Quote:
Originally Posted by Monicaabc
Ok. I haven't read all of these post just this one and a couple others. I am from Cullman, but live in P'cola FL now. Cullman has a terrible REPUTATION. Reputation is what it is.. I do know there are some real red blooded racist in Cullman. However, I think that a lot of people are just ignorant, but are good hearted. My mom for instance doesn't hate different races, she's just never been around different races. In the past few years, she's met several hispanic families that she has become friends with and also a couple of black families that she dearly loves. All of these people I have met and they are very understanding of the stereotypes that she still believes, she just doesn't know any better. Her heart is full of love and not hate. I think that people of different ethnicity should NOT shy away from Cullman because of the past. I hope that diversity overtakes Cullman and the people with loving hearts will help to usher in culture to an area that has been lacking in culture because of the racism of the past and the stereotypes of present day. I think people of all colors will find many people in Cullman to be accepting, beautiful, loving & willing to learn. We need people who are willing to teach.
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Perfectly said. I couldn't have said it any better. I was just looking for the right posting for me to respond. It is very important for us not to bulk the real racist with those people who just haven't had the opportunity to interact with people of different races and background. I have been deep in the villages of Russia in the 60s where people had never seen an African or a black person before. They would come and touch your skin to feel if you are really human, then after I opened my mouth and spoke a somehow fluent Russian to them and was friendly with them they all expressed their natural human qualities of friendship. They just didn't have the opportunity. However, when a student at a Universitry in the Netherland touched my scraped skin and told me that part of my body was better than the rest of me because it showed a white color, I just said thank you and made no more comment. He had nothing else to say and looked a worthless human being to the rest of us. About Cullman specifically, my wife a caucasian, my two boys and I were in Cullman sometime last year looking for where to live and we came to a coffee house there to have some breakfast. At first the workers and probably the owners looked at us in amasement and had no words, most likely did not know how to interact with us, but when I said something nice and we all started joking about our dogs, they all joined in and the atmosphere livened up very quickly. I think people who have a variety of colours and background in their family are more obligated to educating those who have had no opportunity to experience and share varied human experiences. Another example: I moved from California to Alabama and lived now for two months in Moulton by myself. Some of my neighbors had the courage to approach me and talk, others stayed away. I found out later that they were all curious as to why I, a black man moved into their community and looked so comfortable with myself. When my wife came we walked around the neighborhood and introduced ourselves and suddenly everybody opened up and we consider ourselves good neighbors or even friends now. All in all, I have sympathy with racists because its not them, it is lack of knowledge about life and experiences in dealing with diversity and too little education, perhaps. Those who are educated and yet racists are in it for for other gains - example David Duke, exploiting the unfortunate populations for their own political gains.
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09-30-2007, 04:50 PM
It's true though, my friend went to a dog show upstate from where she lived and they stopped and ate in Cullman her friend was bi racial and some people in the restaurant actually stopped and took his picture saying he was the first black man to be served there!!! This was this summer people!! 
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