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Old 06-24-2008, 08:17 PM
 
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First off, diversity for the sake of diversity is not worth anything. Diversity is valuable when differing ideas are present, and that has absolultely nothing to do with the color of one's skin. I've seen less diversity of thought in a roomful of Indians, Asians, Blacks, and Whites than some rooms of Whites only.

When you get to the western end of the state you start seeing fairly significant African-American populations. For example, Fulton, KY (a town of 5000 people or so), has a very high percentage of African Americans. If you drive an hour north of Fulton you'll come to Paducah, while not a "small" town by Kentucky's standards, isn't a vast metropolis either, where you'll find the highest percentage of African Americans in the state. Towns throughout Kentucky you'll find Latino populations that are booming.

If you want to visit the most homogenous states in the country head to the Upper Midwest. Outside of the true metropolitan areas of the upper midwest you'll find absolutely no diversity whatsoever.
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Old 06-25-2008, 05:43 AM
 
Location: Alexandria, VA
148 posts, read 642,779 times
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Default Exactly

I liked this reply. No insult. I liked the way people were similar in the KY towns, it seemed easier for everyone involved.


Quote:
Originally Posted by jcm1986 View Post
I don't think total_genius was trying to provoke anybody in a negative manner in this forum. I've followed a few of his/her posts in another forum and they're quite negative. But, you're right, the OP has a point.

I mean, come on, how many carbon copy towns with rednecks (tobacco spittin', beat up pickup drivin', thick twang talkin'), Dollar General stores, and low-paying small factory towns have we? A LOT! Of course, the behaviors and norms of people vary from region to region, but not really from town to town within these regions. Murray is different from Corbin but is similar to Mayfield. Corbin is different from Murray but similar to Barbourville. And on it goes.

I think many Southern and Midwestern states have carbon copy small towns, though, so Kentucky's not the only state with the conformity issue.
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Old 06-25-2008, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Southwest
90 posts, read 393,271 times
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In my small hometown in KY, I hear Japanese spoken in Krogers and can buy exotic foods in the grocery stores, hear Spanish due to the influx of immigrants, see African Americans which I don't see here in my current home of Colorado. There is a diversity of churches and political opinions. Now as for fashion,
hairstyles and the need for a tan, they could use a few updates. Sorry Bardstown!!!
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Old 06-25-2008, 11:08 AM
 
Location: London, KY
728 posts, read 1,669,738 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nawog View Post
In my small hometown in KY, I hear Japanese spoken in Krogers and can buy exotic foods in the grocery stores, hear Spanish due to the influx of immigrants, see African Americans which I don't see here in my current home of Colorado. There is a diversity of churches and political opinions. Now as for fashion,
hairstyles and the need for a tan, they could use a few updates. Sorry Bardstown!!!
No thanks..I'll take the fair skin any day over sun abused leather skin at the age of fifty. That is, if Melanoma doesn't take hold first. So, we have narrowed the diversity question down to fashion and hairstyle..how decidedly metrosexual.
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Old 06-25-2008, 12:42 PM
 
7,064 posts, read 16,643,283 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hey_Hey View Post
First off, diversity for the sake of diversity is not worth anything. Diversity is valuable when differing ideas are present, and that has absolultely nothing to do with the color of one's skin. I've seen less diversity of thought in a roomful of Indians, Asians, Blacks, and Whites than some rooms of Whites only.

When you get to the western end of the state you start seeing fairly significant African-American populations. For example, Fulton, KY (a town of 5000 people or so), has a very high percentage of African Americans. If you drive an hour north of Fulton you'll come to Paducah, while not a "small" town by Kentucky's standards, isn't a vast metropolis either, where you'll find the highest percentage of African Americans in the state. Towns throughout Kentucky you'll find Latino populations that are booming.

If you want to visit the most homogenous states in the country head to the Upper Midwest. Outside of the true metropolitan areas of the upper midwest you'll find absolutely no diversity whatsoever.


The highest percentage of African Americans in the state in Paducah? Hmm, possibly after Louisville merged with its county...but clearly the highest percentage and concentration of African Americans in the state is in Louisville. From Census 2000 Louisville was 33% AA compared to 24% in Paducah. Now, Jefferson County is 19% AA as of 2000, but the census does not recognize the whole county as the city (as the city now claims). So it is one big confusing thing now I guess!
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Old 06-25-2008, 02:23 PM
 
Location: Southwest
90 posts, read 393,271 times
Reputation: 66
[quote=Hey_Hey;4219892]First off, diversity for the sake of diversity is not worth anything. Diversity is valuable when differing ideas are present, and that has absolultely nothing to do with the color of one's skin. I've seen less diversity of thought in a roomful of Indians, Asians, Blacks, and Whites than some rooms of Whites only.

We had a black senator and a hispanic mayor who were shunned by many members of the Community Action Agency and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce because of the way they pandered to the conservative white Republican organization in my city.

My experience has been different most of the time though. I served on coalitions in my city with different cultures and I found it to be energizing and stimulating. Maybe it helps when the generations aren't too integrated yet or work to maintain their cultures. I worked for the health department so these people were in contact with lots of first-generation immigrants.
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Old 06-25-2008, 07:54 PM
 
301 posts, read 1,368,354 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stx12499 View Post
The highest percentage of African Americans in the state in Paducah? Hmm, possibly after Louisville merged with its county...but clearly the highest percentage and concentration of African Americans in the state is in Louisville. From Census 2000 Louisville was 33% AA compared to 24% in Paducah. Now, Jefferson County is 19% AA as of 2000, but the census does not recognize the whole county as the city (as the city now claims). So it is one big confusing thing now I guess!
Well interestingly enough Central and Western Kentucky do have a fairly higher rural black population (percentage wise) than just about every non Southern state. That's obvious just by comparing it to Indiana! However it's not as Black as the Deep South (which is considered the Black Belt). Though sometimes extreme Western Kentucky (fulton county) is lumped in with the Black belt.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d0/New_2000_black_percent.gif/800px-New_2000_black_percent.gif (broken link)

However Louisville's metropolitan area does hold the majority of Kentucky's black population.
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Old 06-25-2008, 08:03 PM
 
301 posts, read 1,368,354 times
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Alot of rural African American populations obviously stem from slavery!

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Old 06-25-2008, 09:51 PM
 
2,126 posts, read 6,777,814 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Louisvilleslugger View Post
Well interestingly enough Central and Western Kentucky do have a fairly higher rural black population (percentage wise) than just about every non Southern state. That's obvious just by comparing it to Indiana! However it's not as Black as the Deep South (which is considered the Black Belt). Though sometimes extreme Western Kentucky (fulton county) is lumped in with the Black belt.

However Louisville's metropolitan area does hold the majority of Kentucky's black population.
The Black Belt term has a double meaning. It originally stemmed from the black soil found in that region, but has also become to denote the high percentage of AA in that region.

Regardless, Kentucky is pretty darn white for a southern state.
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Old 06-25-2008, 10:10 PM
 
92,061 posts, read 122,262,393 times
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I thought in KY, many of the Black people in small towns live in the central and western part of the state, with maybe a decent of Blacks in towns in Harlan County, which is in the Southeastern corner of the state. I wonder if there are some other towns in the Eastern part of the state with at least a few Black people in them?
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