In my book, "Standing Firm in the Dixie: The Freedom Struggle in Laurel, Mississippi," I conducted over 100 interviews to gather diverse perspectives on the political and social movements in Laurel, Mississippi. Among these interviews, I had the privilege of speaking with Omeria Scott, who, in 1989, assumed the role of president for the Committee for the Continued Funding Operation and Expansion of the Charity Hospitals. In her position, Scott vigorously advocated against then-Governor Ray Mabus

This Mississippi plantation was 'not normal,' says a slave descendant