Cumberland County... (Knoxville, Crossville, Fairfield Glade: homes, high schools, to live)

[SCRebel8202]

Anyone else notice that Cumberland County is almost a all white county?? Im just curious if that a odd part of Tennessee or if its just a coincedance.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by SCRebel8202

Anyone else notice that Cumberland County is almost a all white county?? Im just curious if that a odd part of Tennessee or if its just a coincedance.

Historically, that part of Tennessee didn't have very many plantations, so there just weren't that many slaves around there.

However, that was well over 100 years ago. A high government official from Cumberland County once told my dad that they "run them out of town" (referring to African Americans). This was back in the 1970s. My brother's first wife was from Crossville, and she said that yeah the area has always been pretty hostile to minorities. An Indian (from India, not Native American) doctor once set up shop in Crossville but didn't even stay a year because of the rampant racism he encountered. High school teams from neighboring counties that had black students experienced some pretty harsh racial slurs when they'd play in Crossville.

I'm sure things have improved since the 1970s. For one thing, Census figures show that there are some minorities now in Cumberland County. Not many, but they're there. I hope that means things are improving. I think the hospital there even has a couple of non-Caucasian doctors on their staff now.

A friend of mine here in Knoxville is Polynesian, but some people think he's Hispanic. He lived in Crossville for a couple of months last year and said he was yelled at quite a bit for being Hispanic, so he left and came to Knoxville where he's not experienced any racism whatsoever.

[SCRebel8202]

Thank alot for your input JMT

[Tek_Freek]

Wow, that could make me rethink moving to FFG. I'm as white as they come, but I enjoy diversity.

With that said I do seem to remember seeing some (not many) minorities while in Crossville last summer. Ate at an excellent Mexican restaurant and the people working there certainly weren't white. Maybe by the time I show up things will be better.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

Wow, that could make me rethink moving to FFG. I'm as white as they come, but I enjoy diversity.

With that said I do seem to remember seeing some (not many) minorities while in Crossville last summer. Ate at an excellent Mexican restaurant and the people working there certainly weren't white. Maybe by the time I show up things will be better.

How's this for diversity ¿

Several hundred going north past few days, guess winter is coming to an end.

[harleymsn]

Originally Posted by JMT

Historically, that part of Tennessee didn't have very many plantations, so there just weren't that many slaves around there.

However, that was well over 100 years ago. A high government official from Cumberland County once told my dad that they "run them out of town" (referring to African Americans). This was back in the 1970s. My brother's first wife was from Crossville, and she said that yeah the area has always been pretty hostile to minorities. An Indian (from India, not Native American) doctor once set up shop in Crossville but didn't even stay a year because of the rampant racism he encountered. High school teams from neighboring counties that had black students experienced some pretty harsh racial slurs when they'd play in Crossville.

I'm sure things have improved since the 1970s. For one thing, Census figures show that there are some minorities now in Cumberland County. Not many, but they're there. I hope that means things are improving. I think the hospital there even has a couple of non-Caucasian doctors on their staff now.

A friend of mine here in Knoxville is Polynesian, but some people think he's Hispanic. He lived in Crossville for a couple of months last year and said he was yelled at quite a bit for being Hispanic, so he left and came to Knoxville where he's not experienced any racism whatsoever.

What is a shame is someone who obviously has never lived in the Crossville area seems to think themselves an expert on the history of the area, not only 100 years ago, but right up until tomorrow. Please get a life and speak for what you know rather than what you imagine. No one had to run anyone out of town because there were very few that ever lived here.
SCREBEL, the main reason for the low number of African Americans on the plateau is the fact that it is a mountain top that has always been heavily forested. There was very little farming in the area and no plantations. I simple history lesson will reveal that the plantations were the homes of the slaves and with none in the area, there were none freed here. In fact the 'underground railroad' operated in this area as a central clearing area moving slave's to freedom in the north.

[firepower]

Originally Posted by harleymsn

What is a shame is someone who obviously has never lived in the Crossville area seems to think themselves an expert on the history of the area, not only 100 years ago, but right up until tomorrow. Please get a life and speak for what you know rather than what you imagine. No one had to run anyone out of town because there were very few that ever lived here.
SCREBEL, the main reason for the low number of African Americans on the plateau is the fact that it is a mountain top that has always been heavily forested. There was very little farming in the area and no plantations. I simple history lesson will reveal that the plantations were the homes of the slaves and with none in the area, there were none freed here. In fact the 'underground railroad' operated in this area as a central clearing area moving slave's to freedom in the north.

The fact remains that when I was in high school,the blacks on my team were harrassed to the point that they didn't want to come to Crossville to play.
That was in the mid/late 80's.
I understand that there are some black residents of Tansi/Fairfield Glade now,although I can't confirm that.


firepower

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by SCRebel8202

Anyone else notice that Cumberland County is almost a all white county?? Im just curious if that a odd part of Tennessee or if its just a coincedance.

I do not know why minorities do not want to live there but I would not settle there because of the marauding golf gangs in the Crossville and Fairfield Glade areas that scare me. Plus, I would have to assert myself on that whole heinous Central Time Zone issue. Anyone who watches TV knows that if you are in the Central Time Zone you are an afterthought. The announcer with the deep soothing voice goes, The Blah Blah Blah Show will be seen at 9PM Eastern and Pacific Time...8PM Central (You almost hear the guy shudder at the whole clock freakiness of it all.) When I visit, I will stay on the Eastern Time Zone side of the Obed Wild and Scenic River because I know the "Wild" part is probably in the Central Time Zone (Cumberland County).

[JMT]

Originally Posted by harleymsn

What is a shame is someone who obviously has never lived in the Crossville area seems to think themselves an expert on the history of the area, not only 100 years ago, but right up until tomorrow. Please get a life and speak for what you know rather than what you imagine. No one had to run anyone out of town because there were very few that ever lived here.
SCREBEL, the main reason for the low number of African Americans on the plateau is the fact that it is a mountain top that has always been heavily forested. There was very little farming in the area and no plantations. I simple history lesson will reveal that the plantations were the homes of the slaves and with none in the area, there were none freed here. In fact the 'underground railroad' operated in this area as a central clearing area moving slave's to freedom in the north.

One does not have to live there to know what's happened there. And for the record, my older brother was engaged to a girl from Crossville and my younger brother married a girl from Crossville. I've never lived there (and never will) but I've been there many, many times and have talked to a whole bunch of people there and who used to live there.

I have a white friend here in Knoxville who's from Crossville who confirmed Cumberland County's racist history for me. I called her up after reading your message. She said that yes, in years past blacks have been forced out of town and black athletes from competing high schools have been threatened when they played in Crossville. But she also said the opposite was true: she was on a school bus from Cumberland County that had taken students to a football game in an inner-city school in Knoxville. She said that black students in Knoxville yelled racial slurs at the white Cumberland County people and threw things at her school bus.

But I'm glad to see that things are getting better. Out of 7,500 school kids, 35 are black. That's 35 more than there were 20 years ago, so that's a step in the right direction.

[Tek_Freek]

My last year in junior high (1963) the first black student came to our school. That was a big thing. What you didn't see was racism. His presence was unique, not unwanted. He was a really nice guy.

I met his father (business) 10 years later and came to the realization the son was a product of his mother's upbringing, not his fathers. His father was a jerk!

That was also the last year the school ran from 7-12th grades. They dropped Junior High because of crowding.