RAMP 42nd Annual Conference
Feb 6 - 8, 2025
Jackson, MS
Continuing To Challenge The Weaponization Of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
RAMP Is Coming To Jackson!
Jackson, The City With Soul, is the capital of and the most populous city in the state of Mississippi. From the proud legacy of Medgar Evans to the powerful present-day Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the history of the movement is in Jackson. Embrace the soulful beat and immerse yourself in the rhythmic charm of Jackson, as you explore the city’s musical heritage and vibrant experiences.
Jackson’s vast culinary offerings, music, literature and art, museums, and historical sites - many of which help shape the culture of the United States - are only a few reflections of the soul of Jacksonians. Downtown Jackson is where government buildings, museums, and historic architecture collide in the heart of the capital city, resulting in a growing residential and public art scene. Six (6) state-of-the-art museums exist only a few blocks from each other, including the Mississippi Museum of Art, which hosts visiting exhibitions, a permanent collection, and an outdoor garden that's open to the public, the Mississippi Children's Museum, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Old Capital Museum. At the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History, rotating exhibits on the rich history of the state and the Civil Rights Movement are on full display. Be sure to stop into notable Chef Nick Wallace's Nissan Cafe in the lobby for a taste of the South with a twist. Other notable locations are the Mississippi Coliseum and the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of the Jackson State Tigers football team.
The Mississippi State Capitol - a Beaux Arts, classical revival masterpiece - is worth a visit, as is the exterior of the "Old Capitol". Next door, pay a solemn tribute to the fallen at the War Memorial Building. Researching your roots? Visit the William Winter Archives Building, the second-oldest state archives department in the country. Other notable architectural sites are located downtown.
On downtown's Farish Street, take a tour through the Historic Farish Street District, which has been known as the Black community's cultural and business center since the 1970s. Celebrated sites include The Alamo Theatre and the Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, the first museum dedicated to the African-American experience in Mississippi. Get a famous pig ear slider (it's good!) at the Big Apple Inn or Southwestern egg rolls at Johnny T's Bistro & Blues.
If you're wanting to take in the city on foot, there are several listed walkable tours, including ones for Historical Markers, the Mississippi Blues Trail & Freedom Trail and Public Art spots (downtown's canvas is one of the city's hotspots for murals - and painted traffic signal boxes)!
A hub of culinary talent, you can find forty restaurants and nightlife spots to explore, ranging from Southern cuisine to ethnic menus and much more. Swing by the Mayflower Café, Hal & Mal’s, or Martin's Downtown for a taste of authentic Jackson fare. Thimble press churns out artistic letterpress favorites for the table, home, and office. If you're looking for after-hours drinks or networking space, 4th Avenue Lounge JXN is an upscale cocktail lounge and event venue that provides guests with first-class service.
Jackson is home to many notable colleges and universities including Jackson State University (JSU the host institution for the 42nd RAMP Annual Conference. The institution, founded in 1877, is a HBCU. Its nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change their lives through teaching, research, and service. Officially designated as Mississippi's Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiatives. The only public university in the metropolitan area, Jackson State's main campus is located near downtown. With 10,000 students, Jackson State is the fourth-largest institution of higher learning in Mississippi and fourth-largest HBCU in the nation. JSU offers more than ninety bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral degree programs through traditional and online course offerings. JSU is accredited by the Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is designated as a "Higher Research Activity" by The Carnegie Classification.
Other colleges/universities in the Jackson area include Tugaloo College, Millsaps College, and Belhaven College. Other higher education institutions in the state include Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Coahoma Community College, Rust College, William Cary University, Mississippi State University, and University of Southern Mississippi.
Jackson’s vast culinary offerings, music, literature and art, museums, and historical sites - many of which help shape the culture of the United States - are only a few reflections of the soul of Jacksonians. Downtown Jackson is where government buildings, museums, and historic architecture collide in the heart of the capital city, resulting in a growing residential and public art scene. Six (6) state-of-the-art museums exist only a few blocks from each other, including the Mississippi Museum of Art, which hosts visiting exhibitions, a permanent collection, and an outdoor garden that's open to the public, the Mississippi Children's Museum, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Old Capital Museum. At the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History, rotating exhibits on the rich history of the state and the Civil Rights Movement are on full display. Be sure to stop into notable Chef Nick Wallace's Nissan Cafe in the lobby for a taste of the South with a twist. Other notable locations are the Mississippi Coliseum and the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of the Jackson State Tigers football team.
The Mississippi State Capitol - a Beaux Arts, classical revival masterpiece - is worth a visit, as is the exterior of the "Old Capitol". Next door, pay a solemn tribute to the fallen at the War Memorial Building. Researching your roots? Visit the William Winter Archives Building, the second-oldest state archives department in the country. Other notable architectural sites are located downtown.
On downtown's Farish Street, take a tour through the Historic Farish Street District, which has been known as the Black community's cultural and business center since the 1970s. Celebrated sites include The Alamo Theatre and the Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, the first museum dedicated to the African-American experience in Mississippi. Get a famous pig ear slider (it's good!) at the Big Apple Inn or Southwestern egg rolls at Johnny T's Bistro & Blues.
If you're wanting to take in the city on foot, there are several listed walkable tours, including ones for Historical Markers, the Mississippi Blues Trail & Freedom Trail and Public Art spots (downtown's canvas is one of the city's hotspots for murals - and painted traffic signal boxes)!
A hub of culinary talent, you can find forty restaurants and nightlife spots to explore, ranging from Southern cuisine to ethnic menus and much more. Swing by the Mayflower Café, Hal & Mal’s, or Martin's Downtown for a taste of authentic Jackson fare. Thimble press churns out artistic letterpress favorites for the table, home, and office. If you're looking for after-hours drinks or networking space, 4th Avenue Lounge JXN is an upscale cocktail lounge and event venue that provides guests with first-class service.
Jackson is home to many notable colleges and universities including Jackson State University (JSU the host institution for the 42nd RAMP Annual Conference. The institution, founded in 1877, is a HBCU. Its nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change their lives through teaching, research, and service. Officially designated as Mississippi's Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiatives. The only public university in the metropolitan area, Jackson State's main campus is located near downtown. With 10,000 students, Jackson State is the fourth-largest institution of higher learning in Mississippi and fourth-largest HBCU in the nation. JSU offers more than ninety bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral degree programs through traditional and online course offerings. JSU is accredited by the Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is designated as a "Higher Research Activity" by The Carnegie Classification.
Other colleges/universities in the Jackson area include Tugaloo College, Millsaps College, and Belhaven College. Other higher education institutions in the state include Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Coahoma Community College, Rust College, William Cary University, Mississippi State University, and University of Southern Mississippi.
Hotel and Travel
The 42nd RAMP Annual Conference will be held at The Hilton Jackson Hotel,
1001 East County Line Road, Jackson, Mississippi, 39211.
1001 East County Line Road, Jackson, Mississippi, 39211.
Featured amenities include complimentary wired internet access, 24-hour fitness center, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. The hotel has 19154 square feet (1779 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and seventeen meeting rooms. Free self-parking is available onsite.
Make yourself at home in one of the 276 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and MP3 docking stations. Your pillowtop bed comes with premium bedding, flat-screen televisions with cable programming, and complimentary wireless internet access. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
The hotel is off I-55 and Highway 51, in Jackson's business district. A variety of shops and restaurants are within a half mile, and the hotel is nine miles from downtown Jackson. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum are less than 15 minutes away. The Hilton Jackson Hotel is within a 10-minute drive of Mississippi Crafts Center and Mississippi Trade Mart. This hotel is 7.8 mi from Mississippi Coliseum and 8.1 mi from Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Make yourself at home in one of the 276 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and MP3 docking stations. Your pillowtop bed comes with premium bedding, flat-screen televisions with cable programming, and complimentary wireless internet access. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
The hotel is off I-55 and Highway 51, in Jackson's business district. A variety of shops and restaurants are within a half mile, and the hotel is nine miles from downtown Jackson. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum are less than 15 minutes away. The Hilton Jackson Hotel is within a 10-minute drive of Mississippi Crafts Center and Mississippi Trade Mart. This hotel is 7.8 mi from Mississippi Coliseum and 8.1 mi from Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Conference Hotel Room Rate
The 42nd RAMP Annual Conference guest room rate is $129.00 for a king/queen bed plus tax, per night. The rate includes in-room Wi-Fi. The hotel will honor this rate one (1) day before and after the conference dates.
To ensure you receive the conference special room rate, reservations must be received at the hotel on or before Thursday, January 23, 2025. After this date, any reservations shall be on an availability basis and at the hotel’s then current available rate. Individual reservations can be made online by accessing RAMP’s personalized web page on the hotel website via this link:
https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=JANJHHF&groupCode=RAMP25&arrivaldate=2025-02-05&departuredate=2025-02-09&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
In addition, RAMP participants may contact the hotel directly at 601-957-2800 and reference the code RAMP25. Upon booking, you will need to provide your own major credit card for guarantee. If you need special accommodation, be sure to request it when making the reservation.
Please Note: After Thursday, January 23, 2025, the RAMP room rate will no longer be available.
To ensure you receive the conference special room rate, reservations must be received at the hotel on or before Thursday, January 23, 2025. After this date, any reservations shall be on an availability basis and at the hotel’s then current available rate. Individual reservations can be made online by accessing RAMP’s personalized web page on the hotel website via this link:
https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=JANJHHF&groupCode=RAMP25&arrivaldate=2025-02-05&departuredate=2025-02-09&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
In addition, RAMP participants may contact the hotel directly at 601-957-2800 and reference the code RAMP25. Upon booking, you will need to provide your own major credit card for guarantee. If you need special accommodation, be sure to request it when making the reservation.
Please Note: After Thursday, January 23, 2025, the RAMP room rate will no longer be available.
Transportation
The Hilton Jackson Hotel is located twelve miles from the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport city. Taxis, shuttles, Uber, Lyft, and car rental services are available at the airport.
Hotel Parking
Complimentary self-parking is available at the hotel.
Hotel Parking
Complimentary self-parking is available at the hotel.
