Seperate But Unequal

Watched NBC's special on Lanier High School on Sunday evening. I was struck by one comment in particular. An African-American woman from Jackson, who graduated from Harvard 30 years ago, said something to the effect of, "I never imagined, 30 years later, we would still be dealing with the same problems."

I thought NBC did a good job, and clearly Mayor Frank Melton needs to have his own reality series, but I also felt that NBC missed an even bigger opportunity. Tom Brokaw said, at the end of the broadcast, that they could have picked any mid-sized city in the country and the story would be the same. He's right. However, just 90 minutes away lies the heart of the Mississippi Delta. The poverty and inequality in the Delta is both severe and hidden.

People across America are at least aware of the problems and challenges of inner-city life. When it comes to the Delta, no one knows...