Change in Natchez comes slowly, so slowly in fact that it can seem like a place where time has been suspended.

For years, the town celebrated its past with a modern slogan — Natchez: Where the Old South Still Lives.

Such a motto may seem trite, but that’s what has drawn tourists to our historic city for more than seven decades.

Obtaining a glimpse of the past is what Natchez’s tourism base is built upon.

But the world is changing quickly and Natchez needs to as well.

For some people that glimpse of the past needs to be more than a myopic peek at a sliver of gussied up history. Increasingly, many tourists are seeking to understand a more genuine tourism experience. All tourists don’t want Hollywood and Disney World, they want to see the real world, as it was and is.

Unfortunately, the whole story of a place is rarely pretty from all angles, and Natchez’s history is no different.

Natchez’s antebellum era provided great wealth for a select few. The city lives off the fruits of the fortunes to this day, showing off their grand houses and driving down the streets they named.

But to stop at the main house of history is to ignore significant — and interesting — facets that were more behind-the-scenes. Natchez was built on slavery and for decades many civic leaders were seemingly a bit ashamed to admit that, let alone revel in it.

It’s not a pretty phase of history, but it’s our history.

We applaud the nature of the changes that Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, the garden clubs and author Greg Iles are planning for the upcoming Historic Natchez Tableaux.

Their collective plan to make the tableaux more inclusive, more meaningful and in step with the times is welcome and overdue.