Mississippi Native: Archie Skiffer

"Because Mississippi is home, I have an obligation to remain and fight, to put in the work to ensure it is a place where all can feel welcome and equipped with the resources to thrive."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Today we hear from archivist, activist, and writer Archie Skiffer.

Featured contributor, Archie Skiffer.

Where are you from? 

I’m from D’Lo, Simpson County, Mississippi. 

How long have you lived in Mississippi? 

Practically all of my life, with exception to 2014-15, when I resided in Atlanta, GA, while pursuing my master’s. I returned to Mississippi in July, 2015. 

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition? 

To me, home means a safe place and place of refuge from the outside world. In regards to Mississippi, it’s rather contradictory, though. When applying the definition to Mississippi, home is somewhere you want to escape from due to the pervasive poverty, class war, racism, homophobia, police terrorism, and so on. However, because it is home, I have an obligation to remain and fight, to put in the work to ensure it is a place where all can feel welcome and equipped with the resources to thrive.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here? 

I believe that cultivating community is applicable to my experiences as an activist-organizer. In this capacity, I’ve embraced this role by serving the families of victims of extrajudicial killings here in Mississippi. By being their voice, advocating for justice, and connecting them to other families whose loved ones have been assaulted, maimed and/or killed by members of law enforcement has resulted in the building of a support network of everyday people, who have become politicized as a result of these shared heinous experiences. Moreover, the spirit of community cultivation is revealed in my labor. Through both places of employment, I find that goals achieved through collaboration are the most rewarding.

The author and a fellow activist at a Black Lives Matter protest.