fdtappan's Blog

For the past four days, I have been in Oxford, Mississippi. My son is participating in the Ole Miss Football Camp. He did well and garnered an MVP award at the safety position. That was good, but not why I have been so impressed with my experience here. This is my first visit to Oxford. (Please don’t be offended) I expected a backwater, cross burning, flag waving town of supremacist and separatists. What I knew of Oxford, Mississippi dealt mainly with the Civil Rights Movement when the governor at the time attempted to prevent James Meredith from integrating The University of Mississippi, after he won a federal court case for admittance. Riots broke out in protest of his admittance. Late on the evening of Sunday, September 30, 1962, in which two men, a French journalist sent to cover the events and a Lafayette County resident, were killed by stray bullets. President John F. Kennedy mobilized the Army and ordered them onto the campus and surrounding community early on the evening of the riot.  However, James Meredith enrolled that morning without incident and attended for the rest of the school year, graduating in August, 1963 with a degree in history. That is what I know, heard and remember about Oxford.

What I learned this week is, “Never, judge a movie by it ratings…Go see it!” I was thoroughly surprised by my experience in Oxford. First of all, the school was immaculate. It was a cornucopia of the old and new south. The campus was clean and security was very visible. Head Coach Houston Nutt, the Recruiting Director Coach Ealy and the rest of the coaching staff were exemplary. The facilities were breathtaking. The entire experience was awesome. However, the most impressive aspect of the Oxford experience was the people. They were polite, helpful and inviting. I ate lunch at one of the local eateries with one of the camper’s Father and Mother. They were white and of course I am black. I expected judgmental looks of disapproval, but what I received were greetings, and just good ole southern hospitality. I was pleasantly pleased by the reception I received. That is just one of my positive experiences here.

People need to know that Oxford has been named by USA Today as one of the top six college towns in the nation. It is included in The Best 100 Small Towns in America. Lafayette County consistently leads the state rankings in the lowest unemployment rate per quarter. Both Oxford city and Lafayette County school systems are consistently ranked as "5-star" systems; the highest rating available. I will admit, I was prejudiced toward Oxford, Mississippi. Prejudice simply means pre-judging an individual or situation before all the facts are known. I am guilty. But after further investigation, I find that the present city of Oxford, has been found not guilty of continuing its past. It is evident, we can all get along. My, how things have changed.