Any other MS folks move to Atlanta for more opportunity? (Jackson: fit in, transplants)

[redneckmama]

Me and my husband and my sons are relocating from Columbia, Marion County in the Pine Belt to North of Atlanta to work. We have never lived outside the state before and I am nervous how it will all go. I have heard that there is predjudice against southerners and southern accents in the area, is that true? I would just like to hear from others who have made the move. Anything we should know? Anything we should tell our kids so that they can fit in better? We are just glad to be going somewhere that we don't have to pay for an academy and where there is work to be had. Thanks and God Bless

[sammyreynolds1977]

People in Atlanta talk like most southern people do.

[mississippijay238]

Around Atlanta you'll find quite a few Southerners but also a LOT of Northerners. It depends on where around Atlanta you are. Certain neighborhoods/areas will be more Southern than others. In some places you may be looked at like an alien, others not so much. I was born in McComb and raised in Brookhaven, so I'm willing to venture that we sound pretty similar. I get the same thing in Northwest Arkansas where there are lot of transplants--some people are Southern and don't care, and some wonder what planet I came from with THAT accent.

[redneckmama]

We are moving to Cumming in Forsyth County

[mississippijay238]

Originally Posted by redneckmama

We are moving to Cumming in Forsyth County

You'll be fine in that case.

[An Einnseanair]

Moving from Columbia, MS (Back Door Cafe and Hill Hardware on Main, stories in the Library by Mrs. Sweeney, courthouse with a clock tower... Mayberry quality stuff) to Atlanta, even a small town on the outskirts of Atlanta, will be a huge culture shock. More people live in the Atlanta Metro area than live in the entire state of Mississippi (Jackson, Southaven, Gulfport/Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and all small towns all over the state added together).

In general, large urban centers are more liberal than rural areas and small towns. On the other hand, towns on the outskirts often have concentrations of conservative types seeking to escape the liberals in the big city.

Based on some of your other posts, I understand you may have certain "biases" toward certain type of people. Keep in mind that Georgia voted to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from their state flag some time ago. Also based on the statement you made in the Atlanta forum, "we have no choice but to send the kids to a private academy because the schools just aren't..suitable for people like us", I'm assuming you mean there are too many black folks in your local public school. I may be wrong on that, but I know the reasoning used by waaaaaay too many of my MS friends and relatives who make similar statements.

Be warned that Atlanta has a relatively high concentrations of minorities, and many of these aren't the destitute Mississippi minorities left behind during the Great Migration and oppressed during Jim Crow. Many of these minorities were successful up north and out west, then returned to the south with law, doctor, and engineering licenses. Prepare to have your understanding of the world turned on end.

That said, 30% of the population of Cumming is Hispanic, but there are very few of the dark-skinned races.

For what it's worth, in my opinion you won't face discrimination because of your accent. North Georgia is more Appalachian than low-country southern, but Atlanta will be a mixed sea of accents from all over the world.

Finally, Born 2 Roll gave some excellent advice in the Atlanta forum... find a job first, then pick a place to live.

[sammyreynolds1977]

She going to Forsyth County. She will have no problem finding people who agree with her racists views.

[Rogarven]

I know the Minister of Music at FUMC in Cumming and he has a Texas accent. He is a great guy and has a great music and arts program there. You should be fine.

[golden eagles fan]

I used to live in Gwinnett County, just a stone's throw from Forsyth. I never ventured much into Forsyth at all, but it has become one of the wealthiest counties in the state. It's a far cry from the time Oprah visited in 1987, when no blacks had lived there in decades.

[Trojan1998]

Atlanta is still the South. It's not like you're moving to Minneapolis, San Francisco or New York. Yes, there are a good number or Yankee transplants around Atlanta, but remember, they are on our turf and need to be the ones to assimilate to the culture - not us.

I grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and moved to Fort Lauderdale way down in 'Yankee South Florida' for a job opportunity. I recently moved back to Alabama, but people down in South Florida loved my southern accent. Be yourself and don't try to change the way you talk. A southern accent is very endearing and comforting. Those New York Jews that I came in contact with down there were charmed by me.