Day 14 Cleveland, Ruleville, Indianola, Glendora, Sunflower, Sumner Mississippi and Helena, AR

I hit up a lot of small, colorful towns in the Delta today. I also hit up a lot of mosquitoes while traveling in that area. I had homemade biscuits, grits, preserves, and bacon with my old man friends in Cleveland. They sent me off into the Delta with a hand written map, well-wishes, and a full stomach. Visited Fannie Lou Hamer's grave in Ruleville, which was a moving experience.
In Indianola I visited B.B. King's brand new multi-million dollar museum. It really stands out in the town and hopefully will add much needed economic gains for the town. So many of these downtowns will have 75 % of the buildings boarded up or have rocks thrown through the windows. To see a famous musician put some roots and generate economy for their hometown is really important.
In Sunflower I met with an incredible group called the Freedom Project that takes middle school kids from the surrounding communities and gives them the extra help, activities and nurturing they need to go to college. They have a 100 percent success rate, and the determination of these students who live in absolute poverty is amazing. When you drive into Sunflower, almost everyone is sitting in their yard because there is no work to be done. The buildings are utterly dilapidated. It is great to see such a bright spot and with such a fitting name such as "sunflower".
Glendora is the site of Emmitt Till's murder, and there is a self-made museum by a local fellow that was not open. I did take some incredible pictures of the museum and of the town.
Sumner was the site of the trial, and I was able to speak with a couple of members of an organization that is reaching across racial lines. Older community leaders (black and white) are working together to create an Emmitt Till museum and curriculum in the local schools. An older white farmer that I spoke with said the best part of the whole thing is the bonds and friendships being built across racial lines. He is on the board with a black man that used to work on his farm. The building of mutual respect is truly contagious, and today was proof of just that.

Journeyed to Helena, AR to see where my grandmother grew up and take a whole bunch of pictures so she can see what her town is all about these days. Ended up in Little Rock, which is a charming town. Funny side note: I am so used to always saying hi and really talking to everyone you see while in Mississippi, which I love. So today in Little Rock I was literally saying hello to everyone, and it was not as well received. Good thing I wasn't just dropped off in NYC.

Little Rock tomorrow and ending in Clarksdale (need more blues)