Mississippi Delta
I have to start this by saying I have NEVER seen this much farmland in my life: cotton fields, rice fields, corn fields, catfish ponds, etc, etc, etc. The Mississippi Delta definitely is agricultural country. Along with its agriculture, Miss. is also famous for Blues music. There are so many names beyond the legendary B.B. King associated with the explosion of Blues music in the Delta and fortunately a historic Blues trail is in the works. I grew up watching the movie The Color Purple where Shug Avery used to sing at Harpo’s Jook Joint but never in a million years did it cross my mind that such places still existed. Well, yesterday not only did I find out such a place still exists, I actually got to experience a night at Po Monkey’s Jook Joint in Merigold, MS and I felt like I was in a scene right out of the movie. It is great to see that this place that was historically created to provide some entertainment and escape for black sharecroppers is still thriving and draws in a more integrated, age-varying crowd.
Today was quite a transition from the upbeat, toe-tapping fun experienced at the Jook Joint. We went to Parchman, the maximum security pentitiary in the state of Miss. Let me just say that if the words by Nat King Cole, “straighten up and fly right,” never meant anything to you, they truly will after experiencing a little time at Parchman. I hate comparing reality to movies, but oddly enough the condition for prisoners presented in the movie Life with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence display a pretty good depiction of southern prison life that functions with an on-site agricultural economy. Of course, Murphy and Lawrence got to take a nice shower, change clothes and eat a good meal after filming a few scenes; this “luxury” is definitely not the case for Parchman inmates.