The Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum and Cultural Center of African and African American History was established to inspire, enlighten, and enrich the lives of people everywhere. We invite you to participate and enjoy our upcoming events and programs.
2025 Ida B. Wells-Barnett Birthday Celebration
The Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum is hosting its annual Ida B. Wells Birthday Celebration on July 11-12, 2025. It will mark the 163rd anniversary of Mrs. Wells-Barnett’s birth in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1862.
On Saturday, July 12, the museum’s annual fundraising gala will feature keynote speaker David Duster.
Duster is a financial professional with over 25 years of experience in banking, finance, mortgages, and insurance. After graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, he started his career as a runner on the trading floor of the Mercantile Exchange specializing in currency and financial commodities, before working his way up to an arbitrage clerk, then assistant to one of the top traders. He went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting and Finance from the Keller School of Management in Chicago.
He is deeply committed to the financial growth of the Black community and has conducted numerous workshops on credit repair and developed plans for hundreds of people to buy their first homes. He taught classes in home buying, real estate investment, and credit repair at several Chicago community colleges.
In recent years he has focused on entrepreneurial pursuits in the transportation industry. In addition, he is the treasurer of the Ida B. Wells Memorial Foundation. He is a native Chicagoan, an avid reader, and enjoys domestic and international travel to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Europe.
The gala will be held at 7 p.m. at the Eddie Lee Smith Center located at 235 N. Memphis Street in Holly Springs.
Gala Tickets
Tickets to the gala are $50 and include a one-year individual museum membership. Order tickets below via PayPal or by phone at (662) 579-5747. Purchased tickets can be picked up at the event.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Please consider supporting the Ida B. Wells-Bartnett Museum as a gala sponsor. There are several options.
| Friend $250 | Family $500 | Trailblazer $750 | Crusader for Justice $1,000 | |
| Gala tickets | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Ad in gala program | Quarter-page | Half-page | Full-page | Full-page |
| Slideshow of sponsors during event | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Verbal recognition at event | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
| Logo/name on poster at event venue | ✔️ |
If you would like to sponsor the event, complete the form below.
After submitting the sponsorship form, you may either mail a check to the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum, 220 North Randolph Street, Holly Springs, MS 38635, or click the PayPal donate button after selecting your sponsorship level. The deadline is June 30, 2024.
Gala Program Ad
If you would like to support the museum through the purchase of a gala program ad, complete the form below.
After submitting the ad form, you may either mail a check to the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum, 220 North Randolph Street, Holly Springs, MS 38635, or click the “Buy Now” button after selecting the ad size. The deadline is June 30, 2025.