The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola will receive $25,000 from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA) to support a youth leadership program designed to connect Sunflower County students with the region’s history, culture and community development.
The award is part of the MDNHA’s fall 2025 cultural heritage grant cycle, which provided $231,000 in total funding to 14 organizations across the Delta. Support for the program comes through the National Park Service and the Mississippi Development Authority.
The B.B. King Museum’s Bridge Building Ambassadors Youth Leadership Program engages local high school students through workshops, leadership training and community service projects rooted in Delta heritage. The program also offers internships and cultural education opportunities on topics such as Mississippi’s music legacy and the life of B.B. King.
“Supporting these festivals and projects helps stimulate community-based cultural heritage tourism across the Mississippi Delta and promotes local pride of place and economic activity,” said Stephanie Patton, MDNHA board chair.
Other grant recipients included organizations in Cleveland, Greenville, Yazoo City, Lexington, Vicksburg and other Delta communities, with projects ranging from heritage festivals to historic preservation and digital storytelling initiatives.
The MDNHA, established by Congress in 2009, covers 18 Delta counties including Sunflower, Leflore, Bolivar, and Washington. The heritage area promotes preservation, cultural education, and economic development tied to the history and traditions of the Delta.
For more information about the MDNHA or its grant programs, visit www.msdeltaheritage.com or contact Interim Executive Director Dr. Christy Riddle at criddle@deltastate.edu.
