Unit 6: Mississippi 1945-present

1. Unit 6: Mississippi 1945-present Chapter 9: Mississippi in the Postwar Period

2. The Dixiecrat Revolt • Theodore Bilbo was denied Senate seat for inciting violence by persuading blacks not to vote • During the investigation he died of cancer, and John Stennis replaced Bilbo • 1946, Fielding Wright became governor he opposed civil rights • Civil Rights—Basic rights of citizens such as free speech, the right to vote, privacy, and property ownership

3. Dixiecrats • The democrats adopted civil rights as their party platform, southern democrats walked out and formed their own party and candidates for president • Dixiecrats—State’s Rights Party that adopted the Confederate battle flag and song “Dixie” as symbols of their resistance to the civil rights movement • Later they joined republicans, since democrats favored integration

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5. Segregation and Integration • In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court had issued a ruling in Plessyv. Fergusonthat established the separate-but-equal principal—this allowed states to pass laws to segregate public facilities • Integration—the process of bringing different groups (races) into society as equals • In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Educationthat separate-but-equal was unconstitutional (illegal) • In 1955, Brown II case ordered schools to be integrated with “all deliberate speed”

6. White Resistance • Robert B. Patterson founded the White Citizen’s Council to support segregation • Interposition—placing the state’s rights above those of the federal government, allowed the state to refuse to obey unpopular court decisions

7. Emmett Till • A black teenager from Chicago, visiting family in Miss. • He allegedly “wolf whistled” at a white woman at a store • Two white men kidnapped him, beat him, killed him, and threw his body in the Tallahatchie River • The two men were acquitted, though they later admitted guilt • This event painted a poor picture of Miss. and its white citizens

8. Top left: Emmett Till’s body at his open casket funeral Bottom left: Bryant family, Rob Bryant, on trial for the murder, wife who Emmett allegedly whistled at Bottom right: Rob Bryant and J.W. Milam, Emmett Till’s murderers

9. Emmett Till Video

10. Crisis at • James Meredith—received permission to enroll at Ole Miss as the first black student with the support of the NAACP • Miss. governor Ross Barnett created the crisis when attempted to keep Meredith from enrolling • Frank E. Smith—the only white Miss. leader who condemned Barnett’s actions

11. Medgar Evers • Leader of the Miss. NAACP • Assassinated in his carport by Byron de La Beckwith, a self-proclaimed white supremacist • Both trials ended in a hung jury, meaning that they could not reach a verdict, so he was released • In 1994 Beckwith was retried and convicted of the murder of Medgar Evers

12. The Civil Rights Movement • Worked to end segregation and register blacks to vote • The SNCC concentrated on voter registration • Tougaloo College students conducted protests and sit-ins—demonstrations where people enter a public facility and refuse to leave • Freedom Summer of 1964, thousands of white students traveled to Miss. to conduct schools for black children and help black citizens register to vote

13. Freedom Summer of 1964 • Two white students, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwener, and a black student, James Chaney were traveling through Neshoba County and were arrested, released, abducted, then murdered and buried • Most white Mississippians did not support such violence, but they did not support the civil rights movement • Churches dismissed pastors who preached moderation

14. The End of Segregation • Fannie Lou Hamer • Helped found the Freedom Democratic Party (FDP), an integrated group that claimed to represent national Democratic values in the state • Segregation legally ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Even though schools were integrated peacefully, some whites developed segregated private schools

15. Voting Rights Act, 1965 • Sent federal registrars into Mississippi and other southern states to register black voters • Most of Mississippi schools integrated peacefully in the 1970s • Segregated private schools developed for those whites unwilling to accept integration—this was called “white flight”

16. Political Change • Robert Clark—the first black representative since Reconstruction • Cliff Finch—governor that brought blacks and whites into a united Democratic party • William Winter—governor who brought blacks and whites together in an inaugural symposium • Kirk Fordice—First Republican governor since Reconstruction • Ronnie Musgrove—governor who dealt with the divisive issue of changing the state flag

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19. Economic Change • Agriculture • Became mechanized which decreased the number of farmers in the state • Farm population in 1940 was 500,000, in 1980 it was 50,000, in 2000 it was 43,000 • Cotton is still MS largest crop, though soybean, cattle, and chicken industries are large as well • Delta and Pine Land (D&PL)—the largest plantation, now focuses on research and seed production

20. Economic Change • Catfish Industry • MS leads in catfish production • Lumber Industry • In 2001, 61% of MS land was in commercial forests • MS has more tree farms than any other state • This is am important asset of MS • Industrial development • From 1965 to the present, more MS have earned their living in industry than in farming • MS has developed high-technology industries such as Peavey in Meridian, which produces some of the best sound systems

21. Economic Change • Furniture Industry • Tupelo hosts one of the nations major furniture markets • Buyers meet there to supply stores across the nation • Ingalls shipbuilding • This is MS largest industrial employer • Oil Production • In 1996 MS ranked 12th in the nation in oil production

22. Mississippi’s Economy • Transfer payments—income payments for which no goods or services are exchanged, Miss. largest source of income • Miss. still remains the poorest state • Median incomes per year • 1949: white: $1,236; black: $439 • 1979: white: $14,786; black: $7,417 • 2001: Miss: $30,161; South: $38,904; USA: $42,228 • In 2001, 20% of all families in Miss. were living below the poverty line

23. Hurricane Katrina • The worst hurricane in Miss. history

24. Unit 6: Mississippi 1945-present Chapter 10: Population and Urban Growth Chapter 11: Economic Activities and the Environment

25. Population Terms • Rural—population of less than 2,500 • Urban—over 2,500 • Suburbs—spillover areas where people live outside the legal limits of an incorporated city, developed after World War II • Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)—urban areas combined with one or more counties • Central Business District (CBD) • Few people live here, buildings are taller and closer together, the price of land is higher

26. Mississippi’s Population • Population Growth/Decline Factors • Births • Deaths • Net migration—people leaving and moving into area • 2000; 2,844,650—31st in the U.S. • 82 counties in Miss.

27. Other Population Facts • 22.4% of Miss. is rural • Most populous county—Hinds County • Desoto county has shown the most population growth • Counties in the Memphis Sphere Area: Desoto, Marshall, Lafayette, and Panola • In 2000, largest number of African Americans lived in Harrison County • In 1860 African Americans made up the largest percentage of Miss. population, now the largest ethnic group, besides whites, is African Americans • Hispanics are the newest group of immigrants settling in Miss. • Largest community of Choctaw in Miss. are located in Pearl River • The largest religious denomination is Baptist

28. Economic Activities • Agribusiness—or primary sector, extracts resources directly from the earth • Agriculture • Forestry • 57 counties in Miss. have more than ½ their land in forests • Mining • These types of industry employs the fewest workers in Miss. • Manufacturing—or secondary sector, receive and process the products of agribusiness/primary sector and change them into consumer goods • Largest manufacturing company in Miss. is Ingalls Shipbuilding • Services—made up of 3 sectors in which businesses provide and distribute a variety of goods, services, and information • 65% of workers in Miss. are in this sector