JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The 165th Mississippi State Fair will likely excite many across the state, but two major parts of its history are largely unknown or forgotten.

Much of the cultural identity of Jackson and Mississippi is tied to the fair. The Mississippi Agricultural Bureau and the Mississippi Agricultural Society sponsored the first state fair back in 1858. The fair on the 105-acre Mississippi State Fairgrounds now brings in over 500,000 people and $50 million of economic impact annually. Simply put, it offers many things to many people every October.

However, two things related to the fair’s past and present are largely unknown. Below is the overview.

Like many aspects of Mississippi life, officials segregated the state fair. By the 1960s, the fair had days where only white or Black residents attended. Residents, community and civil rights groups led a boycott of the fair in 1962. Only 3% of Black residents went to it that year.

In the summer of 1965, state legislators were in a special session to repeal Mississippi’s discriminatory voting laws. About 500 people came to the capital to protest their legitimacy as representatives of all Mississippians. About half of the protestors were teenagers.

Many were still arrested by Jackson police and transported to the state fairgrounds in paddy wagons and garbage trucks. Police housed protestors in facilities meant for livestock.

165th Mississippi State Fair opens to the public

Each year, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) employees make about 100,000 biscuits for the public during the Mississippi State Fair. However, the culinary tradition now synonymous with the fairgrounds is a relatively new development.

Longtime Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Jim Buck Ross’s visit to the Missouri State Fair inspired the start of the Mississippi phenomenon. Since the early 1970s, MDAC employees have made buttermilk biscuits from scratch and served them with Blackburn Made Syrup to fairgoers.

For those who cannot wait until October 3 to have those biscuits, below is the recipe.

The Legendary Mississippi State Fair Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Lightly coat a large baking dish or cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray

• In a large bowl, add flour

  • Dig a well in the middle and add the shortening

  • Cut the shortening into flour until crumbly by using a hand, fork or pastry cutter

• Dig a well, add buttermilk and stir until a soft ball of dough forms

• Lightly flour a flat surface and put the soft ball of dough on it

  • Using your hands, flatten to 1/2 inch thickness

  • Use a 2-inch tin can or biscuit cutter, flour can or cutter before each cut. Do not twist when cutting

  • Cut out round biscuits and place them on a baking sheet

• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown

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Mississippi State football has a chance to regroup before getting back into the SEC grind.

The Bulldogs (1-4, 0-2 SEC) have lost four consecutive games, with their lone win coming against Eastern Kentucky in the season opener. Since then, they’ve lost to Arizona State, Toledo, Florida and Texas.

REQUIRED READING: How Mississippi State football, Jeff Lebby are approaching open week before Georgia game

Mississippi State and first-year coach Jeff Lebby are already without starting quarterback Blake Shapen, a first-year transfer from Baylor who underwent season-ending surgery on his shoulder after suffering an injury against Florida. He has been relieved by true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr., who was 12 of 23 for 144 yards in his first career start against the Longhorns in Week 5.

The slate doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs, who face No. 5 Georgia (3-1, 1-1) in their next game after the bye week. Lebby and Co. will certainly have their work cut out if they want to make a bowl game this season.

Here’s everything to know about Mississippi State’s upcoming bye week:

Watch select Mississippi State football games live with Fubo (free trial)

Does Mississippi State play today?

No, Mississippi State does not play in Week 6 of the 2024 college football season. The Bulldogs resume play in Week 7 on the road at Georgia.

The off week is the first of two for the Bulldogs this season, as they also are off Nov. 16, a week after facing Tennessee on the road and a week before hosting Missouri.

Mississippi State football schedule 2024

Here’s a look at the Bulldogs’ 2024 football schedule:

All times Central

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Eastern Kentucky (W, 56-7)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: at Arizona State (L, 30-23)
• Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Toledo (L, 41-17)
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Florida (L, 45-28)*
• Saturday, Sept. 28: at No. 1 Texas (L, 35-13)*
• Saturday, Oct. 5: BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 12: at No. 5 Georgia* | 3:15 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
• Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. No. 21 Texas A&M*
• Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Arkansas*
• Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. UMass | 3:15 p.m. | SEC Network (Fubo)
• Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 4 Tennessee*
• Saturday, Nov. 16: BYE
• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 9 Missouri*
• Friday, Nov. 29: at No. 11 Ole Miss* | 2:30 p.m. | ABC (ESPN+ or Fubo)

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JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Mississippi state employees do not have paid maternity leave. They’re able to take up to 12 weeks off under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act known as FMLA. But that’s unpaid. However, there are discussions about the possibility of changing that.

A Senate study group has a laser focus on what can be done to improve the lives of women, children, and families. The maternity leave issue is the latest topic.

“The legislature governs the state workers, and they’re competing against the private sector,” noted study group member Sen. Brice Wiggins. “And so we, we want good workers for the state. So, I think that would be, we need to be looking at that. But it’s always a balancing about is that a benefit that outweighs the cost?”

Senator Nicole Boyd believes it would have numerous benefits.

“We know that paid maternity leave leads to these higher employer retention rates,” said Boyd. “Women are much more likely to return to their job. There’s reduced turnover, and therefore the cost associated this are dramatically less. You see enhanced employee morale, which is really important. And then we see increased productivity. After women have had sufficient time to be off work, to rest, to get their health back in shape. They come back to work, ready to work.”

Attorney General Lynn Fitch was asked about the issue at the conclusion of her testimony to the group. She told lawmakers that it would simply put us in line with most other Southern states and says they should take it up in the 2025 session.

“I just want to tell you that Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Virginia have all passed these laws, and so I would encourage you to take a hard look at this,” explained Fitch.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rod Hickman thinks it the right move but doesn’t want it to be too narrowly focused.

“The one thing I would say that I’m hopeful of that if we are able to pass legislation for state employees to have paid maternity leave, that it looks like a family leave model, whereas a father has opportunity to take advantage of that,” he said. “Adopting parents have the opportunity to take advantage of this.”

There are more hearings scheduled for November that will drill down more specifically on this issue. Boyd says she would only be interested in a state employee benefit, no mandates on private businesses in the state.

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