[RogMar]

Originally Posted by veganwriter

Hi, can anyone tell me some things about Pocahontas? As some may know, I'm on an Odyessy for my rural, "back-to-the-land" small farm... in an area where it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is.

Well......first of all, what kind of farming are you planning on doing?

Since it looks like you're a vegan, I doubt if it's going to be cattle.

Or chickens.

Gotta remember that it's mostly cattle & chickens in these parts.

So, since you didn't state what you want to do with this farm, I'm going to assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that you want to do organic gardening and be sort of self-sustaining.

That can be done, but we grow a *lot* of rocks around here, but with enough work, anything's possible.

Now, the next obstacle would be land.

Around Pocahontas, or any sizeable city, you're going to pay more for it. The area that your frinds advised, more toward the delta region, would be cheaper and more productive.

Now.....areas for a black vegan.

I don't think that being black, or a vegan, is gonna mean squat to most folks. Yeah, you're gonna find some resistance occasionally, but that is certainly not unique to this state or locale.

I think the important issue is, don't push either factor.

Folks don't like to have issues shoved down their throat around here, and you wanna get people miffed immediately, start talking about how bad red meat is for you in a cattle ranching society.

I think you can understand that. My beliefs are mine, and mine alone, and I'm very careful who I share them with and where I share them, as most folks I know do.

Living rurally, as you are alluding to, is a wonderful experience for those of us that enjoy that lifestyle, but it's not real progressive. It's not NWA or Little Rock...it's the country, and what you will largely find surrounding you near Pocahontas or pretty much anywhere else you go rurally is hard working, church going, maybe some beer-drinking', cammo clad, red-meat-eatin', honest, *good* folks that feel they ain't no better than anybody else and nobody's better than them.

In the country, you absolutley, positively, will not last long without the support of your neighbors, and your support for them.

So....what you need to do is ask yourself.....if that's an environment that a black vegan back-to-the-earth seeker can thrive and feel comfortable in.

[paramour]

Originally Posted by adysmom

To be honest the Little Rock area would be best for you..

I'm hoping you are talking about areas outside of LR, as LR itself isn't going to provide much of the "rural" feeling and farming that the OP inquired about.

[Bull Winkus]

Originally Posted by veganwriter

Hi, can anyone tell me some things about Pocahontas? As some may know, I'm on an Odyessy for my rural, "back-to-the-land" small farm... in an area where it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is.

I've been asking lots of questions and so far, most other black folks tell me to stick to areas just south/south west of Little Rock. Comments?

A priest-friend of mine advocated strongly for Conway, AK.

But I'm curious about that little area in and around Pocahontas. (I saw something .. um ... "on the internet" ... don't know how old it was... and it looked like a charming, peaceful little town.)

Feel free to give honest feed back no matter what the content.

It pains me to realize that you have to first identify a community that would be accepting of your ethnicity before selecting, but such is the world we live in. In ancient cultures it had to be much worse, so I guess we have come a long way.

If it doesn't matter which part of Arkansas you migrate to, what are the criteria you are looking for in a location? (Other than racial acceptance, of course) Arkansas history has a lot to do with its racial make up. The Mississippi Delta region in the Southeast part of Arkansas has inherited nearly all of its black population, with the remainder planted mostly along the major Interstate corridors. I'm not sure about the Mississippi Delta region in the Northeast part of Arkansas. The times that I've driven through there, I was struck by the absence of black faces when I was expecting a population ratio similar to the Southeast.

If you're inclined toward intellectual pursuits, Conway, AR area would be an excellent choice, as well as Fayetteville and Russellville, AR.

[rms455]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

First, and I don't mean to belittle, but it's a pet peeve of mine....

AK = Alaska
AR = Arkansas

The media makes the same mistake at times and it drives me crazy.

Second, to somehow insinuate that Jonesboro has become Dodge City is laughable.

I don't know where you got either one of these from my comment, since I know nothing about Dodge City I can't make a comparison and I am very familiar with AR= Arkansas.....I've never been to Alaska but I hope to someday

[paramour]

Originally Posted by rms455

I don't know where you got either one of these from my comment, since I know nothing about Dodge City I can't make a comparison and I am very familiar with AR= Arkansas.....I've never been to Alaska but I hope to someday

I believe the poster's AR/AK comment was in response to the OP who mentioned "Conway, AK."

As for Dodge City, perhaps someone was embellishing your comment for imaginative purposes?

[asimov]

Last time I heard of a ruckus involving explosives was back in the 70s when someone tried to blow up the Hillcrest Restaurant because of some marital tiff. It didn't work.

[North Pulaski Player]

Sorry, but I would never recommend Pocahontas, AR to a person that isn't white. Sure, you have a decent percentage of people that would be accepting of you, but most people there would think that you're in town trying to hide from the law, and you'll get harassed by the police and sheriff's office constantly. Try some of the communities from Jonesboro to the areas south and east of there like Trumann, Harrisburg, Earle, etc. Black folks aren't exactly welcomed in North Central Arkansas, especially not in Harrison, AR.