Storms and Rainbows

Disclaimer: We have no desire to alter the happy upbeat tempo of our blog but, we think it’s time we shed a bit of light on what makes Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns so beautiful~

-from the most horrible of storms come the most beautiful rainbows-

Mississippi is the birthplace and home state of Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns. Our town is located about 200 miles south of the state capitol on the beautiful gulf coast- where pine trees are plenty and beaches and seafood are abound. We have 100+ degree temperatures in the summer and if the winter weather brings ice or snow our schools close. We have no city transit service, no cab service and no bus service so getting around means either walking, biking, skateboarding or driving your own car, truck, SUV, etc.

Even though there are volumes of positive things that go on in Mississippi -discrimination is still alive and well… and it’s home to the Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns. We decided to chronicle a few of our own personal experiences right here right now—-

1. Picture this: a faded white only sign on a bathroom door in the basement of the local courthouse (year- sometime between 1989 and 1996)

2. Think about this: September 8, 1989 – graduation day at a POLICE ACADEMY-

an African American cadet is asked to raise the American flag up the pole and as the graduating cadets stand at attention, watching proudly, a non African American cadet makes this statement “what’s the world coming to when they let a nigger put up the American flag?” The academy commander’s reaction when told about the incident: “well you know there’s racism everywhere”.

3.  A devout Catholic parishioner is denied the right to read during mass by the mass coordinator- because she’d recently returned home from an 18 month prison sentence.

4.  2008: A group of “closeted” racists target an African American female who earned a coveted position in a major state scholastic competition.

5. Here’s another one: the year is 2009; the setting – a classroom; the incident – a Caucasian male brings a homemade noose to school; results -in school isolation- 

The African American female who reported the incident is taunted, teased and ridiculed by numerous members of the student body while the teachers and administrator basically look on. Incidentally, this occurred in a Catholic school where tuition was high, enrollment was and is generally low and (obviously) hate and racism are tolerated.

6. In 2014 during a meeting, the department director talks openly about how “nice queers are” and asks the group if ever any of them have met a “queer who wasn’t nice”. Several of the people present during the meeting are either gay, lesbian or transgender, but none of them dare speak out.    

     These are but a few incidents (the storms) that we, Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns, (the rainbows), two of the most phenomenal women you’ll ever get to know, come from.