Three civil rights workers were murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1964, on the heels of the torching of a local Black church — but you’d never know it if you visited the town’s official historical society. Enter the unofficial tour guides of Philadelphia, including author Ko Bragg’s stepfather, Obbie Riley:
Obbie is of the opinion that if something needs to get done, especially something as important as ensuring that the legacy of your community and family doesn’t get erased, you’d better first employ yourself to do something about it. I’d lived in town for years, but I’d never taken his tour. So on a chilly November day, we hopped into his white pickup truck at dusk with his mean little mutt, Rex. We pulled out of the long gravel driveway and drove into history.
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