I don't want to offend anyone, but does Mississippi really still have the KKK? (Jackson: neighborhood, movies)

[Camellia29]

I was born and raised in Mississippi; a very rural area. I don't know anyone associated with the kkk. It seems silly to even type that.
I grew up in an integrated neighborhood, attended public school with a black majority. Mississippi is probably way ahead of many states in terms of race relations. Blacks and whites get along well; and are tired of stigmas attached to Mississippi.

[mccarley]

Originally Posted by JANICE WIGGINS

Where are you??? MS is just like any other place. We have mixed neighborhoods, we have integrated schools since the 60s and the 70s. Some of my best friends are black, some of my best schoolteachers are black and one of the best boss ladies I ever had is black. You have not seen Mississippi lately have you? Ja

Per this post, he is from Wis.

ministers
Senior Member
befriend Join Date: Nov 2007
268 posts, read 133,322 times
Reputation: 105


Are there intergrated neighborhoods in Mississippi?

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I'm from Wisconsin, and my parents are from Mississippi, and I noticed there is not alot of intergrated neighborhoods in Mississippi. Why not? I'm having reservations about even moving down to Mississippi in the future. What about the school systems? Are blacks and whites friends in Mississippi. Wow, I was really shocked.

[stars&bars]

Why are you worried about Klan meetings in Mississippi when Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam are having a meeting in Chicago? Louis Farrakhan preaches Black power and Nationalism the same as the Klan preaches white power and Nationalism!
I'm not going to defend the Klan but there are many Black hate groups too. All you have to do is type HATE.COM and you'll get pages worth of hate groups etc. If people want to segregate themselves based on their own beliefs so be it.
Their rights are protected by the Constitution of the United States as long as they don't physically attack anyone based on their beliefs!!! Don't always believe what the mass media writes or says either because they look for racism under every stone they turn over.
I've visited Mississippi a few years back and I'll be the first to tell you that the people are all friendly both Black and White. There are just as many Klan groups in the South as there is in the North or West!

[ministers]

These are my personal experiences. I have been to Mississippi on several occasions and did not observe any intergrated neighborhoods. I know times are changing, the people in Mississippi were extremely friendly. I know Wisconsin is very segregated but we have numerous intergrated neighborhoods. I just don't want my kids to be raised with only one group of people. People tend to get so hostile when you talk about race, we need to face or differences and overcome them. It was a simple question, and by the way I am a woman. My husband and I post regularly, but I post most of the time. If someone asked me about Wisconsin being racist against whites, I would answer the question without posting any demeaning remarks against the individual for asking a question. People are free in this country to ask whatever question. A question unasked is a dumb question.

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by ministers

These are my personal experiences. I have been to Mississippi on several occasions and did not observe any intergrated neighborhoods. I know times are changing, the people in Mississippi were extremely friendly. I know Wisconsin is very segregated but we have numerous intergrated neighborhoods. I just don't want my kids to be raised with only one group of people. People tend to get so hostile when you talk about race, we need to face or differences and overcome them. It was a simple question, and by the way I am a woman. My husband and I post regularly, but I post most of the time. If someone asked me about Wisconsin being racist against whites, I would answer the question without posting any demeaning remarks against the individual for asking a question. People are free in this country to ask whatever question. A question unasked is a dumb question.

I see where you're coming from, but I have to point this out to you (and this is probably why you got the response you did). You just stated:

"If someone asked me about Wisconsin being racist against whites, I would answer the question without posting any demeaning remarks against the individual for asking a question."

That is not exactly the same thing as asking:

"Does Mississippi really still have the KKK?"

You see the difference? The KKK is not Mississippi, nor are all racists members of the KKK. The KKK, if it even still exists to its original standards, is very small these days. In fact, most of the incidents that we hear on the news regarding the KKK usually is about a group of people who call themselves that, but in reality they are not affiliated with the KKK at all.

Would you go onto a Germany forum and ask "Does Germany really still have Nazi's?" Not trying to belabor the point here, but I do want you to understand the difference in what you posted originally and what you are trying to get out of it. There's the right way and the wrong way to do things, and your first attempt leans more towards the wrong.

Now, having said that, there are some areas of MS that are integrated heavily and some that are not. It really depends on the city/town/area. A lot of it will also rely on the school system you choose for your kids. Most private schools are mostly white. Some public schools are mostly black, but there are also a lot of public schools that are a good mixture. I graduated from Clinton High School, a suburb of Jackson, and it was about 50/50 whites and blacks, plus we had some foreign exchange students every year and some local asians, hispanics, etc.

[NWS]

Originally Posted by ministers

These are my personal experiences. I have been to Mississippi on several occasions and did not observe any integrated neighborhoods. I know times are changing, the people in Mississippi were extremely friendly. I know Wisconsin is very segregated but we have numerous intergrated neighborhoods. I just don't want my kids to be raised with only one group of people. People tend to get so hostile when you talk about race, we need to face or differences and overcome them. It was a simple question, and by the way I am a woman. My husband and I post regularly, but I post most of the time. If someone asked me about Wisconsin being racist against whites, I would answer the question without posting any demeaning remarks against the individual for asking a question. People are free in this country to ask whatever question. A question unasked is a dumb question.

Ministers I guess some people look at the questions you have asked over the last 2 years about Mississippi. Most of them deal with race relations.
No matter how much we have tried to convince you that MS is no worse than any other state you keep bringing this issue up here. I personally don't get it.
I moved to MS from New York city. Try to find an integrated area in NYC or long Island. Back there I have friends who moved into the "wrong" area and had nothing but racial trouble.
You said your sister lives here. Doesn't she tell you what is going on down here? Did you ask her if she has seen Klan activity? Weren't your parents moving back?
I thought you were moving here too. I live in an integrated part of Raymond. I love diversity so I prefer to live in a mixed area myself.
There are many parts of MS that are integrated. You just have to look harder. I have found that most people here will judge you by your character.
Trust us. We have no reason to lie to you about what it's really like to live here. MS isn't for everyone but it's perfect for me.

[poptones]

Well, I lived in a motel 6 down near farish street long before it was "revitalized" and I had zero racial problems. I'm a germanic looking white dude but the only black dude i recall not getting along with was one young student who was obsessed with his own color and was constantly pointing out how he might be "the only black person" at a party, diner, whatever.

My brother doesn't believe black and whites should date, but he refuses the badge of racist. In my experience he is not alone in this - probably most folks I know who are over 30 still hold onto this. But his sponsor and very good friend is a black man and I have never seen him treat someone bad just because of their skin color. He knows I have a fondness for darker women and is ok with that - I'm not one of his kids But the folks who still hold onto this belief are not so much kkk types - there's usually no racial hatred involved, its more of a cultural thing i.e. hispanic (of which we also have many here in central ms) vs black vs white middle class vs white poor. Culturally, folks just tend to stick with "their kind" and most parents I know tend to instill this in their kids.

There are many integrated couples in the area. Does that count toward making a neighborhood "integrated?" Black man, white woman (or vice versa, though that seems less common) and lots of cute little mulatto children running around...

[homesheba]

dont believe all the media hype about ms.PLEEESE!!!
ive lived here for many years and there are tons of intergrated neighborhoods and yes, there is even blacks and whites sitting together and eating together
and even!!! ....
have the same bathrooms!
man! i hate all the lies that are told about this lovely state.
ok- maybe there is kkk -but they are also in many other states...
blacks and whites get along better here together
than in alot of northern states...
and some of us actually have black best friends!! shock!

[ministers]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

I see where you're coming from, but I have to point this out to you (and this is probably why you got the response you did). You just stated:

"If someone asked me about Wisconsin being racist against whites, I would answer the question without posting any demeaning remarks against the individual for asking a question."

That is not exactly the same thing as asking:

"Does Mississippi really still have the KKK?"

You see the difference? The KKK is not Mississippi, nor are all racists members of the KKK. The KKK, if it even still exists to its original standards, is very small these days. In fact, most of the incidents that we hear on the news regarding the KKK usually is about a group of people who call themselves that, but in reality they are not affiliated with the KKK at all.

Would you go onto a Germany forum and ask "Does Germany really still have Nazi's?" Not trying to belabor the point here, but I do want you to understand the difference in what you posted originally and what you are trying to get out of it. There's the right way and the wrong way to do things, and your first attempt leans more towards the wrong.

Now, having said that, there are some areas of MS that are integrated heavily and some that are not. It really depends on the city/town/area. A lot of it will also rely on the school system you choose for your kids. Most private schools are mostly white. Some public schools are mostly black, but there are also a lot of public schools that are a good mixture. I graduated from Clinton High School, a suburb of Jackson, and it was about 50/50 whites and blacks, plus we had some foreign exchange students every year and some local asians, hispanics, etc.

If I was planning to move to Germany, yes I would ask question about Nazi's being in Germany. I do not know why this is such an offensive question. I know race is still touchy, but these issues need to be addressed. The question was not meant to put Mississippi down there is racism everywhere.

[ministers]

Originally Posted by NWS

Ministers I guess some people look at the questions you have asked over the last 2 years about Mississippi. Most of them deal with race relations.
No matter how much we have tried to convince you that MS is no worse than any other state you keep bringing this issue up here. I personally don't get it.
I moved to MS from New York city. Try to find an integrated area in NYC or long Island. Back there I have friends who moved into the "wrong" area and had nothing but racial trouble.
You said your sister lives here. Doesn't she tell you what is going on down here? Did you ask her if she has seen Klan activity? Weren't your parents moving back?
I thought you were moving here too. I live in an integrated part of Raymond. I love diversity so I prefer to live in a mixed area myself.
There are many parts of MS that are integrated. You just have to look harder. I have found that most people here will judge you by your character.
Trust us. We have no reason to lie to you about what it's really like to live here. MS isn't for everyone but it's perfect for me.

Yes she does and she says it is still very racist. I wanted to hear what others spread out across the state had to say about this.