Under Yazoo Clay: Episode "Ever True to Thee" – Detailed Summary
Release Date: March 27, 2025
Host: Larison Campbell
Produced By: iHeartPodcasts and Mississippi Museum of Art
Introduction to the Mississippi State Hospital Museum
The episode begins with Larison Campbell welcoming listeners to the Mississippi State Hospital Museum, situated in Whitefield. This museum serves as an exhibition space chronicling the history of Mississippi’s state-run residential mental health facilities, particularly focusing on the former "lunatic asylum." [02:07]
Exploring Whitfield: The Former Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum
Campbell describes her first impressions of Whitfield, dispelling the mythic and ominous reputation it holds in Mississippi folklore. Accompanied by tour guides Donna Brown and Kathy Denton, she navigates through a marble room adorned with outdated therapy equipment, showcasing the museum's quaintness rather than fear.
Notable Quote:
Donna Brown shares a glimpse into the historical representations within the museum:
"The lady in the shower. They had to pencil in panties and bra on her because that was pornography. For 1938." [03:44]
The Kirkbride Plan and Dorothea Dix’s Vision
A significant portion of the episode delves into the Kirkbride Plan, an architectural and therapeutic blueprint developed in the 1840s by psychiatrist Thomas Kirkbride. This plan emphasized constructing mental health facilities with ample space, natural light, and a serene environment to promote healing through moral therapy.
Key Insights:
- The Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1855, was among the first dozen to adopt the Kirkbride model in the deep South.
- The neoclassical architecture symbolized Mississippi's commitment to Enlightenment ideals, serving as a façade to balance its controversial stance on slavery.
- Lyda Gibson, coordinator of the Asylum Hill project, highlights the initial optimism:
"The way to this one and the beast Within. You can watch a lot of it on YouTube, but you're gonna recognize very little of the hospital." [10:18]
Racial Disparities in Treatment
The episode does not shy away from the darker aspects of the asylum's history. Mab Sigrist, a Southern scholar, explains that Dorothea Dix, despite her contributions, held virulent racist views. This led to significantly lower quality care for Black patients, who were segregated into separate, less spacious annexes without adherence to the Kirkbride standards.
Notable Quote:
Mab Sigrist reflects on the complexity of the asylum's narrative:
"The popular narrative is that it was great when it started out, and then it just went downhill. The true narrative, I think, is just much more complicated than that." [08:47]
The Pellagra Epidemic and Its Impact
A crucial episode segment focuses on the pellagra epidemic that ravaged the Southeast starting around 1910. Dr. Joseph Goldberger discovered that pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency, was widespread among Mississippi’s population due to poor nutrition resulting from reliance on monoculture cotton farming and inadequate diet.
Key Points:
- Pellagra’s symptoms followed the "four Ds": dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death.
- The Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum became a de facto hospice for many pellagra patients, who arrived too debilitated for recovery through diet modifications alone.
- Lyda Gibson discusses the societal failures reflected in the high mortality rates:
"The death rate for people with pellagra was just incredible. I think it's a condemnation of sort of the Mississippi society rather than the asylum." [32:04]
Asylum Hill Project and Archaeological Excavations
The narrative transitions to the present-day Asylum Hill project, spearheaded by Dr. Jennifer Mack, the lead bioarchaeologist. Her work involves excavating the asylum's cemetery to uncover artifacts that shed light on the lives of former patients and staff.
Notable Discoveries:
- Personal Artifacts: Items such as gold rings, dentures, and broken tiles were found in graves, suggesting personal attachments and cultural practices related to burial.
- Cultural Expressions: Dr. Mack interprets certain artifacts as adaptive expressions of African American mortuary traditions, utilizing available materials to symbolize personal connections despite resource limitations.
- Personal Connection: Dr. Mack shares a poignant personal story about a gold ring inscribed with "ever true to thee," which inspired her own tattoo commemorating her late husband who was deeply involved in the project.
"I'm going to try to tell the story... So my husband, Dustin Clark, was the crew chief of this project, and he's the one that found the gold ring that said ever true to thee." [50:12]
Humanizing the Asylum’s Legacy
Larison Campbell and her team strive to humanize the narrative of the asylum by highlighting stories of survival and dignity amidst adversity. Lyda Gibson emphasizes the complexity of patients' experiences, acknowledging both the suffering and the moments of community and care that existed within the asylum.
Notable Quote:
Lyda Gibson reflects on the diversity of patient experiences:
"There were people who committed suicide and there were people who, you know, were victims of violent patient on patient violence. I am absolutely positive there were patients who were victims of sexual violence by, you know, the caregivers. I'm not saying that didn't happen. I'm saying if we only focus on that, we miss a lot of the story." [33:07]
Reflections and Future Directions
The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of uncovering and preserving these histories. The Asylum Hill project is portrayed as a means of connecting the past with the present, offering catharsis and understanding to descendants and the broader community.
Personal Stories:
Dr. Elizabeth West shares how uncovering her great uncle's affiliation with the asylum has deepened her appreciation for her family's history:
"I understand and appreciate myself and my family in ways that I had not before... it's mindboggling." [54:20]
Looking Forward:
The podcast hints at future episodes exploring how these stories will be integrated into the community's memory and the ongoing process of honoring those who lived and died at Whitfield.
Conclusion
"Ever True to Thee" offers a comprehensive exploration of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum's history, intertwining architectural philosophy, racial injustices, public health crises, and personal narratives. Through meticulous archaeological work and sensitive storytelling, the episode sheds light on a forgotten chapter of Mississippi's past, inviting listeners to reflect on the complexities of mental health care and societal values.
Notable Quotes with Speaker Attribution and Timestamps:
-
Donna Brown:
"The lady in the shower. They had to pencil in panties and bra on her because that was pornography. For 1938." [03:44] -
Mab Sigrist:
"The popular narrative is that it was great when it started out, and then it just went downhill. The true narrative, I think, is just much more complicated than that." [08:47] -
Lyda Gibson:
"The death rate for people with pellagra was just incredible. I think it's a condemnation of sort of the Mississippi society rather than the asylum." [32:04] -
Dr. Jennifer Mack:
"I'd love to tell you about one particular pattern that delights me, though it's not about the patients." [42:31] -
Lyda Gibson:
"There were people who committed suicide and there were people who, you know, were victims of violent patient on patient violence. I am absolutely positive there were patients who were victims of sexual violence by, you know, the caregivers." [33:07] -
Dr. Elizabeth West:
"I understand and appreciate myself and my family in ways that I had not before. The pain of finding an ancestor not too far back in the past... it's mindboggling." [54:20]
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the episode's exploration of the historical, social, and personal dimensions of Mississippi’s former state asylum, providing a valuable resource for those interested in uncovering the hidden narratives beneath Yazoo Clay.