Mississippi: It's 1963 All Over Again

I've had one of those nasty summer colds for the past few days and, for me, the only way to feel better is to get some sleep. So, to that end, I have been dosing myself with Nyquil--which tops the cough and the stuffiness--and sleeping like a baby. The only side effect for me is the odd dreams I have in a Nyquil-induced stupor.

Take last night's dream, for instance. I dreamt there was a Black president! Can you believe that? And it was 2012! That's some crazy shiz. Luckily, when I woke up, everything was back to normal and it was 1963 again, which makes this story seem, well, still bad, but not out of 'normal,' for the South....in the 60s

There was a couple in Jackson, Mississippi, who had planned a wedding; it was the biggest day of their lives and they wanted everything to be perfect. But, the church where they wanted to hold their ceremony turned them away because they're Black.

Well, duh. It's 1963, dontcha know. I mean, at least it must be in Mississippi.

Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson fell in love, he proposed, and they set a date. They found a church--the predominantly white First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs--bought a dress, rented a tux, sent out some invitations, and were all set to go, until the day before the wedding the pastor of the church, Dr. Stan Weatherford, told the couple he'd gotten some bad news from the congregation.

Charles Wilson: "The church congregation had decided no black could be married at that church, and that if [Weatherford] went on to marry her, then they would vote him out the church." 

How Christ-like. No black people can marry in the church, and if the pastor dares to break that rule he's out of a job. What is even nuttier is that Charles and Te'Andrea often attend services at this church, though they are not members.

Dr. Weatherford was stunned by the announcement from, what he calls, a small minority against the black marriage at the church: "This had never been done before here, so it was setting a new precedent, and there are those who reacted to that because of that."

He went on to perform the wedding at a nearby church.

For their part, Charles and Te'Andrea don't understand why the church suddenly turned them down and wonder about the “Christianity” of the congregation: "I blame the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, I blame those members who knew and call themselves Christians and didn't stand up," said Charles Wilson.

Church officials are now saying they welcome any race into their congregation and will hold internal meetings on how to move forward, should this situation occur again.

Here's how that goes down: you believe in God, God isn't racist, perform the damned wedding.

Don't make me think this is 1963 again.

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