One of life’s greatest irritants is the habit some have of telling only one side of the story.
It happens over and over again in our culture today. In truth it is not anything new. It goes back to ancient time. I guess you might simply call it human nature. And in every application, it does damage. Sometimes the intent is accidental. But more often the intent is entirely intentional. Face it – people have an agenda, and this has given rise to a term we hear more and more: “fake news”, an “altered reality” shared online, in print, and in general media and pop culture where the goal is to shock and provoke, quite often at the expense of the truth.
I am grateful to live in a city that is telling its whole story, engaging not in “fake news” and the telling of only one side of a story. The history of Natchez is in fact a microcosm of the history of America itself. As the oldest city on the Mississippi River, and one of the oldest cities on the North American continent, our story has it all: triumph and tragedy, war and peace, boom and bust. In fact, we have many stories – stories of the indigenous people, the Natchez, who first occupied our bluffs, stories of the early explorers who laid claim to this territory over 300 years ago, and the sad stories of the enslaved Africans who in ensuing years built much of our city. And to go along with these stories we have the actual places and vistas where they all took place – the Mississippi River with its panoramic views that are breathtaking from our bluffs, the historic mansions and public buildings built by the enslaved that now stand as testament to their brilliance and amazing ability; and the Natchez Trace with its moss-covered live oaks, the longest and most storied National Park in America, 444 miles of history around every scenic curve from Natchez to Nashville.
What is best about the stories of Natchez is that our history continues. In fact, we are a city making new history every day – a city that is making progress. Gone are the captions of yesterday: “Where the Old South still lives”. We are now a city “Where a New South is being reborn”. Embracing a spirit of Unity, where Community and Opportunity are celebrated every day, our city is coming together to achieve great things. From the battlefields of the Civil War and another war fought on our streets many years ago, the American Civil Rights Movement, we are now benefitting from years of progress that have taken place in the years since. And we have embarked upon a new chapter. We are working together. Our citizens are getting along. And historic economic development, job creation, along with historic investments in public services and infrastructure, are taking hold. Our parks and recreational spaces have been restored. Tourism is booming. Our growing film industry seems to know no limits. And we have embraced and are telling our African American History like never before.
Of course, like any city, we still have our challenges. And we are working on them. No where in America exists a place where everything is perfect – and indeed one can find the bad anywhere if that’s what you’re looking for. But I truly believe that in Natchez, the good far outweighs the bad. And I am so grateful for the opportunity as mayor to continue working every day to accomplish the good. Because Natchez Deserves More.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of SuperTalk Mississippi Media.
