Famed author William Faulkner said of his home state, “to understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” As I take you on this journey through every part of the United States, it would be a mistake to ignore the story of the Magnolia State. The challenges it deals with, such as high poverty, low development and quality of life, and an economy that’s struggled to diversify have brought severe economic difficulties to a state with among the worst histories of racism in the United States. In pretty much any statistic generally related to quality of life in a state, Mississippi typically ranks at or near either the bottom or the top, whichever would be worse in that particular instance. Because of this, it’s a state that’s often looked down upon by outsiders. I don’t want to fall into that trap. In this video, like all my videos in this series, I’ll try to present a fair and non judgemental view of the state, sharing the aspects of Mississippi that make it a unique and special place while still not shying away from a frank discussion of the challenges it deals with. After all, Mississippi has a lot to offer - from friendly people, great music, and delicious food, to beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast, vast pine and oak forests, and the wide and muddy lower reaches of its namesake, one of the largest and most important rivers in the world. This is Episode 21 - Mississippi.