Today in Labor History March 16, 1995: Mississippi finally ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, banning chattel slavery, 130 years after it was officially ratified by the U.S. in 1865. However, Mississippi never formally notified the U.S. archivist of its belated decision. In other words, the 1995 ratification was unofficial and did not legally count. It would not be until February 7, 2013, 148 years later, that it would make its ratification of the amendment legal.
Here is Nina Simone performing her infamous song, Mississippi Goddam!