"YOU ARE NOW ENTERING - AND LEAVING - ROME"
Rome
is about 2 miles north of the Mississippi State Penitentiary, commonly known
as Parchman. If you've read John Grisham's book, The Chamber, you'll
remember it as the setting for his story. Originally a hard-labor farm prison,
Parchman was the first state penitentiary in the United States to allow conjugal
visits for its married inmates.
When I was a child, it was not unusual for
us to find a sleeping escaped convict in my grandparents' car. They never
bothered us - would ask for food and/or clothes... and be on their way.
My
father is from Indianola, MS, which is also the hometown of B.B.
King, "King of the Blues". Born Riley B. King, he started as a tractor
driver in the Sunflower County cottonfields and used to perform in the Club
Ebony in Indianola. The city of Indianola is now constructing a museum in
his honor.
Indianola
is now well-known for its catfish
production, having turned hundreds of acres of cottonfields into catfish
ponds. You don't want to make a woman who works in the catfish processing
plant mad - they wield razor-sharp filet knives for a living!
My
stepfather was from Clarksdale.
Located at the crossroads of Highways 61 & 49, Clarksdale is well known as
one of the towns Blues
music lovers flock to in order to retrace the steps of famous blues musicians.
Mississippi is not ALL cottonfields. My college roommate
lives in Pascagoula, which is on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It has all of
the palm trees and sand native to Florida.
Mississippi has more than 800 Black elected officials - more than ANY other state.
Looking for a slot machine and don't want to travel to
Atlantic City or Las Vegas? Go to a Mississippi casino! The state has a casino
in almost every major town.
