Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of American blues music, originating from the traditions of slave songs and spirituals which helped the workers ease the pain of the cotton fields, slavery, racism, and violence. The area once boomed thanks to cotton and the convergence of railroads, the Mississippi River, and paved highways. But the boom times have past, leaving cities like Clarksdale with a legacy of great music and historic juke joints, and a downtown full of ruined, collapsing buildings.
