From June 4, 2007

Today we traveled through the Mississippi Delta, more specifically, Cleveland, Mississippi, as well as the surrounding cities and communities. It was very interesting to look at the stratification in this area and also see how amazingly different it was moving from one side of the tracks to the next. The area is heavily farmed and many of their major crops include corn, cotton, and catfish. I had very little expectations in regard to the status of blacks in this area. I did not think that they would have been allowed to develop their own community to the level that they apparently had in Mound Bayou. As we drove through Mound Bayou, the oldest municipality for share-cropping blacks, it was very inspirational but also disappointing. They seemed to be well-ahead of their time in terms of social progress for blacks and the advancement of minority status in society. At the same time, it was disappointing to look at the dramatically underdeveloped town that was once one of the most advanced places of its kind. To think that this community may have come falling down at the hands of scheming blacks and conspiracy angers me greatly. In some respects, this community was a shining example of what blacks should have been trying to do all over the south. At a time when whites did not want blacks around and fought integration with their last breath, perhaps, more communities like Mound Bayou would have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of blacks.

Skipping ahead, Po’ Monkey’s was a high point in the trip. I am a huge music fan and witnessing live blues music in a jook joint is definitely an experience that I have always wanted and will definitely never forget. Early in the afternoon when we went to visit the historic site, I was very skeptical as to how all of us, in addition to the rest of the people visiting, were going to be able to make it into such a dilapidated building. I thought to myself about the public safety issues of cramming a bunch of people into a shack-like building and jumping and dancing to good music! To my pleasant surprise, things were great while inside Po’ Monkey’s. I felt like it was important for our group to immerse ourselves in the musical aspect of the Mississippi Delta. As noted in the article on jook joints, for sharecropping blacks, this was all that they had to themselves as a community. The blacks in this day utilized their tiny sharecropping shacks in more ways than many people would have ever thought possible and they worked hard to have that time for their own enjoyment. The blues music of the Delta was a result of the struggle that blacks felt every day of their lives while working out in the fields under harsh circumstances. Being able to experience that music firsthand made our visit to the Delta that much more authentic.

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.

Today we got up extremely early to explore the Delta region. It is important to note that this region is one the poorest regions in the United States.Mound Bayou was one of the first sites that we visited. This town was built by African Americans and houses the first African American hospital of the delta, Borian Hospital. We also visited several historically significant sites. For example, we visited the place where Emmett Teal whistled at Carol; which led to him being brutally lynched.

After, the tour of the city we ate dinner and then headed to Po’ Monkeys where we had a blast. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences of the entire trip. We not only had the opportunity to interact with the individuals that were apart of our group but also individuals from the local community. I will definitely be returning to Po’ Monkeys in the future.

Today, we are off to visit the largest state penitentiary, Parchman. And, we are all anticipating an awesome experience.

To be continued …………

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.