Rebels in the Wake of 9-11: Homecoming Weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, October 2001

Abstract

Click for larger view [End Page 74] Grief, fear, pride, love, sympathy, courage, anger, hate. The attacks of 9-11 provoked a mix of simple and complex emotions as our country entered a new era. Americans suddenly found themselves in the middle of a war of a different sort. Enemies were not distinguished by national borders or a formal army. Success, it seemed, might never be declared for fear of relaxing defenses. The adversary in the War on Terror seemed more like a looming, indefatigable abstraction than a tangible foe. Katy Vinroot O'Brien captured America's first footsteps onto this new unsteady ground during the University of Mississippi's Homecoming Weekend in Oxford. A few short weeks after the 9-11 attacks and just days after the first U.S. bombings in Afghanistan in October 2001, she not only snapped scenes of Ole Miss's annual celebration, she also photographed moments from a country in flux. The usual terrain of southern homecoming celebrations—cheerleaders rah-rahhing, smartly clad members of the homecoming court soaking up the crowd, mothers and babies at parade's edge, hastily built fraternity floats—contrasts with markers of heightened national pride and sudden, uncomfortable transformation. Flags and signs, servicemen and on-looking boys alike in military dress, old fire trucks rolled out that evoke the heroism of the New York Fire Department, the foreign-looking men on the steps relegated to the periphery, bystanders seemingly lost in deep reverie—all spoke of an unsure future. We can view O'Brien's photographs, of course, aware of all the particulars of a timeline her subjects had yet to experience. There would be no other large-scale attacks in the immediate wake of 9-11. The U.S. would wage war in Afghanistan and then in Iraq without erasing much fear in this country. Years later, in fact, the War on Terror would remain in full swing. By October 2001 everything was changing rapidly, perhaps permanently. This, maybe, they already knew. [End Page 75] Click for larger view Waiting for the parade. All photographs by Katy Vinroot O'Brien. [End Page 76] Click for larger view [End Page 77] Click for larger view Click for larger view The new outsiders [End Page 78] Click for larger view in-crowd Click for larger view [End Page 79] Click for larger view [End Page 80] Click for larger view On the banner hanging from the building behind the kids: "God Bless the USA and Our Rebels." [End Page 81] Click for larger view Shows of solidarity with New York City's Fire Department, with a nation. [End Page 82] Click for larger view [End Page 83] Click for larger view Shows of strength: the military presence, a boy in fatigues. [End Page 84] Click for larger view [End Page 85] Click for larger view Maybe they knew everything already had changed—perhaps permanently. [End Page 86] Click for larger view Katy Vinroot O'Brien is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina and an M.A. in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. She lives in Chapel Hill and works for the University of North Carolina Press. ... collapse You are not currently authenticated. If you would like to authenticate using a different subscribed institution or have your own login and password to Project MUSE Authenticate Purchase/rental options available: Rent from DeepDyve Buy Complete Digital Issue for $12.00 (USD) Recommend Additional Information ISSN 1534-1488 Print ISSN 1068-8218 Pages pp. 74-87 Launched on MUSE 2005-02-28 Open Access No Project MUSE Mission Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. About MUSE Story Publishers Discovery Partners Advisory Board Journal Subscribers Book Customers Conferences What's on Muse Open Access Journals Books MUSE in Focus T.S. Eliot Prose Resources News & Announcements Email Sign-Up Promotional Materials Get Alerts Presentations Information For Publishers Librarians Individuals Instructors Contact Contact Us Help Policy & Terms Accessibility Privacy Policy Terms of Use 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218 +1 (410) 516-6989 muse@jh.edu ©2022 Project MUSE. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Now and Always,The Trusted Content Your Research Requires Now and Always, The Trusted Content Your Research Requires Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus ©2022 Project MUSE. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Back To Top This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.