''Sons of Mississippi'' is a book by

Paul Hendrickson Paul Hendrickson (born April 29, 1944) is an American author, journalist, and professor. He is a senior lecturer and member of the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former member of the writing staff at the ''Washin ...

about sheriffs in Mississippi. The book's starting point is a photograph by Charles Moore of seven sheriffs assembled in Oxford, Mississippi. The photo was taken three days before

James Meredith James Howard Meredith (born June 25, 1933) is an American civil rights activist, writer, political adviser, and Air Force veteran who became, in 1962, the first African-American student admitted to the racially segregated University of Mississ ...

would enroll at University of Mississippi as its first African-American student; the sheriffs had come from different places in Mississippi to protest the enrollment. It was published in

Life magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

in 1962 and headlined "Local Lawmen, Getting Ready to Block the Law". Most of the sheriffs assembled had left Oxford by the time violence broke out on September 29–30. However, to Hendrickson, they represent an important cross-section of the forces of segregation. Hendrickson spent seven years researching the book, with fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. He interviewed the two sheriffs who were still alive, as well as children, grandchildren, friends, enemies, and associates. Hendrickson also spoke to

and his son, Joseph Meredith.Elizabeth Bennett,
'Sons of Mississippi: A Story of Race and Its Legacy,' by Paul Hendrickson; Photo is a window into roots of racism, change in the South
; ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', 13 April 2003. The book pays special attention to the Ferrell family, headed by Sheriff Billy T. Ferrell, who is situated in the center of the Moore photograph and is swinging a billy club.Wen Stephenson,

"; ''Washington Monthly'', April 2003. The Moore photograph depicts seven sheriffs, who in the photo, are situated from left to right as follows: * Sheriff John Henry Spencer of Pittsboro,

Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun: * Calhoun County, Alabama * Calhoun County, Arkansas * Calhoun County, Florida * Calhoun County, Georgia * Calhoun Count ...

* Sheriff James Ira Grimsley of Pascagoula, Jackson County * Sheriff Bob Waller of Hattiesburg, Lamar County * Sheriff Billy Ferrell of Natchez, Adams County (swinging) * Sheriff Jimmy Middleton of

Port Gibson Port Gibson is a city in Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2010 census. Port Gibson is the county seat of Claiborne County, which is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. It is the site of th ...

, Claiborne County (further from camera) * Deputy Sheriff James Wesley Garrison of Oxford, Lafayette County * Sheriff John Ed Cothran of

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

Leflore County Leflore County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,317. The county seat is Greenwood. The county is named for Choctaw leader Greenwood LeFlore, who signed a treaty to cede his peo ...

The Moore photograph also shows the back of a state trooper's head, close to the camera on the left, and it appears blurry and large.''Sons of Mississippi'', p. 136.

References

Mississippi culture History books about the United States {{US-hist-book-stub