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Old 05-13-2008, 01:23 PM
 
Location: West Cobb County, GA (Atlanta metro)
9,191 posts, read 33,761,178 times
Reputation: 5308

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Quote:
Originally Posted by south-to-west View Post
If you don't think that race relations affect the prosperity of a city then drive over to Birmingham. Atlanta and Birmingham were the same size in population and economy in the 60s, but during the Civil Rights Movement, one took the low road and the other took the high road.
Actually in the 60s, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chattanooga were approximately the same size. It was the airport deal that caused Atlanta to take the lead - nothing else. There have actually been special TV segments on this via the local news in years past. Just to clarify city history there.

 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:26 PM
 
Location: ITP
2,138 posts, read 6,296,482 times
Reputation: 1391
Quote:
Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127 View Post
Actually in the 60s, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chattanooga were approximately the same size. It was the airport deal that caused Atlanta to take the lead - nothing else. There have actually been special TV segments on this via the local news in years past. Just to clarify city history there.
Birmingham's state of disarray during the 60s definitely kept companies from relocating there. It's true about the airport, but what company would want to do business in a place with extreme levels of racial tensions that resulted in a lot of bombings, beatings, and killings? Even other metros such as Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham left Birmingham in the dust in part because of this.

And yes, the ad by Shirley Franklin and John Lewis was very disappointing. It did nothing but flame "white backlash" sentiment throughout the metro area. I thought it was horrible when Lee Atwater did it and I think it's horrible that they did it as well.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Norman, OK
3,478 posts, read 7,225,281 times
Reputation: 1200
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonPaul View Post
Bush as a monkey is kinda funny because he does look like a monkey, but using a monkey to represent blacks is offensive.
I think calling anyone a monkey is offensive. This country is so racially charged, however, that we excuse it for one segment of the population and scream about it for the other segment. I think we need to recognize that the gesture was offensive and deal with it that way and not make up scenarios where it would be acceptable.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:35 PM
 
Location: West Cobb County, GA (Atlanta metro)
9,191 posts, read 33,761,178 times
Reputation: 5308
Quote:
Originally Posted by south-to-west View Post
Birmingham's state of disarray during the 60s definitely kept companies from relocating there. It's true about the airport, but what company would want to do business in a place with extreme levels of racial tensions that resulted in a lot of bombings, beatings, and killings? Even other metros such as Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham left Birmingham in the dust in part because of this.
Racial tensions were nation-wide in the 60s, although they were definately much stronger here in the South. Birmingham's troubles didn't help them much, but to be honest, major companies weren't exactly clammering at the doors to relocate in ANY Southern city at the time. The South had a huge backward-hicky stigma to it, the interstate system wasn't as extensive, and there were no large airports. Hartsfield did the biggest job to get the airport rolling here, and once it was announced that Atlanta was getting a large "international" airport, it was then that companies started lining up to move into the area.

Frankly, most CEOs in the 60s could have cared less about black people rioting and protesting in the streets for rights so long as buildings and warehouses with product weren't being burnt to the ground. Black-owned businesses might have avoided these areas more, but large black-owned companies were rare if not nonexisting back then.

Birmingham was harmed some by the tensions, but what hurt them the most were the simple losses of the airport deal, and, a very limited industrial-based economy that was already starting to fizzle out, and extremely dirty environmental conditions (poor air quality due to the industries, etc). The other cities had more diverse economies and not the pollution problems which helped them gain ground over time.

I wouldn't be surprised if by now some folks have youtubed some of the documentaries that go into all of this, or, made them available online somewhere. Maybe some creative googling will pull them up.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:40 PM
 
8,862 posts, read 17,396,842 times
Reputation: 2280
Quote:
Originally Posted by wxjay View Post
I think calling anyone a monkey is offensive. This country is so racially charged, however, that we excuse it for one segment of the population and scream about it for the other segment. I think we need to recognize that the gesture was offensive and deal with it that way and not make up scenarios where it would be acceptable.
Wasn't Bush reading a 'Curious George' book to first graders when he was notified that the Twin Towers had been attacked?
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:45 PM
JPD
 
12,138 posts, read 18,207,977 times
Reputation: 8003
Quote:
Originally Posted by TakeAhike View Post
Wasn't Bush reading a 'Curious George' book to first graders when he was notified that the Twin Towers had been attacked?
No, he was reading "My Pet Goat".
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:53 PM
 
8,862 posts, read 17,396,842 times
Reputation: 2280
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPD View Post
No, he was reading "My Pet Goat".
I can only imagine how such an idea was developed.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 01:56 PM
 
989 posts, read 1,735,691 times
Reputation: 690
Ok, I do think this is being blown out of proportion a little. I'm black, however I'm not offended by this idiot, because I don't relate black to being monkeys. However, let's make a distinction between offensive and racist. Making a joke is deliberately trying to offend someone, but with a smile. So the Bush as a monkey is offensive and funny. Obama as a monkey is offensive and funny, but obviously racist because of the history. So please spare me the comparisons, they are not apples to apples. If Obama would have been compared any other animals, other than monkey or ape, it would have just been offensive and funny and the bar owner knew thats why he chose the monkey.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Denver
136 posts, read 458,909 times
Reputation: 147
The media picked up on this story because there is a blatently obvious racial undertone in the sale of these shirts. You can make excuses all you want about how it could be interpreted but the bottom line is, someone created and sold these shirts to get attention on the shock factor. If you read the article in the AJC, it makes note of the previous inflamatory statements Mike Norman displayed on his sign facing Cobb Pkwy. This guy is a bigot hiding behind the liberty of free speech. I would not let this idiot's inflamatory publicity stunts represent Marietta/Cobb much less the city of Atlanta.
 
Old 05-13-2008, 05:01 PM
 
168 posts, read 558,332 times
Reputation: 119
Default Revisionist history.

Quote:
Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127 View Post
Let's not forget ex Mayor Bill Campbell's "smart ass white boy" comment he made about someone while he was in office surrounded by an all-black leadership group he put into place for the city. Of course, he forgot about the mic nearby and for some time people wore "S.A.W.B." t-shirts and caps in the city because of it.

There was controversy over his comments, and of course he did the, "This was taken out of context" speech, but overall, people just raised their eyebrows and decided to make fun of it and wore their hats and shirts.

Umm, your history lesson gets an F. It was Andrew Young. About 10 years before Bill Campbell.
{Insert "they all look alike" joke here.}
{Insert offended reaction to "they all look alike" joke here.}
{Insert "can't anybody take a joke anymore" response here.}
{Insert rambling (but accurate) historical analysis of the social aspects of racial jokes here (feel free to copy from elsewhere in this thread).}


Andrew Young story from 1984:
CAMPAIGN NOTES; Young Is Disenchanted With Mondale Advisers - New York Times
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