On the surface, kudzu is beautiful, a deep greenery of vegetation that rolls on forever, climbing up into trees, along the roads, taking presidence on top of the grass. At first glance, it seems that the soil beneath the kudzu would be fertile and rich encouraging the production of vegetables and fruit. But, to those who are from the South, we know it to be a beautiful killer of everything around it.
I've watched people try to kill the kudzu without much luck. No amount of digging or trying to pull the roots up would do. Once these plants take hold of the earth, it's nearly impossible to get rid of it. I once asked my grandfather about how to get rid of kudzu if it overtook your yard, fields, and home. His best advice was to "leave it, cause you won't ever get rid of it." From then on, I've looked at kudzu in a different way. It looks beautiful on the surface, but it's downright deadly if you don't recognize the damage it can do.
Somehow, The Freedom Riders were able to kill off a good portion of kudzu in the South that day. Leave it to Oprah, a television icon and media mogul who once resided in Mississippi to shine the light on those who were able to stop the kudzu in it's tracks.
Bravo.
More Musings Later-
