page_title: Here's to the State of Mississippi
section_title: Adaptation
hierarchical_section_title: Here's to the State of Mississippi / Adaptation
caption_attribution_description: English: Phil Ochs rewrite of his song "Here's to the State of Mississippi," into "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon." Scanned from photocopy. Typed at apartment of Chip Berlet in 1974 prior to Ochs' performance of the song at Impeachment Ball. Copy sent to his brother Michael Ochs for registration. Original at Chicago History Museum via the Chicago Peace Museum.
context_page_description: "Here's to the State of Mississippi" is a civil rights protest song by Phil Ochs, an American topical singer and songwriter in the 1960s. Ochs is best known for his anti-war and freedom songs. "Here's to the State of Mississippi" was released in 1965 as the last track on his album I Ain't Marching Anymore. The song criticizes the state of Mississippi for its mistreatment of African Americans. He points out various problems with the social constructs that allowed for oppression of the race. Jim Crow laws and white supremacy in the South fueled an imbalance in the civil structure of the state. "Here's to the State of Mississippi" touches on various issues like segregation, corrupt and biased school systems, and the negligence and crookedness of society and of government officials.
  Ochs was inspired to write this song following a visit to the state as a volunteer for the Mississippi Caravan of Music. The Caravan worked in conjunction with Freedom Summer, a volunteer-based campaign that began in June 1964. The campaign aimed to register black voters in a place where the voting rights for blacks were nearly non-existent.
context_section_description: Phil Ochs released the song "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon" as a single in 1974. Ochs replaces 'Mississippi' with 'Richard Nixon' in the lyrics. Additionally, Ochs changes some verses to reflect criticisms about the Nixon administration.
caption: Here's to the State of Richard Nixon
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