Interviewer: Kelly McLain

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Ms. Inez Thomas is the owner and operator of Inez’s Café in Biloxi, Mississippi. Every person in the community suggested that she would be an important resource for information. I stopped by a few days earlier with PP to introduce myself. Ms. Thomas agreed to sit down with me on another day after the lunch hour. I arrived the day of our interview and ordered the daily special, fried chicken with a side of red beans and rice, collard greens, corn bread and sweet tea. Her café features a daily special but also offers a menu of various items. She is still not sure what is going to happen with the business after she retires.

Ms. Inez Thomas was born June 4, 1939 in Canton, Mississippi, about 20 miles outside of Jackson. Following the path of her sister, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi and then to Ocean Springs, Mississippi in 1956. In 1962, she moved to Biloxi and worked for Biloxi Laundry. She and her partner, KM416c, worked for a friend to learn how to run a business before opening their own lounge and then café. Mr. Proby focused his work toward the lounge and Ms. Thomas toward the café. They were closed for almost two years after Hurricane Katrina. When they reopened, business rebounded quickly. Today, Ms. Thomas continues to run the café.