Analysis: Historian outlines fight over ‘radical’ textbook
JACKSON — “Civil Rights Culture Wars,” a new book by Mississippi historian Charles W. Eagles, tells the compelling backstory of a 1970s textbook that challenged the bland and sanitized way 9th graders had been taught the state’s history.
The textbook, “Mississippi: Conflict and Change” had several contributors, with the bulk of the writing and editing by sociologist James Loewen of Tougaloo College and historian Charles Sallis of Millsaps College.
Historically black Tougaloo, a private school in Jackson, was a haven for civil rights activists in the 1950s and ‘60s, and faculty members there developed ties with colleagues from Millsaps, a predominantly white United Methodist school just a few miles away.
Eagles said “Mississippi: Conflict and Change” was considered “radical” because it included narratives about groups of people who had received little attention in Mississippi textbooks up to that point — African-Americans, Native Americans, women of all races and workers.
The history of a history book is interesting in the context of current debates about how Americans, and particular those in the South, deal with remembrance of the past, including the display of Confederate monuments and the continued use of the Confederate battle emblem on the Mississippi state flag.
“Mississippi: Conflict and Change” sought to present different
Jason B. Jones detailing the events surrounding the murders of his grandmother Betty Jones and her friend Kathryn Crigler in 1990.
Jones - who is doing the podcast with Swell Story Media - said his goal is to take the listener on a journey with him as he chronicles the storyline.
“I have six episodes in my head … but I think it could go longer than that,” Jones said. “You don’t have to be regimented about episodes, you can be really fluid about where the story goes.”
The story received national attention, including “America’s Most Wanted,” but the killer has not been found despite DNA evidence being tested and a police sketch circulating.
The Starkville Police Department previously said the murders took place in the 300 block of Lee Street in Starkville, now named Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, across from the Sunflower Grocery Store.
“Growing up, it was a taboo topic that we didn’t talk about because of the pain and the questions that came along with it,” Jones said. “As I became an adult and grew more curious about my past, who I was and how this traumatic event affected my childhood, I quickly realized there weren’t many answers.”
SPD said the suspect entered the residence and killed Betty Jones and raped and assaulted Kathryn Crigler, who survived to call 911.
Crigler was transported to OCH Regional Medical Center to be treated for her injuries and a rape kit was performed and the suspect DNA profile was developed. Not long after, Crigler succumbed to her injuries and died.
As part of the podcast, Jones speaks with the current lead investigator of the case, family members, journalists and people close to Betty Jones.
Jones was 10 years old when the murder occurred, and in the spirit of other podcasts like “Serial” and “Up and Vanished,” he hopes to find answers to lingering questions not only about the murders, but about his family’s past.
“I’m learning not just how she died, but more importantly how she lived,” Jones said.
Jones plans to release a full episode every two weeks, with a question-and-answer episode to come between the release of each episode.
“Those answers may influence the direction of the next episode,” Jones said.
The first episode of the podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Sticher, Soundcloud and YouTube.