The Mound Bayou

       The Mound Bayou was an all-black town founded in 1887 by twelve pioneers from the black colony of David Bend. The movement to the establishment, which created a new rail line between Memphis, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, was led predominantly by Isaiah Montgomery. Mound Bayou was formed with the intent of instilling hope and promise for a future that would one day be free from oppression by much of the white population. Through utilizing self-segregation as a means of protection and preservation, this community ensured providing self-help, racial pride, social justice, and economic beneficence by separating blacks from white communities until the integration of the two cultures became a viable option.
        Mound Bayou flourished through its promotion of education, agricultural production, incorporation of railways, and good morals. From the contributions of Booker T. Washington, a well-known educator, and reformer who also founded Tuskegee University, Mound Bayou became a place where each member was motivated to become a useful member of society and avoid engaging in immoral or criminal activity. Over time, education became a vital aspect of the community and expanded through newspapers such as The Demonstrator, which expressed the idea that education was essential to the survival of the community. Vocational education in scientific agriculture found its roots in Mound Bayou through the Mound Bayou Normal and Industrial Institute,  which was one of the best normal schools in the community.
        This community served as a safe haven from the progression of Jim Crow Laws throughout the South as well as a way for ambitious African Americans to further themselves and create economic opportunities largely unavailable in white communities. It became home to dozens of businesses, from sawmills to banks, schools, and hospitals all owned by African Americans. For years, Mound Bayou was known as a place that allowed all of its black citizens to thrive, even being praised by Teddy Roosevelt, as "The Jewel of the Delta."
       Despite its success during the 19th century, Mound Bayou met a distinctive decline during the Great Migration, which lasted from 1915-1930 and led to a noticeable drop in cotton prices. In addition, the death of Booker T. Washington, who played an integral role in maintaining the community's structure, lead to the aversion of the path towards black freedom which entailed dispersing the black population to independent towns within large U.S. cities. Although Mound Bayou amassed a population of 8,000, its population continued to decline during the 20th century, yet it still lives on as a town in Mississippi with a meager population of 1,500.




Sources
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mound-bayou-1887/
https://www.biography.com/activist/booker-t-washington
https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/charles-banks/
https://www.npr.org/2017/03/08/515814287/heres-whats-become-of-a-historic-all-black-town-in-the-mississippi-delta