Theses and Dissertations
Advisor
Giesen, James C.
Committee Member
Soares, Leigh
Committee Member
Hersey, Mark D.
Committee Member
Marcus, Alan I.
Date of Degree
8-13-2024
Original embargo terms
Embargo 1 year
Document Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Major
History
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Department of History
Abstract
Federal interference in the battle for states’ rights in Mississippi during the 1950s and 60s birthed a civil rights movement that made the Department of Agriculture its main opposition. Alongside state-sanctioned organizations like the Citizens’ Council and the Sovereignty Commission, the USDA used their resources to deter civil rights groups, black farmers, and black agents alike from protesting against segregationist policies. Mississippi Mud uses agriculture as a lens to illustrate how the USDA’s refusal to denounce Jim Crow, especially after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, led to black farmers and extension agents pursuing legal action against the Cooperative Extension Service, alleging racial discrimination that impacted black farmers and extension agents throughout the state. Because of this, black Mississippians turned their sights to dismantling the state’s dual system of higher education based on de jure—legally recognized and enforced—segregation. In Mississippi’s agricultural history, this dissertation situates its story within a larger narrative of agrisocial reform.
Recommended Citation
Sneed, Kymara D., "Mississippi Mud: Race, agriculture, and disharmony in the era of civil rights" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 6277.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/6277