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I feel like nobody's reading this board when an extended period of time goes by and someone doesn't bring up Sundown Towns, Harrison, the Klan, or the demographics of an overwhelmingly white area.
Being a roamer, and having been in a large number of areas that I wasn't particulary welcome in, I can tell you for sure that I have eaten in towns where if I were to ask, "Where are the white owned businesses in town? I'd like to support them", I'd never make it back to my truck.
I have listed in the past atrocities tied to religion and race, none of which were in Arkansas.
The Mormon massacre in Illinois.
The Mormons then massacreing settlers traveling west.
Native American slaughters.
On and on and on.
Arkansas was sure as heck not the only state to have a sundown town, far from it, and most were in the north.
It's all recorded in history books, for people to learn from.
However, it is sad when one chooses to use the book not to learn, but to grasp it and use it as a weapon to rub peoples faces in when they strive to step beyond the hate attitudes of yesteryear.
Moderator cut: snip Bad apples are everywhere - in great droves or baskets or whatever bad apples come in. But to terrify someone with stories of Sundown Towns is unfair to them, unfair to the residents of that area, and unfair to pretty much all of the people of the Great State of Arkansas.
Moderator cut: snip
Last edited by Kimballette; 01-24-2012 at 10:42 AM..
Reason: orphaned comments to deleted comments
I am a black female, and I have a great opportunity in Springdale Arkanasas. These post are pretty scary for me. I currently live in the Midwest, and we have good relationships in my community with all races. Will I be welcomed?
I can't find one black person in springdale, rogers, or fayettevile to respond back on any media (facebook, twitter, google, Arkansas website, Ask.com, or any other site to say they live in this area. I just want to go live in peace if the job comes through and not feel like I'm going to a sun down state as it was called in the past. My family is a rainbow of people. Can anyone answer if a black family will be accepted in these cities and where is a good place to search for housing. I'm so tired of people not liking each other for the color of their skin!
Folks, here is the first post in this thread. This woman is asking about today, now, the present day. This is a local relocation forum. This is not the appropriate forum for discussions about larger issues of politics and other controversies. In fact, we already have a forum for that here on City-Data. It's called...Politics and Other Controversies! Please take your historical discussions of the evil done in the past to another forum. Thanks.
Moderator cut: snip Bad apples are everywhere - in great droves or baskets or whatever bad apples come in. But to terrify someone with stories of Sundown Towns is unfair to them, unfair to the residents of that area, and unfair to pretty much all of the people of the Great State of Arkansas.
Moderator cut: snip
My apologies for casting a pall on this discussion board. The OP was asking about "Black Families in NW AR" and I was trying to be informative, which is why I used the term full disclosure. Moderator cut: snip I didn't want to interject any personal experience and just use the one webpage but that wasn't received too well.
My in-laws are an interracial couple (pretty unusual for their age group) and refuse to fly with their dogs. But they always painstakingly plan out the hotels and motels that allow dogs to stay (well really my wife and I do the researching ). I understand that I-40 may not be considered NW Arkansas proper but they had a couple of bad experiences (particularly on the trip two summers ago) and it didn't help that they had car trouble in the area as well.
I like to think the best about people and would like to think that despite calling ahead there was just some massive misunderstanding with the motel and I wouldn't argue that theree are bad mechanics everywhere. I don't even think it was actually within a town, just along I-40 (before you get to 540 but well, well past Conway I believe). I don't like to use anecdotes when giving information but you must admit this is a question asked repeatedly about the area. When a person is asking a specific question about an area, there is a specific reason why NW Arkansas is the way it is, and as the article stated it wasn't always that way and is now transitioning back.
I have lived in a couple of places where I would have liked the history of the area disclosed and doesn't come to light by just passing through on the interstate or touring during the interview (believe me I know). You just want to be prepared when enrolling your kids in school or definitely purchasing a home. I think the fact that the OP was offered a well-paying job does speak volumes about the area but she should take all possibilities into consideration when moving to a new area.
Last edited by Kimballette; 01-24-2012 at 11:26 AM..
Reason: Discussing moderation in the forums is not permitted per the Terms of Service.
I'm not from Arkansas; I live in Arizona. However, I do have a lot of family in NW Arkansas - mostly Bentonville, Bella Vista, and Rogers. When I visit them, I'm struck by how it's nothing like I imagine the South, aside from the great physical beauty of the area. For every "down home" Southern person I meet, there are an equal or greater number of people of varying backgrounds, ethnicities, and color. And a decided variety of accents, as well.
I think having the Wal-mart home office in the area, as well as the university in Fayetteville has attracted a broader spectrum of people. This has caused that corner of the state to change more rapidly than, say, the delta portion of the state.
All I can say as an outsider, is that this is not 1950, and Arkansas is nothing like most outsiders think it is. The Arkansas branch of my family includes evangelical Christians, headbangers, agnostics, a goat farmer, a true Southern belle (reminiscent of Scarlett O'Hara), a graphic artist, a banker, a hay farmer, a mixed-race family, a psychologist, and several Wal-mart executives. NW Arkansas more accurately reflects the rest of the country today than old stereotypes.
I think the o/p will find what she's looking for in NW Arkansas.
I feel like nobody's reading this board when an extended period of time goes by and someone doesn't bring up Sundown Towns, Harrison, the Klan, or the demographics of an overwhelmingly white area.
Being a roamer, and having been in a large number of areas that I wasn't particulary welcome in, I can tell you for sure that I have eaten in towns where if I were to ask, "Where are the white owned businesses in town? I'd like to support them", I'd never make it back to my truck.
I have lived in a large number of areas that I wasn't particularly welcome in (Washington DC, Oakland, east San Jose) and I can tell you that to this very day there are "Sundown Neighborhoods" there where whites are in definite danger of life and limb if they venture there at night (or even, during the day) but no professors seem to be interested in writing articles about this!
(I am going to bring this back around to the topic of the OP, I promise...) I moved to Harrison, in part, because it is mostly white. Like many people (whether they will openly acknowledge it or not), I am most comfortable around people who are similar to me.
So, I can relate to the OP (I promised I'd bring it back around to her ) because I have the experience of being a minority in an area and feeling uneasiness as a result, from a simple "unwelcomeness" to a real threat of physical danger. And no one should have to live with that. So I think it is wise of her to ask, and no one should "poo-poo" the concerns of how a particular ethnic group will be treated anywhere.
I have lived in a large number of areas that I wasn't particularly welcome in (Washington DC, Oakland, east San Jose) and I can tell you that to this very day there are "Sundown Neighborhoods" there where whites are in definite danger of life and limb if they venture there at night (or even, during the day) but no professors seem to be interested in writing articles about this!
(I am going to bring this back around to the topic of the OP, I promise...) I moved to Harrison, in part, because it is mostly white. Like many people (whether they will openly acknowledge it or not), I am most comfortable around people who are similar to me.
So, I can relate to the OP (I promised I'd bring it back around to her ) because I have the experience of being a minority in an area and feeling uneasiness as a result, from a simple "unwelcomeness" to a real threat of physical danger. And no one should have to live with that. So I think it is wise of her to ask, and no one should "poo-poo" the concerns of how a particular ethnic group will be treated anywhere.
Interesting, but Harrison is not in NW Arkansas, and the o/p is not considering a move to mostly white Harrison. And no one is "poo-pooing" her concerns here.
Am I just a blinded person? I do not see all this prejudice stuff going on and I live out with rednecks in Eastern OK. Now I spend tons of time in NWA beings my parents retired there. I see all nationalities. I think if you can afford the place you live in and keep it up your neighbors wouldn't care what nationality you were including white.
Silly girl. Don't you know all southern whites are prejudiced.
I have lived in a large number of areas that I wasn't particularly welcome in (Washington DC, Oakland, east San Jose) and I can tell you that to this very day there are "Sundown Neighborhoods" there where whites are in definite danger of life and limb if they venture there at night (or even, during the day) but no professors seem to be interested in writing articles about this!
(I am going to bring this back around to the topic of the OP, I promise...) I moved to Harrison, in part, because it is mostly white. Like many people (whether they will openly acknowledge it or not), I am most comfortable around people who are similar to me.
So, I can relate to the OP (I promised I'd bring it back around to her ) because I have the experience of being a minority in an area and feeling uneasiness as a result, from a simple "unwelcomeness" to a real threat of physical danger. And no one should have to live with that. So I think it is wise of her to ask, and no one should "poo-poo" the concerns of how a particular ethnic group will be treated anywhere.
The south has been so stereotyped by our mainstream press and hollywood for so long I don't blame the op for expressing concern. She's supposed to automatically assume we're all white and out to get her.
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). I understand that I-40 may not be considered NW Arkansas proper but they had a couple of bad experiences (particularly on the trip two summers ago) and it didn't help that they had car trouble in the area as well. 
