David Meswarb in Greenwood, Mississippi, 1970s? by David Meswarb
submitted by David Springer, November 2022
NOTE: This is an excerpt from David’s memoirs, dictated to David Springer. Springer transcribed the narration and Meswarb approved the text. Search David Meswarb’s name for other pieces about David’s experiences in other locations on the website.
After our teaching experience in Marshallville, Georgia, Alberta Deas taught Grandmother “Tex” from Killeen, Texas – Mother David Meswarb – Daughter
We went back to Camp John Hope in Fort Valley, Georgia to find that we were not the only teaching team to be successful. Abby Black and done okay in Roberta, Georgia. Other Baha’is from Mississippi had similar experiences. We got together with the idea that we needed to go back to Mississippi and do this but where? Maybe Dr. Gary Black’s practice in Greenwood, Mississippi. After a very large and successful opening, 65 new patients his first day, the practice had fallen on hard times and not able to support the family. Gary had moved to Memphis, Tennessee and gotten a salesman job with the Midwest X-Ray Company. We thought that I might be able to make a “go of it” so Gary had given me the Chiropractic practice. Abby and their girls, Debbie and Laurie, were still in Greenwood.
Baha’is came from Jackson, I don’t know how many but Ann Ohara a very British white lady and a black student from Toogaloo College, a black college, just north of Jackson, and two black teenagers (not Irwin) from Clarksdale, MS were there. Gary came from Memphis. We divided into groups of two or three. I was with a student from Toogaloo. We went to what I consider was sort of a ghetto. It was a cold day, thirty to forty degrees. There was a few people on the street, mostly going from one joint to another. We stopped someone and started to explain the Faith using our Ebony reprints. They said let’s go in here and led us to a back room in a joint. There were two small booths. We each took one. I start to talk about Baha’u’llah and the Central Figures. He talked about the principles and laws. After we had explained, we swapped. After another few minutes we asked if they wanted to become Baha’i’s. Yes! We helped them fill out declaration cards. When we left we asked them to send someone else to come in. We repeated several times, and soon there was a line forming waiting to hear. I went and apologized to the owner. She said keep going we are selling to these people as they wait. The results of this largest Baha’i teaching event in Mississippi history – declarations between 108-118, some cards were lost. The Toogaloo student and I taught at least forty-seven.
Minter City
Someone suggested to deepen youth is to have them go with you when you teach. I got three of these new Baha’i youth. They were uncomfortable in Greenwood. We went to Carrollton, the nearest town. There was nothing happening there. I asked where they would go. They all agreed on Minter City. We headed back to Greenwood, went around the bypass going west, go to HWY 49 going North, about 25 miles to Minter City, turned in on a dusty road. We passed a house with an elevated porch. I happened to notice a man sitting on the porch. We stopped outside the area where the action was. As we got out I saw the man running with a limp towards us. He yelled, “What are you doing?” Uh Oh! We are in trouble now”, I thought. As he got up to me I said “I came to tell you something.” Then he said, “I know you did. I had a dream last night. I want to hear all about it.” There were several joints. He selected one. There was a cash register on the right and two booths on the left, canned goods in the back. Two of the youths had dispersed. The one left, Sam, pulled up a chair at the end of the booth. Clifton King and I introduced ourselves. I ordered a Pepsi, I told Clifton we had come to tell people about a new messenger from God. Clifton was very interested when I told him that God wants all mankind to unite. I asked Clifton if he wanted to become a Baha’i? Yes! I signed up the first Baha’i in Minter City, Mississippi. We talked for about an hour. I got to thinking, no one knows where these kids are. I told Clifton maybe I can come back and talk some more. Turns out, Clifton was responsible for or in charge of four or five tractor drivers. He wanted me to come back and help teach them. Most of them lived in a small area of project housing. After a few visits many of them and their wives became Baha’i’s, enough to form an LSA when the time came. After years I went back to check. Minter City does not exist anymore. It is still on the map, but, other than the water tower and building for the cotton gin, nothing. The joints, the housing, everything is gone. Before it had a joyful almost carnival atmosphere. Now empty, dead, very sad!