For better or for worse, all COVID-related numbers in Mississippi are falling: infections, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccinations and tests.
As with its vaccination rate, Mississippi is lagging behind in COVID testing. Testing rates have plummeted nationally, but no other state is testing fewer residents per capita, and most are leagues ahead. This is a problem in a state where so many residents are declining to get vaccinated, even as health experts insist that wide-scale testing can help facilitate a return to normalcy that guards against large virus outbreaks in the absence of herd immunity protections.
One reason for the severe decline in testing is it being an at-will affair. Most people avoid getting tested unless they know for a fact they’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19,
John Davies, a 42-year-old truck driver from Grenada, told Mississippi Today he had to get tested for COVID-19 six different times in the past year. Each time he did so begrudgingly, and only because he was told he had to by his employer.
“I hated sticking that damn Q-tip up my nose. It was way more invasive and annoying than getting the vaccine,” Davies said.
Even if getting vaccinated is looked upon more favorably than getting tested, it can’t be by much. COVID-19 vaccinations had fallen for seven straight weeks in Mississippi before seeing a slight uptick last week. That higher number still represents a nearly 71% decrease since the state's February peak.
The issues of vaccine access that existed during the early stages of the vaccine rollout have largely been eliminated over the past few months. The Mississippi Department of Health will now come directly to the homes of people who want to get vaccinated but don’t have reliable transportation. They’re also offering this option to businesses or other local organizations that want to host vaccination drives. People are simply declining to take the shot and that’s keeping the state’s vaccination rate low.
Mississippi continues to rank last in the nation in the share of its population that has been vaccinated. And fewer than 1,000 Mississippians ages 12-15 received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the week following its approval for that age group.
MSDH reported on Friday that 1,019,460 people in Mississippi — over 33% of the state’s population — have received at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. More than 887,000 people have been fully inoculated since the state began distributing vaccines in December.
Officials in Greenville Public School District again delayed taking any action following a two-day strike by bus drivers last month.
Between 13 to 20 bus drivers for the district skipped work to protest reduced pay and what they said is poor work conditions. Following the strike, which is explicitly illegal in Mississippi, the school board reversed a previous decision to reduce the number of work days for the next school year by five.
However, the board attorney this week advised the board undo that action. The board has not yet followed that advice.
At its meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Debra Dace presented board members with additional information they had requested about the incident, including a timeline and a list of the bus drivers who participated. The strike law passed in 1985 clearly states that school board members themselves are responsible for reporting the names of those who went on strike to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. For each day that those names are not reported by the board to the state, the individual board members and school administrators can be fined between $100 and $250.
“At the last meeting, the board requested a timeline and justification of the names (of bus drivers) that were on the list just to ensure that all of those names needed to be on the list and if anybody else’s name needed to be added to the list so we could get further clarification of getting this information in to the state auditor’s office,” said Jan Vaughn, board president.
But the board voted unanimously not to take any further action and did not indicate if or when it would.
Requests for comment from Vaughn and Antoinette Williams, another board member, were not returned Wednesday. The superintendent said she had “no comment at this time.”
In this edition of Mississippi Stories, Mississippi Today Editor-At-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down with author Susan Cushman to discuss her new novel, John and Mary Margaret, her love of writing and her creative process. Cushman, who was born in Jackson and attended Ole Miss in the 1960s, now lives in Memphis, Tenn.
John and Mary Margaret is an insider’s look into the white-privilege bubble of a young girl growing up in Jackson, and participating in sorority life on the Ole Miss campus in the late 1960s. But it’s also a candid portrayal of a young Black boy from Memphis who follows his dream to study law at the predominately white university. What happens when their shared love for literature blossoms into an ill-fated romance? Set squarely in the center of decades of historical events in Mississippi and Memphis, their story brings those events to life. While a work of fiction, it is based closely on real events.
Cushman is also the author of Friends of the Library, Cherry Bomb and Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer’s and is the editor of Southern Writers on Writing, A Second Blooming: Becoming the Women We Are Meant To Be and The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years!
Carolyn Prisock had a brain tumor removed 15 years ago, and suffers debilitating migraines and side effects from medications — one caused her to temporarily lose her eyesight.
Prisock was hopeful that the medical marijuana program Mississippi voters approved in November would offer her some relief and an alternative to pharmaceuticals she said “are like-taking poison.” But she said the state Supreme Court “pulled the rug out from under our feet.”
Prisock, 56, of rural Louisville was among a little over 200 people who rallied near the Supreme Court building and state Capitol on Tuesday morning. They were protesting the high court’s ruling that struck down the Initiative 65 medical marijuana program voters passed, and that also nullified Mississippi voters’ right to change the state constitution.
The protesters called on Gov. Tate Reeves to call the Mississippi Legislature back to Jackson in special session, and for lawmakers to reinstate the medical marijuana program and voters’ ballot initiative right to take matters in their own hands.
Prisock said, “There is still a backward ideology in Mississippi” and the state not legalizing medical marijuana is one of many issues resulting in Mississippi being one of only three to lose population in recent years.
Carlene Eaves (left) and Carolyn Prisock, traveled from Louisville to attend the We are the 74 Rally held outside the Supreme Court building Tuesday in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
The rally was hastily organized by “We Are the 74,” a group that in a little over a week has garnered more than 8,500 members on its Facebook site. The 74 refers to the 74% of voters that chose Initiative 65 over an alternative placed on the November ballot by lawmakers — although opponents of the initiative note that a smaller majority voted in favor of medical marijuana overall in the two-question ballot proposal.
The rally included live music — with a band striking up a few old 60’s marijuana standards — and several speakers. It drew a diverse crowd of patients and families, cannabis advocates, entrepreneurs hoping to get into the marijuana business, and voters who feel like they’ve been rooked by the court and politicians.
Wilson Hunt of Tupelo said the rally was the first he’s attended in his 55 years. He came because, “The will of the people has been thwarted, and this is a state that has been vocal about the will of the people being thwarted on a national level.” Hunt carried a poster that said, “New math. 6>766,000?” Referring to the six high court justices that voter to overturn voters’ initiative. A friend of Hunt’s carried a sign that said, “Stop the Steal.”
Will Reed, also of Tupelo, owns an organic farm and produce company, and received the first license in Mississippi to grow hemp after it was federally legalized. He had hoped to start farming medicinal marijuana, and had made some investment in such an operation before the court ruling put a halt to the program.
“Both my wife and I had health issues. Using marijuana helped us tremendously, it’s what inspired us to open our business,” said Santita Delaney of Pearl, owner of Hemp World. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Chad King, a Jackson attorney, and partners had already invested in Jackson real estate and were moving to open a cannabis business “and were ready to bring at least 90 jobs to Jackson” when the ruling halted it.
King hopes Tuesday’s rally and the ire of many voters prompts action.
“I hope it encourages the leadership to step up and do something,” King said. “Over and above medical marijuana, the Supreme Court struck down people’s voice. Taking people’s voice away with the right to pass amendments is huge.”
The Supreme Court ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler. She argued the initiative process should be voided because the state constitution requires the signatures to be gathered equally from five congressional districts as they were configured in 1990. But in the early 2000s, the state lost a U.S. House seat because of population loss, rendering it impossible to gather the signatures as mandated in the Constitution.
Voters bypassed the lawmakers and approved medical marijuana after years of inaction on the issue by the Legislature despite growing grassroots support and other states legalizing it.
Jasmine Cochran, a Picayune native, was teaching school in China when she learned her father had been diagnosed with cancer, and she quickly returned home. She spoke to the crowd in Jackson on Tuesday, and lamented Mississippi being historically and continually the unhealthiest state.
‘I was bootlegging edibles for her. Those opioids would leave her depressed,’ said retired pharmaceutical industry worker Ken Flynt of Bailey, holding a picture of his late mother Mattie Bessie Caraway Flynt. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
“It’s just numbers until one of those numbers is your dad or your mom or your kid,” Cochran said. “… I see my dad struggling for help every day, and we could give it to him with a plant … You’d be hard pressed to find a more divided state, but we all came together (with Initiative 65) because we felt there was a better, smarter, healthier way than with endless opiates … If there is no special session, then the 74% will get together again when it’s the next time to vote and invite (politicians) to leave.”
Puckett native Austin Calhoun also spoke Tuesday. He has suffered terrible seizures and other issues for years, and his mother, Angie Calhoun was a vocal supporter and organizer of the Initiative 65 movement. Austin had moved out of state so he could be treated with medical marijuana, but was planning to return after initiative 65 passed.
He called for the governor and lawmakers to “do what is right by Mississippians.”
“Call a special session as soon as possible,” Calhoun said. “… Be the patients’ and voters’ heroes and bring back to Mississippi what was unjustly taken from us. All I want is to be able to return home to this state. Do not give up the fight for democracy to be carried out in Mississippi.”
In April, we launched the first stage of NextGen Mississippi, our new reporting project focused on young Mississippians. We published a survey asking people of all experiences to tell us about the internal question many Mississippians ask themselves: “Should I stay in Mississippi, or should I leave?” This survey has already garnered more than 600 responses from a wide range of ages, occupations, locations and perspectives.
Scroll to view some select responses, or click a question below to skip ahead.
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Why do you live in Mississippi? If you left, why?
“I grew up and went to school in MS. I am leaving this fall for law school. The law schools here are not the best, and the environment for young professionals is also not the best. The work force here seems unwelcoming to young people who want to do good for MS.”
“I have no reason to leave yet. I love my job and community. My most valued friends and family still live here and I think I really am and can continue to make a name for myself here in Mississippi.”
“I have deep roots in Mississippi and I decided to stay. I get the advantage of being connected to my roots (but it comes at the cost of not living in a cool place like Austin, Nashville, etc.)”
“I’m leaving this summer for better pay and better quality of life.”
“No other feasible option. I will leave at the first opportunity.”
“I left Mississippi for 11 years – right out of college – for more opportunities. I didn’t think I could grow my career here like I wanted. I also wanted to experience living in cities with more diversity in terms of race, religion, and political thought. I recently moved back with my family six months ago to be closer to family, because a job opportunity worked out, and for the lower cost of living.”
Briefly tell us what factors you consider most important as you think about staying in Mississippi or leaving Mississippi.
“We want to stay for our family, we love our jobs, and our closest friends are here. However we ultimately want to leave for a better education for our daughter and more in line with our political and social beliefs.”
“My husband and I are advocates for creating a stronger ms. Mississippi needs brilliant creative people.”
“Job opportunities. Unfortunately, in my profession it is difficult to find work in Mississippi that pays well. The national average is between $80-$100 grand a year. Here I make just over $42 a year.”
“I say again: The diversity and heritage are things to enjoy and grow in, not change to be like every where else. Second I think politically if any state where going to grow and show democrats and republicans getting along and making bipartisan efforts- it’s Mississippi.”
“Wages. The wages are extremely low. So low that the low cost of living still isn’t affordable. I also don’t feel like I have a political voice because of the way our districts are overwhelmingly controlled by one party. The State’s swiftness in cutting public services like the health department and education is alarming. Their unwillingness is participate in Medicaid expansion is also frustrating. It feels like we are decades behind.”
If you’re here, how often do you think about leaving? If you left, how often do you think about coming back?
“Often. My family is based there, but Mississippi makes it hard for my return to be a reality.”
“I entertain the idea of living in a more exciting city, but never seriously consider it.”
“I think about leaving all the time. It’s a beautiful state with amazing people. But there are no opportunities here.”
“I thought about every single day of my life as far back as I can remember. I always felt out of place in Laurel and the entire state.”
“Years ago, I left for more enlightened surroundings, but came back often to visit family.”
“I didn’t seriously consider moving back for the first 10 years I was gone.”
Do you believe the state of Mississippi’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
“Absolutely not. Why would young people, especially those starting a family, move here, knowing that the state doesn’t prioritize education, lacks good, affordable healthcare for all of its citizens, lacks access to artistic programming and training, has a pathetic track record with civil rights issues, still is littered with Confederate monuments, clings to outdated ideas of the past instead of looking to the future, openly ignores the separation of church and state, has a large percentage of its population who are disenfranchised because of their race, religion, gender, sexuality and economic status, with little opportunity or hope for change. I left at 17 for these reasons nearly 35 years ago and things seem much the same as they were then.”
“No. The state’s leadership keeps doing things that cause young people to leave and then complains that they left. It is the definition of insanity.”
“Not really. But it’s hard to compete with Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, etc.”
“They haven’t done enough, but I believe they’ve put in effort. The numbers just need to start showing that it’s worth it to stay.”
“No. Mississippi directs its attraction and retention efforts towards young people who are already affluent. Mississippi needs to put forth a greater effort in funding things like infrastructure, education, and healthcare that would benefit everyone.”
“Absolutely not. Mississippi isn’t attractive to young folks from outside of the state because of the lack of infrastructure and the political posturing that feeds into “culture wars”. Young people want jobs, clean water, reliable infrastructure and interesting things to do. They want the ability to send their kids to good public schools in the fun neighborhoods where interesting things are happening, if they choose to have a family.”
What problems do state of Mississippi leaders need to address for a better future?
“Listen to the people. The majority and minority. Everyone has a voice, and oftentimes it seems as though decisions are being made based on assumptions without true understanding. Consult staff members and experts in fields. Be willing to support science and and scientists and listen to them. Put forth legislation and support for legislation on bills that support the people and the planet.”
“Focus on education and infrastructure will retain people. Young folx who are about to have families want the best for their children and that is not provided here”
“Not all of Mississippi is white, wealthy, and conservative. They need to stop with the performative Godliness and pay attention to what people in this state actually NEED. Safe water, reliable roads and bridges, access to health care, and better paying jobs. Oh and FULLY FUNDED PUBLIC EDUCATION.”
“Again, main reason young people leave the state is either better career prospects or not feeling welcome (due to race, religion, etc.). Address those two issues as best as they can.”
“Stop focusing on the older generations and older ideas and give newer generations a voice. We cannot improve if we aren’t even trying. The best thing we can do for this state is improve our education system and funding for schools. A better educated generation is an investment into the future of the entire state.”
In April, we launched the first stage of NextGen Mississippi, our new reporting project focused on young Mississippians. We published a survey asking people of all experiences to tell us about the internal question many Mississippians ask themselves: “Should I stay in Mississippi, or should I leave?” This survey has already garnered more than 600 responses from a wide range of ages, occupations, locations and perspectives.
Scroll to view some select responses, or click a question below to skip ahead.
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Do you believe that the city of Jackson must thrive for Mississippi to thrive? Please explain your answer either way.
“Yes. It’s the heart of the state. And it’s doing an awful job of it. Every time I think that Jackson is about to take a step forward, something falls through and it takes three steps backwards. We will never grow if the status quo is acceptable.”
“Yes, but too much of the power center and money in Jackson has shifted to the suburbs (e.g. Cspire in Ridgeland, Trustmark Park/Bass Pro in Pearl) and the downtown area has been neglected (no grocery stores, gas stations, parking). The momentum is pulling away from Jackson too fiercely to see a shift back in my lifetime.”
“Absolutely. If your capital city is a disaster how can you expect other cities in your state to thrive and be successful. You can’t even get your pinnacle city structured and working properly. There is no decent leadership model in the main place for other cities to borrow ideas from.”
“Yes, Jackson is our capital and it’s a representation of our state. It must be successful and have lower crime in order for Mississippi to grow it’s population, keep people here, and progress this state.”
“I don’t think it “must”, but it certainly should. We ought to be proud of Jackson when visiting. We ought to take pride in our capital city. It’s a great place to start this work and would motivate many other communities.”
“Not necessarily. Our smalls towns have a ton of unique charm that brings in tourism. But in most states, when the big cities offer opportunities, people will move, and putting down roots will make the smaller communities grow too. It’s a domino effect, and having one nice city benefits the whole state.”
How important to you is the city of Jackson’s success?
“Very. I have found ways to love it and see the endless potential it has, but it is miserable to live in.”
“Less every day.”
“Jackson, as the state capitol, should be successful if Mississippi is to be successful, but the rest of the state shouldn’t have to wait on Jackson to improve before they can improve themselves.”
“Very, I hope to see Jackson become the city I know it can be. It is my hometown and I feel bad for leaving it, but I know the state government will do everything in their power to crush Jackson and I do not want to be apart of that environment.”
“Yes because why would the capital of a city not be the biggest, best with extreme resources entertainment opportunities etc”
“Personally, as former resident of Petal, it’s not the top priority; but as the largest metropolitan center in the state, the state’s Blackest urban area, and a major hub of culture and politics, it’s success is essential for us all moving forward.”
What do you desire or need more of in Jackson? In Mississippi?
“More of an investment in the city proper — not Madison or Rankin — to transform the city into a vibrant, bustling representation of Mississippi’s growth and future.”
“Jackson needs a serious PR campaign, and probably more government funding for social programs, and maybe some tax breaks for REAL small businesses and start-ups.”
“We need to encourage businesses to come in and provide incentives, not reasons for them not with out-dated regulations and new, religiously motivated bans that prevent the state from moving forward.”
“In Jackson, physical infrastructure has to be vastly improved. In Mississippi, I would love to see more rehabilitated downtown areas, in both urban and rural areas. In Jackson, it’s disappointing that Farish Street is so empty. In the rest of Mississippi, it’s disappointing that many historic downtowns in small towns are vacant. I am heartened by the efforts of communities like Water Valley and Laurel.”
“Jackson needs infrastructure improvements and better educational opportunities possibly more than any city in America. The elementary schools are decent, but JPS middle schools are consistently underperforming, which is driving young families out of the city in droves. The roads and water system are a complete joke. Mississippi just needs competent leadership – folks who are more interested in moving the state forward by any means possible rather than thumbing their nose at no-brainer solutions to problems that have existed for a decade or more in order to appease rural voters in DeSoto and Harrison Counties.”
Do you believe the city of Jackson’s leadership has done enough to attract or retain young people in Mississippi?
“No, but they need funding.”
“No. While I acknowledge there are more pressing issues such as water and wastewater infrastructure, I believe city governments can walk and chew gum at the same time. If there’s been a campaign to attract youth since I’ve left, i have not seen it.”
“Jackson is trying, but it can only do as much as the state will support.”
“No. Look at southern cities like Little Rock, Huntsville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Knoxville, Memphis, etc. All are doing tremendously well in proving more jobs opportunities, affordable housing, and access to great amenities in walking distance of neighborhoods like restaurants, entertainment, parks, etc.”
“No, the majority of my friends from college have taken the path I have taken. We tried to work in MS and eventually left for better opportunities.”
“I think they’re trying, I don’t think it’s been enough. I know there are a lot of obstacles I don’t understand. But I want them to do more.”
What problems do city of Jackson leaders need to address for a better future?
“The basic needs of its citizens. Water, roads, culture, progress.”
“Infrastructure—why would businesses invest when they can’t trust their water is drinkable, their customers can easily get to their establishments on decent roads, have safe parking, can trust the JPD, etc.”
“Infrastructure and safety. The implementation of funding and programs for both road projects (to be done right so they don’t have to happen again and again) and police training/restructuring funding/developing community programs to reduce the crime rate are all things that should have started years ago.”
“Everything. Water and roads to start.”
“We have to focus on improving roads and water systems in all neighborhoods and not just the affluent ones. Our Jackson Public School system has got to improve. How can children be expected to learn and thrive if the schools don’t have decent bathrooms or equipped classrooms?”
Mississippi saw its first population decrease in 60 years, according to preliminary 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data released last month.
The data reported Mississippi’s resident population as 2,961,279 million people, marking a decrease of 6,018 since 2010. This is only the third time a population decrease in Mississippi has been recorded. The first was a decrease of 6,496 recorded in 1920, and the second was a decline of 773 recorded in 1960.
Mississippi was one of only three states to see a population decline in the 2020 census, though its decline was the smallest among them. Illinois’ population decreased by 18,124 and the state lost one of its 18 congressional seats as a result. West Virginia saw the greatest population decline, losing 59,278 residents.
The map below shows population changes by Mississippi county between 2010 and 2020, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Population Estimates Program. More detailed 2020 Census county-by-county data will be released later this year. Hover over counties to see the population change.
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Emma McRae, a 20-year-old native of Tishomingo, left Mississippi to attend college in Dallas, Texas.
“I needed more growth to go to other colleges than the colleges down the road,” McRae said. “Dallas is an incredible city, and it has incredible opportunities for young people. I just needed to be in a place where my viewpoints would be accepted.”
Kevin Malphurs, a 38-year-old native of Jackson, left Mississippi to find work in Columbus, Ohio.
“We picked Columbus because there are a lot of jobs and major companies there,” Malphurs said. “There are no Fortune 500 companies in Mississippi. If you want to do financial analysis for a Fortune 500 company, then that type of job doesn’t exist in Mississippi, unfortunately.”
Erin Runnels, a 37-year-old native of Laurel, left Mississippi to find better culture and opportunities in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I just felt like I needed more culture. It’s not that Mississippi doesn’t have culture, but the culture is very homogenous,” Runnels said. “In Kansas City, there’s more people like me here, and there’s more opportunities here.”
Every Mississippian knows the problem: Young people, in search of high-quality education, high-paying jobs or more fulfilling lifestyles, have left Mississippi in droves in recent years.
Thanks to newly released data, Mississippians can now better understand the full scope of the problem: In late April, the U.S. Census Bureau released preliminary 10-year data showing that Mississippi was one of just three U.S. states to lose population over the past 10 years. Only twice before had Mississippi lost residents in a 10-year span: 1920 and 1960.
But since the data was released, nearly all of the state’s most powerful elected officials — the ones responsible for setting agendas and passing policies — have failed to even acknowledge the problem, let alone offer up solutions.
Mississippi Today tried multiple times to get comment about the population decline from the state’s top three policymakers: Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. Hosemann was the only one to respond.
“Traveling out in the state and talking with citizens, the issues which matter to Mississippians are apparent: good schools, affordable healthcare, secure infrastructure, and jobs and opportunities for our children and grandchildren,” Hosemann said in a statement. “These are the issues we must focus on in Mississippi to keep our young people here and attract new residents to the state.”
Young Mississippians have long been underrepresented in the state’s political system. Of the eight current statewide elected officials, just one is a millennial or younger: State Auditor Shad White, who is 35. A 2019 analysis showed the median age of the state’s 174 lawmakers was 56, about 18 years older than the state median.
The only recent inkling of an organized policy effort came in 2017, when seven of 174 lawmakers under the age of 40 created the Mississippi Future Caucus. That group has not been active in several years, and at least three of the members are no longer in the Legislature (Roun McNeal, who lost his 2019 reelection bid; Robert Foster, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2019; and Toby Barker, who is now the mayor of Hattiesburg).
Rep. Trey Lamar, the Senatobia Republican who is among the most powerful lawmakers, notably worked to pass a tax credit bill in 2018 aimed at helping keep young people home. The bill passed the House but died in the Senate without consideration.
Some advocates in Mississippi have held a long-standing theory about why state leaders won’t acknowledge the problem: because their own core agendas haven’t been popular or effective enough to attract or retain young people.
“Mississippi’s leaders don’t need to come up with shiny new ideas to stop the brain drain, because the solutions are embedded in the issues that are already front and center: education, healthcare and infrastructure,” said Jake McGraw, the public policy director at the William Winter Institute who has for years compiled data about and studied the effects of the state’s outmigration.
McGraw continued: “We can keep teachers in Mississippi by paying them a competitive salary, keep doctors and nurses by expanding Medicaid and preserving rural hospitals, and keep engineers and contractors by fixing our roads and water systems.”
Mississippi Today, after receiving hundreds of survey responses from young Mississippians since the Census statistics were released last month, reached out to the three respondents quoted at the top of this article who left the state and started their lives elsewhere.
McRae acknowledged pride in “certain components of how she’s been raised,” but she said that even in parts of its neighboring state like Texas, negative associations about Mississippi still surface and “a greater mode of accountability and listening from the state” could debunk common stereotypes and curtail a fleeing young population.
Malphurs, though he left for a bigger market in financial analysis, expressed both care and hope for Mississippi when explaining that the state is “always so close to change.”
Runnels, after experiencing verbal harassment for her beliefs that differed from those she grew up around, said that Mississippi needs a safer, healthier environment for differing viewpoints where “people can talk about what’s important to them.”
While their individual reasons for leaving varied, a common thread linked their answers: Mississippi’s state leadership and political landscape has created an ideological impasse between older and younger Mississippians.
“Ignoring the problem only makes it worse, because each person Mississippi loses leaves a little bit less behind for those of us who remain,” McGraw said.
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