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When I grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s when the word racism came up, the state of Mississippi came to mind. The Ku Klux Klan was especially active in this deep southern state. When Medgar Evers was assassinated in Mississippi in June of 1963, I was about to enter my senior year in high school. He died in Jackson, Mississippi, the city where my biological father was born. I never had a desire to travel to the deep south, but in 1965 I was assigned to Keesler AFB for training. It was located just outside of Biloxi.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I was shocked to see signs saying “niggers” with arrows pointing bathrooms in the rear of restaurants. I was saddened; I had been forced to face the real United States of America.

Contrary to what most white Americans believe, racism has not diminished in many states. It’s not just the south. Arizona, Texas, Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and others continue to believe that the Confederate Army were the heroes and Abraham Lincoln and the Union were the enemy of their country.

For several years I have written about the battle between Alabama and Texas to be awarded the dubious title of ‘most racist state.’ Mississippi just made it known that it will not be excluded from the challenge.

An event venue in Mississippi has issued an apology after its owner was shown on video saying that her “Christian belief” led her to decline hosting a wedding ceremony for an interracial couple. Was she referring to the “Christian beliefs” of the Klan and other hate groups?

“The owner took a look at my brother’s fiancée’s page and wrote her back to say they won’t be able to get married there because of her beliefs,” LaKambria Welch told Deep South Voice on Sunday. “She told my mom and she contacted the owner through messenger to only get a ‘seen’ with no reply. That’s when I took it upon myself to go get clarification on her beliefs.” Ms. Welch’s brother is black and his fiancé is white.

Once again, prejudice is equal to ignorance. For me, this describes all red states. The white population in each of these states is predominately racist. This is one of the many reasons why I choose to live in the west, and why America will never be a great nation.

Tell everyone; “the truth lives here.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

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