Is Mississippi particularly welcoming to Northerners? (Jackson, Clinton: transfer, high school, landlord)

[spinrider2000]

Mississippians have a great ability to judge the true character of the person standing before them. If you are a fake or judgemental, so be it. If you stand for something, then Mississippi will embrace you.

[darhe3425]

I never had any allegiance to any particular place other than my family, and home. I never understood the whole North/South controversy. I've lived in both places and it wasn't until I moved to the Southern part of America that the issue was brought up. It's really a stale position to take, cause all Northerners are not the same and that goes for Southerners, but generally speaking Mississippians (many) are definitely ashamed of their history if they weren't you wouldn't get the question time again..."why'd you move here?" What's wrong with here?

[sad delta]

Ashamed of our history??? Perhaps ashamed of civil rights incidents, yes! But Mississippians are in no way ashamed of their heritage, nor of their beautiful state! It would be my guess most people are asked "why did you move here?" because of the lack of job opportunity! Nothing more...it's no secret one could probably do better in other states, job-wise, than here.

[willdufauve]

We're northerners, except for a couple years in Austin, Texas. Like the original poster, we're an interracial married couple and we're planning to move to MS by this summer to retire in a warm weather place.

I don't look down on Southerners. I met enough good people even in Texas that I know better. I'm also a realist. Naturally, we're concerned about racism but that's because we've already experienced plenty of it in the north. One big difference is, a racist Texan isn't ashamed to say so to your face. In New England they slander, lie and gossip about you behind your back to do as much damage as they can.

We've lived all over but have never seen any place more racist than rural Franklin County, with one racism incident after another, in western Massachusetts, so we have little to lose by keeping an open mind and taking a try at life in MS.

I really love the Mississippi accent and culture and always have. I'm a big blues fan and I saw most of the great Mississippi blues musicians, even met some of them in person, in the folk clubs in Boston and Cambridge in the 1960's and 70's.

If I ever get the chance to meet blues greats Willie King or Jessie Mae Hemphill over in Holly Springs, or Honeyboy Edwards, while I'm there, that would be the thrill of a lifetime for me. If MS is as good to us as we are at looking forward to joining up with them...then we're home free.

[southernnaturelover]

I'd just like to say that the OP is from Indiana, and that is in no way a yankee. I live in Alabama and I know several people who have moved here from Indiana, they tell me that they don't see any difference, other than the accent. Indiana is a downhome country state outside of Indianapolis. If you were to ask someone in Vermont or Connecticut their opinion of Indiana, they'd probably tell you that it was full of snaggle toothed rednecks.

[willdufauve]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

IIf you were to ask someone in Vermont or Connecticut their opinion of Indiana, they'd probably tell you that it was full of snaggle toothed rednecks.

I always heard growing up that snaggle toothed rednecks are from New Hampshire.

[darhe3425]

Oh..this so funny. I did grow up in Illinois just like the person who referred to some as snaggle toothed rednecks, folks in Chicago knew the shortcomings of our residents, and place. We knew corruption, and racism existed, that our city was one the most segregated places in America (other than your average church). We were not in denial about it was spoken about, argued about, and recognized. We definitely weren't thin skinned about. If I say some Mississippians are ashamed of their history, maybe those who claim not to be ashamed were not in that group who were victimized. A great deal of shame still exist in many people of places in Mississippi, so be for real.

[willdufauve]

Mississippi must be the schizophrenic or Multiple Personalities state. The state symbol should be twins.

Half the people are defensive about saying it's changed and not like the movies portray it anymore. Another half say it's just as segregated and racist as always.

I wish they'd decide on one or the other. Look at all the damage this country does to itself, it's people, and it's image around the world over skin color.

[Phil75230]

Originally Posted by willdufauve

Mississippi must be the schizophrenic or Multiple Personalities state. The state symbol should be twins.

Half the people are defensive about saying it's changed and not like the movies portray it anymore. Another half say it's just as segregated and racist as always.

I wish they'd decide on one or the other. Look at all the damage this country does to itself, it's people, and it's image around the world over skin color.

Substitute "America" in place of "Mississippi", and "The World" in place of "The other 49 states" and your post still makes a hell of a lot of sense

Much of the rest of the world (especially Europe, it seems) looks at the USA as being "all of one piece" the same way most, if not all, the other 49 states looks at Mississippi. That's why I always look at data for the smallest possible geographic area before making anything close to a definitive judgment about it (my favorite is political data, precinct level).

Actually, looking at each and every individual is the fairest assessment of all, BUT because no poster on this board's name is God or [place other higher power's name here], we have to settle for 2nd best - but that's a whole other issue.

[Mississippienne]

Is there still racism and ignorance in Mississippi? Yes. Is Mississippi eternally trapped in 1963 as the movies and television portray? No. You are in for a big, big shock no matter where you go if you think there's no racism outside the Deep South. Some of the most racist stuff I've ever heard, I heard from Californians when I lived in L.A. If you go overseas, you'll still hear it -- it just won't be at the targets you're expecting. When I lived in Istanbul, people told me that Kurds are dirty, thieving, and have too many children and live off the state. Just because they weren't talking about blacks doesn't mean it's not racism. Check out what people STILL say about Gypsies and Jews in progressive Europe, and come talk to me about how "enlightened" Europeans are. We are still humans, we are still prey to the same failures and weaknesses as always.

MS just has an especially bad reputation -- partly because of the media, partly because memories last a long time. I know people who will drive around MS rather than through it, because they remember what their granny told them about growing up in MS in the 1940s. It's not Mississippi Burning and Ghosts of Mississippi all the time here, folks. That was thirty some odd years ago!

willdufauve, I truly do hope you'll be happy in MS. A neighbor of ours is a black woman, who says much the same as you do, that up North she lived in constant paranoia about racism. "Did I not get the apartment because I'm black, or did I not get the apartment just because I didn't get the apartment?" That kind of thing. She says that her family think she's crazy for moving to MS, but she likes it here.