The lyrics to jazz singer-songwriter Pam Confer’s new song, “Mississippi Beautiful,” were written to resonate with all Mississippians who love the complicated place they call home.
Who are we? 
How do we claim this? 
Who are we? 
We’re faces of joy and pain 
For we know that we’re more than just a name 
Mississippi, who are we? 
I know we’re beautiful, we’re beautiful,
The more that we believe, 
We’re beautiful, we’re beautiful
The more that we can see 
We’re beautiful, we’re beautiful
The moment we believe.
Confer performed the song this week in preparation for the state’s bicentennial celebration and the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which will feature Confer’s song in one of the museum’s galleries.
“We know that there’s love here, but do we know how to show it. I’m not quite sure. So, I’m hoping that through this song … we’ll learn love is powerful and just the same way we learn hate, we can learn love,” Confer said.
House Representative Debra Gibbs of Jackson plans to introduce a bill to make “Mississippi Beautiful” the state’s official anthem, according to MPB.