MITCHELL on William Winter’s Neshoba speech

CHARLIE MITCHELL: At 91, William Winter focuses once more on a better Mississippi

As midday neared on a cool July day in Mississippi (strange as that sounds), a 91-year-old hopped (strange as that sounds) up the stage steps, approached and embraced the lectern at the Neshoba County Fair.

The audience of about 400 — mostly white, mostly Republican, mostly there to see if U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran was going to speak — arose in unison and applauded enthusiastically for the lifelong Democrat.

Yes, it was William Winter. Yes, he could pass for 70. Yes, he delivered a stem winder. He was interrupted by applause time and again.

Sun Herald
8/14/14