The problems faced by the African American community of Oxford are the result of a complex integration of historical events, social practices, spatial isolation, and regional ideologies. Each phenomenon contributes to behavior that influences inter- and intraethnic interaction that maintains the social, economic, and political inequities existing in the community. Although these phenomena are described somewhat separately, it is important to remember that the ways in which they have an impact on lives are directly related to the degree to which each phenomenon is integrated into the day-to-day lives of each community member. Historical events may play a greater role in the construction of social practices for some, while spatial isolation may have a greater impact for others, and these combinations may vary according to the specific issues being] addressed.

Oxford's social, spatial, economic, and geopolitical histories reflect the racialized domination of the region. Therefore, an understanding of the historical elements that constructed that domination is important to an objective “placing” of the subjugated African American cultural groups, since that process of domination creates and orders classes or castes in a hierarchical political economic space. These historical elements are offered here to make the chapters that follow more meaningful. While Blacks have not been completely written out of the history of Lafayette County, for the most part their perspectives have been situationally limited. Even today, community members struggle against hegemonic structures as they try to tell their stories.