most benighted us state

[Ban my account ffs!]

Mississippi has made a far greater impact on American culture than any other state when you consider population

?!

well, off the top of my head...William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, John Grisham, Willie Morris, Walter Anderson, Jim Henson, Morgan Freeman, Jerry Clower, Leotyne Price, Elvis, Sam Cooke, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Mississippi John Hurt, BB King, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, Britney Spears, 3 Doors Down, Oprah Winfrey, and that doesn't even go into the disproportionately high amount of athletes and civil rights heroes.
American popular music in particular owes more to Mississippi than any other state.

I find it funny how Northerners claim that the idea of "bigotry against the South" is a myth, but on this thread, we have proof of it.

?!?!?!?

Already discussed extensively on this forum.  In a nutshell, I believe most Northerners are bigoted toward Mississippi.  I can back it up with this thread for example, or the comments by Rep. Rangel a few years ago that no one in the media out of Mississippi cared about.

The Portland metro area is really no different in quality than the Jackson metro area, it's just bigger

?!?!?!!!?!??!?!?!???!?!?!??111

already discussed just a few days ago.

You're right.. most northerners rightfully think Mississippi is backwards.  Point out the comparatively rare instances of racism and bigotry in places like Minnesota all you like, but it was our whites that were threatened with their lives and accosted by your whites back in the '60s when we went down there by the thousands to march for civil rights.  Those events still mould the opinions of the state today.

Sure, Mississippi may be more open minded than ever before, but they are still dead last on quality of life indicators.  Poverty and oppression tend to breed culture and good food... look at the great food places of the world...

I don't hate Mississippi, but I still think it is the most benighted U.S. state.

[7,052,770]

You're right.. most northerners rightfully think Mississippi is backwards.  Point out the comparatively rare instances of racism and bigotry in places like Minnesota all you like, but it was our whites that were threatened with their lives and accosted by your whites back in the '60s when we went down there by the thousands to march for civil rights.  Those events still mould the opinions of the state today.

Sure, Mississippi may be more open minded than ever before, but they are still dead last on quality of life indicators.  Poverty and oppression tend to breed culture and good food... look at the great food places of the world...

I don't hate Mississippi, but I still think it is the most benighted U.S. state.

A small percentage of Mississippi whites threatened the life of a small percentage of Minnesota whites over 40 years ago, so that gives an entire state a reason to hate an entire state...  Mississippi has done a great job rising above its shameful past.  For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

[Franzl]

Does that mean Iowa is a racist state because there are hardly any blacks in their legislature?

WTH? Of course the representation in Congress has something to do with the composition of a state's citizens.

That Mississippi has blacks in Jackson just means there are lots and lots of black voters, nothing more.

[k-onmmunist]

Mississipuh.

[Rob]

I'd much rather live in a state with a reasonable climate, hot women, and the most dollars to charity.

Y'all must love fat chicks, if you believe that...

[Boris]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

[RI]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

[Franzl]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

voted for by about 12% of white Mississippians

(not that that's unusual for a Democrat.....but yeah!)

[Landslide Lyndon]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

voted for by about 12% of white Mississippians

(not that that's unusual for a Democrat.....but yeah!)

Alabama whites did even better: 10% of them voted Obama.

[Franzl]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

voted for by about 12% of white Mississippians

(not that that's unusual for a Democrat.....but yeah!)

Alabama whites did even better: 10% of them voted Obama.

and they actually swung pretty heavily, IIRC.....I believe something like 18% of whites supported Kerry.

[RI]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

Ok, for what it's worth, there are a few.

MN-05 (73.5% white) - Keith Ellison (Minneapolis)
MO-05 (68.8% white) - Emanuel Cleaver (Kansas City)
IN-07 (63.0% white)  - Andre Carson (Indianapolis)
WI-04 (54.8% white) - Gwen Moore (Milwaukee)
GA-02 (51.4% white) - Sanford Bishop

CA-09, GA-13, NC-12 are plurality white but have black representatives.
CA-33, CA-35, CA-37, NY-15 are pluarity hispanic but have black representatives.
FL-03, MO-01, TX-09, TX-18, TX-30 are only plurality black but have black represenatives.

Also, though it doesn't really count, IL currently has Roland Burris. However, they did elect Obama in 2004.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

A few plurality/majority black distrcts have non-black representatives as well. For example, Steve Cohen represents TN-9 (where blacks outnumber whites 60 to 36).

[Landslide Lyndon]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

voted for by about 12% of white Mississippians

(not that that's unusual for a Democrat.....but yeah!)

Alabama whites did even better: 10% of them voted Obama.

and they actually swung pretty heavily, IIRC.....I believe something like 18% of whites supported Kerry.

Yes, correctly.

But the biggest swing was in Louisiana. It went from 24% of whites for Kerry, to only 14% for Obama.
Apparently down there they dreaded the prospect of returning to the tax rates of the Clinton era.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

I don't know, but for what it's worth, the white-majority country has a black president.

voted for by about 12% of white Mississippians

(not that that's unusual for a Democrat.....but yeah!)

Alabama whites did even better: 10% of them voted Obama.

The Alabama figure is a certain underestimate. For what (little) that's worth.

[cinyc]

But the biggest swing was in Louisiana. It went from 24% of whites for Kerry, to only 14% for Obama.
Apparently down there they dreaded the prospect of returning to the tax rates of the Clinton era.

And what part of that was because Hurricane Katrina chased Democrats living in the New Orleans area out of the state?

Louisiana has a minority governor.

[Landslide Lyndon]

But the biggest swing was in Louisiana. It went from 24% of whites for Kerry, to only 14% for Obama.
Apparently down there they dreaded the prospect of returning to the tax rates of the Clinton era.

And what part of that was because Hurricane Katrina chased Democrats living in the New Orleans area out of the state?

Louisiana has a minority governor.

So, because Katrina displaced blacks from New Orleans, whites voted more Republican in 2008.
Of course, it makes perfect sense!

[cinyc]

But the biggest swing was in Louisiana. It went from 24% of whites for Kerry, to only 14% for Obama.
Apparently down there they dreaded the prospect of returning to the tax rates of the Clinton era.

And what part of that was because Hurricane Katrina chased Democrats living in the New Orleans area out of the state?

Louisiana has a minority governor.

So, because Katrina displaced blacks from New Orleans, whites voted more Republican in 2008.
Of course, it makes perfect sense!

Katrina displaced white people from the New Orleans area, too.  Believe it or not, white people lived in the New Orleans and its metro area, too.  Majority-white St. Bernard Parish was arguably more decimated than New Orleans - and hasn't rebound as much as Orleans Parish.

[Holmes]

Orleans Parish swung Democratic. Cajun country swung Republican.

[Sensei]

there is a map of Oklahoma next to the word "Benighted" in the dictionary

[nclib]

For example, which state has the highest African-American percentage in its legislature?  Mississippi.  If we were so racist, we would have not have allowed that through gerrymandering and intimidation.

Are there any white-majority districts with a black senator/representative or any black-majority districts with a white senator/representative?

Ok, for what it's worth, there are a few.

MN-05 (73.5% white) - Keith Ellison (Minneapolis)
MO-05 (68.8% white) - Emanuel Cleaver (Kansas City)
IN-07 (63.0% white)  - Andre Carson (Indianapolis)
WI-04 (54.8% white) - Gwen Moore (Milwaukee)
GA-02 (51.4% white) - Sanford Bishop

CA-09, GA-13, NC-12 are plurality white but have black representatives.
CA-33, CA-35, CA-37, NY-15 are pluarity hispanic but have black representatives.
FL-03, MO-01, TX-09, TX-18, TX-30 are only plurality black but have black represenatives.

Also, though it doesn't really count, IL currently has Roland Burris. However, they did elect Obama in 2004.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Boris, but I thought you were referring to such districts/representatives/senators IN MISSISSIPPI where that is the case. If we're comparing racism in different states, having blacks representing black-majority districts would not attest to non-racism.

[Aizen]

I think I'll go with Oklahoma as my answer overall but Mississippi is obviously terrible. This is a fact. Highest obesity rate, bottom of the barrel education rates, racist and is an overall embarrassment to the nation. Of course all the states in that region are in the same boat.

[Boris]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Boris, but I thought you were referring to such districts/representatives/senators IN MISSISSIPPI where that is the case. If we're comparing racism in different states, having blacks representing black-majority districts would not attest to non-racism.

yeah, that's what I was going for. MS state senators and representatives, not federal ones.

[7,052,770]

I think I'll go with Oklahoma as my answer overall but Mississippi is obviously terrible. This is a fact. Highest obesity rate, bottom of the barrel education rates, racist and is an overall embarrassment to the nation. Of course all the states in that region are in the same boat.

Everything you said is a consequence of being poor.  Maybe if the government would actually help us out by giving us money to improve public education in Jackson and the Delta, our education system would suck so bad.
That said, there are plenty of good high schools in MS, including the one I attended.

[Verily]

I think I'll go with Oklahoma as my answer overall but Mississippi is obviously terrible. This is a fact. Highest obesity rate, bottom of the barrel education rates, racist and is an overall embarrassment to the nation. Of course all the states in that region are in the same boat.

Everything you said is a consequence of being poor.  Maybe if the government would actually help us out by giving us money to improve public education in Jackson and the Delta, our education system would suck so bad.
That said, there are plenty of good high schools in MS, including the one I attended.

For the record, Mississippi gets more than twice as much money per tax dollar from the federal government than the United States as a whole and by far more than any other state.

[7,052,770]

I think I'll go with Oklahoma as my answer overall but Mississippi is obviously terrible. This is a fact. Highest obesity rate, bottom of the barrel education rates, racist and is an overall embarrassment to the nation. Of course all the states in that region are in the same boat.

Everything you said is a consequence of being poor.  Maybe if the government would actually help us out by giving us money to improve public education in Jackson and the Delta, our education system would suck so bad.
That said, there are plenty of good high schools in MS, including the one I attended.

For the record, Mississippi gets more than twice as much money per tax dollar from the federal government than the United States as a whole and by far more than any other state.

And apparently it's not enough.

I realize that it doesn't help matters when that jackass in Jackson is trying to turn down the stimulus money we so badly need.