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The South is more integrated in terms of neighborhoods and schools vs. the North,, but that has a lot to do with settlement patterns in the South where the Black population was already planted since the time of slavery while the Black population in the North was a virtual population explosion resulting from mass migrations to the region.
When a large population settles in a new area in a short period of time, it is natural that their numbers tend to concentrate, we see this with all immigrant groups, and racial policies such as redlining compound and enforce the phenomenon.
The idea that Southern cities and towns are less segregated because they are less racist is a fallacy. The fact that many Southern schools are well integrated but have separate Black and White homecomings, proms, unspoken rules against interracial dating, and self-segregation in the cafeteria speaks to that.
As long as we try to ignore the continuing issues of race and play the 'we are less racist than you' game, the longer it will take to get over our demons. There is no perfect place for racial harmony in America, but some places are better than others and I would not rely on color coded maps to find those places.
The South is more integrated in terms of neighborhoods and schools vs. the North,, but that has a lot to do with settlement patterns in the South where the Black population was already planted since the time of slavery while the Black population in the North was a virtual population explosion resulting from mass migrations to the region.
When a large population settles in a new area in a short period of time, it is natural that their numbers tend to concentrate, we see this with all immigrant groups, and racial policies such as redlining compound and enforce the phenomenon.
The idea that Southern cities and towns are less segregated because they are less racist is a fallacy. The fact that many Southern schools are well integrated but have separate Black and White homecomings, proms, unspoken rules against interracial dating, and self-segregation in the cafeteria speaks to that.
As long as we try to ignore the continuing issues of race and play the 'we are less racist than you' game, the longer it will take to get over our demons. There is no perfect place for racial harmony in America, but some places are better than others and I would not rely on color coded maps to find those places.
Certified for truth, as it is more complicated than that.
Denver was relatively segregated in the 70's. I was in junior high and busing was a huge issue. In fact, the Denver Public Schools' bus lot was fire bombed and destroyed in 1970. Blacks lived on the east side of town, Hispanics on the west. The cities of Lakewood and Wheat Ridge were incorporated to prevent Denver from annexing into Jefferson County. The Poundstone amendment was passed by the state legislature preventing one county from annexing another without a vote of approval from the county being annexed. Interesting times.
Denver was relatively segregated in the 70's. I was in junior high and busing was a huge issue. In fact, the Denver Public Schools' bus lot was fire bombed and destroyed in 1970. Blacks lived on the east side of town, Hispanics on the west. The cities of Lakewood and Wheat Ridge were incorporated to prevent Denver from annexing into Jefferson County. The Poundstone amendment was passed by the state legislature preventing one county from annexing another without a vote of approval from the county being annexed. Interesting times.
I remember watching a show about Micheal Ray Richardson, the former NBA player who attended Manual High and I believe it said that it was an all Black high school at the time. I could be wrong or didn't hear that correctly, but I thought that was interesting.
Not saying prejudice went away, but on March 16,1960 San Antonio became the first city to integrate its lunch counters. The bases and Catholic schools were integrated in the 50s. My husband was bused to an inner city school in the late 70s.
A friend from KY was shocked my high school was integrated in the 80s as she was in the first group bused to a "white" school at that tim-although that was in West Texas I know San Antonio was integrated as well. In NC 5 years ago I was surprised at how separate it still felt. I also met a lady from NY who told me there were only " white" people in her town.
My part of town is segregated economically but not racially thank goodness. While relations aren't perfect I feel like SA was ahead of the game for a southern city and continues to be.
The South is more integrated in terms of neighborhoods and schools vs. the North,, but that has a lot to do with settlement patterns in the South where the Black population was already planted since the time of slavery while the Black population in the North was a virtual population explosion resulting from mass migrations to the region.
When a large population settles in a new area in a short period of time, it is natural that their numbers tend to concentrate, we see this with all immigrant groups, and racial policies such as redlining compound and enforce the phenomenon.
The idea that Southern cities and towns are less segregated because they are less racist is a fallacy. The fact that many Southern schools are well integrated but have separate Black and White homecomings, proms, unspoken rules against interracial dating, and self-segregation in the cafeteria speaks to that.
As long as we try to ignore the continuing issues of race and play the 'we are less racist than you' game, the longer it will take to get over our demons. There is no perfect place for racial harmony in America, but some places are better than others and I would not rely on color coded maps to find those places.
Well said. I'd also point out that the South has a lot of private, (mostly) Christian schools with very white student bodies (quite arguably a result of white flight itself, in many ways), and that the South was the main target of public school integration efforts during the Civil Rights era (because it was easier for Northern politicians - of both parties - to get their (white) constituents on board with integration as long as it was mandated outside of their communities ). So that also complicates the notion (which does indeed have some truth behind it) that the South is more integrated than the North.
There is an old saying that "In the South you can get as close as you want, just dont get too big, in the North you can get as big as you want, just dont get too close." The is pretty much sums up American racial attitudes and housing patterns.
The South has always been more integrated than the North, from a social aspect and residential patterns. The problem is that when Jim Crow was still alive and well, blacks had to basically hold their heads down and take a slave like persona in the presence of whites. In the North, blacks were allowed to be as outspoken as they wanted to be, but defacto segregation through redlining and housing covenants essential kept blacks socially and economically isolated in rundown ghetto neighborhoods.
As far as Atlanta, that is hardly a Southern phenomenon. Blacks get profiled everywhere. New York is the home of stop and frisk. Blacks would literally get beaten by angry white mobs for going into certain White neighborhoods in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago etc. and this was not that long ago. Hell, there are still areas of New York and Chicago that have unspoken rules.
Beaten by angry white mobs. In 1990, four adjacent counties in northern Metro Atlanta, Cherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, and Pickens were home to over 158,000 residents together. Even though over 154,000 of those residents were white and only over 1900 were black, nobdy thought those demographics were reflective of a Quad County " Sundown Region " for black folks.
Places that may come to mind are: Shaker Heights outside of Cleveland, Buffalo's Parkside neighborhood, Chicago's Beverly neighborhood and Philadelphia's Mount Airy neighborhood. There may be others.
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). So that also complicates the notion (which does indeed have some truth behind it) that the South is more integrated than the North.
