Why is it about racism... - Mississippi Burning (1989) Discussion

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 10 years ago

I made the same complaint myself years ago. It's just Mississippi is an otherwise boring and miserable state. Imagine an action, sci-fi movie, comedy, or suburban kids movie being filmed in Jackson or Biloxi. Exactly! Well okay, Biloxi Blues, then!

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[–] Marcadimus 9 years ago

What do people go to Mississippi for? I am from California, currently in Colorado and have lived in a few other States. I have never heard of a single reason why anyone would want to go there. No sports teams, no monuments, no great crop, terrible hot and humid weather. I am not saying there is nothing there to do, i just haven't heard of anything. But I sure have heard how they cling to racism down there.

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[–] sonofbeach-sheet 9 years ago

Mississippi has never been an immigrant state, as most of the lower south with the exception of Georgia. Most of the folks living there today are descended from English, Scotch-Irish, and black slaves that came there in the 1800's from southern states east of there.

My mother lived in Yazoo City in the early 1950's and hated the place. I grew up in Texas and never found a reason to go there. Just like you said above. And no real scenery, either, just pine forest and prairie.

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[–] CapitanHowie 9 years ago

Up until about 10 years ago- it was as if a wall was around that state. They did what they wanted and they preserved their "way of life". In a way some still do.

African-American children didn't even go to school when white children did- they started 2 months later- after the cotton crop came in. They worked in the fields.

They also have had several big cases of stomach-turning murders and crimes based in racism that nothing was done about.

Let's not forget- the ONLY reason the FBI was down there for this case was because 2 of the kids were White. If they had all been Black- there would'nt have even been a local investigation- let alone FBI guys.

~~~
I've never met a racist person, just a scared and uneducated person.
~~~

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[–] rgibson-20 8 years ago

All of you are quite ignorant and (ironically) bigoted.

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[–] Angie_MJ 8 years ago

I think some of the most aggregious and historical crimes came from Mississippi but it does not mean that was the only place. Also, as some have pointed out, the deep segregation and racial divide appeared to last longer. But as someone who lives in a northern state, I would say Mississippi just said out loud what Midwesterners, northerners, and coastal areas are thinking or pretend to not know better acting on. Most, if not all, major cities are completely segregated by race and then class. After nationwide integration, white flight ensued and today most black students to go underperforming all black schools - so they still aren't integrated or equal in resources and performance. The Mississippi of today is a far cry from the Mississippi of the 1960s but racism is systemic and skews education, employment, housing, etc opportunities nationally TODAY. Using Mississippi as an example of what blatant racism is allows our country to deflect its ongoing role in current racist policies and send the message to citizens who aren't on the receiving end that we thereforedon't have the problems we do - until Obama came along, because everything is his fault.

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