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Parts of St. Louis can be pretty racist. I get the ocasional "Hey white boy" or middle finger on my walk home from school.
That reminded me of this special that ABC did that involved a Black guy and a White guy in St. Louis. What you said was something that happened to the Black guy on the Southside of St. Louis where someone told him that he was on the wrong side of town. This was about 15-20 years ago. So, I wonder if things have changed?
The strangest thing is that southern blacks who are treated far worse by whites than most blacks are the nicest people when they encounter whites (not sure if they're just scared of them or what, but at least that is what i noticed).
Your observations are correct...it it were 50 years ago. I honestly think that southern blacks currently have it better than a lot of blacks in urban northern neighborhoods. My dad always says that Austin is less racist than Brooklyn ever was and even when I was there I could always see myself getting stares from non whites in the non touristy areas of the city.
That reminded me of this special that ABC did that involved a Black guy and a White guy in St. Louis. What you said was something that happened to the Black guy on the Southside of St. Louis where someone told him that he was on the wrong side of town. This was about 15-20 years ago. So, I wonder if things have changed?
I never said the racism didn't go both ways. I would actually say that St. Louis is more segregated than racist, but the south side is the melting pot of races and cultures in the city, so I would definetly say things have changed.
I never said the racism didn't go both ways. I would actually say that St. Louis is more segregated than racist, but the south side is the melting pot of races and cultures in the city, so I would definetly say things have changed.
I know.....I just was wondering about the Southside of the city. Is there any diversity on the Northside or is that pretty much a Black section of the city?
Your observations are correct...it it were 50 years ago. I honestly think that southern blacks currently have it better than a lot of blacks in urban northern neighborhoods. My dad always says that Austin is less racist than Brooklyn ever was and even when I was there I could always see myself getting stares from non whites in the non touristy areas of the city.
I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that the South had or has insitutions that Blacks could go to even in segregation. With Blacks in the North or even the West, the cities, espeically in the North aren't just more segregated racially, but ethnically too. So, you might even see a difference in the ethnic groups of the same race in an area, let alone the situation for people of color in these cities.
Also, Blacks in the South were more apt to interact with Whites outside of the institutions many times. For instance, my father is from a Mississippi delta town by the name of Tchula that is about 95% Black now. When my father was growing up there in the 50's and 60's, he said that he would play or even hang out with the kid of the White landowner that his family lived and worked on. You also might have had less housing segregation in many Southern towns too. Like someone said on here before, In the North, we'll let you get high but not live too close. In the South, we'll let you live close, but not get too high.
I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that the South had or has insitutions that Blacks could go to even in segregation. With Blacks in the North or even the West, the cities, espeically in the North aren't just more segregated racially, but ethnically too. So, you might even see a difference in the ethnic groups of the same race in an area, let alone the situation for people of color in these cities.
Also, Blacks in the South were more apt to interact with Whites outside of the institutions many times. For instance, my father is from a Mississippi delta town by the name of Tchula that is about 95% Black now. When my father was growing up there in the 50's and 60's, he said that he would play or even hang out with the kid of the White landowner that his family lived and worked on. You also might have had less housing segregation in many Southern towns too. Like someone said on here before, In the North, we'll let you get high but not live too close. In the South, we'll let you live close, but not get too high.
The South seems much more integrated than the North. I am from Miami, which in the South is an exception (very little black/white integration... it's like living up north) to the rule. Though today in the North it is not common to find neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly Italian, Irish, Jewish, or Puerto Rican, this was a lot more common as little as 20-30 years ago. Blacks and whites in the South are part of the same culture whereas one could argue that blacks and whites up north are not. Furthermore, you correctly point out that many whites up north do not even identify with each other, let alone identify with blacks.
The South seems much more integrated than the North. I am from Miami, which in the South is an exception (very little black/white integration... it's like living up north) to the rule. Though today in the North it is not common to find neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly Italian, Irish, Jewish, or Puerto Rican, this was a lot more common as little as 20-30 years ago. Blacks and whites in the South are part of the same culture whereas one could argue that blacks and whites up north are not. Furthermore, you correctly point out that many whites up north do not even identify with each other, let alone identify with blacks.
Exactly and I think that last sentence is something that many outside of the North and the Northeast in particular, don't realize.
Also, I think the fact that the taboos weren't as blatant as they were or even are in the South, makes the North seem more open, when in fact you might say the North is just more apathetic to things that the South lets you know about upfront.
Exactly and I think that last sentence is something that many outside of the North and the Northeast in particular, don't realize.
Also, I think the fact that the taboos weren't as blatant as they were or even are in the South, makes the North seem more open, when in fact you might say the North is just more apathetic to things that the South lets you know about upfront.
I once heard a quote that reminds me of what you're saying... it goes something like "Down south, whites dislike blacks in theory, but like them in practice. Up north, whites like blacks in theory, but dislike them in practice." Up north, you still have Italian mothers bawling their eyes out if their sons marry Irish girls; you have Polish families encouraging their kids to play with other Polish kids on the playground because the others are too "Americanized." Down south, the overwhelming majority of whites are American-born and non-"ethnic"; the overwhelming majority of blacks are American-born and non-"ethnic".... and they're all "Southern." No wonder many Southern whites feel out-of-place with white Bostonians or New Yorkers but "at home" with Southern blacks. This goes to show not only that race has little to do with culture, but that culture transcends race completely in some cases.
I once heard a quote that reminds me of what you're saying... it goes something like "Down south, whites dislike blacks in theory, but like them in practice. Up north, whites like blacks in theory, but dislike them in practice." Up north, you still have Italian mothers bawling their eyes out if their sons marry Irish girls; you have Polish families encouraging their kids to play with other Polish kids on the playground because the others are too "Americanized." Down south, the overwhelming majority of whites are American-born and non-"ethnic"; the overwhelming majority of blacks are American-born and non-"ethnic".... and they're all "Southern." No wonder many Southern whites feel out-of-place with white Bostonians or New Yorkers but "at home" with Southern blacks. This goes to show not only that race has little to do with culture, but that culture transcends race completely in some cases.
Yup, that is so true. I read in abook that the White planter in the Mississippi Delta has more in common with the Black people of that region than Whites from other places in the country. That to me is telling....
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