What is the most racist city or town you have ever been in?

My parents told me this story. Back in 1984 when we were moving from Houston to Chicago, we stopped for gas at a town in Arkansas. As we were about to leave, a local sheriff came up to us and talked to my parents for a couple of minutes, and then recommended that we leave by the time the sun went down, for our own safety. In fact, it was probably best if we just got back on the highway right away.

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dancingtongue · 80-89, M

I was in Southern towns when there were still separate drinking fountains and facilities for Blacks and Whites. I grew up in small farming communities in California that were very racist, although blacks were generally higher up the totem pole -- Mexicans and Chinese were at the very bottom, and truth to be told us poor white trash (even those of us not from Oklahoma or other dust bowl states) were barely above the Mexicans and beneath the blacks. But to be truthful, the two U.S. cities which I felt the most virulent racial divide were Detroit and Boston. The in-your-face Jim Crow type of racism in some ways is far easier to deal with than the red-lining hypocrisy of Northern urban cities that have gone through white flight, and blamed the flight on those they were fleeing.

Slade · 56-60, M

@dancingtongue That's what more black guys than I can count have told me

ProfessorPlum77 · 70-79, MVIP

@dancingtongue Your reference to California was enlightening.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@Slade Heard the same from a lot of blacks. But as the cops once told me, "you're white and on the wrong side of town".

ProfessorPlum77 · 70-79, MVIP

Some of this is obvious in highbrow TV shows like "Kung Fu."
@dancingtongue

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@ProfessorPlum77 There actually was a farming town not far from us that was founded by a black man who had served as a Union officer in the Civil War, and the community was largely black. Actually a historical monument there now. OTOH Merle Haggard could tell you how Okies were treated, if he were still living. In fact, told one story on Ken Burns' PBS series on Country Music.

bijouxbroussard · F

@dancingtongue I had a classmate from Dorchester, MA in the 70s and she used to tell me that everyone black avoided South Boston ("Southy"), because she said, people would beat you up. She told about the busing in the early 70s where there was constant fighting.

ProfessorPlum77 · 70-79, MVIP

@dancingtongue Very interesting. I can understand the animosity between those from CA and OK because of the number of Okies that moved to CA because of the Dust Bowl situation.

latinbutterfly · F

@dancingtongue I spent most of my growing years in Chicago, and even though it is a very diverse city, it's still [b]very[/b] divided to this day.

SW-User

@latinbutterfly I can confirm. My 100% polish never had anything good to say about the "blacks and jews" in the Chicago suburbs.

bijouxbroussard · F

@latinbutterfly Chicago seems like a really interesting city. There are several shows set in Chicago right now. Do you watch them ?

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@latinbutterfly Northside and Southside are two different worlds, I would agree. And I know there is a lot of violence these days. But the times I have been in Chicago, which are all last century, I never felt the visceral racial tensions that I did in Detroit and Boston.

latinbutterfly · F

@bijouxbroussard I do, actually. I've been watching Chicago Fire and Chicago PD in my free time.

latinbutterfly · F

@dancingtongue Wow, unbelievable. I know that in my old neighborhood of Little Village, you don't want to be there after dark if you are not Mexican. It's pretty much the same as it was 35 years ago, sadly.

bijouxbroussard · F

@latinbutterfly I love those shows. I always think about you and Dan when I watch them. Do you see lots of places you recognize ?

latinbutterfly · F

@bijouxbroussard Yep, I sure do 👍🏼.