My Mom was born and raised in a small Northern Mississippi town with four sisters. Her Father was a Doctor for that town from the 1930s till he passed in 1972.

Dr. Kazar could have picked any town. He grew up near Chicago and was a double major in Architecture and Medicine. However, he chose a prominently black town to plant his roots and build his home there. He also served in WWI and WWII. He used skills he learned in the military to care for many of his patients who functioned without electricity at the time.

He was recognized in several publications of the day including a Black Mazine called "Jet". He was the only white person to ever appear on the cover of the magazine.

As a child, I went on many house calls with him. Many of these people did not have very much money. Many worked in the cotton fields. He was often given a chicken or fresh vegetables as payment. He was perfectly happy with that form of payment.

So I have a somewhat different view of Mississippi as someone who actually spent time there since it appears many have formed a view without ever setting foot in the state. I still have many cousins who live there. I went to school for a short time in Bay Saint Lewis on the Gulf Coast which is a beautiful coastal town in MS.

Would I live there? Well No I would not for many reasons, some that you listed. That said there are several nice towns in MS and Several Colleges., Miss State and Ole Miss to name a few that are well known.