Canton to unveil second MS Freedom Trail Marker

The Mississippi Humanities Council, in partnership with Visit Mississippi, recently announced the unveiling of its second Mississippi Freedom Trail marker in Canton,   in honor of Flonzie Brown Goodloe Wright, the first African American female elected to public office in the State of Mississippi. In 1968, she was elected as Election Commissioner in Madison County.

This marker will serve as a powerful reminder of the courage, resilience and dedication of Dr. Wright, whose office was located inside of the Historic Madison County Courthouse. The position of Election Commissioner allowed her to correct many voting injustices throughout the state as she fought to serve the citizens of Madison County.

A ceremony will be held on Friday, November 8, at noon, outside the Historic Madison County Courthouse, located on Peace Street. The event will include remarks from The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, US Representative, District 2; Mr. Karl M. Banks, vice president, Madison County Board of Supervisors; Mrs. Alice Scott, first Black and female Mayor of Canton & former election commissioner, Madison County; Mrs. Betty G. Robinson, first Black bank teller and 1971 candidate for Circuit Clerk, Madison County; Mayor William Truly, City of Canton; Mr. Billy J. Wells, Canton Convention and Visitors Bureau and Film Office representative, and Mr. John Travis Spann, program and outreach officer for Mississippi Humanities Council. The unveiling ceremony will be free and open to the public. A reception will follow the ceremony inside the historic Madison Canton Courthouse. 

 
The Mississippi Freedom Trail was established in 2011 to commemorate Mississippi’s pivotal role in the U.S. civil rights movement. More than 40 existing markers throughout the state highlight the people, places and events that were instrumental in this period—from the years leading up to the historic movement to the years Mississippi served as ground zero in the national fight for equality.

The Mississippi Freedom Trail is administered by Visit Mississippi, the official tourism organization dedicated to promoting the state to visitors across the U.S. and the world, in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council. Support for this collaboration is made possible by a State Tourism Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The EDA State Tourism Grants, issued in 2021, totaled $510 million in direct awards to help states invest in marketing, infrastructure, workforce and other projects to rejuvenate safe leisure, business and international travel.

The Mississippi Humanities Council is a private non-profit corporation funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council creates opportunities for Mississippians to learn about themselves and the larger world and enriches communities through civil conversations about the state’s history and culture.

The Madison County Board of Supervisors collaborated in conjunction with the Mississippi Humanities Council to unveil the marker. 

For more information, visit www.mshumanities.org.