From Thomas Jefferson to George W Bush – this title presents the history of the Mississippi Delta, fully updated with a new chapter on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. How could the Mississippi Delta, one of the world’s most prolific cultural centres, be demolished by a predictable natural disaster? This revised edition of Clyde Woods’ classic book examines disaster relief and reconstruction conflicts after Hurricane Katrina. “Development Arrested” also traces the decline and resurrection of plantation ideology in national public policy discourse from Thomas Jefferson to George W Bush, documenting the unceasing attacks on the gains of the Civil Rights Movement and how, despite having suffered countless defeats at the hands of the planter regime, African Americans in the Delta region have continued to push forward their agenda for social, economic and cultural justice.

Woods examines the role of the blues in sustaining their efforts, surveying a musical tradition – including jazz, rock and roll, soul and hip-hop – that has embraced a radical vision of social change.