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B M & T ••• May/June 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 43 JACKSON In Jackson, your experience is grounded in historic stories that continue to shape the present. You can begin at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, then move through the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center and the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Along Farish Street Historic District, the legacy of a once-thriving Black business and entertainment corridor summons the city's cultural identi- ty, while Jackson State University and its Margaret Walker Center add depth through scholarship, archives, and ongoing cultural programming. For meetings and group gatherings, the Jackson Convention Complex anchors downtown with expansive, flexible space, placing you within easy reach of the city's cultural core. Nearby, The Westin Jackson, Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown / King Edward Hotel, and Old Capitol Inn create a walkable base for both business and leisure, while Fairview Inn and The Orchid Bed and Breakfast offer more intimate stays rooted in neighborhood character. Beyond the meeting room, Jackson invites you to explore its neighborhoods at your own pace. In Fondren, music, food, and the arts come together in a walkable district, while Belhaven's historic streets place you near museums, green space, and cul- tural institutions. The Museum Trail connects many of these experiences, offering a natural way to move between them on foot or bike. Dining options include everything from the Big Apple Inn sandwich shop, to Bully's Soul Food Restaurant, to Johnny T's Bistro & Blues, where food, music, and community intersect. Between sessions, you can step into LeFleur's Bluff State Park or Mynelle Gardens for a quiet reset, then return to a city shaped by festivals, literature, music, and movement. Here, meetings become part of a larger cultural experience that stays with you long after you leave. NATCHEZ Natchez unfolds along the Mississippi River, where African American history is experienced step by step through the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture and the city's African American History Trail. You can move through downtown streets where preserved buildings and interpretive stops tell timeless stories, or pause along the bluff as the river sets a slower, steadier pace. As the day shifts, live music draws you into spaces like Smoot's Grocery Lounge or the Under-the-Hill district. Staying at Natchez Grand Hotel keeps you within walking dis- tance of the convention center, while nearby boutique proper- ties allow your group to settle in and experience the city on their own. NORTH CAROLINA A visit to North Carolina is a journey ripe with coastal breezes, historic streets, and living legacies. Along the coast, the Outer Banks and Wilmington offer sunlit beaches and easygo- ing retreats, where family reunions become laughter-filled days and nights by the water. Inland, tradition comes forth. In Greensboro, historical artifacts of the Civil Rights Movement invite quiet reflection, while Durham's Black Wall Street legacy resonates through its entrepreneurial spirit. Raleigh and Charlotte pair cultural institutions, HBCU traditions, and dynamic arts scenes with polished convention spaces, walkable districts, and vibrant dining. Across the state, you'll find heritage tours that lead into live music, museum visits that spill into late-night conversations, and outdoor escapes from the Blue Ridge Mountains to urban greenways. Whether you're planning a meeting, gathering the family, or simply seeking a place that welcomes you fully, North Carolina invites you to engage, explore, and continue your adventure throughout the state. CHARLOTTE Charlotte has everything you need to stage a great meeting. In Uptown, your agenda takes place within a compact, walka- ble core where the Charlotte Convention Center anchors a dis- trict of connected experiences. Attendees move easily from ses- sions to shared meals, from polished meeting rooms to the cul- tural pulse of the city, with hotels like The Westin Charlotte, Hilton Charlotte Uptown, Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown, JW Marriott Charlotte and Omni Charlotte Hotel keeping your group close to everything that matters. Jackson Convention Complex Natchez Conv ention Center