"Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states.[1] Examples include rankings of educational achievement, business opportunities,[2] obesity rates,[3] overall health,[4] the poverty rate,[5] life expectancy, or other criteria of the quality of life or government in the 50 U.S. states.[6][7][8]
Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings, residents of other states also ranking near the bottom may say, "Thank God for Mississippi", since the presence of that state in 50th place spares them of being ranked last.[9] The phrase is in use even among state government officials[10][11] and journalists,[12][13][14][15] though occasionally with a slight modification.[16][17][18]
Mississippi's poor reputation is such a common trope in American culture that when Mississippi does rank well in something, the phrase "Thank God for Mississippi" may get brought up just to discuss how it does not apply in the given circumstance.[19][20][21] The saying comes from Mississippi's poor ranking as compared to the other 49 U.S. states, not from a global perspective.[22][23]
History
The saying has been attributed since before the induction of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959,[24] and its use, while found throughout the entire country, is especially common in Alabama,[25][26] which shares significant cultural and historical ties with its neighbor and former Mississippi Territory co-constituent Mississippi.[27][28] Its use is also noted in nearby Arkansas and other frequently low-ranking states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, and West Virginia.[a]
The saying has become something of a cliché,[39] and has seen usage across the nation with regard to rankings both serious[34] and trivial,[40][41] and the underlying logic has been extrapolated to other states and even countries.[42]
The growing notoriety of the phrase has led 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.[43]