Mississippi, Believe It!
... was created for you … the people of Mississippi. 

The materials represented below was recreated from the Mississippi Believe It Campaign to share little-known facts about our great state … and the people who make it great.  Http://Mississippibelieveit.com 

Meet a Few of Our New “Good Ole Boys.”

The “good ole boy” network alive and well in Mississippi? Not hardly. Our new “network” consists of more black elected officials than any other state in the country – a number that grew from a mere 81 in 1970 to 897 in 2000. Not to mention women who have held high-ranking positions in the state, such as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Lieutenant Governor. And an Indian chief – yes, an Indian chief – whose business savvy and leadership skills propelled the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to the forefront of economic development in the Southeast during his almost 30 years as chief. “Good ole boys?” Try “great young visionaries.” That’s more like today’s Mississippi.

Mississippi. When It Comes to Modern Medicine, We Wrote the Book.

If you listen to “Hollywood,” Mississippi should be the last place to turn for learning anything about medicine. They couldn’t be more wrong. When it comes to modern medicine, Mississippi wrote the book. Literally. While at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippian Dr. Arthur Guyton wrote the Textbook of Medical Physiology, used by medical students around the world since 1956. The best-selling physiology book ever published, this textbook may very well be the best-selling medical textbook of any kind. UMC physiologist, Dr. John Hall, assisted Dr. Guyton with the ninth and tenth editions of the textbook. Upon Dr. Guyton’s death in 2003, Dr. Hall took over the textbook, thus continuing to help educate the finest future physicians in the world … through a book written right here in Mississippi. Mississippi. You could say we’re a textbook case for advancing modern medicine.

 

A Mississippi Stereo Type.

There are a lot of stereotypes in Mississippi. Our favorite “stereo type” is the one that resonates in the ears of music fans the world over. In 1965, Hartley Peavey started Peavey® Electronics in his dad’s basement in Meridian, Mississippi. From that small, one room operation, Peavey® has grown to encompass 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space. A leader in manufacturing mixing consoles, amplifiers, speakers, microphones, guitars, basses, keyboards … and just about anything else that has to do with music … Peavey supplies acts from rockers 3 Doors Down, Nickelback and Kid Rock to country stars Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Hank Williams Jr. Peavey also has more patents, trademarks and registered products than anyone else in the industry. By the way, Peavey® remains headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. We like the sound of that.

Yes, we can read. A few of us can even write.

From Pulitzer Prize winners to revolutionaries who initiated momentous cultural change … oh, yes, Mississippians can write. No other state in the country can claim as many honored, awarded and revered writers as Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. Where words transcend.

 

Yes, we wear shoes. A few of us even wear cleats.

Brett Favre – the only player ever to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player three years in a row and current NFL record holder for career touchdown passes. Walter Payton – 20 years since he last took the field, “Sweetness” is still ranked among the NFL’s greatest, appearing in category after category of the NFL record books. Jerry Rice - the greatest receiver in NFL history, owns virtually every major career receiving record in league history. Steve "Air" McNair - miraculously led the underdog Tennessee Titans to the AFC Championship - a first for the 40-year-old franchise. These men are just a few of Mississippi's legendary football heroes. Yes, Mississippi. When it comes to world-class athletes, we're a shoe in.

 

Monster Trucks? No. Hog Callin'? No. Tractor Pulls? No.  World-Class Entertainers? Yes!

What’s our idea of fun in Mississippi? It’s not what you think. We actually enjoy watching movies and television, or listening to the radio to see how many Mississippians we can identify. We usually identify quite a few, as you can see. Mississippi. You could say our leading export is world-class talent.

 

Mississippi the First to Have a Change of Heart ... and Lungs ... and Kidneys

Health care in Mississippi. It is by no means back-woods or antiquated, as is often Hollywood’s interpretation. In fact, Mississippi was home to the first-ever heart transplant … and the first-ever lung transplant … and the first-ever kidney autotransplant. All performed by Mississippian Dr. James Hardy, a surgeon at Mississippi’s University Medical Center. Yes, Mississippi. We were the first in the world to have a change of heart. Now isn’t it time the rest of the world had a change of heart about Mississippi?

 

 

The Unmatched Courage of a Soldier. The Ultimate Sacrifice of a Town. The Unparalleled Vision of a Workforce. Mississippi. A Legendary Force for Freedom.

One Mississippian – Lawrence "Rabbit" Kennedy – who served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, remains one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers in history. One small town in Mississippi – D'Lo – sent proportionally more men to serve in World War II than any other town in the country … which was literally every eligible man in town. And for over 60 years, one Mississippi workforce – Northrop Grumman Ship Systems – has helped bring freedom to those who seek her elusive grasp the world over. One man. One town. One workforce. One state. Mississippi – dedicated to freedom. You better believe it.

Freedom Unsinkable.

They tried to blow a hole in our freedom. Instead, they helped make our freedom whole. On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole suffered a devastating blow – a strike literally against our freedom. And it was perpetrated by the same terrorists who masterminded and executed the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001. Through both incidents, we proved that our freedom is unsinkable. The men and women on board the USS Cole that fateful day epitomize that freedom. Some became heroes that summoned all the strength and wisdom necessary to wrest the USS Cole from the depths of the sea. Other heroes on board did not survive that day … and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We salute them all. As we salute the men and women of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems who first built the USS Cole – and did so with such skill as to create a ship that could survive a catastrophic blast to her hull. And we salute those who so meticulously repaired her to make it possible for her to be set back asea … and prove that our freedom is truly unsinkable. Finally, we salute the men and women who now man the USS Cole as she sails to fulfill her duty to the United States of America and to freedom itself. God bless them, every one. And God bless America.

 

 

Moscow, Russia. Varna, Bulgaria. Helsinki, Finland. Jackson, Mississippi, USA Mississippi? You Better Believe It!

One of the world’s most prestigious dance events, the USA International Ballet Competition is a two-week “Olympic-style” competition where young dancers vie for gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as cash awards and scholarships. And, every four years, where is the USA Competition held? Not New York. Not even California. Since 1979, the only place in the U.S. to see the International Ballet Competition has been in Mississippi. Mississippi? World-class? We think we’ve made our point. Or, make that “pointe.”

Houston? No. Kennedy Space Center? No. Mississippi? You Better Believe It!

NASA’s Center of Excellence for rocket propulsion testing isn’t in Houston, or even Florida. It’s Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. As NASA’s primary center for testing and flight certifying rocket propulsion systems, Stennis tests all Space Shuttle Main Engines. It is also the lead center for NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth Enterprise – where U.S. companies are assisted in environmental consulting, land use planning and natural resource management. Stennis employs about 4500 people – 1600 of whom work in the fields of science and engineering. So when you hear people say it doesn’t take rocket science to know Mississippi, they’re wrong.

 

 

Where Is The World’s Largest Auto Plant That Was Built From Scratch? Japan? No. Germany? No. Detroit? No. Mississippi? You Better Believe It!

A once-barren, 1400-acre field now bears a plant that the world would envy … in central Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. A state known for its agriculture now cultivates plants of a different sort. The automotive sort. In May of 2003, Nissan started production at the company’s $1.4 billion assembly plant in Canton. The 3.5 million square-foot facility has the capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles a year. Nearly a half-million automobiles a year. Right here in Mississippi. Mississippi … now a powerful engine in the automotive industry.

 

In Mississippi, We Always Have Our Hand Out. But It’s Usually To Give, Not Receive.

And the last shall be first. We always hear about Mississippi being last. Last in this, last in that. Well, at last, Mississippi is first. And what a first place to hold … in generosity. For eight years in a row, our generosity has won out over every other state in the nation. Per capita, we give more in relation to income than any other state. Any other state. Mississippi. Yes, our hands are out. And our hearts are open.