Spies in Mississippi

 

Born in sixty-nine, I grew up surrounded by older Black family members who were affected by Jim Crow, told stories of lynching, commented on how things, “used to be.” And told stories of how they survived the harshness of the land. Segregated water fountains, segregated movie theaters, segregated funeral homes, and segregated churches. Stories of unfair civil practices, unscrupulous business tactics, and a legal system that was not in any way in their favor.  

 

Not all the stories were bad, however. Many of them recounted tales of family and belonging to a group that suffered together. Survived together and died together. Prospering through prayer. And praying for the strength to bear that leaden cross with murdering their transgressors. It was survival through cunning and strategy and how they survived in the face of tremendous odds. It was tales of great food, family values, and psychological endurance. Long days of cotton picking and months to scrimp and save to leave the Deep South, in search of better days up north.

 

Weaved in between those tales were the whispers of how they had to organize in secret, the bombings, the beatings, the riots, the fires, and the lynching. And still, they managed to push past all of that to achieve their dream of equality. Only when I was older did I understand that there was a price to pay for that tremendous sacrifice. And many of those people who marched and sat down in the streets, suffering wounds so African Americans could have the right to vote are still alive. So that means that many of those people who bombed homes and beat Civil Rights workers are still alive also.  

 

Watching Spies in Mississippi last night, and I won’t give away spoilers, taught me that there are undercurrents to the civil rights movement that we are still discovering. This documentary was an exposition of what systemic racism looks like. And how there is an educated approach to removing someone’s civil rights through defamation of character, misdirection of the topic, and by controlling the message. To be perfectly honest, I sat through the entire documentary with my mouth wide open remembering what my father told me about perceptions. And how you should never take anything at face value. And this documentary proved that very valid point. I would suggest anyone reading this post to watch Spies in Mississippi.

 

 

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