Mississippi, Conflict and Change: A New Edition

Written by James W. Loewen, Charles Sallis, Byron D’Andra Orey, Jeanne M. Middleton, R. Bruce Adams, James A. Brown, Olivia Jones Love, Stephen C. Immer, and Maryellen Hains Clampit

Originally published in 1974, Mississippi, Conflict and Change was a textbook that explored Mississippi’s history from its earliest days to modern times, emphasizing social dynamics and key contemporary events, especially the civil rights movement and the pursuit of equality. The book was innovative for its era, offering a nuanced and truthful depiction of Mississippi’s past, particularly regarding slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the civil rights era. At the time, the textbook was deemed radical by some because of its factual recounting of the state’s history and inclusion of such historically overlooked groups as African Americans, Native Americans, and women. The book challenged the conventional approach to teaching history in Mississippi and was not approved by the state’s textbook review committee. Its adoption in the public education system was denied until a well-publicized and successful lawsuit was brought against the state by the authors and publisher.

Mississippi, Conflict and Change has been out of print for many years and only available as a collector’s item until now. This new edition includes an introduction telling the history of the book’s publication along with updates throughout the text, made by acclaimed author James W. Loewen. Picking up the reins after Loewen’s death in 2021, Byron D’Andra Orey provides new text on contemporary politics, culture, and the economy, bringing the history of the state up to date. Intended for students as well as general readers, Mississippi, Conflict and Change: A New Edition revives an integral text in Mississippi history.

James W. Loewen (1942-2021) was author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong; Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong; Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History; and Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism and coeditor of The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The ＂Great Truth＂ about the ＂Lost Cause,＂ published by University Press of Mississippi. He was also professor emeritus at the University of Vermont. Byron D’Andra Orey is professor of political science at Jackson State University, and his research focuses on race and politics. He has served as the president of the Southern Political Science Association. Charles Sallis (1934-2024) was professor emeritus of history at Millsaps College, where he taught from 1968 to 2000.