How a Mississippi Delta City Capitalized on the Attention of “Sinners”
Word spread quickly over social media and among neighbors and friends last month: Hollywood was coming to Clarksdale, Miss. It was a remarkable moment for the Mississippi Delta city, known as the birthplace of the blues, and now the setting for the hit Southern horror movie “Sinners.” After residents circulated an online petition for a screening — the city hasn’t had a functioning theater for decades — Ryan Coogler, the writer and director, and the movie’s producers obliged. Ultimately, it became a three-day affair with six screenings and multiple panels. Coogler introduced the film at the first two screenings, and privately toured the city. But what became clear to me after spending a few days in Clarksdale was how large a role the younger generation of residents had played in bringing the screenings to town. Their work — reopening a Black-owned grocery store with fresh produce, raising money to rebuild a formerly segregated theater, starting a collection of farms — capitalized on the attention from the movie, and was the foundation for the effort that eventually caught Coogler’s eye. There are also others taking on their family’s work in Clarksdale. Orlando Paden, a state representative who took over his father’s legendary juke joint, was elected mayor this week. And Michael Messenger drives back from Tennessee to the city each weekend to ensure that Messenger’s, the pool hall that his grandfather opened in 1910, remains open. Michael’s teenage son, Bryson, is considering doing the same. “This moment has allowed us to really lean more into that and say, ‘This is what we’ve been saying all along,’” said Timothy Lampkin, the head of the Higher Purpose Hub, an organization that aims to improve access to resources in the Delta. “And now the world knows our truth.”
Tyler Yarbrough, a 26-year-old organizer who helped with the grocery store reopening, created the petition. Aallyah Wright, a Clarksdale native and reporter for the nonprofit news outlet Capital B, first wrote about the effort, which prompted more attention and led to Warner Bros., the movie’s producer and others involved with the film to take notice. Other organizers and business leaders worked together to plan the screenings and schedule a series of discussions about how to keep the spotlight on Clarksdale. The movie, which stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers who confront vampires drawn to their juke joint, was personal for those whose families lived under the Jim Crow laws of the South. “It needs to come home — it needs be with the people that the idea originated from,” said Jaleesa Collins, who first raised the idea of bringing a screening to Clarksdale in posts on Facebook. It was also an affirmation, she and others said, of the work they were doing to stop an exodus of talent and attract more investment. There are already signs that the movie is inspiring new visitors to Clarksdale. “Clarksdale has reinforced my love of the small town,” Anna Philip, 39, told me as she waited in line for the first screening in Clarksdale. She had driven from Atlanta and was already planning on extending her stay, even before she had spent a full day there. Roger Stolle, the owner of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, said he had a customer come from California who had seen the movie nine times — before the screenings. “She had only ever heard of blues, never consciously heard the music, and had never heard of Clarksdale, Miss.,” he said. “Because of that film, she spent a long weekend here.”
Read More:
Eid al-AdhaMillions of Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice or “big Eid.” The holiday commemorates the Quranic tale of the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to Allah. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, Allah provided a ram as an offering. Muslims mark the day by giving meat to the poor, as a symbol of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Celebrate by making one (or more!) of these delicious recipes.
Invite your friends.
|
