"Understanding genealogy has always been important to my family. Many hours were spent during my childhood tracing our family history and understanding our roots. These conversations helped spark my interest in studying the past." When he was a sophomore at Jackson State University, John Dittmer's groundbreaking book Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi (1994) was assigned to him. "Local People deeply influenced how I study and understand the past and how to create meaningful and lasting change."

Morris's primary motivation is educating those who pass through the doors of the Two Mississippi Museums. "I hope visitors come here and gain a different picture of what Mississippi is, the honest story, and the resilience of Mississippi." At the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Morris hopes to share the stories of lesser-known local activists (the business owners, barbers, and beauticians, among others) who risked their lives and livelihoods to change our nation. He says he wants the museum to be "a place where all types of people, from all walks of life, can come together, have hard conversations, and ultimately be equipped and empowered to make this place [Jackson] what they dream it can be."

"The Two Mississippi Museums should be on the to-do list of visitors to Jackson because of the incredible stories that are told inside," Morris says. "I'm always inspired when I learn more about the people, many of them Jacksonians, who chose to challenge segregation during dangerous times. The Museum of Mississippi History is important to visit because it grounds our understanding of Mississippi in the experience of Native Peoples and because it covers so much of the significant cultural contributions of the state to the nation."

Morris invites locals and visitors to experience the Two Mississippi Museums, where he hopes they will see the spaces as "a place to be both teacher and student" and take the opportunity to share and listen. He recalls an experience with a visitor shortly after the museum opened: "A middle schooler named Tyler Pigee-Sessoms pulled me to the side and pulled out an exhibit drawer in the Black Empowerment gallery. He pointed to a photo and asked me if I knew the woman who was depicted. I told him I didn't. Tyler told me it was a picture of his grandmother, Lilian Ross-Pigee, who in 1966 was one of the Black students who bravely integrated the public schools in Grenada amid mob violence. He went on to tell me more amazing things his grandmother did for her community and her family. It was at moment where I began to understand how powerful these museums can be — the museums are spaces where you can see yourself in the exhibits. Inthat moment, young Tyler was the instructor, and I became the fortunate beneficiary of his knowledge."

"What makes Jackson shine for me is the people," Morris notes. "When I think about Jackson, particular individuals come to mind. People who opened their homes to me, people who have poured their wisdom into me, people who are still working for Jackson, my family, my friends."

Morris offers this advice to young people hoping to continue the work of the Civil Rights Movement today: "Place yourself around adults who are currently doing the work." He also suggests fostering relationships with Mississippi Civil Rights Movement veterans and adds, "Learning from their experience is critical to understanding and improving our current conditions."