Africa Defined

Founding and Early Years

Mound Bayou, Mississippi, stands as one of the most remarkable examples of African American self-determination and economic empowerment in U.S. history. Founded in 1887 by former slaves led by Isaiah Montgomery, Mound Bayou was established as an independent black community in the bottomlands of the Mississippi Delta. These bottomlands were a relatively undeveloped frontier, offering blacks a chance to earn money by clearing land and using the profits to buy their own lands.

Education and Community Development

In 1892, the Mound Bayou Normal Institute, a black school, was founded by the American Missionary Association, further solidifying the town’s commitment to education and self-improvement. The establishment of the school was a significant milestone, and African Americans throughout the United States celebrated Mound Bayou as a symbol of what could be achieved through collective effort and perseverance.

Presidential Recognition

The town gained national attention in 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt ordered his train to make a special stop in Mound Bayou. From the platform, he proclaimed that he was witnessing “an object lesson full of hope for the colored people and therefore full of hope for the white people, too.” By 1900, two-thirds of the landowners in the bottomlands were black farmers, highlighting the success of Mound Bayou’s black community in achieving economic independence.

Challenges and Decline

Despite its early successes, Mound Bayou faced significant challenges. The loss of political power due to state disenfranchisement, high debt, and continuing agricultural problems led many black farmers to lose their land. By 1920, most had become landless sharecroppers. As cotton prices fell, the town suffered a severe economic decline during the 1920s and 1930s. The situation worsened when a fire destroyed much of the business district.

Revival and the Taborian Hospital

Mound Bayou began to revive in 1942 with the opening of the Taborian Hospital by the International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor, a fraternal organization. For more than two decades, the hospital provided low-cost health care to thousands of blacks in the Mississippi Delta. The chief surgeon, T.R.M. Howard, played a significant role in the town’s revival. Howard became one of the wealthiest black men in Mississippi, owning a plantation of more than 1,000 acres, a home construction firm, a small zoo, and the first swimming pool for blacks in the state.

Civil Rights Activism

In 1952, Medgar Evers moved to Mound Bayou to sell insurance. T.R.M. Howard introduced Evers to civil rights activism through the Regional Council of Negro Leadership, which organized a boycott against service stations that refused to provide restrooms for blacks. During the trial of Emmett Till’s killers, black reporters and witnesses stayed in Howard’s Mound Bayou home, and Howard provided them with an armed escort to the courthouse in Sumner, further cementing Mound Bayou’s role in the civil rights movement.

Legacy and Impact

Author Michael Premo wrote:

“Mound Bayou was an oasis in turbulent times. While the rest of Mississippi was violently segregated, inside the city there were no racial codes… At a time when blacks faced repercussions as severe as death for registering to vote, Mound Bayou residents were casting ballots in every election. The city has a proud history of credit unions, insurance companies, a hospital, five newspapers, and a variety of businesses owned, operated, and patronized by black residents. Mound Bayou is a crowning achievement in the struggle for self-determination and economic empowerment.”

Mound Bayou’s legacy as a thriving, self-sufficient black community during a period of intense racial segregation and oppression is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of its residents. The town’s history serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of community solidarity, economic independence, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.