Mississippi

Civil Rights Battleground

During the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Mississippi, with its long history of racial discrimination, was the site of numerous protests and racially motivated acts of violence. Despite a 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, some white Mississippians resisted desegregation. It wasn't until 1962, following deadly rioting by a white mob, that James Meredith (1933-) became the first black student admitted to the University of Mississippi.

The following year, Medgar Evers (1925-63), Mississippi's first field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a prominent civil rights organization, was killed outside his home in Jackson by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group.

In June 1964, three civil rights workers--one black and two white--were murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, by a group of Ku Klux Klansmen. The three young activists were in the area as part of the 1964 Freedom Summer campaign, whose primary objective was to increase African-American voter registration in the South. (At the time, Mississippi had the lowest percentage of registered black voters in the country, and blacks were routinely subjected to unfair practices such as poll taxes and literacy tests, as well as violence, in an effort to prevent them from voting.) The murders of the civil rights workers sparked national outrage and raised awareness of (and support for) the civil rights movement. President Lyndon Johnson (1908-73) ordered an investigation by the FBI, and anger over the crime helped fuel demand for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory practices used to suppress the voting rights of African Americans.

Modern Mississippi

In early 21st century, Mississippi continues to face economic challenges and rank among the poorest states in America. Agriculture still plays a key role in Mississippi's economy and although cotton is no longer king, it remains a top crop, along with soybeans, corn, catfish and rice. Broiler chickens, forestry products and petroleum also contribute to the economy.

Another important industry in Mississippi, nicknamed the Magnolia State, is tourism. Popular attractions include the state's Gulf Coast and Mississippi River gambling casinos, as well as its antebellum mansions and Civil War sites. Visitors also flock to destinations related to the state's rich cultural history. The Mississippi Delta is known as the birthplace of blues music, while singer Elvis Presley (1935-77) was born and raised (until he was a teen) in Tupelo, Mississippi. Award-winning writers William Faulkner (1897-1962), Eudora Welty (1909-2001) and Tennessee Williams (1911-83) all hailed from the state and their former homes are now open to the public.