Take a look at the map of the US. There are the easy states to identify—Florida, Texas, California, Alaska, and Hawaii. And then there’s Mississippi. Which state is Mississippi, you ask? It’s the quiet one. The one you always confuse with Alabama. And the one that—while no one is looking—casts its spell on the entire country. I call it the scary one. Here’s why.
A Little Background
Before diving in, let’s start with the basics.
Mississippi is in the Deep South, bordered to the east by the aforementioned Alabama, to the north by Tennessee, and to the west by Arkansas and Louisiana. To the south lies the Gulf of Mexico.
Initially home to numerous Native American tribes, the land that became Mississippi would exchange hands between colonial powers—Spain, France, and Britain—a few times before eventually becoming the 20th US state in 1817.
Named for the mighty river that largely forms its western border (Mississippi derives from the Ojibwe word for great river), the state is home to about 2.9 million residents, or 0.88 percent of the American population.
The Good
Mississippi, like all US states, brings something to the table.
The state has been the birthplace of some of the finest writers that America has produced, including William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams.
Its contributions to music are equally impressive. Blues is thought to have originated in the Mississippi Delta, and legends such as B.B. King, Elvis Presley, and Jimmy Buffett have their roots in the Magnolia State.
Mississippi was also home to the first African American to serve in either house of the US Congress, that being Hiram Revels, serving from 1870 – 1871.
Throw in its location on the Gulf of Mexico—translating into some very tempting shrimp, oysters, and crayfish (not to mention beaches)—along with the famed Southern hospitality, and there’s plenty to promote.
But before packing your bags and heading to the Hospitality State, it’s worth noting one other thing—there are skeletons in the closet.
Warning: What follows might be construed as disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
The Scary
Mississippi has always done things its own way. A glimpse at the mindset of the state regarding certain issues can be—enlightening. Let’s take a look.
Slavery
Mississippi was part of a group of 11 states (the Confederate States) that seceded from the US during the Civil War, fighting to preserve the slavery that upheld its plantation-based economy. In fact, the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, had previously transplanted to Mississippi.
The Confederate States (whose soldiers were called rebels) ultimately lost the war, and in 1865, a sufficient number of states ratified the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, thereby abolishing slavery.
Mississippi took the loss hard, opting not to ratify the amendment until 1995, filing the paperwork to make their approval official in 2013. As for the Confederate flag, it remained part of the Mississippi state flag until 2020.
Civil rights
When one of Mississippi’s major state universities—affectionately known as Ole Miss—integrated in 1962, US troops were required to contend with the violent (and deadly) protests.
In 1983, the university’s yearbook included images of a Ku Klux Klan march on campus.
And despite a few mascot changes, the university’s sports teams still go by the name Rebels.
Voting rights
In 1964, three volunteers attempting to increase voter registration among African Americans were murdered near Philadelphia, Mississippi, by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The state declined to prosecute the perpetrators for several decades, leaving the federal government to pursue relatively minor charges related to civil rights violations.
A fictionalized account of these events is depicted in the 1988 film Mississippi Burning.
Women’s rights
The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution—the one that gave women the right to vote—was enacted in 1920. Mississippi ratified the amendment in 1984.
In 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned its prior ruling in Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that had provided constitutional protection for the right to terminate pregnancy. The vehicle that allowed the Court to reverse its decision was a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which assessed the constitutionality of a restrictive abortion law in—you guessed it—Mississippi.
Marriage
Mississippians believe in limiting government regulation. For most issues, that is. It wasn’t until 1987 that the state repealed a ban on interracial marriage. And in 2004, it approved a ban on same-sex marriage, eventually overturned by a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that deemed such bans to be unconstitutional.
Education
In one study, Mississippi ranked last among all US states in its support for public education. It has, however, ranked first in the use of corporal punishment in public schools.
Health
If not for West Virginia, Mississippi would have the shortest life expectancy in the US. But not to be outdone, it does have the highest infant mortality and obesity rates.
Employment
Mississippi has the lowest labor force participation rate (53 percent) in the country. It’s therefore no wonder that the state boasts the nation’s lowest per capita personal income. It also follows that its capital city (Jackson) is considered by one measure to be the second most dangerous city in the US.
So which state is Mississippi? It’s the one down South that is fiercely proud of its history. Wouldn’t you be?
