Racial relations in Atlanta (Marietta, College Park: low income, appointed, fit in)

[stormy39]

Wow! I've been here for 16 years and have never noticed the racial tension. I mean I've seen reports on TV regarding Paulding county, but my family and I haven't experienced it. We live in West Cobb which is very diverse and I hate to sound like a broken record, but... we have a lot of white, Latino and Asian friends.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by stormy39

Wow! I've been here for 16 years and have never noticed the racial tension. I mean I've seen reports on TV regarding Paulding county, but my family and I haven't experienced it. We live in West Cobb which is very diverse and I hate to sound like a broken record, but... we have a lot of white, Latino and Asian friends.

No stormy, trust me, it's here. I'm in West Cobb, too. I can tell you that when black families started moving into my neighborhood with teen kids who started roaming around, there are about half a dozen neighbors around who went nuts. I'm talking "sit by the door with a loaded shotgun" kind of nuts, put the for-sale sign in the yard next day kind of mad nuts.

Though we have white and black workers where I work, they all seem to segregate themselves. We used to have a TV in the warehouse but whenever stuff would come on like the OJ thing it would create tons of tension as the whites would start mouthing off stuff like, "Oh, of COURSE they think he's innocent", while the blacks would do the, "they're just going after him 'cause he's a black man" stuff. It finally got to the point where we had to remove the TV and ban newspapers in the warehouse so these topics were completely avoided, but there have been times you can feel it.

We've seen it both ways up front, too. At one point we had a white guy working there and when a black customer would pull up, you could see his eyes roll and he'd mutter something like, "Oh - wonderful". He didn't last a long time, though. Likewise, we briefly had a young black girl working up front on the phones and when the white customers would call in she would be very rude with them, yet very friendly with the black customers. So, she left too. Been there, seen it - the tension is THERE. But like it's been said - it's not vocalized here like in other areas.

[winter]

Our towns in the North are probably more segregated than the South. In fact there is a town that didn't want Jews, Italians or Black people to buy there and they didn't. Fear and hatred is taught to people by their families. The oppression that blacks have been through in this Country is real. Many of them still to this day have not gotten out of it. Another thought sure we should all be with the people that we feel comfortable with but not hate the others. I still think it's all about fear and ignorance. Didn't mean to preach.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by winter

Our towns in the North are probably more segregated than the South. In fact there is a town that didn't want Jews, Italians or Black people to buy there and they didn't. Fear and hatred is taught to people by their families. The oppression that blacks have been through in this Country is real. Many of them still to this day have not gotten out of it. Another thought sure we should all be with the people that we feel comfortable with but not hate the others. I still think it's all about fear and ignorance. Didn't mean to preach.

There are towns in the South that were like that too. Example:Cullman,AL.

These towns were everywhere.

I have learned one thing from my 21 years. Racial tensions are everywhere to some degree. In Atlanta(just as atlantagreg just said), few people vocalize them. In places like Milwaukee, they are vocalized. In Atlanta, a black person might live next door to a white person, but the chances of them being friends may not be that high. I will be honest. Atlanta is so image conscious that alot of people will pretend that this is a racial paradise. No place in the USA is a racial paradise and out of all of the places I have been, only Atlanta would pass itself off as a racial paradise(oh, this is the homeod Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., oh we didn't have the blood in the street {actually. Atlanta had a race riot in 1906 and a few disturbances in the 1960's}). I have lived here for a little over a decade and I have been convinced otherwise. Detroit and other rust belt towns have racial tensions. The difference is that I don't see an "image complex" in those places. I see rawness, therefore, the tensions are easy to see. Atlanta tries to look good.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

No stormy, trust me, it's here. I'm in West Cobb, too. I can tell you that when black families started moving into my neighborhood with teen kids who started roaming around, there are about half a dozen neighbors around who went nuts. I'm talking "sit by the door with a loaded shotgun" kind of nuts, put the for-sale sign in the yard next day kind of mad nuts.

Though we have white and black workers where I work, they all seem to segregate themselves. We used to have a TV in the warehouse but whenever stuff would come on like the OJ thing it would create tons of tension as the whites would start mouthing off stuff like, "Oh, of COURSE they think he's innocent", while the blacks would do the, "they're just going after him 'cause he's a black man" stuff. It finally got to the point where we had to remove the TV and ban newspapers in the warehouse so these topics were completely avoided, but there have been times you can feel it.



We've seen it both ways up front, too. At one point we had a white guy working there and when a black customer would pull up, you could see his eyes roll and he'd mutter something like, "Oh - wonderful". He didn't last a long time, though. Likewise, we briefly had a young black girl working up front on the phones and when the white customers would call in she would be very rude with them, yet very friendly with the black customers. So, she left too. Been there, seen it - the tension is THERE. But like it's been said - it's not vocalized here like in other areas.

atlantagreg, you mentioned some of your neighbors going nuts when black families with teenagers raoming around. This wasn't just West Cobb. This is all over. I lived in Paulding County for a time and one night I was walking outside at 11pm(I happen to be black.). I am somewhat of a night person, so walking around my old neighborhood at night is a given for me, rain or dry, hot or cold. Someone in their car drove up to me and asked me where I lived. I am somewhat weary of strangers and someone coming up to me asking my address scared me. I was thinking "I don't want to die tonight. Why is he asking me." I gave him the impression that I didn't want to answer. He said he called the police because someone was harrassing his wife from outside and I happen to walk by. The police came and after a check run, I was let go. That changed my perception of being out at night, in my own neighborhood.

[DoveDiva]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

No stormy, trust me, it's here. I'm in West Cobb, too. I can tell you that when black families started moving into my neighborhood with teen kids who started roaming around, there are about half a dozen neighbors around who went nuts. I'm talking "sit by the door with a loaded shotgun" kind of nuts, put the for-sale sign in the yard next day kind of mad nuts.

Though we have white and black workers where I work, they all seem to segregate themselves. We used to have a TV in the warehouse but whenever stuff would come on like the OJ thing it would create tons of tension as the whites would start mouthing off stuff like, "Oh, of COURSE they think he's innocent", while the blacks would do the, "they're just going after him 'cause he's a black man" stuff. It finally got to the point where we had to remove the TV and ban newspapers in the warehouse so these topics were completely avoided, but there have been times you can feel it.

We've seen it both ways up front, too. At one point we had a white guy working there and when a black customer would pull up, you could see his eyes roll and he'd mutter something like, "Oh - wonderful". He didn't last a long time, though. Likewise, we briefly had a young black girl working up front on the phones and when the white customers would call in she would be very rude with them, yet very friendly with the black customers. So, she left too. Been there, seen it - the tension is THERE. But like it's been said - it's not vocalized here like in other areas.

I work in West Cobb....and I concur--the tension is here. Just the other day we (my coworkers) participated in a diversity training. One of the activities required participants to anonymously write what they thought about the other race. The things written on those sheets...you wouldn't expect to hear from teachers who teach kids of all races. It really made me aware of what others think.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by DoveDiva

I work in West Cobb....and I concur--the tension is here. Just the other day we (my coworkers) participated in a diversity training. One of the activities required participants to anonymously write what they thought about the other race. The things written on those sheets...you wouldn't expect to hear from teachers who teach kids of all races. It really made me aware of what others think.

The above use of the phrase "the other race" is amusing to me. Back in Minnesota "the other race" obviously referred to the Native Americans running casinos on reservations all over the place.

[stormy39]

Wow! I guess being from the North where it was either so in-your-face racism with skinheads running around, segregated bars and places on campus, oh and the suttle racism on the job... when I moved here to Atlanta I was looking for what I saw on TV. Klan rallies in Stone Mountain and Cartersville, (from the 80s to early 90s I think) and all the other stereotypes that come with the South, I just never noticed the tension. I mean like I said before I've heard about it. I just didn't know it was that bad.

As for the black girl treating black customers better atlantagreg, as a black woman I've experienced the exact opposite! No joke. Several times I've gone into shoe stores in the mall and was treated much better by a white Sales Associate! It's as if, the black associates don't expect I'll help them get their commission or something. The white ones treat you the same with the attitude of maybe, maybe not, but I'm gonna try anyway.

I know this isn't usually the case for most, but that seems to happen with me. Wow... I'm still amazed. What a shame. I wish it wasn't like this.

[DoveDiva]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

The above use of the phrase "the other race" is amusing to me. Back in Minnesota "the other race" obviously referred to the Native Americans running casinos on reservations all over the place.

The faculty at my school is only white/black. No other races...hence my "other race" statement

[backfist]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

The above use of the phrase "the other race" is amusing to me. Back in Minnesota "the other race" obviously referred to the Native Americans running casinos on reservations all over the place.

Depends. If you live in Mille Lacs county, then yeah, the Ojibwe are probably going to be "the other race". But if you live in Hennepin or Ramsey counties, then it's anybody's guess.

BTW, I lived for a couple years in Sherburne County, right between Zimmerman and Elk River. Never had any problems personally. The people were, for the most part, warm. Anyone who didn't like me or family certainly never made it known. Although I felt a little isolated sometimes, it was nice living out in the country.