Bringing Democracy to Farish Street: MS Votes Shows Up at the 10th Annual Juneteenth on Farish Festival
D’Cory Owens
Public Relations Coordinnator
[email protected]
Jackson, Miss – Freedom and civic power filled the air on Farish Street as MS Votes joined hundreds of Mississippians at the 10th Annual Juneteenth on Farish Festival, one of the state’s most beloved celebrations of Black culture, history, and community. Juneteenth is more than a holiday; it’s a reminder that rights declared on paper don’t always reach the people they were meant to protect, and that the work of freedom is never finished.
Our dynamic team hit the ground running with voter registration drives, helping festival goers take one of the most direct steps toward civic power. Whether someone was registering for the first time or updating their information, our staff and volunteers were on hand to walk them through the process, quickly, clearly, and without barriers.
Among the most memorable moments of the day were two young people who had just turned 18 and had no idea they were now eligible to vote. When our team let them know they could register right then and there, the excitement on their faces said it all. That moment is exactly what this work is about. Too many eligible voters, especially young people, don’t know what they have access to. Meeting them at a community celebration and sending them home as registered voters is the kind of impact that doesn’t show up in a press release but lives in a community for years to come.
Policy and Research Director Lily Moens put it plainly, “ Civic engagement doesn’t start at the ballot box. It starts in moments like this when two young people come to a Juneteenth celebration and leave as registered voters; that’s not just a registration form completed. That’s the beginning of a lifelong relationship with their own power. Being present in community spaces such as the Historic Farish Street and other places people gather and celebrate who they are is how we ensure that relationships get a chance to start.”
We also connected community members to information about upcoming elections, their voting rights, and the tools they need to make their voices heard. Showing up at the polls starts with knowing you have the right and the resources to do so. This is the kind of work MS Votes does every day across the state, meeting people where they are, in the places that matter most to them. A festival on Farish Street, a historically Black commercial corridor that has anchored Jackson’s cultural identity for generations, is exactly the kind of space where conversations about power and participation belong.
Want to get involved, volunteer, or find out how to register to vote? Visit msvotes.org for more information.
