Moving to mississippi 2017 (Jackson, Biloxi, Hattiesburg: lawyers, neighborhoods, schools)

[TylerW10]

Me and my Girlfriend currently live in a small town in Ohio called youngstown. And we were thinking about moving to mississippi after we both graduate college. I was thinking about either starkville or oxford which one of the two is better or any suggestions ? Secondly I am white and she is black. And I know it's not all true but I have to ask because I honestly don't know. Is mississippi as rascist as some people say. Others say it's just the southern part of state. Any input from anyone from mississippi. Would be great.

[scgoldengirl]

"Others say it's just the southern part of state"

Who have you been talking to?

[Listener2307]

Black; White? No. No one cares anymore.

Just make sure you have a job here, first.

[An Einnseanair]

If you look for offense you will find it. Were those people staring at us because of our race, or because they were trying to figure out if they knew us, or trying to read my T-shirt? Was that cashier rude because of our race, or because she's just having a bad day?

Back in Jim Crow Mississippi was a horrible place to live if you weren't white. It absolutely deserved its reputation back then. You'll still find a few "accidental racists", i.e., "ignorant racists" who say they aren't racist, but hold beliefs based on race. People who have friends of other races but who believe that "most black folks are either drug dealers or on welfare", or, "most white folk are stuck up and racist". And no, it has nothing to do with the "southern part" of the state. The more racist places would be the extremely isolated tiny towns well off the main highways, and it could be a black-majority or white-majority town where you encounter this. People in Starkville and Oxford are continuously exposed to all sorts of races and nationalities.

But these days 99.9% of people just don't care. You'll find more racism in places like California and Delaware than in Mississippi (I travel a lot). There are white and black police, judges, lawyers, highway patrol, etc. Black and white people interact with each other on an equal basis every single day.

Quite a few friends and relatives of my generation (Gen-X) are mixed-race. Nothing softens the heart of a racist like a mixed-race grandbaby to play with.


But back to your first question... why are you moving to Mississippi? If for college (both towns you mentioned are college towns), what are you studying? MSU and Ole Miss are both fine schools, but each has strengths and weaknesses. If for a job, what field? Both are very small towns (22k Oxford, 25k Starkville, vs. 65k in Youngstown) when school is out and therefore aren't overflowing with available jobs. And when school is in there is an abundance of cheap student labor. As mentioned above, if finding a job is your intent make sure you have one before the move.

[TylerW10]

Originally Posted by TylerW10

Me and my Girlfriend currently live in a small town in Ohio called youngstown. And we were thinking about moving to mississippi after we both graduate college. I was thinking about either starkville or oxford which one of the two is better or any suggestions ? Secondly I am white and she is black. And I know it's not all true but I have to ask because I honestly don't know. Is mississippi as rascist as some people say. Others say it's just the southern part of state. Any input from anyone from mississippi. Would be great.

My field is criminal justice hers is social work. What's job scene like down there.

[TylerW10]

Originally Posted by scgoldengirl

"Others say it's just the southern part of state"

Who have you been talking to?

Obviously the wrong people. Lol

[Dd714]

Originally Posted by TylerW10

My field is criminal justice and hers is social work. One n why the move is cost of living and get away from the snow. And thanks for the reply up north here everyone gives the South a bad rep for not being accepting of curtain things. But after living here and growing up its the North that's gotten bad I've noticed.

Isn't it ironic that prejudicial beliefs and stereotypes ("everyone gives the south a bad name") is used to condemn prejudicial beliefs and stereotypes.

Nope, welcome to the 21st century, and tell your friends to stop watching Dukes of Hazard. We have indoor plumbing, paved roads, and most of our citizens have teeth. Can you believe that???
You won't have any more problem than you have in Ohio.

[TylerW10]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

Black; White? No. No one cares anymore.

Just make sure you have a job here, first.

Thanks for advise I'm in criminal justice she's in social work shouldn't be difficult to find job. Should it?

[TylerW10]

Originally Posted by Dd714

Isn't it ironic that prejudicial beliefs and stereotypes ("everyone gives the south a bad name") is used to condemn prejudicial beliefs and stereotypes.

Nope, welcome to the 21st century, and tell your friends to stop watching Dukes of Hazard. We have indoor plumbing, paved roads, and most of our citizens have teeth. Can you believe that???
You won't have any more problem than you have in Ohio.

Didn't mean to offend anybody. I put this up because I didn't know and haven't been there.

[Phil75230]

Originally Posted by TylerW10

Me and my Girlfriend currently live in a small town in Ohio called youngstown. And we were thinking about moving to mississippi after we both graduate college. I was thinking about either starkville or oxford which one of the two is better or any suggestions ? Secondly I am white and she is black. And I know it's not all true but I have to ask because I honestly don't know. Is mississippi as rascist as some people say. Others say it's just the southern part of state. Any input from anyone from mississippi. Would be great.

I grew up in Northeast La, right across the river, and so am VERY familiar with The Delta (NW Miss) and the Vicksburg-Jackson areas. These days, most college educated people don't care about whether the couple is interracial or not. Yes, you're gonna find that hard core ten percent or so who won't like it, but like everywhere else, college campuses are at least a tad bit more socially liberal than the surrounding countryside.

As for "just the southern part of the state", I can't speak for Hattiesburg in my personal experience, but I've heard it said that H'burg is fairly accepting. I say for sure the coast (especially artsy Bay St Louis, the *city* of Biloxi) are probably the most open areas of the state, along with Jackson's Fondren/Belhaven neighborhoods. I looked at the precinct-by-precinct votes for Fondren and Belhaven, and Trump simply *Lost* most of the 5 precincts in those area - which are majority white middle class.