Fighting the blues with blues:how Indianola, Mississippi used Delta Blues tourism to develop a new identity

Author

Forrest Ansel Prichard

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Philips, Jason

Date of Degree

8-7-2010

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

History

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of History

Abstract

In Indianola, Mississippi the past and present remain inextricably linked. Unresolved racial issues proved this point in 1986 as tension exploded within Indianola’s public education and economic sectors. Lingering segregation and socioeconomic inequalities brought outside scrutiny to Indianola’s white elites. To counter this negative image, Indianola leaders turned to Delta Blues tourism. Supported by state and federal agencies, they expanded the blues industry over the next two decades. They promised its institutions would alleviate the problems which caused the 1986 crisis: the economy, education, and racial inequality. Officials structured Indianola’s blues market around native B.B. King. They incorporated King’s rags-to-riches life into the creation of Indianola’s own success story. Using sociological analyses, anthropological studies, and an array of primary sources, this thesis reveals how the endeavor largely failed. Indianola society still struggles with its past. Racial inequalities continue, and this study urges for other ideas and reforms.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/15443

Recommended Citation

Prichard, Forrest Ansel, "Fighting the blues with blues:how Indianola, Mississippi used Delta Blues tourism to develop a new identity" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 2276.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/2276