Join Nevada Humanities for a month-long series in June exploring the importance of fostering historical empathy in the classroom and beyond. On June 19, 2025, at 6 pm PT Nevada Humanities Program Manager Kathleen Kuo will stream the Mission US educational game No Turning Back while discussing the game’s historical context and narrative with the audience.
Audience participation is welcome and encouraged. While no account is needed to tune in, we encourage you to create a free Twitch account so you can participate in the chat with us.
Developed by Mission US, in No Turning Back, players step into the role of Verna Baker, a fictional African American teen from the Mississippi Delta. Through Verna’s experiences, the player learns about the challenges of life under segregation in the Jim Crow south and ways Black community members supported each other. Eventually, the player becomes a part of efforts by young people to organize around voter registration efforts. The game focuses on the important role that youth played in bringing about change during the 1960s civil rights movement, and remains very relevant today. The Mission US team worked with various advisors, including historical scholars, former SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) activists, Mississippi community members, experts in social justice pedagogy and youth development, and of course, teachers and students, to develop the game.
About Mission US: Mission US is an award-winning educational media project that immerses young people in transformational moments from U.S. history. Developed for use by middle school students in the classroom and beyond, Mission US is a deeply-researched, award-winning educational media project with proven positive impact on history learning. Interactive narrative games immerse players in rich, historical settings and empower them to make choices that illuminate how ordinary people experienced the past.
Humanities at Play explores and showcases the significance of the humanities in everyday life through games, media, and popular culture. Join us for dynamic and interactive online and in-person events designed to spark thoughtful conversation and reflection. Learn more here.
