Feb 11, 2010
Day 7 Part 1
11:23 am

Mississippi is a trip. What a friendly, eclectic mix of people. Not as many White Dreds as the other stops on this tour, but definitely as much drug use.  It’s surprising how rampant this culture has become. Students are as bold as ever as they ask innocent bystanders for any narcotics they can acquire. One kid blatantly asked me, “Do you have drugs?” I quickly responded, “Nah, I don’t do drugs.” Homeboy, who was about half an inch taller than me, had the creepiest smile on his face when he simply replied, ”Well, I do.” His sinister grin kinda freaked me out, but I let him know that I hoped he found what he was looking for. Interactions like these with people across the globe give me a stronger sense of pride and gratitude for the way my parents raised me.  I’m thankful that I grew up in the melting pot that is Los Angeles, California and was exposed to such a diverse array of influences. My mother being from AL and my pops being from LA has allowed me to have deep roots in the South, as most African-Americans do, but the cultures that the West Coast exposed me to truly shaped my person.  s we left MS, headed for a post Super Bowl Parade/pre-Mardi Gras New Orleans, I wondered what insanity I would be exposed to on this leg of my expedition.

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