Racism in Nashville/Knoxville (Halls: 2014, big house, buyer)

[hiknapster]

I hope you can come back soon, Destiny. Knoxville is one of the few places I have seen where people seem to get along. Just last week I heard a good old boy say to his friend that he was so impressed with Hispanic's worth ethic. Good for him. People over in East Tennessee tend to give people a chance and see what you are all about. It was never a plantation place where people had slaves. East Tennesseans were poor and worked for a living and understood other's plight.

[RommelDAK]

Originally Posted by Destiny122010

I live just outside of Nashville in Mt Juliet and I'm from Knoxville. I am African American and I must say me and my children have been made far more aware of our race in Middle Tn than I was growing up in East Tn in the 70's and 80's. After the election my children actually witness children tying nooses and it was supposed to be a joke. I have consistently taught my children to see people not race but it is getting increasingly difficult. We are looking at moving back to Knoxville as Middle Tn unfortunately is turning out to be a nightmare.

I lived in Knoxville and Nashville in the late 1970s and 1980s, and my in laws live in Jackson. I have to agree with Destiny and I'll add a bit to it--the further west you go in Tennessee, the more racist it is. I really loved Knoxville and could have lived there forever, but, man, it's a different world in the rest of the state. I'll never forget riding the bus to school at Father Ryan (Catholic high school in Nashville) and hearing all the racial jokes. I couldn't believe we were on our way to a Christian school! And west Tennessee is worse.

Not that you might run into things necessarily on the surface, but it's there.

I hope, Destiny, you got back to Knoxville!

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by RommelDAK

I lived in Knoxville and Nashville in the late 1970s and 1980s, and my in laws live in Jackson. I have to agree with Destiny and I'll add a bit to it--the further west you go in Tennessee, the more racist it is. I really loved Knoxville and could have lived there forever, but, man, it's a different world in the rest of the state. I'll never forget riding the bus to school at Father Ryan (Catholic high school in Nashville) and hearing all the racial jokes. I couldn't believe we were on our way to a Christian school! And west Tennessee is worse.

Not that you might run into things necessarily on the surface, but it's there.

I hope, Destiny, you got back to Knoxville!

A lot has changed since the 70s and 80s. It's certainly not perfect now, but I can definitely see a difference over the past couple of decades.

I actually went to Father Ryan...and while FR isn't a very diverse school at all, racism didn't seem to be an issue. Since diversity and equality have become almost obsessive from an image standpoint, I would bet any kids who engaged in racist behavior or actions would be expelled. Even so, I detected no underlying animosity or resentment between whites and minorities when I was in school.

As for East Tennessee being less racist, and West Tennessee (and progressively western) being more racist, I think it's more of a location by location thing. East Tennessee has never had a high black population, and was the pro-abolition/pro-Union side of Tennessee during the Civil War...so that region in turn had fewer racial issues during the war, and afterwards during the Reconstruction and the era of Jim Crow laws. I think the mindset of the natives is somewhat different than it is elsewhere in the state...it's certainly not free from racism, or the more backhanded, underlying variety...but in general there hasn't been as much racial strife. Also, with a very low black population, it's a lot harder for the stereotypical "black thug" image to be conceived as a threat, when most areas in East Tennessee are upwards of 90% white (outside of Chattanooga, and to a lesser extent, Knoxville, of course).

Middle, and especially West Tennessee have higher concentrations of blacks (and Nashville and Memphis have higher numbers of other minorities), and more of a history of racial issues. Some continue to this day, but I think there has been an across the board improvement from the days you are talking about in the 70s and 80s. Forced desegregation and the Civil Rights movement were still fresh on people's minds in the 70s...that has somewhat become the norm. There are still some issues as far as segregated parts of town, but there is much more natural integration than there used to be. Memphis still seems to have a bit of a racial relations problem, but I think a large part of that can be attributed to some of the black politicians who have been in power for the past while (namely mayor Herenton). Their current mayor (who is also black), AC Wharton, seems to be more level headed, and I think there is a good chance things will improve in the next few years with some positive leadership.

There is still some work that needs to be done to improve race relations within the state, but I think that Tennessee isn't as backwards as some people would make you think.

[LooeyGooey]

Yes, down here in the south we all have no teeth and marry sisters. Oh and if your are not white...uh oh...
But seriously though you really should not have much of a problem in bigger cities.

[CMK10]

These threads (and frankly the mindset) always strike me as funny. Hardly anyone can or will refuse a smile, firm handshake and a kind word. The sort of "hue based racism" I'm guessing you're afraid of, just doesn't exist anymore in any amount that anyone should be concerned about.

However, if you're a dick (speaking in general terms here, not AT you), your differences will most likely be one of the first things noted as it's the easiest of targets/explanations for the offended party to rationalize. This is a universal trait among all races/humans and is not exclusive to any one race.

Be kind. Fit in. Don't be a dick. These things will allow you to live a happy and healthy life in most of the world.

Be grating. Be contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Act as if people need to accept you instead of you accepting them. You're gonna have a rough time of it no matter where you breath your air.

[facetteddeer]

It seems that everyone is saying, 'as long as you are this and that you should be fine'---which is like saying as long as you are a perfectly un-annoying minority then you shouldn't be bothered. That's ridiculous. My suggestion would be to take a vacation or several weekends there before you decide. Visit the campus then journey outside of the campus. Moving is a big choice. This way you can decide first hand. Racism is everywhere, find your tolerable level. Sad, but true.

[Hairy Guy]

Originally Posted by LooeyGooey

Yes, down here in the south we all have no teeth and marry sisters. Oh and if your are not white...uh oh...
But seriously though you really should not have much of a problem in bigger cities.

LOL. your nick is even funnier. looey gooey? haha.

now seriously, the best recommendation comes by fact ted deer. go and vacation there and try to behave like you normally would. frequent restaurants, shopping, etc. go to community events, etc. that will give you the best taste of the real thing even though a simulation is usually like 20% of the actual experience. like the nerf toy guns ad say, it's nerf... or nothin'. in your case, it's simulation or nothin'

i actually get a kick out of watching these guys on youtube. not sure which state the guy is from but i learn a bit from redneck culture:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Luna7ick

[Shalako]

If you're worried about it, maybe you should consider another locale.

[An Einnseanair]

For what it's worth, east Tennessee (including Knoxville) is about as non-southern as you can get in the south (not including the portion of Florida known as "New York South"). That area even tried to secede from the rest of TN when TN seceded from the union during the civil war. The area has a history of multi-racial parings going back for centuries (see Melungeon, plus a history of white/native marriages back before the Trail of Tears).

That and in spite of what you hear on some media outlets, the Jim Crow era is long over. If I were a minority I'd be more fearful in rural Vermont (over 95% white) than in rural Tennessee.

[totes]

I'm going to have to disagree with the others who think East TN is less racist and "redneck" than other parts of the state. I've lived in both East TN (Knoxville) and Middle (Nashville). I couldn't tell you how many Confederate flags I would see around East TN, ugh. Nashville is more urban, liberal and thus more accepting.