As it faced the most historic presidential vote of modern times, the United States explored how far it had come in the 40 years
since the Civil Rights campaign led by Martin Luther King overthrew
black segregation. While travelling across the southern US from Georgia to
Louisiana, through the heartland of the former Confederacy, JOHN HARRIS
asked ordinary Americans about their country’s change of heart that elected its first black president on November 4.
With fields of the rogue weed kudzu lining each side of the road,
Mississippi’s Highway 6 leads from Oxford to Clarksdale. But despite
this asphalt artery being only 46 miles long, it links two towns that
otherwise exist in different worlds.
Named after the English university town, Oxford is a leafy
prosperous town filled with boutiques, bookshops and bars to meet the
needs of students attending Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi
whose alumni include writers William Faulkner and John Grisham.
Oxford shot to world prominence today when it hosted the first
debate of US Election 08 between presidential aspirants John McCain and
Barack Obama. After threatening a no-show, McCain arrived in town for a
last-minute ambush that seemed to have Obama on the back foot for most
of the debate.
Robbie and I arrived in Oxford about 30 minutes before the Election
08 debate started after a long-haul drive from Louisville, a 460 mile
journey that traversed the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. We managed
to find the last vacant room in town, at the Comfort Inn on Jackson
Street.
I distinguished myself today as the worst-dressed person to attend
the 11am service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The day started badly when I woke up in my room at The Ellis
Hotel at 10.50am after hitting the sack at 2.30am (about 4pm in Adelaide) after
a midnight visit to Blind Willie's blues club in the entertainment district of Virginia
Highlands. Before climbing into bed, I'd closed all the curtains so day's break
would not disturb my slumber.
It worked! The result was eight and a half hours of
relatively deep sleep - my only interruptions were the bleep of an incoming text
message and a full bladder. I finally woke when the driving force behind this trip Robbie
headed for the shower. I rolled over, checked my watch and then immediately
double-checked the hotel clock to make certain my eyes were not full of sleep.
I spent the next 10 minutes cramming the tangle of
electrical gadgets that had crept out of my bags back inside and climbing into
my travelling clothes. I told Robbie to meet me at the Australian Bakery in
East Atlanta. "I'm off to church," I said.
"You do what you gotta do Johnny," he replied, sleepily.
Two months before the US Presidential election, John Harris and Robbie Brechin are hiring a ragtop with boom boom sound system to take a 1000-mile road trip through the heartland of the former Confederacy, starting in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 20 and hopefully arriving in Dallas, Texas, two weeks later. Along the route, they are plan to listen to some great music from Nashiville and New Orleans, ask a lot of folk how they feel about the world, the war and the prospect of the Union's first black president. John and Robbie are also looking for Australians along the way - running bars, restaurants, nightclubs and interesting small businesses - to get an outsider's inside view of the US election. If you know of any great people or places to visit, please email details to John at
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.We'll keep you posted on our progress.
Impress News is a succinct weekly summary of press releases, stories and news from Impress Media Australia. You can read the latest edition by clicking here or register to receive it each week by emailing your contact details to John Harris at
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.jpg "Election 08 first debate, Oxford, Mississippi")
With fields of the rogue weed kudzu lining each side of the road,
Mississippi’s Highway 6 leads from Oxford to Clarksdale. But despite
this asphalt artery being only 46 miles long, it links two towns that
otherwise exist in different worlds.
I distinguished myself today as the worst-dressed person to attend
the 11am service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
