Today had to be the longest day but I think that it was worth it in the end. We took a tour of the delta. First we went to the Delta University where we introduced to a resident and also a professor of the town. He took us on a guided tour of the city and the whole time we were on the tour I was looking out the window and thinking to myself that the state of Mississippi looks just like it looked in the 1940s. I understand that the people of Mississippi are trying to hold to the tradition of the state and or maybe even trying to find their identity because has been betrayed as share cropping and agriculture. Clearly that is not what the people of Mississippi think they are all about. Everybody we encountered today talked about the finding and the home land of the Blue’s. The people of Mississippi feel like there finding of the blues was mistaken not to be the homeland of the blues. The people in Chicago think they are the finders of the blues but the people in delta Mississippi think other wise and they had evidence that supported they were the homeland of the blues. While that was interesting to me, the highlight of my day was when we went to the senator’s restaurant and ate farmed raised cat fish.

Today we went to Parchman Prison, which is apparently one of the most notorious prisons in the entire United States.  I’m not going to talk about the experience there just yet, but I’ve been thinking about a comment one of the inmates made.  He said something along the lines of “Just because someone smiles in your face doesn’t mean he’s your friend.”  I thought that was a very insightful comment and SO true.  He meant that in the context of the prison system, but it definitely transcends into life outside the prison.

Anyway with all that said I’m going to talk a little about the experiences of the last few days, because I haven’t had a chance to write much.  I don’t have anything more to say about New Orleans.  Everything I felt before about it I still feel now.  After we left New Orleans we traveled to Cleveland, MS.  We were supposed to watch the film “Lalee’s Kin” on the bus ride and had different student reports on topics pertinent to the Mississippi Delta (which is where we were headed).  We ended up watching a different video instead.  When we arrived in Cleveland we were greeted by an enormous mass of mosquitoes.  That is definitely NOT my idea of a good time.  I was a little skeptical of the hotel after the mosquitoes followed us inside and were joined by ants, but hey I guess its all part of the Delta experience.

We didn’t have any assignments for the night, but a small group of us ended up talking to the girl who worked at the front desk of the hotel.  She was from a town over called Shaw.  She had lived there all her life and told us “It’s a small town with a BIG welcome.”  It was really nice to talk to someone from the area of the classroom context.  Katie and I didn’t tell her about the class (at least I don’t think we did), but she brought up the poverty in the area.  She said that Mississippi is a poor state, but they are rich in soil! She told us about all the crops in the area and explained that’s how Mississippi makes the money it makes.  It may not be a lot, but there’s a lot more in the culture of the state and that makes it worth living there.  She said she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.  She went to Shaw High School, which we actually drove by/talked about the next day.  Based on the discussion of her school I came to a realization….although I’m not sure if I can really make this generalization.  She got nearly a 4.0 GPA, and she talked about things she would like to do and said architecture was something she was interested in.  The “ch” in architecture was pronounced.  I know that doesn’t prove anything, its just something interesting to think about.  She also said that very few people in the area go to college.  She seemed like she was interested in continuing her education, but didn’t know how to pursue it.  She had never had that motivation in her life.

The second day we were in Cleveland was a very long day.  We started the day bright and early at 7:45am with a talk at Delta State University.  We spent the majority of the day traveling around the area learning about the culture, specifically the music! I LOVED the music.  We got to experience it live last night at Po’ Monkeys, which is a modern day juke (or jook) joint.  Dr. Rosenburg gave us more insight into the history of blues music, while we had dinner with one of the state senators at his restaurant.  He made catfish for us. Yes, HE actually fried the catfish and it was amazing.

As we traveled around the area, we encountered some pretty deep things, such as seeing the place where Emmett Till whistled at a white woman which lead to his death.  It disgusts me that things like that actually happened.  I don’t even know how to comprehend that kind of unwarranted hatred and ignorance.  So, we certainly had a mix of experiences yesterday, but overall it was a nice change of pace and got me out of the funk I was in a little bit.  Everything we’ve been seeing and learning about is a lot to take in.

Monday marked the day I count as the most itinerary intensive one of the trip. We met up with Dr. Luther Brown at Delta State University and he spent the day (and evening) escorting us all over the region. Dr. Brown is with the Delta Center for Culture and Learning. I agree with Kendra, the farmland is endless. The little towns, for me, were most easily recognized by the water towers that proclaimed their name.

Over the course of the day, we went to so many different destinations, each with its own unique story, that I felt like we had created the squares for a patchwork quilt. Lots of pieces, not yet sewn together in my mind - Mound Bayou, Po’ Monkey, Shaw, catfish farms, Charley Patton, Blues Heritage Trail, Indianola, Cleveland, Greenwood, Baptist Town, Yazoo River, Viking, Emmet Till, Robert Johnson, and on…..It was too much for me to assimilate all in one day. I hope to be able to go back after I get home and research many of the towns, topics and people more so that I can gain a better understanding of how it all fits together.

The most striking contrast for me today was the one between Baptist Town and the Viking Range Corporation’s vision for Greenwood. Two worlds at the opposite ends of the spectrum, only a short distance away from each other. It’s hard to fathom how the town can reconcile having a corporation build an opulent tourist/business destination while there is such poverty a stone’s throw away. That’s not to say I think it’s a bad idea to try to create a new image to bring people back to downtown Greenwood, but surely that could be accomplished in a less ostentatious way that would include a plan to address the poverty? It couldn’t be that Baptist Town prefers to remain in its current state?

Alluvian Hotel

Hoover’s Grocery in Baptist Town

We got a full dose of southern country cooking today with the highlights being Kool Aid Pickles (not as good as they look) at Hoover’s and fried catfish at The Senator’s Place.

By the time we finished dinner, we had 45 minutes to go back to the hotel and get “all gussied up” to go to the famous Jook Joint, Po’ Monkey’s. We had been treated to meeting Mr. Monkey earlier in the day when we drove by his place. I know others will give better accounts of the evening than I can. But for those who know me, I’ll just say I never imagined this picture: Two librarians (Lynn and me), listening to great live blues music, sipping beer in a Mississippi Jook Joint on a Monday evening.

An event filled day, to say the least.

Wow. There really are no words to describe our night out at Po’ Monkey’s last night. William “Po’ Monkey” Seeberry’s home, which is better known to blues enthusiasts as Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, seriously looks like it could fall down if you looked at it the wrong way. It’s decor on the outside includes the expectations of dress and conduct for the group that joins in for the cramped evening of good music and a great atmosphere. Many of our participants took to the dance floor with new friends we met at Po’ Monkeys as well as our roommates and professors, shot pool and played cards.

As sketchy as Po’ Monkey’s looks on the outside, it is the home of some amazing views. As we went into Po’ Monkey’s, a beautiful Mississippi sunset reminded us that we needed to be on our best behavior.

Our day began with a slow start as we all crawled out to the bus for what we had been warned would be a very long, and we were all dreading it for the simple fact that we’re totally exhausted. The staff at Delta State University greeted us with warm smiles and were excited for a busy day of sightseeing throughout the Mississippi Delta. I was really concerned that it was going to be a long, boring day of lectures that I really didn’t care about hearing because my brain is on overload from everything that we’ve been trying to get through this past week and the sleep deprivation is really starting to take a toll on me. The tour that Luther from Delta State gave us was absolutely amazing and we were SO LUCKY to have a tour with someone who knew so much about the history of the area and the stops on the new Blues Heritage Trail were really amazing.

The tour that Viking gave us of their really nice hotel was amazing and I really think that the plans that the company has for the Mississippi Delta are absolutely amazing.

Now, to explain the title of this post in 2 pictures:

Monkey by day

Monkey by night

Ballin’…enough said.