Mississippi, Conflict and Change
Mississippi, Conflict and Change
A New Edition
Written by James W. Loewen, Charles Sallis, Byron D’Andra Orey, Jeanne M. Middleton, R. Bruce Adams, James A. Brown, Olivia Jones Love, Stephen C. Immer, and Maryellen Hains Clampit
Originally published in 1974, Mississippi, Conflict and Change was a textbook that explored Mississippi’s history from its earliest days to modern times, emphasizing social dynamics and key contemporary events, especially the civil rights movement and the pursuit of equality. The book was innovative for its era, offering a nuanced and truthful depiction of Mississippi’s past, particularly regarding slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the civil rights era. At the time, the textbook was deemed radical by some because of its factual recounting of the state’s history and inclusion of such historically overlooked groups as African Americans, Native Americans, and women. The book challenged the conventional approach to teaching history in Mississippi and was not approved by the state’s textbook review committee. Its adoption in the public education system was denied until a well-publicized and successful lawsuit was brought against the state by the authors and publisher.
Mississippi, Conflict and Change has been out of print for many years and only available as a collector’s item until now. This new edition of Mississippi, Conflict and Change includes an introduction telling the history of the book’s publication along with updates throughout the text, made by the acclaimed author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, James W. Loewen. Picking up the reins after Loewen’s death in 2021, Byron D’Andra Orey provides new text on contemporary politics, culture, and the economy, bringing the history of the state up to date. Intended for students as well as general readers, Mississippi, Conflict and Change: A New Edition revives an integral text in Mississippi history.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:Destined to have a far-reaching impact upon the historical profession, upon the writing of United States history, and upon the movement for ‘truth in texts.’
The new edition of Mississippi,Conflict and Change is a tour de force of Mississippi history that deftly examines the state, its diverse population, and its contributions to the nation and world.
Mississippi, Conflict and Change’s initial publication in 1974 set a precedent for uplifting marginalized and neglected narratives, while also engaging in a truthful and unbiased telling of Mississippi’s history. This new edition, which brings the state’s narrative to the present, builds on the original publication in ensuring that the beauty found in Mississippi’s cultural, political, economic, social, and geographical landscape continues to be reflected therein.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:For young people to grow into competent citizens in a time of change, education must connect their roots in the past with images of desirable futures. This history of Mississippi makes the connection between the living past and a livable tomorrow. Its use would make Mississippi a pathbreaker in the teaching of local history.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:Pointed, lucid, and sometimes unnerving.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:An extraordinary achievement. . .the best history of an American state I have ever seen.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:A splendid piece of work. . . . The perspective is so fresh and will be so startling that it cannot escape a future of controversy.
PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:Winner of the 1976 Lillian Smith Book Award for Best Southern Nonfiction
James W. Loewen (1942–2021) was author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong; Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong; Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History; and Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism and coeditor of The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The “Great Truth” about the “Lost Cause,” published by University Press of Mississippi. He was also professor emeritus at the University of Vermont. Byron D’Andra Orey is professor of political science at Jackson State University, and his research focuses on race and politics. He has served as the president of the Southern Political Science Association. Charles Sallis (1934–2024) was professor emeritus of history at Millsaps College, where he taught from 1968 to 2000.
