t have the time to see the museum by day to visit its galleries by night. Every third Thursday, the museum keeps its doors open late, offering live music, pop-up exhibitions, an open bar, food trucks and other activities that aren’t normally available during regular daytime hours.
“Nuestro Mississippi,” open Thursday evening for a night of stunning portraits and live music, lives up to its name, bringing the community together in and outside of the frame.
“The title of the exhibit is very intentional, and our goal was to give these members of the Latino community an opportunity to show and share what their Mississippi is,” Rockoff said. “The title ‘Nuestro Mississippi’ means ‘our Mississippi.’ The people on those walls are part of Mississippi.”
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Staff
- Federal disaster assistance has been approved for Mississippi following severe storms and tornadoes in March 2025.
- Funding will be available to individuals and businesses in several counties for housing repairs, temporary housing, and other recovery needs.
- Residents are encouraged to file insurance claims and then register for assistance online, by phone, or through the FEMA app.
- Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was recently appointed to a FEMA review panel, while President Trump has considered eliminating the agency.
Disaster assistance is available to Mississippi after FEMA announced May 23 that it had approved a disaster declaration made by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves in the wake of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding from March 14-15, 2025.
At least seven died in tornadoes that hit Covington, Jeff Davis and Walthall counties. In that same stretch, an earthquake was also recorded near Magee.
The White House announced in a release: “The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith and Walthall counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”
E. Craig Levy, Sr. has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in those areas.
“Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall and Washington counties.”
President Donald Trump has discussed the possibility of eliminating FEMA and pushing that work down to the states.
The president said he would reconsider “the whole concept of FEMA” and states with regular natural disasters like Florida hurricanes and Oklahoma tornadoes are efficiently handling the process.
In late April, the president added former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant to a FEMA review panel.
FEMA encouraged individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas to first first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA app.
Staff Writer Bonnie Bolden contributed to this report.
Mississippi
Whooping cough cases rise in Mississippi. Where are most cases reported? What are symptoms?
Whooping cough: Symptoms, causes and treatments
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection known for severe coughing fits and a distinctive “whoop” sound.
- Mississippi has seen a rise in whooping cough cases in 2025, exceeding the total from the previous year.
- District 2 leads the state in reported cases, while other districts also report infections.
- Infants under one year old are most vulnerable to severe complications from whooping cough.
- Vaccination is considered the most effective preventive measure against the disease.
Whooping cough cases in Mississippi are on the rise, already surpassing the total number reported for all of last year, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause serious breathing problems and even life-threatening complications. This bacterial infection can affect both children and adults, though it is more critical in infants and toddlers.
The state Department of Health said 60 whooping cough cases have been reported between Jan. 1 and Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
District 2 — which includes Lee, Tishomingo and Benton counties — reported the highest number of whooping cough cases, with 25 as of Tuesday.
District 5, which includes Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties, has reported eight cases. District 8, which includes Forrest, Lamar and Jones counties, has reported fewer than five cases.
Theresa Kittle, epidemiology program director at the Mississippi State Department of Health, said in 2024, “there were 49 pertussis cases reported to MSDH. This includes both confirmed and probable cases.”
Have whooping cough cases increased in Mississippi since 2017?
According to the state Department of Health, an average of 44 whooping cough cases between 2017 and 2019 were reported to MSDH each year.
Kittle stated from 2020 to 2023, the average number of reported cases dropped to five per year, reflecting a nationwide trend.
Kittle said, however, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States and Mississippi in 2024, “indicating a return to more typical trends.”
In 2025, reported pertussis cases have varied weekly, ranging from zero to seven, with an average of three cases reported per week.
Kittle said there are peaks in reported cases of whooping cough every few years. Kittle said whooping cough is a common disease in the state and country.
“Pertussis cases can occur year-round,” Kittle said.
According to the American Lung Association, the illness is typically at its peak in the summer and fall months.
What are symptoms of whooping cough?
Whooping cough presents as the common cold initially, the according to the CDC, so watching for signs is important. If it’s whooping cough, symptoms tend to play out in three stages.
Stage 1: For a week or two, whooping cough presents as a cold. Those symptoms include:
- A runny or stuffy nose
- A low-grade fever under 100.4°F
- A mild cough could be present
- A more serious symptom that could appear early in babies is apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) that could result in cyanosis (when the skin turns blue or purple)
Stage 2: One to two weeks after becoming sick, coughing fits may develop. Some coughs will turn into paroxysms, which the CDC defines as “rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits.” This can last up to 10 weeks but is less likely to be severe or long-lasting the older you get, unless an individual is unvaccinated, the CDC states.
What to identify during coughing fits:
- A high-pitched “whoop” sound at the end of each coughing fit
- Vomiting due to excessive coughing
- Fatigue after coughing spells
- Breathing struggles
Stage 3: Recovery can last for up to three weeks. An individual’s cough will begin to diminish but may flare up again if another infection or illness is contracted.
Keep in mind that “coughing fits can return many months after the whooping cough illness started,” the CDC states.
Deaths due to whooping cough are “rare,” according to the Mayor Clinic.
Who is most at-risk of contracting whooping cough?
Age and underlying medical conditions can increase someone’s risk for getting a severe case of whooping cough.
Kittle said infants under 1-year-old are at the “greatest risk” for whooping cough and severe complications due to their immune systems still developing. Kittle said this age group “continues to have the highest reported rate of pertussis.”
Kittle noted that individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as immunocompromising conditions or moderate to severe asthma, are also at high risk for severe whooping cough infections.
“It’s especially important to prevent these people from getting sick,” Kittle said.
How to prevent whooping cough?
Good hygiene practices are recommended to help prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause many respiratory illnesses.
Preventive antibiotics may be administered to individuals exposed to whooping cough to reduce the risk of illness.
The best way to prevent whooping cough is through “vaccination,” Kittle said, adding that the CDC recommends whooping cough vaccination for everyone.
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
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