The Delta lost two great men this week – Hank Burdine and Coolidge Ball. Both Rebels with their own causes so to speak. Burdine spent a lifetime documenting Delta history and was a renown storyteller and writer, duck hunter, outdoorsman, adventurist and daredevil, entertainer and a whole lot more. His voice was the Delta, “podnah.”
Ball was the first Black athlete at Ole Miss when the SEC was breaking down the color barrier. The hometown hero was a fixture on the E-T pages when I was a kid. I never got to meet Coolidge, and that’s my regret, but I felt I knew him by following his heroics on the basketball court. He was on a bucket list of interviews that rattle around in my head. I don’t need to let any others get away.
I did get to meet Mr. Burdine. Having known who he was for years through his writing and position on the Mississippi Levee Board and his TV appearances, he was the uncle you always wanted to have. On my big trip home back in 2018, I ran into Hank at Fratesi’s Grocery when I was on my trek back north. He was in a hurry but made a few minutes for me and posed for a selfie and I got to hear and feel that well-known Delta sound and vibe that’s all Hank Burdine. There are a lot of folks that would love to have Morgan Freeman narrate their life. I’ve always thought Hank was the man who could bring some excitement to mine.
But both men stood tall in adversity. Ball didn’t focus on being Black and being the first African American athlete at Ole Miss. He just played the game he loved for the school he loved and the school loved him back. There’s a life-size bronze statue where the Rebels play these days, The Pavilion. And the art major also ran the successful Ball Sign Company and sold his artwork at art events and other gatherings. Many folks who loved his art never knew he was such a successful basketball player at such a high level. It seems “Coolaid” didn’t brag on himself. There are plenty folks who saw his talent displayed across the SEC.
I’m sad that Burdine didn’t get to see the hopeful completion of the pumps project in the South Delta. I interviewed him about it several times and he noted that he enjoyed my work promoting the pumps and urging Mr. Bennie to help his district. And I interviewed him about his Turnip Greens Festival a few years back.
Both men are legends. Both men made their mark in the Delta and made everyone around them better for knowing them. They lived the heck out of the dash that will be placed on their respective tombstones. And we are all better for it.
Thank you, Mr. Ball. Thank you, Mr. Burdine. Y’all meant a lot to a lot of folks and your endeavors will be forever remembered with smiles and laughter all around.
