Mississippi

Perhaps like no other state, Mississippi represents the Deep South and whatever negativity it has come to represent. Here is a place where slaves toiled in cotton fields, where the Civil War held some of its bloodiest battles. This is the place where some of the ugliest violence sent blows to the Civil Rights Movement, where much of the population lives below the poverty level. It is a place that throbs and moans to a different beat; it's the birthplace of the Blues — arguably the root of all American music — and the birthplace of Elvis, B.B. King, Oprah Winfrey and literary greats like Eudora Welty and William Faulkner. It is a state that ...

Perhaps like no other state, Mississippi represents the Deep South and whatever negativity it has come to represent. Here is a place where slaves toiled in cotton fields, where the Civil War held some of its bloodiest battles. This is the place where some of the ugliest violence sent blows to the Civil Rights Movement, where much of the population lives below the poverty level. It is a place that throbs and moans to a different beat; it's the birthplace of the Blues — arguably the root of all American music — and the birthplace of Elvis, B.B. King, Oprah Winfrey and literary greats like Eudora Welty and William Faulkner. It is a state that struggles for a new mindset, a place trying to create a gentler, happier history. Mississippi has several worthwhile attractions including Oxford, a sophisticated literary town; the Mississippi Delta, where many Blues legends started wailing and never stopped; the Gulf Coast, where casinos and shrimp boats line the white sand beaches.

About the Expert

Debra Landau has written eight Lonely Planet guidebooks, including books on the USA, Caribbean, and the South.