Riverfront Murals to come to life this Friday

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The murals at the Vicksburg Riverfront will come to life on November 14, 2025, thanks to the efforts of a local group.

Lifting Lives Ministry will present live actors and musicians to portray the subjects of some of the murals. Organizer Nellie Caldwell, who originated the effort to paint the murals in 2001, said, “From the get-go with the murals, I thought it would be so fun for people to see history in the making. Most people don’t know, I learned so much doing them, and I wanted others to know that too. Having fun with them and teaching was always my main thing.”

Volunteer Jerry Jackson will portray a Native American in the effort. “Miss Nellie and I attend church together, and she always asks me. So, whenever we have Vacation Bible School, I play Moses; I’ve played Peter. She has all those different costumes for me. I’ve never, ever turned her down, and it always ends up being fun.”

Behind all the fun is a serious effort to raise money for the homeless in our community.

According to their website, Lifting Lives Ministries serves homeless families of Vicksburg-Warren County and the surrounding region. It continues to raise operational funds for its large Family Shelter facility, which serves 20 homeless families (comprising 110 mothers, fathers, and children). It is the only family shelter in Vicksburg (and this region), and fewer than three are known to exist in Mississippi. 41% of the homeless population is comprised of families with children, all needing shelter. In Mississippi, roughly 21% of families live in poverty, and a report by the National Center on Family Homelessness reveals that Mississippi has one of the highest child homelessness rates.