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Old 11-16-2008, 09:24 PM
 
5 posts, read 30,869 times
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I am writing a research paper on Mena, Arkansas and it's policies on African Americans. Citizens of Mena used to drive African Americans out causing them to disappear from the census. The census from 2000 shows a startling small number of African Americans. I am curious to know if the African American population has increased since then. I am also interested in any information on past or present evidence of racism.

 
Old 11-17-2008, 02:46 AM
 
Location: The Great State of Arkansas
5,981 posts, read 18,274,662 times
Reputation: 7740
System, I guess I'm curious...with the sudden surge in racially divisive posts in the Arkansas forum, my radar is up. Please forgive me asking what is probably an obvious question with an obvious answer - but what sort of research paper could you possibly be writing on Mena from Acworth, Georgia, which is where your profile indicates you are located? Mena's a pretty small fish for a whole research paper...if you already "know" about people disappearing from the census, perhaps you should check the source where you got that info for any information on the current state of affairs in Mena?

There are multiple threads on Mena in this forum - please look at the top right under Search This Forum and type in keyword Mena. Maybe that will give you a clue and the information you need.

Just as a note of interest, I seriously doubt Mena has any official "policy" on African Americans.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 11:49 AM
 
5 posts, read 30,869 times
Reputation: 18
Well, I am taking a course on Sundown towns, if you are familiar with the term. I chose Mena after a saw a mena advertisement (the link is at the bottom). Many sundown towns forced African Americans out of city limits well after the civil rights movement. You see, I just want to learn if this attitude toward African Americans is still existent. Yes, a small town, but a history I am interested in. Perhaps policies were not written as most sundown towns made an effort not to leave records. This is a very hidden topic. I read all of the forums on Mena already. I did see one interesting comment however:
Quote:
"I lived in this town for 8 years and i hated it. Alot of the people are racist. When i was 17 i saW over 30 kkk members standing on the corner protesting by old train depot. I know you guys remember that. Their are hardly any jobs besides fast food. And their are alot of crooked people. I lived the through most of my childhood until i graduated and then i got the hell out of their. Their is no diversity and their is nothing for teens to do in that town. People need to know this info. Its important. Especially if you are not white!!"
This post does give me some evidence. However, the time this person grew up in Mena is indeterminable. So, after finding nothing else, I figured I'd ask for more information.



You might find these links interesting.

Sundown Towns - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

some examples of Mena's unwritten "policies" against African Americans

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.ne...Sundown1_f.jpg

an advertisement of Mena (notice the right side)
 
Old 11-17-2008, 01:25 PM
 
1,661 posts, read 5,211,024 times
Reputation: 1350
Quote:
Originally Posted by No System View Post


You might find these links interesting.

Sundown Towns - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

some examples of Mena's unwritten "policies" against African Americans

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.ne...Sundown1_f.jpg

an advertisement of Mena (notice the right side)
Just so you know, this gets posted in here on a regular basis.

I think it's interesting, all the turmoil and toil that has gone into de-segergating this state, integrating the schools, dropping the barriers, so that people who currently have nothing to cite solidly, can pick up history books and point to the past.

I dare anyone to find me a state where there has not been some kind of conflict with race/religion/lifestyle.

The slaughter of the Indian nations in the west.

The slaughter of the Mormons in Nauvoo, Il. A Mormon city that was the size of Chicago.

The slaughter of Mormons in Missouri.

The slaughter of settlers by Mormons in Utah.

the refusal of the U.S. to accept Jews during world war 2, along with the rest of the world.

Injustices, injustices, injustices.

Yes, I could talk about the segregated south. I was there, big time. I saw things, as many others here have, that'd make Harrison look very, very unimportant.

My point is....why pick the scabs? What is so phenomenol about this that it needs to documented, regurgitated, redocumented, debated, published again, given.......credit. Given.....credibility.

Why not herald the successes like Centarl High, rather than the failures?

Giving credence to those very people that are now dead, and holding their warped actions up to remind all that a handful of very determined people can cause great reverberations.

I think we all know that.

It's much..to me..as if we are on the brink of getting our exes to log onto this forum so we can re-hash our divorces.

And I ain't gonna be the first in place on that bread line of negative emotion. I've got a life to live.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 02:10 PM
 
3,201 posts, read 3,858,998 times
Reputation: 1047
Quote:
Originally Posted by No System View Post
I am writing a research paper on Mena, Arkansas and it's policies on African Americans. Citizens of Mena used to drive African Americans out causing them to disappear from the census. The census from 2000 shows a startling small number of African Americans. I am curious to know if the African American population has increased since then. I am also interested in any information on past or present evidence of racism.
You should research on KKK and treatment of Blacks in Indiana & Illinois & Ohio.

Illinois, Indiana, & Ohio had zero tolerance for blacks stopping in towns or settling on their way north & a strong KKK in the early 1900's.

Why do you think you only see Blacks in the large industrial towns in the north such as Detroit, Chicago, Gary, Indiana, Cleveland, Toledo etc.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 02:18 PM
 
1,661 posts, read 5,211,024 times
Reputation: 1350
Quote:
Originally Posted by joebaldknobber View Post
You should research on KKK and treatment of Blacks in Indiana & Illinois & Ohio.

Illinois, Indiana, & Ohio had zero tolerance for blacks stopping in towns or settling on their way north & a strong KKK in the early 1900's.

Why do you think you only see Blacks in the large industrial towns in the north such as Detroit, Chicago, Gary, Indiana, Cleveland, Toledo etc.
You got that right.

Plainfield, IL was strong into the 70's. Many, many incidents through the states that you name.

That's not even giving credence to GA, AL, and MS

Of the racial scars on this country, I can think of a very, very long list, of which Arkansas is going to have a hard time making.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 03:21 PM
 
5 posts, read 30,869 times
Reputation: 18
Didn't mean to offend anyone. I really just want to write a paper. I'll check Ohio out.
Though, I fear I'll get the same response if I ask anyone. Thanks.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 03:30 PM
 
Location: Gringolandia
293 posts, read 909,956 times
Reputation: 670
Another town you might look into is Pasadena, Texas. For many years Pasadena was a sundown town, possibly one of the largest in the south. Even today there aren't many blacks in Pasadena.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 03:35 PM
 
731 posts, read 1,368,522 times
Reputation: 344
Quote:
Originally Posted by No System View Post
Didn't mean to offend anyone. I really just want to write a paper. I'll check Ohio out.
Though, I fear I'll get the same response if I ask anyone. Thanks.
It sounds like an interesting project. These issues just aren't in Arkansas or the South.

CNN just a couple days ago did a story about the KKK causing trouble in Long Island, New York.

Good luck on your paper! I hope most people are honest with you in the good & the bad.
 
Old 11-17-2008, 03:47 PM
 
452 posts, read 1,640,815 times
Reputation: 131
Many racists around the United States are what we would call "closet racists"......Closet racists act very nice to their black neighbors, say they are not racists, say they accept all people etc etc etc, but behind their backs when they are talking to their white friends its a different story...Now let me first of all say that i am not African American and cannot relate to their issues entirely but I try to keep an open mind. This is not an Arkansas thing. Closet racists exist in every corner of this nation (though i think they may be more prevalent in some southern states)
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