The new face of mainstream racism in Atlanta (East Point, Forest Park: 2015, apartments)

[ncoflin]

I am new to Atlanta area and recently moved into the Bellmont Crossing Apartments in southern Riverdale off GA-138 near the border with Jonesboro. I also am white in my mid 20s and far from a "social justice warrior". However I am astonished by all the racially based prejudice and judgement Clayton County seems to get. It certainly isn't an upscale area but in general it seems to be a nice place for affordability and easy commute into central Atlanta. I feel like property values going down when "blacks" move in is due largely to a self-fulfilling prophecy of whites all listing their houses in turn flooding the market. Then thereby dooming this black area to be stigmatized as where all the whites got out because it got bad. I truly think some people will never acknowledge that a black majority area is a decent place to live. The stuff I hear is eyeroll worthy; "Better carry a gun with plenty of ammo" or "If you're white and live in Clayton you need your head examined, I won't even drive through the area".

Sure in a city as big as Atlanta there will be some legitimately bad areas. Many right by the airport for this city specifically (yes parts of Clayton). And yes those areas due to various reasons are majority black. However I truly think if the area was full of white biker gangs selling meth the word "ghetto" would not be thrown around so haphazardly. Maybe this all stems from my upbringing in a similar lower middle class racially mixed area in Virginia but I think living with a diverse demographic of people is the best way to rid yourself of misplaced prejudices. When you live and work with all kinds of people from various cultural backgrounds it erases this "them vs. us" mentality that seems way too prevalent. Particularly here in Atlanta.

I am not saying most white people who disparage Clayton County do not have some legitimate criticisms of the area, nor am I saying they are hood wearing white supremacists. However in 2015 I think subconscious prejudgements and prejudices are the new face of mainstream racism.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Many people who say these things are people who never explored any part of the area they bashed or they are just racist and because they are in the minority there they get scared.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by ncoflin

I am new to Atlanta area and recently moved into the Bellmont Crossing Apartments in southern Riverdale off GA-138 near the border with Jonesboro. I also am white in my mid 20s and far from a "social justice warrior". However I am astonished by all the racially based prejudice and judgement Clayton County seems to get. It certainly isn't an upscale area but in general it seems to be a nice place for affordability and easy commute into central Atlanta. I feel like property values going down when "blacks" move in is due largely to a self-fulfilling prophecy of whites all listing their houses in turn flooding the market. Then thereby dooming this black area to be stigmatized as where all the whites got out because it got bad. I truly think some people will never acknowledge that a black majority area is a decent place to live. The stuff I hear is eyeroll worthy; "Better carry a gun with plenty of ammo" or "If you're white and live in Clayton you need your head examined, I won't even drive through the area".

Sure in a city as big as Atlanta there will be some legitimately bad areas. Many right by the airport for this city specifically (yes parts of Clayton). And yes those areas due to various reasons are majority black. However I truly think if the area was full of white biker gangs selling meth the word "ghetto" would not be thrown around so haphazardly. Maybe this all stems from my upbringing in a similar lower middle class racially mixed area in Virginia but I think living with a diverse demographic of people is the best way to rid yourself of misplaced prejudices. When you live and work with all kinds of people from various cultural backgrounds it erases this "them vs. us" mentality that seems way too prevalent. Particularly here in Atlanta.

I am not saying most white people who disparage Clayton County do not have some legitimate criticisms of the area, nor am I saying they are hood wearing white supremacists. However in 2015 I think subconscious prejudgements and prejudices are the new face of mainstream racism.

Very few people realize this but glad you brought it up. And it has a ripple effect. When wealth moves so quickly and dramatically from housing complexes, the local businesses are heavily affected. The schools are also affected since the majority of their funding comes from property taxes. I also don't like the language used with regards to white people moving into an area (usually said when talking about gentrification) and how now the area is 'getting better.' Now it's a 'nice area.' It's also weird to me that whenever more white people move into an area, the city where they are moving to somehow finds money to upgrade the city when an area may have been majority black and stable/prosperous, got no funding from the city for upgrades.

[-thomass]

awesome. I was worried we wouldn't have the opportunity to talk about racism today.

[Tryska]

I live in East Point. Welcome to my annoying world.

[roadtrip75]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Very few people realize this but glad you brought it up. And it has a ripple effect. When wealth moves so quickly and dramatically from housing complexes, the local businesses are heavily affected. The schools are also affected since the majority of their funding comes from property taxes. I also don't like the language used with regards to white people moving into an area (usually said when talking about gentrification) and how now the area is 'getting better.' Now it's a 'nice area.' It's also weird to me that whenever more white people move into an area, the city where they are moving to somehow finds money to upgrade the city when an area may have been majority black and stable/prosperous, got no funding from the city for upgrades.

I am just hoping that we can keep secret the location of our money trees for a few more years because I'm not quite finished harvesting them.

[Mutiny77]

You're right, but this isn't an Atlanta problem at all; it's nationwide and it sucks.

[netdragon]

Clayton county is a formerly predominantly white area changing to predominantly black behind many other parts of the metro area that went through this decades ago. It's going to go through tension but don't expect wide-scale "white flight" anymore.

[glovenyc]

Unfortunately nothing new, and not exclusive to Atlanta.

[demonta4]

Clayton county is very nice and affordable and there isn't amenities missing like many intown area of similar income. If that's what people want to think then so be it, it least they won't price out the current residents. Also not all of Clayton is universe. Forest Park is racially integrated and it is a very vibrant community because of it. Many of the white people stayed and now their children go to the schools in Forest Park.