SonsofMississippi:AStoryofRaceandItsLegacy

(PaulHendrickson)Outline
I. Thesis
A.
DespitethewidespreadsupportforcivilrightsofAfricanAmericansandour
countrysownbasisofequality,racialintolerancewillnotbeerasedfromthe
OldSouthduetothe:
1. Potenceofwhitesupremacy
a) Slaverypresentforcenturies
b) DerogationoftheAfricanAmericanraceasocialnormthrough
muchofAmericashistory
2. Inheritanceoftheseprinciplesthroughgenerations
a) Majorpaternalinfluence
b) Southernloyaltycomplex
3. Participationinupholdingracialintoleranceandwhitesupremacy
a) Thosewhoareconsumedwiththisprinciple
(1) Thoseinpower,Sheriffsforexample
b) Thosewhodonotentirelyagreebutparticipatedueto:
(1) Theatmosphereofthecommunity
(2) Thefearofretributionfromthecommunity
II. Evidence
A. Secondary:Thecaptionthatfollowedsaid:Theofficialupholdersoflawand
orderinOxford,agroupofMississippiplainclothesmenchortleasoneoftheir
numbertakespracticeswingswithabillyTheyarenotoncampustoputdown

ariotbuttotakepartinoneoftheincidentswhichleduptoit.(Hendrickson
13)
1. HendricksonfocusesonsevenMississippiansheriffsthataredisplayedin
thepicturethatthecaptiondescribesabove
2. Ratherthandoingtheirjob,deeprootedprejudiceurgesthesesheriffsto
eggontheriot.
a) Blacksdonotstandachanceinthesoutherncommunityifeven
themainlawmenareagainstthem.
B. Secondary:MississippiwasalsothepooreststateintheUnion,andthemost
profoundlyisolatedfromnationallifeandopinion.ProfessorJamesW.Silver
describeditasaclosedsociety...ItsNegroeslivedinconstantfearanditswhites
underrigidconformitytodogmasofwhitesupremacy.(Hendrickson47)
1. Mississippissubculturehasitsownsetofidealsandnormssetapart
fromtherestoftheUS
a) Maintainingtheoldsouthideals
2. Whitesupremacystillatlarge
C. Primary:DaleHarkey,middleaged,said,Alotofpeople,whowantedtospeak
upbackthenandcouldnt,realizeitwaswrong...ThingsarebetterinMississippi
now,andthingsarentbetter.Wevechangedthelawandyoucan'targuewith
that,buthavewechangedpeople'shearts?'"(Hendrickson6667)
1. Mississippiadoptedthepoliciesdemandedbytherestofthecountry
a) emptypromises:noheartandenforcementbehindit

2. Therewerealsopeoplewhowantedtoprotest,butwereintimidatedby
theiroverbearingcommunity
D. Secondary:Dentwrites:DuringtheCivilRightsyearsblackshadachievedthe
miraculousbykickingopenthedoorsbutonceinside,well,therewashardly
anythingthere.(Hendrickson80)
1. Foughthardtoreformlaws,buttheyreonlyaformality
2. Haventreformedallofsocietyitself
E. Secondary:Ithinkalotoftheseguyswerecaughtinthesystem.Theseguys
wereafraidsomethingwasgoingtohappentothemiftheydidn'tgoalongwith
it.(Hendrickson100)
1. Manypeoplecaughtinthemiddle
a) Theyknowtheinjusticeinracialintolerance
b) Terrifiedofbeingostracizedafterdefyingthenorm
F. Secondary:...theimmediateimpactofthedesegregationofOleMisswastoturn
thingsbackwardsforblacksinthestate.Hisadmissionmerelyintensifiedwhite
MississippiswrathinalreadywrathfulplaceslikeGreenwoodandNatchezand
Pascagoula.(Hendrickson133)
1. Whitesupremacytoodeeplyrooted
2. Integrationdisruptstheir(whites)ideals
a) Fearthatthischangewilldestroytheircomfortablelifestyles
G. Primary:Heheardhighwaypatrolmentellingkidstogoaheadandsmashed
windowswithchunksofconstructionbrick.Hesawstudentswithrocks,bricks,

bottles.Hesawalonglineofstatetroopercars.Trooperswereleaningoutthe
windowstoyell,Killthebastard.(Hendrickson153)
1. Figuresofthelawandjusticeparticipate(thusjustifying)thiswrongdoing
a) Youthinfluencedtobelievethatthisbehaviourisperfectlyfine
H. Secondary:Perhapswhatismostshockingaboutsomeoftheselynching
narrativesintheDeepSouthattheturnofthecenturyisestimatesofcrowd
sizesometimesinthethousands.Sometimeswholefamiliesattended.Menare
posingcasually,withouthidingtheirfaces,smiling,noapparentshame,pointing
atthecharredorbludgeonedthingupabove.Womenandchildrencanbeseenin
theframe.(Hendrickson162)
1. Thistreatmentofblackswasperfectlynatural,evenatthebeginningofthe
century
2. Men,women,andchildrenacceptedit
a) Hardtobreakawayfromthepast
b) Childrengrewupexperiencingthisandbelievingittobejust
I. Secondary:Wherediditgo,thehatredandsorrowandencapsulatedand
symbolizedbythatimage,andwheredoesitresidetoday?Oneanswermightbe
thatitwenttoomanyplacestoknow.Ittookontoomanyformsandfaces.It
spreadoutwardintotoomanyheartsandspleens,likethecapillaryseepageof
waterthroughstone,whichisthewayofhatredinsorrow.(Henrickson164)
1. Hatredcontinuestospreadlikeandinfection
a) Oftentotheyoungergenerations

b) Difficulttogetridof
J. Primary:GrowingupinMississippi,youhavethehatrednurturedinyour
bones.Ifitisnotyourparentswhodothenurturing,thenitissomeoneelseitis
almost
everyone
else.(Hendrickson167)
1. (White)childrengrowupwithhatredembeddedintheirminds
a) Receivingmajorinfluencefromboththeirparentsandtheir
community
K. Secondary:Ithinkthey'dratherstaypartofthemob.Thisguyswingingthat
stickknowsinhisheartitswrong.HecanthelpitThey'rejustfrecklesona
largerface.Theycouldn'tdowhatthey'redoingiftheirwivesandcommunities
werentendorsingit.(Hendrickson172)
1. Individuallytheymaybegintoquestiontheiractions
2. Asamob,hatemanifestsitself,becauseitisacceptedandsanctioned
a) noguilt
L. Secondary:ThepressureonwhitesinMississippiwassoextremethattoactina
moralwayapproachedselfimmolation...(Hendrickson173)
1. TostrayfromthisSouthern,antiblack,dogmaisalmostsuicidal
a) Muchofthesoutherncommunitypromoteswhitesupremacy
b) Thecommunitycanbevicioustowardstraitors
2. Mucheasiertojustjumponthebandwagon
M. Primary:"Billy:'...I'mjustgonnasayit.Ithinkthemoralsofthiscountry
disintegratedwithforcedintegration.AndthereasonIthinkthisisbecauseblack

peopleasawholedon'thavethesamemoralsaswhitepeopleormaybeI'llsayit
thisway:themoralsthatwhitepeopleusedtohave.'"(Hendrickson199)
1. OldSouthprinciplessodeeplyrooted
2. ManyintheMississippiancommunitythinkthisway
a) Theypassitontotheirchildren
b) Thechainofhatredcontinues
N. Primary:TyandIsatinthelivingroomofhisnewlypurchasedhomeand
talkedofthehardsubjectofraceandofMississippiandofhisownfamilys
attitudes.Racismisaliveandwellinmyhomestate,andalwayswillbe,
(Hendrickson262)
1. Ty,grandsonofSheriffBillyFerrell,leftMississippitoworkelsewhere
a) Heisapartfromthecommunity
b) Abletothinkhoweverhewants
c) Noneedtoconform
O. Primary:Doyouslipandusethenword?Yes.WhenIgohomeandpeople
aresayingit,itssuchashocktomyearsatfirst.ThenIcanalmostfindmyself
sayingit.Iknowit'snotright.Idon'twanttosayit.Itsallaroundme.That's
whatI'msaying.(Hendrickson264)
1. TheatmosphereandenvironmentofMississippicauseshimtoactthusly
despitehispriorbeliefs
2. Verycompellingtojoinin
a) Seemsalmostnatural,beingthathegrewupwithit

III. Reflection
A. Priortoreadingthisbook,Ididnotrealizetheseverityofwhitepowerin
Mississippi.IhadnotevenheardofJamesMeredithandtheriotsurroundinghis
entryintoOleMiss.
B. IknewthattherewasmuchracismstillpresentintheSouth,butIdidnotknow
howdeepittraveled.Iwassurprisedtohearabouttheinvolvementofthesheriffs,
thegovernor,andevenBobbyKennedy.
1. TextbooksandprevioushistoryclassesinformedmeoftheCivilRights
Movement,butseemedtoglazeoverandsimplifythereactionsfromthe
Southernsociety.
C. ThisbookdidreinforcemythoughtsonhowracismlastedlongaftertheCivil
WarandevenpasttheCivilRightsMovement.
1. Strongprinciplessuchaswhitesupremacycantsimplydisappearwitha
simplereforminlaw.
2. Theseideasstillliedeepintherootsofmany,andremainsincommunities
andfamilies.