The first book to focus on the integration of the Mississippi Gulf Coast

This book, the first to focus on the integration of the Gulf Coast, is Dr. Gilbert R. Mason's eyewitness account of harrowing episodes that occurred there during the civil rights movement. Newly opened by court order, documents from the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission's secret files enhance this riveting memoir written by a major civil rights figure in Mississippi. He joined his friends and allies Aaron Henry and the martyred Medgar Evers to combat injustices in one of the nation's most notorious bastions of segregation. In Mississippi, the civil rights struggle began in May 1959 with "w

A biography of the courageous mentor to the Little Rock Nine

The sculptor Ed Hamilton presents information on his portrait bust of African-American civil rights activist Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963). Evers was murdered on June 12, 1963. He worked for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and campaigned to win equal rights for African Americans in the south. The bust was cast in bronze at Bright Foundry in Louisville, Kentucky. General Mills, Inc. commissioned the bust.

Wading In: Desegregation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast frames the fight for beach and school desegregation within the history of Black life in Biloxi, beginning with the arrival of slave ships on the Gulf Coast islands in 1721. Detailing the buildup of Back-of-Town businesses, lynchings in the early 1900s, and national and state legislation repressing Black progress, author Amy Lemco contextualizes the regional atmosphere Dr. Gilbert Mason—a resilient civic leader, humanitarian, and lover of the water—and his family encountered in 1955. Using extensive archival records and interviews with survivors, the book chronicles how Dr. Mason inspired and helped organize local Black activists to peacefully protest the apartheid of Biloxi's beaches. Dr. Mason operated under the surveillance of the State Sovereignty Commission, assaults by private citizens, and the terrors of a decade riddled with the assassinations of civil rights workers. Grassroots efforts he led and inspired in Biloxi joined with the national movement to weaken the hold of white supremacy in the state. With unwavering perseverance and bravery, Dr. Mason and fellow activists achieved the desegregation of Mississippi's beaches and made Harrison County schools the first primary school district in the state to integrate. Wading In firmly establishes Dr. Mason as a national civil rights role model and presents the story of Mississippi’s struggle to a new generation of readers.

"Recreation without Humiliation is the first comprehensive study of Black amusement venues established by Black Americans for Black Americans. Mary Stanton's extensive research on African American amusement parks in America explores not only segregation, class, and social barriers but also the notion of the 'pursuit of happiness' as an inalienable right for all races and classes of people. Inspired by summers spent on Coney Island, where Stanton became curious about the existence of African American amusement parks in America, Stanton's research uncovered more than fifty such venues, most of which operated during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These were parks, theaters, juke joints, country clubs, summer colonies, baseball diamonds, and arenas. Although these venues provided much needed recreational services to an underserved Black population, many were threatened by whites, and some destroyed by them. Through her study of these sites of recreation, Stanton illuminates the history of African Americans who strove to create and maintain safe and satisfying entertainment despite segregation. In her research, Stanton also found class divisions among Black American entertainment venues. At the pinnacle of Black society in this era were the upper class, who could afford exclusive Black summer cottages and country clubs. General entertainment for Black working-class families consisted of dancing and drinking in juke joints or patronizing small amusement parks, playgrounds, movie theaters, church-sponsored functions, and Black county fairs. African Americans in the twentieth century, especially in the South, transformed segregation into what historian Earl Lewis calls "congregation." Congregation implies choice, and this congregation "provided space and support for establishing new amusements, entertainments, music, and dance" without interference or oppression"--

Through more than two hundred stunning photographs, The Mississippi Gulf Coast illustrates what visitors and residents alike love about the region—the sunrises and sunsets; the distinctive character of each town along the waterfront; the historic places; the traditional coast cuisine; and the arts, gaming, and watersports. Passing from the western part of the coast to the east, The Mississippi Gulf Coast will refamiliarize some and introduce others to the Coast of Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, D’Iberville, Ocean Springs, Gautier, Pascagoula, and Moss Point. Through words and images, photographer Timothy T. Isbell provides a brief history of the area, from the first settlers to the waves of immigrants who have helped shape the character and culture of the region, and a reflection of the current state of the Gulf Coast. The Mississippi Gulf Coast has spent more than a decade recovering from the ruin left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. During the earliest days following the storm, Isbell was sent out to document the grim aftermath of Katrina. Seeing damage everywhere, he became overwhelmed by the destruction surrounding him and soon wanted to see images of hope and recovery. It was at that point he made a promise to show the “true Mississippi Gulf Coast,” an area known for its natural beauty and spirit. The beautiful photographs in The Mississippi Gulf Coast are a testament to renewal in the face of adversity.