Eyes on Mississippi Fund
Preserving and sharing personal stories that help Mississippi better understand its history and its future.
The Eyes on Mississippi Fund supports the distribution and educational outreach of Eyes on Mississippi, a documentary exploring the life and work of journalist Bill Minor and his coverage of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.
For decades, Minor reported from Mississippi during some of the most pivotal moments in American history, documenting racial violence, political corruption, and the fight for civil rights with uncommon honesty and courage. Through his reporting for the Times-Picayune, The New York Times, and other national publications, Minor helped bring national attention to events unfolding across the state at a time when much local coverage failed to tell the full truth.
Produced by author and documentarian Ellen Ann Fentress, the film examines how journalism, witness, and storytelling shaped public understanding of the Civil Rights Movement and the broader struggle for justice in the South. Drawing from archival footage, interviews, and historical records gathered from across the country, the documentary highlights the lasting impact of truth-telling and the importance of preserving these stories for future generations.
Through the Eyes on Mississippi Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, supporters can help expand access to screenings, educational programming, and outreach connected to the film and its historical legacy.
Journalist Bill Minor is the subject of the documentary Eyes on Mississippi.
“Along with the rest of the country, Mississippi has come to recognize that we can’t thrive in the future while suppressing the past. For Mississippi, that means understanding our racial history most of all. The Admissions Project is about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to grow. It matters to me that this is a project in which we tell our own stories in our own voices. This is no outside helicopter project, but our own home-led story sharing.
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