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 6:00 pm PT Nevada Humanities Program Manager Kathleen Kuo and and public historian John Spann (Mississippi Humanities Council) 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.
John Spann has worked in public history and the humanities for over 10 years. He served on the inaugural staff of the Two Mississippi Museums as the curator of education and programming from 2017 until 2021. Spann is currently the program and outreach officer for the Mississippi Humanities Council. In that role, he oversees and develops council-conducted programs, and manages grants and grantees of the MHC. He currently manages programs that build community and uplift Mississippi’s History. One of those programs being the Mississippi Freedom Trail, which is a system of historical markers that honors Mississippi’s Civil Rights history. In addition, he cultivates partnerships with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community groups to guide grant applications. He is a proud Mississippian, a member of the Rho Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated where he serves on the executive board. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Mississippi, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and the Mississippi Historical Society. Spann also serves on the community advisory board for the Mississippi Museum of Art, The New Stage Board of Trustees, and is the current President of the Alumni Board of Directors for St. Andrews Episcopal School of Mississippi.
