Sweet Tea: That small town groove

We’ve all seen the TikTok trend where men call the homies to wish them goodnight. It’s honestly so sweet and normalizes the kind of loving friendship men deserve but are sometimes discouraged from expressing. Tell your friends goodnight! Just not every night. No one needs that.

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LET’S CHAT: HOW SMALL TOWNS GET THEIR GROOVE BACK

Credit: Courtesy Blake Guthrie

Credit: Courtesy Blake Guthrie

Small towns are at the heart of the South, but so many of them struggle with economic hardship and cultural decay. In part, it’s because small towns often rely on specific forms of income: a nearby factory, an established crop rotation or the whims of tourism. If the winds of fate blow the wrong way, the town can be devastated.

I talked to veteran newspaperman Mac Gordon (a real OG), who wrote a fascinating op-ed for the Clarion Ledger about how the revitalization of small towns in Mississippi can be a blueprint for other areas.

Small towns can return to their cultural roots

“The world is in turmoil, and small towns have had to reinvent themselves or redefine themselves. I maintain the cultural arts is a way to do that,” Gordon told me.

“The arts unite people. I’m not naive enough to say the arts can support a town by itself. It takes a lot of convincing to get people on board and working together. It takes money. No one can do it alone.”

Examples of small-town success in Mississippi

🎶 Clarksdale has the blues: “The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the blues, and they’ve capitalized on that,” Gordon said. “Historically, agriculture is key. But the arts and music have been phenomenal for business.”

🏡 Laurel gets a reno: Laurel is the home of HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier. The show “Home Town” showcases home renovations around the area. “Laurel hadn’t changed, had kind of been in the doldrums, and they really revived it,” Gordon said.

🎨 Yazoo City is mighty pretty: Downtown Yazoo City’s revival includes a series of murals commissioned by the city’s visitors bureau and other organizations. “Almost every building has a mural on the side of it,” Gordon said. “It’s unbelievable-looking downtown.”

🎭 Meridian takes an encore: “Meridian was a thriving place about 100 years ago, then it got in the doldrums.” Gordon said. “But it’s developed back into a music mecca. The state helped finance this with a museum for Mississippi music. The city also celebrates writers and other artists.”

Again, Gordon notes it can’t be done alone. Towns need funding and financial support, plus other necessities like reliable health care, to find new ways to thrive.

‘SINNERS’ COMES TO THE ‘SIP

We’re Mississippi-heavy today. Nothing wrong with that. Ryan Coogler’s smash hit “Sinners” is set in 1930s Clarksdale, but here’s a catch: 2025 Clarksdale doesn’t have a movie theater. Community organizers started a petition to host a public screening anyway.

They didn’t just make it work — they made it legendary. Coogler himself made an appearance, as well as composer Ludwig Göransson, actor Miles Caton and other film crew.

Deep dives to obsess over:

Coogler’s homage to the Mississippi Delta is a rich, rich text. These fascinating long reads are so full of cultural information they should come with a college credit.

“In a world where culture is both shield and target, Sinners urges viewers to recognize the power of collective memory, the necessity of boundaries, and the enduring hope found in faith, music, and community."

“Supernatural elements were often associated with blues mastery, most famously in the legend of Robert Johnson supposedly selling his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for his remarkable guitar skills.”

WHAT ARE THEY PUTTING IN THE BAMA WATER?

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

Fish. A lot of fish.

Did you know that Alabama has the most species of freshwater fish of any state? Mollusks, too. And crawfish. And snails! It’s a party down there.

Just a few of Alabama’s leading biodiversity stats, from the Alabama Wildlife Federation:

As the AWF’s site says, “#1 in turtle diversity in the United States!” I am honestly very jealous. Put that on a shirt.

SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH

✏️ Union County, North Carolina: A group of high school students manages a nonprofit to donate school supplies to teachers at underserved schools. The “School Supplies Closet” has donated more than $4,000 in supplies. More from WSOC, or follow them on Instagram here

📚 Knoxville: The Bottom Bookshop is holding a banned book reading today after Knox County Schools pulled 65 books to comply with state laws. The bookshop’s owner and a University of Tennessee sociology professor are leading a discussion on why the book was banned. More from the Knoxville News Sentinel

🚗 Atlanta: “Cadillac Chronicles,” a web series hosted by Brian Freeman, is elevating Atlanta’s music culture. The winning formula? Music legends and promising new acts, deep conversations and a cruise around the city in a vintage car. More from UATL

🌳 Dorchester County, South Carolina: SC is getting a new state forest thanks to a land conservation group. The Open Space Institute bought the 1,644-acre forest tract so it can be preserved and maintained for the public. More from the South Carolina Daily Gazette

WHAT’S HAPPENING: GET READY FOR BOURBON WEEK

Credit: Bardstown Tourism

Credit: Bardstown Tourism

When you think bourbon, you think Kentucky. Or when you think Kentucky, you think bourbon. Either way.

Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World, kicks off National Bourbon Week soon. The festivities run from June 9-15 and celebrate the history and craftsmanship of the beloved spirit. Get the low-down from the Courier Journal on events and participating labels.

🥃 Fun fact: Bourbon, by definition, can only be made in the United States. Bourbon is a type of whiskey, but the difference lies in the grain. Bourbon is made primarily with corn instead of, say, barley or rye.

TELL US SOMETHING GOOD

Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too.

SOUTHERN WISDOM

Queen Dolly opened up about life after losing her husband and how she is constantly evolving her dreams and goals.

Thank you for reading to the very bottom of Sweet Tea! Join us next week by subscribing to the newsletter.🍑