First, if you have not read Dispatches from Pluto, you need to read that book before this one. I was skeptical of an outsider coming to our state and writing a book about his experiences; however, he does an incredible job of just presenting the complexities of our state. He does not try to give an answer; he does not try to offer a solution. He “experiences” and presents thought-provoking questions and gives, what I think, is an unbiased perspective of Mississippi.
Second, this post is not about my offering solutions or initiating points of debate. This post is about presenting the rhetorical questions and thoughts I had while reading Richard Grant’s newest book. I was born and raised in Mississippi and have lived here my entire life. I have no desire to move from Mississippi. We always seem to be bashed in the news; however, it seems only those who experience our state with an open mind, as Richard Grant does, can truly provide a realistic insight into our history and present-day situations. Nothing is more exhausting than meeting people who have never been to Mississippi who think they are smarter and more insightful into the problems of our state. Please, just stop!
William Faulkner once said, “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” In The Deepest South of All, Grant gives us a glimpse into the strange world of Natchez, Mississippi. He quotes a local resident who states she “didn’t know if Natchez had taken a small box and created an entire world inside it, or looked at a small box and mistaken it for the world.” So… here we go… my thoughts…my reflections…my opinions… (cause, you know, this is my blog).
1) Grant writes about how Mississippians meet for the first time, making connections through family, friends, and places. He states, “They want to know more about each other’s ancestors, and which families they married into. If kinship ties can be established, so much the better. If there was a feud in the past, it could get awkward.” I laughed when I read those sentences. It is absolutely true! My friend and I were in Atlanta waiting to board a plane to NYC. As we were standing in line to board, she saw a guy in front of us with a backpack that said “Whippets.” Since we both were teachers (well, she is retired now), we knew that was the mascot for Kosciusko where she was from originally. She tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he lived there. After introductions and small talk, they both realized that he used to play ball with her oldest son (probably more than thirty years before this encounter). Later, we saw this same guy and his two daughters exiting the Empire State Building the same time we were. We talked as if we had known each other our entire lives. That is truly Mississippi! No matter where you are, a connection will be made!
2) As I am sitting here typing this post, I am watching Hairy Bikers: USA. I love the original British show and had no clue there was a U.S. version. I just happened to be flipping through Pluto TV and came across this show whose episode was on Mississippi, specifically looking at the pork industry. How ironic is that? Anyway, I love pork but never was into pickled pigs’ feet, chitlins, and so on. They showed a diner that served pig ear sandwiches (apparently popular) then cooked/ate chitlins at the historic Ms. Peaches Café in Jackson. I wanted to gag watching how they cook different parts of the pig. I may be Southern, but I do have my limits! Although Grant doesn’t necessarily focus on how history and culture shape food practices (recipes), it is entwined in the book through stories. If you investigate why certain foods are prevalent in certain countries, you will see a correlation between the economy, food, and socioeconomic status. It is a driving factor on regions and regional differences.
Transitioning to some deeper reflections…
3) From the book: “The argument that whites didn’t care about the public schools in Natchez because their children were in private schools obviously had some validity, but it was strongly disputed by some of the white people I talked to. Greg Iles, a liberal Democrat, and John McCullough, a conservative Republican, saw the issue in exactly same way. In McCullough’s summary, ‘Any white person who doesn’t care about the public schools is a fool. The whole future of this town depends on fixing the public schools, so we can stop our population decline and attract new businesses. If we can’t fix the schools, I’m afraid we’re going to lose the town.’” I thought Grant did a great job of detailing the issues with the educational system in Natchez. I personally think it was my favorite chapter just because I am an educator myself. Although he only focused on Natchez, I believe you will find very similar comparisons with many schools across Mississippi. I was astounded at the data he presented for this one school district – 700 staff (including teachers) for a district with around 3400 students (K-12). For those 3400 students, there were 70 administrators (not including principals and assistant principals). The high school, with only 700 students, has four principals and four assistant principals, all making between $50,000 to $82,000. This is very indicative of the educational reforms many are demanding. Across our state, you have very top-heavy districts where money, that should be used in the classrooms, is being diverted to bloated salaries. The basis of the chapter, however, wasn’t entirely about the public school but the division between the public and private schools. I went to school where there was only the public school system. I didn’t think much about private schools until I started teaching in an area where there are numerous private schools. My husband went to a small private school where the local public school was (and still is) atrocious. When I started teaching in the area I am in now (two hours from where I grew up and which is vastly different than how I grew up), I heard lots of opinions about why some of the local schools (Canton, Jackson) are terrible. One being the creation of the private schools; if there were no private schools, then all parents would demand better to help improve the system. One guy I used to teach with talked to me one day about why two of the larger private schools were created. Although he told me this at least ten years ago, Grant reported basically the exact same in this chapter (you will have to read the book to read more details). What I find interesting is this… across the country, you have some who criticize private schools but will turn a blind eye at politicians, PRESIDENTS, and famous people who send their kids to private schools because of the poor public schools. I would even step out and say that those who are critical of the private school system are also the same ones sending kids to private schools. I found it interesting that Greg Iles, a vocal liberal per book, not only was pulled from the Natchez public school and put into private but sent his own kids to private school. My husband had a high school friend who thought their town’s public school would be better if there was no private school yet she made no effort to be a trendsetter and go to the public school. Take it a step further… I wonder how many public-school teachers in Mississippi teach in a certain district so their kids can go to a better school rather than teach in the district they live in? And how many of these teachers are those who are so critical of the parental choice made on education? Isn’t jumping public school districts to give your child a better education no different than the family who chooses to pay private school tuition? Better yet, why aren’t more teachers flocking to these poorly rated schools to change the exact system they would like to see changed? It seems that so many Mississippians want to look at the past as to WHY it is like it is; however, the million-dollar question is “ok…now what?” Where do we go from here? We can sit and talk about how things should have gone differently but that will not resolve the terrible public schools across our state (and country). No amount of money will fix the educational system in our state. The brokenness seen in schools goes beyond money and policies.
4) I didn’t realize many of the Natchez plantations were established by Northerners who wanted part of the booming cotton industry. That is when it hit me! History books (and many Americans today) always want to make the antebellum period as North v South… Southerners were demonic and racist while Northerners were angelic and innocent (how I feel anyway). Today, many still have this viewpoint. If I travel outside of my state and someone asks where I live, they act with a superiority, as if they are so much better than me (and as if they group all of us into what our state was 150 years ago). If you are reading this and not from Mississippi and that statement offends you, look deeper into yourself at your perception of my state. What is left out of this story (for many) is the depravity of man…no one is untouched by sin! If the North had the same climate conditions as the South, the institution of slavery would have been established up North instead of the South. You do not have to like that statement, but it is true. Sin isn’t based on location but resides in the hearts of all (black/white, Northerners/Southerners, farmers/industrialists). The desire for money was the same back then as it is today. By the way, the love (lust) of money is the root of all evil! Think about how many people today will basically “sell their souls” to make money. How many will lie, cheat, and steal to make money, never considering those whom they hurt or offend. It is everywhere! But I digress… in my Mississippi History class in college, the professor shared the following stats: 3% of Mississippians were large planters, 19% owned a few slaves, and everyone else owned 0 slaves. Now, historians will probably have different stats but those are the ones shared with me years ago. That got me thinking…if roughly 80% of the population in Mississippi owned zero slaves, why was history so wrought with pure hate for the black population? I am not posing this question for answers. Every historian (and “want to be” historian) will have their own answers and perspectives. It is, though, something my husband and I talked a lot about. It is something that I think is very difficult to explain but an issue that Grant does an incredible job dissecting as he tries to understand Natchez. I thought about how any human could kill another person based on skin color, but then thought about how Americans turned a blind eye when Hitler killed based on religion (don’t be fooled that we didn’t know…we may not have known the extent, but our nation knew of the persecutions…our nation did the same with Rwanda…not to mention unborn children…the value of life, created in the image of God, is just that – life that should be valued). It is hard to fathom and even more difficult to explain to your children how man can be so evil. I am astounded to even read that reformed churches, Christ-loving, Bible-believing churches barred blacks from worshipping with them. The church’s actions (pre- and post-Civil War and during Civil Rights) is the absolute antithetical of the Christian faith.
There are so many thoughts I reflected on while reading this book. The “eccentricities” of Natchez are astounding! You would think living here my entire life I would have at least heard some of these stories but nope! I love Mississippi ghost stories, so there is no doubt I have heard about the “goat castle” murder Grant shared. I find it rather humorous about the two rival garden clubs. You read these intriguing stories and hope others realize that most of Mississippi was/is not like that! It is similar to when I read The Help. I had never heard of Jackson’s Junior League until I read that book (and I was living in Jackson Metro area at the time…still do). Sadly, my view of the Junior League is quite tarnished because of that book (LOL). Sorry to all my friends who are part of the Junior League. It isn’t personal; just a warped perspective due to The Help. I was amazed that people had “help” to raise kids and clean the house when the women did not work. My family and relatives (and ancestors) would have been the “white trash” as indicated in The Help and in this book. It is rather funny to think about. I digress…again… this was a great read! I liked it more than Dispatches from Pluto (which I loved)! I think it dives into some complex issues that really do not have an easy answer. Grant does an amazing job at presenting information and allowing you to reflect and conclude yourself (although I do disagree with his use of “religious fundamentalists” to describe churchgoers). And as Grant kindly mentions several times, it is HOT and HUMID in the great state of Mississippi, especially as I type this (July 12). So… go buy the book and do some reading because it is way too hot to be outside! Happy Reading!
Oh…did you know that Mississippi is the ONLY state in the nation whose Civil Rights Museum is state-funded?
P.S. Before school starts, I intend to take my daughters to Natchez so we can view some of the places mentioned in the book. I did this several years ago with friends except to the Mississippi Delta places mentioned in Dispatches from Pluto.
Additional Resources:
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (click for link)
Ms Peaches Cafe (below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n58oFCXXhmk&t=7s
Goat Castle murder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o114OZg8PJg&t=26s
