The saying has been attributed since before the induction of
Alaska and
Hawaii as states in 1959, and its use, while found throughout the entire country, is especially common in
Alabama, which shares significant cultural and historical ties with its neighbor and former
Mississippi Territory co-constituent. Its use is also noted in nearby
Arkansas and other frequently low-ranking states such as
Kentucky,
Tennessee,
Louisiana,
Texas and
West Virginia. The saying has become something of a
cliché, and has seen usage across the nation with regard to rankings both serious and the underlying logic has been extrapolated to other states and even countries.
Jackson, the capital and largest city in Mississippi, has frequently had the highest homicide rate per capita in the United States, at a rate more than fourteen times higher than the national average, as well as
water crisis in 2022 that developed over decades. The notoriety of the phrase leads some Mississippians themselves to despise the saying, not because it is false, but because it rings true and puts their state in a bad light. The phrase has also been used as an attempt to rally Mississippians towards making change. However, as Mississippi has climbed up the rankings in education due to their
series of reforms, including
student retention and
phonics-based instruction, the phrase has flipped its meaning in that context; for instance, South Carolina state senator
Dwight Loftis said in 2024 that "Mississippi is ahead of us. We used to say 'Thank God for Mississippi'. Now we can say 'Thank God for Mississippi, they've done it and they know how to do it.' We have to change our education department." ==See also==