Would you move out of Mississippi ? (Memphis: how much, unemployed, buy)

[lovindfw]

I was born and raised in the 'Burg. I left upon graduating from high school and would never think of returning to live. I visit only for family. There are simply too many options available in other states. Yes, I have seen and endured some of the racism. But, there is racism everywhere...just disguised a little better in other parts of the country.

[mississippi_programmer]

Having lived in cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago and New York I found Mississippi to be very boring..
Also I found racism to exists here..Although I am not a direct victim but have seen in many ways here than in other cities..I also believe the same thing happens in other souther sates like Louisiana and Alabama. If you have family history here then you can live here..But if you are new comer to Mississippi without any family or friends here..then you need to think twice before moving.

[NWS]

Originally Posted by mississippi_programmer

Having lived in cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago and New York I found Mississippi to be very boring..
Also I found racism to exists here..Although I am not a direct victim but have seen in many ways here than in other cities..I also believe the same thing happens in other souther sates like Louisiana and Alabama. If you have family history here then you can live here..But if you are new comer to Mississippi without any family or friends here..then you need to think twice before moving.

I was born in live in New York City and lived there from 1964-2007. I can't believe you didn't see much racism.
Just looking at the last 20-25 years. What about the Howard Beach incident in 1986?
Yusef Hawkins murder in 1989? I could think of several instances where white or black gangs caused someones death primarily because of their color.
I can think of two instances of white police officers "accidentally" shooting undercover black police officers (ex. P.O. Omar Edwards killed in 2009) because they thought they were criminals.
I can think of several instances of white police officers killing black or Latin citizens, who had committed no crime, basically because they didn't like their attitude (ex. Patrick Dorismond).
Race riots in Brooklyn between the Blacks and the Jews in 1991. I could go on and on about New York. I couldn't wait to get out of that place.
It's not just the city. Upstate and Long Island NY have their issues also.
If you think today's Mississippi has racial problems you haven't been around much.
If Mississippi is boring, I love this kind of boring.

[Genonfire]

I like to visit the state but its to boring for me to live there. I think Mississippi is a beautiful state. I think there is more racism there than New Orleans. I've met some of the most beautiful people( inside and out) that I've had ever met there.

[mississippi_programmer]

Originally Posted by NWS

I was born in live in New York City and lived there from 1964-2007. I can't believe you didn't see much racism.
Just looking at the last 20-25 years. What about the Howard Beach incident in 1986?
Yusef Hawkins murder in 1989? I could think of several instances where white or black gangs caused someones death primarily because of their color.
I can think of two instances of white police officers "accidentally" shooting undercover black police officers (ex. P.O. Omar Edwards killed in 2009) because they thought they were criminals.
I can think of several instances of white police officers killing black or Latin citizens, who had committed no crime, basically because they didn't like their attitude (ex. Patrick Dorismond).
Race riots in Brooklyn between the Blacks and the Jews in 1991. I could go on and on about New York. I couldn't wait to get out of that place.
It's not just the city. Upstate and Long Island NY have their issues also.
If you think today's Mississippi has racial problems you haven't been around much.
If Mississippi is boring, I love this kind of boring.

Actually I have not lived in NewYork or Mississippi that long to have a strong opinion like yours. However I am saying what I am seeing here different than in other cities. For example Jackson is the only city where I found most of the night clubs are either white or black..Black people don't go to white clubs or vice versa.The police shooting might be less here because this state was on spotlight for a long period of time. But what I am saying is on day to day life you will see (and feel) people behave differently here more than the northern states..However the people are generally more polite than other states.I think this is what they call southern hospitality.
If in your definition racism is all about 'police killing' then MS might not be the most racist place..However if you think racism can be much different, which you might feel in your day to day life..then you will find MS little different.
BTW this is also the poorest state in USA.

[poptones]

How exactly are you defining racism? I thought I had a pretty liberal view of racism, but you seem to be calling the fact folks CHOOSE, of their own volition, to associate with predominantly other folks with whom they share not just skin color, but cultural values and interests, racism?

I tend to favor black women for a variety of reasons both physical and not so easily discerned. Doesn't mean I don't date white women, but it does mean I see skin color. Does the very fact we see skin color make us racist?

Back in the day I used to live in the Trav-l-Lodge down off Farish street. I was a white boy living in a predominantly black neighborhood and, except for the occasional gunfire at night, I felt safe and as comfortable as one could be living in a motel in a poor part of town. I partied at the ballroom just down the street where mostly blacks went and, again, fit right in. I have a hard time believing things have gotten WORSE in the last 20 years.... I suppose they could, I just can't see how when I look around my circle of friends and see so many biracial couples and, as Reverend Ruckus might say, "cute little mulatto babies" running around the school yards...

[mississippi_programmer]

You are right to some extent. But is it not odd that in a state where black people inhabited very early and still having the highest proportion compared to other states in USA, people are still choosing to associate them within their own almost all the time? I would say given that they lived so long together and also both the communities have such a strong presence, they would be mixing more than the other states. Also given that around 40% of state population are black..are they properly represented in all the top posts? What I am seeing is at the lowest level jobs almost all are black and as you go up you will see the ratio changes in favor of white.. Again just to make myself clear I am not saying all people are racist here or something like that. In fact most of the people I have met here are very nice. It's just that for some reason this state feels little different to me than northern states where I had lived before.

[poptones]

I worked at a call center in Starkville where the population may have been 50/50 but much of the managerial staff was black. But here we talking about FREE association - like that guaranteed in the US Constitution. Don't you think that plumbers might hang out together? And car dudes? Ah, that last one is a big demographic - so what kinda car dudes? Go look at magazines on the shelf and see how they are directed at markets - you don't see many brown folks in Car Craft and you don't see many white folks in Low Rider and you don't see many brown or white folks in DUB. Is this due to some conspiracy to keep black folks and white segregated?

No, it's because black folks and white folks and brown folks and red folks tend to have their own cultural identities. I love all sorts of music but not many black folks I met even heard of Siouxsie Sioux so guess what? When I go to events where she's playing I don't see many black folks. Are they unwelcome? No - they just don't care to show up... just as I have very little desire to show up at a JayZ show. Is it cuz I don't wanna be around black folk? No, it's cuz I don't care that much for the music and I have no one in my life right now important enough to me to get me to one of his shows.

Kilmichael had a lawsuit just about a decade ago where some election laws passed in the sixties had to be enforced for, like, the very first time. A black mayor was elected but lost due to some "irregularities." The "winner" was forced to step down and the (black) person who won stepped into office. I don't believe she was re-elected... now, is that due to more misbehavior? Don't you think the relevant agencies would be watching the next few elections after that? No, the person didn't get re-elected because not enough people cared to show up to vote for her. Doesn't mean there were thugs standing outside the polls with baseball bats.

Look: don't you think that, just as there is "black culture" and "latino culture" and "korean culture" and "vietnamese culture" and "japanese culture" in major urban areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco, there are also elemtents that bind THOSE subcultures? I once knew a Kenyan man who would never consider dating american born women. It wasn't a race thing because he dated black women - he just didn't like "uppity" AMERICAN women - it was cultural.

So.. isn't it possible us folks down here ALL have our own ways of doing things? And certain traits you can find among those who choose to live their lives here, just as you find certain traits common among the folks of all SORTS of colors who inhabit the coastal areas not just here in Mississippi, but in Louisiana as well? We're all free to come and go - if its so miserable here for folks of ANY color they are free to move on. Yet, as you point out yourself, Mississippi has one of the highest proportions of black folks in the country. If things are so miserable why the heck would they all stay?

Isn't it also possible, like a certain well known cat, most "observers" see certain things when they first come to stay or visit simply because they EXPECT to find these things and are looking for it?

Hmmmm....

[NWS]

Originally Posted by mississippi_programmer

Actually I have not lived in NewYork or Mississippi that long to have a strong opinion like yours. However I am saying what I am seeing here different than in other cities. For example Jackson is the only city where I found most of the night clubs are either white or black..Black people don't go to white clubs or vice versa.The police shooting might be less here because this state was on spotlight for a long period of time. But what I am saying is on day to day life you will see (and feel) people behave differently here more than the northern states..However the people are generally more polite than other states.I think this is what they call southern hospitality.
If in your definition racism is all about 'police killing' then MS might not be the most racist place..However if you think racism can be much different, which you might feel in your day to day life..then you will find MS little different.
BTW this is also the poorest state in USA.

I guess living in NY for so long I know a lot about it's racial issues.
I didn't really want to give anecdotal examples. I could tell you about trying to catch a cab being a black person in NYC.
Racism is everywhere. Some places are better than others.
Today's Mississippi is not the poster child for racism.
I think the separate clubs issue isn't really an issue. I don't believe it's racial.
I started going to clubs in the 80's back then the "white" clubs played music by the "Hair" bands like Poison and the metal Bands like Metalica.
There just weren't too many black people into that type of music. Were blacks welcome? Sure.
When Rap began there were very few whites into it. Today's hardcore gangster rap isn't very appealing to many whites over the age of 16 .

If you check the link below from the Clarion Ledger You will see photos from some of the local bars and clubs.
Yes you see some events that seemed 99% black or 99% white but certain events like Blues or Jazz transcend color and you see a good mix of people there.

Photo galleries for Bars & Clubs | Metromix Jackson

[jacksonian]

All the night spots I visit tend to have a good mix of races, but like NWS states, I visit the places that play blues/jazz. If you go to places that play music that mostly white people tend to listen to, you will likely find mostly whites. The same can be said for places that play music that mostly black people tend to listen to. I thought that was pretty obvious though.

You should try out F. Jones Corner on Farish Street or 930 Blues Cafe on North Congress. They're not one of those places where everyone goes to get sloppy drunk, start fights, and stand in long lines to get in, so if you're into that kind of place with obnoxiously loud music and annoying people, you may want to forgo these options.