The “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” exhibit opens to the public on Saturday at the Catfish Row Museum.

The traveling Smithsonian exhibit will feature artifacts and documents from the history of Americans’ fight to make democracy available to everyone.

In conjunction with the exhibit, The Vicksburg Post will feature a series of articles that focus on the stories of local residents who will be coming to the exhibit to share their experiences with museum-goers of the struggle to make democracy more available in the region.

Linda Fondren is the Executive Director of the museum.

“One of the things I appreciate about this Exhibit is to stand back and say ‘YES’; that is what this democracy is about. We have a voice,” she said. “We have different ways of approaching the same things. Things like being able to have health and prosperity for our families, being able to worship, the ability to have choices and the ability to continue to grow.”

The first of these articles will be published in The Vicksburg Post soon after the exhibit’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 22 at the Catfish Row Museum.

Those interested in sharing their stories as part of this series can contact Vicksburg Post Reporter Ben Martin at ben.martin@vicksburgpost.com to be featured.