Race relations in the Mississippi Delta

[sad delta]

Hi AK...I live in Greenville,MS....the heart of the Mississippi Delta! Born and raised here! I've lived in other states and countries throughout my 50 years, and always, Greenville was my home. I was educated here, for the most part, and I have enough experience to give you some insight on race relations here! It's an odd situation in that the people my age are more hateful and cruel to each other, of different races, than younger generations are....example: My kids go to Ole Miss and have many black friends that they associate with on a daily basis! But, only at Ole Miss! They come here to visit and when they encounter a black person, not of their own age group, they are treated with total disrespect and hatefullness....it never fails! That is the experience here in Greenville. The only blacks who seem to respect whites in this town, are NOT from this town, and are usually educated! The black friends from Ole Miss who have come home with my kids to visit the Mississippi Delta, are very discouraged and get a good dose of the "black hatred" here themselves.

, Moderator cut: Please do not engage in stereotpes which might be insulting to many of our readers.

here....and then, you can visit towns outside of the delta, Oxford and Tupelo, and it isn't that way at all!! They are truly lovely towns to live in....my next door neighbors are black, and they are the best neighbors I have! The younger generation seems to be saying "what's all the hate about"? It's my generation that seems to keep hate stirred up...it's a frame of mind! I don't mean we have riots and such...just a general attitude toward the white population in every grocery store, every shop, every public building, on the street, on the roads, at stop signs, red lights, and in your own backyard. We don't have black friends and that does not make us racists. Blacks are not racists either just because they don't have whites over to their homes for coffee. I am a very friendly person and I respond to friendliness, as does everyone else. There is no excuse for rudeness and bitterness and just plain meanness. I believe the country has come to terms with the black/white issues, it's now up to each individual to embrace their opportunity to live without the hatred. I don't think it's going to happen...not here anyway!

[i3est21]

Originally Posted by ladyeclectic79

As one who was an outsider to the gulf coast when she went down there right after Katrina, I have to say it's definitely a culture shock in relation to races. I stayed in the Delta for a year, in which I met a wide variety of people. While I loved everyone I met down there (a few noteable exceptions, but for the most part everyone is just real down to earth and nice), the racism that is ingrained in day to day living is sometimes so subtle you don't even recognize it for what it is. The people down there don't even see it either; I can quote a bunch of phrases I heard people say down there in relation to black people (many of which I'd never repeat personally) that me as a Californian just found rather offensive. If/Whenever you try and bring it up, however, you generally get the "I don't hate black people, I just hate n----s" justification, which is almost worse. I had one guy friend of mine tell me the town Kiln got its name from "kill n----s"; on two occasions I had to stop other guy friends from beating up a black man because he was simply there and they were drunk.

Don't get me started on what they think of interracial dating. You go just over the Louisiana border and it's a totally different world, but in Mississippi if a black man is dating a white woman both are liable to get threatened, or worse. I had more than one acquaintance say in conversation that he wouldn't date any woman if she'd had sex with a black man, and another who got severely chastized by his friends for even thinking about going to see a black *****. (yes folks, not everyone I hung out with was what you might call "respectable", but they were all natives)

I only got a taste of the coast, not of the rest of the state. Gulf coast Mississippi is definitely its own world and I know from talking with other Mississipians that it's by NO means anything close to an accurate representation of the state as a whole. But it's worth noting such places do exist, sad thought it may be.

Don't speak as a Californian. I'm from California and when I visited the delta I experienced nothing but southern hospitality, if anything blacks resented whites

[mccarley]

Originally Posted by ladyeclectic79
As one who was an outsider to the gulf coast
I stayed in the Delta for a year
I only got a taste of the coast
Gulf coast Mississippi is definitely its own

I don't believe you have even been to Mississippi. If you stayed in the Delta for a year, you were not even close to the Mississippi coast

Moderator cut: rude

[Alaska Kid]

Mississippi has, unfortunately, just about the worst reputation in its treatment of blacks when it comes to its history. Worldwide. That is what this state is unfortunately known for. It's getting better, big time. People of color are treated differently in Alaska, I can tell you that much. So MS forum is definitely a proper one to inquire about race relations.

[Alaska Kid]

Originally Posted by sad delta

Hi AK...I live in Greenville,MS....the heart of the Mississippi Delta! Born and raised here! I've lived in other states and countries throughout my 50 years, and always, Greenville was my home. I was educated here, for the most part, and I have enough experience to give you some insight on race relations here! It's an odd situation in that the people my age are more hateful and cruel to each other, of different races, than younger generations are....example: My kids go to Ole Miss and have many black friends that they associate with on a daily basis! But, only at Ole Miss! They come here to visit and when they encounter a black person, not of their own age group, they are treated with total disrespect and hatefullness....it never fails! That is the experience here in Greenville. The only blacks who seem to respect whites in this town, are NOT from this town, and are usually educated! The black friends from Ole Miss who have come home with my kids to visit the Mississippi Delta, are very discouraged and get a good dose of the "black hatred" here themselves. There is always the exception, as in every case, but for the most part, the black population here is full of venom and never misses an occassion to spew on the white population! Now, you can visit other Mississippi towns in the delta, and it's not quite as bad as it is here....and then, you can visit towns outside of the delta, Oxford and Tupelo, and it isn't that way at all!! They are truly lovely towns to live in....my next door neighbors are black, and they are the best neighbors I have! The younger generation seems to be saying "what's all the hate about"? It's my generation that seems to keep hate stirred up...it's a frame of mind! I don't mean we have riots and such...just a general attitude toward the white population in every grocery store, every shop, every public building, on the street, on the roads, at stop signs, red lights, and in your own backyard. We don't have black friends and that does not make us racists. Blacks are not racists either just because they don't have whites over to their homes for coffee. I am a very friendly person and I respond to friendliness, as does everyone else. There is no excuse for rudeness and bitterness and just plain meanness. I believe the country has come to terms with the black/white issues, it's now up to each individual to embrace their opportunity to live without the hatred. I don't think it's going to happen...not here anyway!

Thanks for your in-depth personal experience contribution. That is exactly what I want to know. It has value. I am married to a black lady and I couldn't be luckier. She is a true Southern Belle. We travel around the US and spend our winter in MS. I just want to know what people really think down here. I think that race relations are in a pretty darn good shape in MS. Much better than silly Hollywood suggests. Isn't it wonderful that our young generation doesn't have any use for that nonsence?

One question to you Mississipians: Why is there so much garbage and litter alongside of your roads? You have this lovely countryside and beautiful homes and here is this garbage along your highways? What's up with that?
I didn't see it that bad anywhere in the US, Canada or Europe. Just very curious.

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by Alaska Kid

Thanks for your in-depth personal experience contribution. That is exactly what I want to know. It has value. I am married to a black lady and I couldn't be luckier. She is a true Southern Belle. We travel around the US and spend our winter in MS. I just want to know what people really think down here. I think that race relations are in a pretty darn good shape in MS. Much better than silly Hollywood suggests. Isn't it wonderful that our young generation doesn't have any use for that nonsence?

One question to you Mississipians: Why is there so much garbage and litter alongside of your roads? You have this lovely countryside and beautiful homes and here is this garbage along your highways? What's up with that?
I didn't see it that bad anywhere in the US, Canada or Europe. Just very curious.

Yes, it is pretty bad. People in Mississippi aren't as environmentally aware, so more people throw trash. Also, the government doesn't have as many resources to clean up the highways as other states. It's a rural state with a lot of roads, so there is a lot of miles to cover. They do the best job they can. Some places are better than others because of the extensive Adopt-a-highway program.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by sad delta

Hi AK...I live in Greenville,MS....the heart of the Mississippi Delta! Born and raised here! I've lived in other states and countries throughout my 50 years, and always, Greenville was my home. I was educated here, for the most part, and I have enough experience to give you some insight on race relations here! It's an odd situation in that the people my age are more hateful and cruel to each other, of different races, than younger generations are....example: My kids go to Ole Miss and have many black friends that they associate with on a daily basis! But, only at Ole Miss! They come here to visit and when they encounter a black person, not of their own age group, they are treated with total disrespect and hatefullness....it never fails! That is the experience here in Greenville. The only blacks who seem to respect whites in this town, are NOT from this town, and are usually educated! The black friends from Ole Miss who have come home with my kids to visit the Mississippi Delta, are very discouraged and get a good dose of the "black hatred" here themselves. There is always the exception, as in every case, but for the most part, the black population here is full of venom and never misses an occassion to spew on the white population! Now, you can visit other Mississippi towns in the delta, and it's not quite as bad as it is here....and then, you can visit towns outside of the delta, Oxford and Tupelo, and it isn't that way at all!! They are truly lovely towns to live in....my next door neighbors are black, and they are the best neighbors I have! The younger generation seems to be saying "what's all the hate about"? It's my generation that seems to keep hate stirred up...it's a frame of mind! I don't mean we have riots and such...just a general attitude toward the white population in every grocery store, every shop, every public building, on the street, on the roads, at stop signs, red lights, and in your own backyard. We don't have black friends and that does not make us racists. Blacks are not racists either just because they don't have whites over to their homes for coffee. I am a very friendly person and I respond to friendliness, as does everyone else. There is no excuse for rudeness and bitterness and just plain meanness. I believe the country has come to terms with the black/white issues, it's now up to each individual to embrace their opportunity to live without the hatred. I don't think it's going to happen...not here anyway!

From what I read, race relations haven't gotten better, they are just at stalemate status. I do have white friends as well as black friends and I like hanging around all of them. I think that in order for race relations to improve, the lines and barriers should come down and old attitudes have to stop.