Is Albany, GA Really That Bad?? (White: live in, statistics, racism)

[FlourChild]

Originally Posted by Mov08

Thanks for the clarification. I missed your posts that explained you have seen the positive side to other races. It concerns me when we focus on the negative because I don't want it to go back to the way it was, in the 60s and earlier, when even those blacks, who were living positive, productive lives, were grouped with those who chose to do negative or illegal things. I point out the positive interactions and friendships I've seen, at the MAMS' gifted program, and at Westover, Sherwood Baptist Church etc., so we will have hope. Hope that we can change more of the negative behaviors by showing how blacks and whites work positively together, than by just complaining about all the bad stuff. God knows, I would love to run the drugs, gangs, and the degrading rap music out of every neighborhood in America, not just Albany.

Frankly, I think it's the churches that, if they REALLY practice Christianity, will be the key to stamping out racism and the other stupidities you listed. Not the churches per se (as organizations or programs), but their individual members. I have friends--CLOSE friends, not tokens--of pretty much every race I can think of. The only thing they all have in common is their belief in a God who sees all of us as the same color.

As for going back to the 60s, the only thing I would yearn for--I wasn't around then, but have heard/read--was the relative chivalry and courtesy between the sexes, which is generally absent now. But that's a whole 'nother thread, best posted on another site.

[itsbroke]

I want to address two posts here. first,

Originally Posted by FlourChild

Frankly, I think it's the churches that, if they REALLY practice Christianity, will be the key to stamping out racism and the other stupidities you listed.

I wholeheartedly agree. Sadly and pathetically churches (in America at least) at one time even fostered racism. Of course I do not mean all but for as far back as slavery was legal (so, yeah, pretty much America Day 1) the churches were either silent or complicit instead of vocally opposing a blatantly obvious disregard for their fellow man. I don't mean to imply that those who didn't speak out condoned it either aside from by their silence.

But times have changed and lessons have been learned (and/or laws passed) so all should be well, right? Maybe, but think about it. Many of the children alive today are grandsons and granddaughters of people who lived through (on the very bad side) of segregation which was abolished a mere 40 years ago. Is it realistic to think that a people would heal from a lifestyle learning that you are less than nothing or in the very least simply not truly equal? Is it realistic to think that they wouldn't pass on some of that fear and suspicion by even their subtle actions if not words? And I don't at all mean that to be a "shame on them" kind of thing. I just mean to say that simply because a law is passed doesn't erase years and years of absolutely deplorable behavior. Now, with that, I do not mean to suggest that derelict behavior (because laws and time have passed) is excusable.

A myspace friend of mine (Mykel Mitchell) wrote a wonderful book in which he mentions that there are biblical examples of one generation making amends and asking forgiveness for the sins of previous generations. There is a largely prevelant attitude (that I too used to hold) that "the past is the past, so get over it" and "it didn't happen to you, so get over it" out there. And I don't absolutely fault the people who hold it. Things happen very, very quickly these days and even events like 9/11 don't hold as much impact nationally as they should. Mindsets like that disregard psychology altogether. How likely would someone say their son/daughter/mother/friend/etc. who'd been molested that they should simply "get over it" because years have passed or that they shouldn't be insecure because it happened only once? Some things leave scars and sometimes deeper and uglier than others. So, no, I'm not so surprised that some folks still fear "the man" and get a little suspicious of him. However that fear plays itself out (hostility, anger, etc.) is likely not the emotion at the root. Some people are molested and overeat seeking safety and comfort from the food and by gaining weight. Same principle only one affects the person with the problem and the other can affect other people.

[Mov08]

I said I wouldn't get hooked on this site, but seem to continue to come back to it. After the posts I've read today, I'm glad I keep coming back. Maybe we will hit upon something that we can use to make a difference. It'sbroke definitely hit the nail on the head when he said it is hard for some people to just get over the negative treatment they've heard their parents and grandparents talk about. Some relive the injustices when they watch movies about slavery, or KKK, or Jim Crow laws etc. I promised my child some time on the computer. Will write more later.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by kad86

Blacks are MUCH MUCH MUCH more racist than white people. I guarantee you that a black person moving into a white neighborhhod will be accepted much better than vice versa. But of course, it's always blacks who are trying to leave their own neighborhoods and get into the white neighborhoods instead of the other way around. On my job, I talk to alot of white people from the North and many of them only see blacks on television and they cannot understand my attitude. I tell them that they first need to LIVE among MANY blacks before making any assumptions. Let these goody- goodies live in a town like albany and they will see that blacks are totally different from the image they are given on television.

Bottom line: Albany is full of blacks and black gangs. Keep this in mind when/if you decide to move here and if you do move here and you're one of these progressive liberal types, then tell me if you still feel the same about blacks after having lived here a couple of years

Many will disagree, but you do speak the truth.

[kad86]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Many will disagree, but you do speak the truth.

Thanks. I feel it's only fair to warn these naive white people about what blacks are really like.

I also forgot to mention that our city council members, composed of mostly blacks, is a joke. And our illustrious mayor is black and even has his own personal bodyguard paid for at our expense because he's such a big shot. And our police force has had at least 6 or 7 officers, all black, in the last 3-4 years who have gone to jail for drug sales/possession and various other crimes. One black policeman even shot his own 5 year old son in the back while picking him up from school. He then proceeded to kill himself.

[kad86]

has the world gone mad????!!!

[kad86]

The blacks here in albany love to go to the movie theatre in big groups and make so much noise you can't hear the movie. They also like to congregate at the mall in big groups and walk in big lines very slowly so you can't walk around them.

We also have 2 colleges here in albany..1 of them, Albany State is a black college. The other, Darton, USED to be primarily a white college. A few years back, there was talk of consolidating the 2 schools, but the blacks raised hell and said this would take away their heritage. So now what do they do? They start going to Darton and now my brother tells me that Darton is about 50/50 white/black. Of course, whites are free to go to albany state, but how many whites are going to want to get a degree from a black college? Not many. Instead, the blacks, who raised so much hell about consolidation, have to leave their own school and screw up Darton. They just gotta to have everything whitey has.

[Weather Girl]

Just stating my experiences, not intending to argue as I know everyones experiences are different and some have had some bad experiences. My friend and I attended and graduated from Darton, then transferred to and graduated from Albany State....we are both white and there were numerous white students there while we were attending. My next door neighbor attended Albany State night classes and graduated last year....she is also white. I have also worked with many whites that graduated from there....so there are some of us, but as you said, maybe not very many.

[kad86]

Originally Posted by Weather Girl

Just stating my experiences, not intending to argue as I know everyones experiences are different and some have had some bad experiences. My friend and I attended and graduated from Darton, then transferred to and graduated from Albany State....we are both white and there were numerous white students there while we were attending. My next door neighbor attended Albany State night classes and graduated last year....she is also white. I have also worked with many whites that graduated from there....so there are some of us, but as you said, maybe not very many.

I agree. There are a few whites that attend Albany State, but it's probably a safe bet to say percentage-wise that more blacks attend Darton than whites attend Albany State. Also, many of the whites who attend ASU at night do so because they work full-time during the day and already have either an Associate's or Bachelor's are are furthering their education since Darton is only a 2 year college.

And don't worry about arguing with me. I realize not everyone has had bad experiences with blacks. It's just that whenever I look around I see that nationally blacks make up only 15% of the population in the US, yet commit far more violent crimes than do whites and so many people act like it doesn't exist. Goody-goody whites tiptoe around the issue like it doesn't exist and we all suffer because of it. And it has nothing to do with poverty either. West Virginia is perhaps the poorest state in the Union, yet they don't have nearly the same violent crime rates that many inner cities do. It's all genetics. Blacks and whites are just different and are not compatible when it comes to living together.

[lizizmorefun]

Albany, GA, September 23, 2002 (broken link)

This site says Albany is 64.7 percent black as of the 2000 census, and some wards are 90%. Data can be gathered in such a way as to report different aspects of the demographic. Also...many poor people do not answer the census because they are afraid of losing their benefits and things like that.