I had the misfortunate of living in Gulfport for a few years. Truly the armpit of America. The once nice beaches are plastered with cheesy casinos, and many of the houses are run down and shanty-like. As for the attitude towards blacks being more progressive I didn't see it. You should have heard the racist filth I heard from many of the natives. These were people who were otherwise quite nice and pleasant to be around. Only if you're white that is... No offense Mississippians, but your state still has a long way to go. at least along the coastline. Oh, and they also have those lovely hurricanes to deal with. I lived there during Andrew and it wasn't fun having to tape my windows and wrap plastic around my valuables. I will say some good things about the food there. They have great seafood that is incredibly cheap and they make EXCELLENT po-boys. The waitresses there are very sweet and friendly. Southern hospitality at it's finest as far as their restaurants are concerned.