Is Kentucky the south or the midwest? (Louisville, Franklin: statistics, title) - Page 35 - City-Data Forum

mdawg · 10-27-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

My last post had NOTHING to do with blacks. It was about non-hispanic whites.

KY has a MUCH higher percentage of this demographic than the real south. Period.

As for your weird question; it is a question that can not be answered. What makes the south "southern" is the demographic patterns the south share as well as the geographic location of most southern states. With this said, all southern states have a similar demographic/geographic pattern. Kentucky and West Virginia does not have these same patterns. As a result, threads like this one (Is Kentucky the south or the midwest? ) become long on going novels. If KY's southerness was not suspect, this thread would have died on the first page.

In all honesty, the area that I live in would be considered "less southern" than many areas of KY by the average American. Also, the average American would consider much of KY to be "more southern" than many areas of GA, TN, VA and Florida. This has to do with the stigma that is attached to being "southern". The truth is many "southern states" (like the one I live in) is NOTHING like the stigma that comes with being "southern". This dated stigma of "southerness" is the reason why most Americans would call Kentucky "southern" without even stepping foot into the state. I think most of you know what I am talking about.

So Kentucky is southern, but its not? Ok I think I have it straight.

urbancharlotte · 10-27-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdawg

So Kentucky is southern, but its not? Ok I think I have it straight.

Depends on who you ask. A person like myself would not consider KY to be southern simply because I am used to a different culture than what you would find in KY.

Now, a person from California might see KY and NC as pretty much the same. This person from California might also see Kentucky and Missouri as being even more similar than KY and NC.

Like I have said before, due to certain stigmas that are still placed on the entire south, many folks may consider NC, GA, and VA to be "less southern" than Kentucky. However, perception is not always reality. This is why I posted the census stats of the midwest and the south. KY fits in with the midwest in MANY ways when it comes to demographics. Are you willing to make the claim that demographics has NOTHING to do with an area's local culture?

If you are, most folks on planet Earth will not agree with you.

mdawg · 10-27-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

Depends on who you ask. A person like myself would not consider KY to be southern simply because I am used to a different culture than what you would find in KY.

Now, a person from California might see KY and NC as pretty much the same. This person from California might also see Kentucky and Missouri as being even more similar than KY and NC.

Like I have said before, due to certain stigmas that are still placed on the entire south, many folks may consider NC, GA, and VA to be "less southern" than Kentucky. However, perception is not always reality. This is why I posted the census stats of the midwest and the south. KY fits in with the midwest in MANY ways when it comes to demographics. Are you willing to make the claim that demographics has NOTHING to do with an area's local culture?

If you are, most folks on planet Earth will not agree with you.

No I completely agree that demographics make up a lot of an areas local culture, but you are only looking at racial demographics. Take a look at poverty, religious, household income, GDP, and obesity demographics of Kentucky and the rest of the south and get back to me.

urbancharlotte · 10-27-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdawg

No I completely agree that demographics make up a lot of an areas local culture, but you are only looking at racial demographics. Take a look at poverty, religious, household income, GDP, and obesity demographics of Kentucky and the rest of the south and get back to me.

Why don't you take your own advice.

Especially when it comes to GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The southern metropolitan area I live in has a GDP that is almost as large as the entire state of Kentucky (154 billion for Kentucky vs 118 billion for Charlotte). I won't even bother posting the link (unless you really wish to see it). In the case of Atlanta.......

Well, I won't even go there. Let's just say that Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Maryland, and Florida all have GDPs greater than Kentucky. Florida, North Carolina, then Georgia respectively having the greatest GDPs of the aforementioned states.

mdawg · 10-27-2009, 08:50 PM

I would really want to hear from another black person who has lived or lives in Kentucky and has lived in other southern states. Not that I don't believe you (urbancharlotte) that black culture is more prevalent in other southern states, but is it as big of a deal as you make it seem? Especially in rural areas. Honestly, if anyone has insight to this I would like you get your input. Urbancharlotte maybe you should make your own thread about black culture in the rest of the south (and how it relates to Kentucky) and bring your argument there, I'm sure you would get a better debate. This thread is getting beat to death and honestly I (and you) have better things to waste our time with. I'm just going to agree to disagree with you and leave it at that.

missymomof3 · 10-27-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdawg

I would really want to hear from another black person who has lived or lives in Kentucky and has lived in other southern states. Not that I don't believe you (urbancharlotte) that black culture is more prevalent in other southern states, but is it as big of a deal as you make it seem? Especially in rural areas. Honestly, if anyone has insight to this I would like you get your input. Urbancharlotte maybe you should make your own thread about black culture in the rest of the south (and how it relates to Kentucky) and bring your argument there, I'm sure you would get a better debate. This thread is getting beat to death and honestly I (and you) have better things to waste our time with. I'm just going to agree to disagree with you and leave it at that.

I do believe that Louisvilleslugger is a black man who has lived in Georgia and he says we're Southern!

censusdata · 10-28-2009, 11:09 AM

Is it fair to say Kentucky is part of "The South" but not part of the "Dirty South"??

JefferyT · 10-28-2009, 07:39 PM

Here's a modern map of black population distribution in KY circa 1990. You can compare to the antebellum distribution.

...and by county

urbancharlotte · 10-29-2009, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by censusdata

Is it fair to say Kentucky is part of "The South" but not part of the "Dirty South"??

LOL LOL LOL!!! I can agree with that!!!

LookinForMayberry · 10-29-2009, 04:27 AM

It's an interesting question. I've always understood the Midwest to mean OH, IN, IL, WI, and MI. Still, Wikipedia includes IA, and MN, as well as possibly MO, WV, KY, and those I would refer to as Central States: from ND to KS.

I would most definitely consider KY southern, as well as WV and MO), differentiated not only geographically, but also in speech accents and lifestyles.

Latitudinally, Kentucky is centrally positioned, so it is probably the most northern of the southern states, in that longitude.