Headlines
Breaking News: Annual Mississippi Picnic in Central Park Cancelled Due to HB 1523
Mississippi Picnic in Central Park (2015)
The 37th annual Mississippi Picnic in the Central Park has been cancelled, per a press release from its organizers, the New York-Mississippi Society.
The cancellation came to be “as a result of the unfortunate adoption of House Bill 1523,” according to the founders of the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park and the New York – Mississippi Society.
The press release in full reads:
We, the founders of the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park and the New York-Mississippi Society, are officially canceling this year’s picnic in its 37th year.
As a result of the unfortunate adoption of House Bill 1523, we have been informed that several concerned groups in New York City intend to demonstrate in protest of the passage of this law. Due to the controversy, the protests, and our own intensely felt dismay over HB 1523, we deeply regret that the Mississippi Picnic cannot go forward.
Our mission back in 1980 was to showcase a positive image of the state of Mississippi, and over the past 36 years, we have celebrated such cultural icons as writer Tennessee Williams, food critic Craig Claiborne, and opera singer, Leontyne Price. This year we were planning to honor the great blues musician, B.B.King.
For almost four decades, The Mississippi Picnic in Central Park has consistently celebrated the best of Mississippi, without regard to race, religion, or gender orientation. We took pride in sharing our rich heritage and diversity with the rest of the world through these annual gatherings. Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated, and therefore we have decided to stand up for all Mississippians by cancelling the 2016 picnic in the park.
Respectfully,
The Founders: Ron Carter
Vicki Carter Rachel McPherson Diane Wiltshir
The Mississippi Development Authority’s public relations manager, Jeff Rent, sent a statement: “The New York Mississippi Society has made the decision to cancel the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park. We are disappointed in not only their decision, but also their lack of discussion with Mississippi partners before cancelling the event.”
Visit Oxford is one of the listed partners of the annual event.
Its director, Mary Allyn Hedges said, “”We are disappointed that it will not be taking place as Visit Oxford has been a part of the Picnic for a number of years. It’s a great way to showcase all that our great town and state have to offer and I hope we are able to return in the future.”
Callie Daniels Bryant is the senior managing editor for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | 11:00 AM ABC or ESPN |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | 2:30 PM ESPN or ABC |
Sandra Fitts
April 12, 2016 at 4:13 pm
This is so sad. I have never attended this event, but have read about it and have thought it was a wonderful opportunity for Mississippians to celebrate together and, as this article has shown, to embrace the great assets that are available in the state of Mississippi. I believe that It is a unique community of mostly caring people.
Debby
April 12, 2016 at 4:19 pm
Thank you. You are our future. Hotly Toddy! From Arizona.
Barb Davis
April 12, 2016 at 5:10 pm
We regret your decision and find your reasoning seriously misguided! In addition to this decision reflecting badly on your organization, it is depriving our expats far from their home in Mississippi the privilege of connecting with Mississippi, and we with them. If you are trying to make a point regarding HB1523, which by the way is not a unique decision to our state, you are harming the wrong group of people. Signed: A proul Southerner!
rich
April 12, 2016 at 5:32 pm
and I would want to go to new york because…..??????
Anonymous
April 12, 2016 at 5:46 pm
And the New Yorkers are hypocrites.
Anonymous
April 12, 2016 at 5:56 pm
BOO HOO BOO HOO
Anonymous
April 12, 2016 at 5:57 pm
NOBODY CARES
Margaret H. Lane
April 12, 2016 at 6:03 pm
While I deeply regret that this decision had to be made, I support it wholeheartedly. Those of us who love Ole Miss and Mississippi need to stand together in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters. All of them. Thank you for making a difficult decision.
Paige
April 12, 2016 at 6:06 pm
So a bunch of people from New York were going to protest and try to tell Mississippi what to do and think?
Sounds about right. The big apple can kiss my big —
John
April 12, 2016 at 7:34 pm
What is truly sad is that the people of Mississippi voted to put a bunch of bigots into office. Hopefully, those with a lick of sense, will wake up before the next election and make much better choices in who will represent them. This one horrible bill will destroy the southern charm the state is known for.
PAT KLINE
April 12, 2016 at 7:36 pm
Good work, Governor Bryant1
Eugene
April 12, 2016 at 7:45 pm
I live in NYC but was raised in Mississippi. Some of these comments remind me of why I’m so proud to have been brought up as a Christian and had “Thou shalt not judge” instilled in me. It has served me well. Even though I was the victim of two gay bashings and have been made fun of my whole life and discriminated against, I always turned the other cheek I don’t judge the people who treated me like that. It’s a good way to live. Folks should give it a try sometime.
Orson Zedd
April 12, 2016 at 8:10 pm
You’re a dumbass if you think this doesn’t affect you. It does, your representatives are showing the dark side of Mississippi Politics and are making us look like a bunch of ignorant savages. Impeach these morons and elect me Emperor.
Carmen
April 12, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Orson,
Do you feel better after calling people names. It diminishes your point.
Anonymous
April 12, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Seriously, who the heck cares what they do or do not do in NYC? This is breaking news?
Patrick
April 12, 2016 at 10:46 pm
It is easy to see how hotly toddy covers this story that they are against the law. I hesitate to be real critical, as they do let everyone comment. However, everything on the site about the bill is negative, and the n y c story is consistent with that.
I have yet to see a story on this site in favor of the bill.
peter
April 12, 2016 at 11:50 pm
@patrick are you also surprised at the absence of articles advocating reinstatement of the peculiar institution on religious grounds?
Susan
April 13, 2016 at 8:40 am
Thank you for taking a stand when so many others would shrink from responsibility. I applaud your mission and hope that one day soon, I too can be proud of Mississippi again. But not today.
Patrick
April 13, 2016 at 11:33 am
Susan, I am glad to help you with a bus ticket out of state.
Johnp
April 13, 2016 at 1:08 pm
NY isn’t obligated to do anything regarding Mississippi. If peeved Mississippians are mad we won’t have a picnic in their honor after taking rights away you should refer to the stereotype about all NYC’ers. – We don’t care, and we don’t care about your opinion on it.
Kenny
April 13, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Well John we have common ground. You don’t care about Mississippi, and I don’t care if NYC slides off into the ocean.
So good luck to you, but if you drop any change on the street…. Don’t bend over, just let it go.
Martha Edmonds
April 13, 2016 at 8:49 pm
This is so sad, after all these years. The irony is that almost all of these participants would be outraged at these new laws!
Martha Edmonds.