Racial Segregations in 2007

[CanDEE]

Racial Segregations and Issues

Right now, there’s racial rally/ protest going on in JENA, LA. Black American from different areas and states are there now protesting the Injustice of a civil case called “Jena Six

Please read about it here

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...-18-Jena_N.htm

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! I do have a related story to tell. (I guess when you’re older, you tend to have lot of stories..hehehe
Anyhow, believe it or not, I once lived in small and prejudice town in Louisiana. My family was the ONLY Asian family there (we owned a grocery store). I’m going to use the term, black and white extensively so if offended anyone, my apologiesThe white and black folks there welcome my family with open-arm when we lived there. (Thanks Heaven). I hung out most white friends in High School but also have some black classmates. I kind of see the segregation in school but never really give it any thought until one day I received a note from a black classmate who had a crush on me and he wanted me to go to Homecoming with him. My white friends found out about the note and were extremely upset. They told me that I’m considered to be “WHITE” to them and I don’t need to associate myself with “ THEM BLACK PEOPLE.” I, however, didn’t care and continues to talk to my Black classmates. I’m a buster but I ended going to Homecoming with a white guy. Anyhow, I found later that the student at my school doesn’t go to the same dance. The black kids goes to the dance at school but the white kids boarded a bus to another location for the dance for “White KIDS ONLY”. This is a tradition for years for all school events/dances. Surprisingly, all parents and teachers are aware of this and it’s ok. I recently called one of my classmates from that town and she told me “ nothing has changed”.

Thank God, my parents moved us away after living there for maybe over a year. Can you imagine how my younger brothers and sisters will turn out if we stayed there

After reading the “ Jena Six” article, do you guys think the protest will change anything?

Is racial segregation still happening in your deck of the wood?

[john-e]

Things are always changing, although I don't necessarily agree that marches and protests are the way to do it - maybe in extreme circumstances. Sometimes, casting a spotlight on a situation can make it worse.

It's more about changing everyday attitudes through the actions of people who live there. Like how the black and white football players prayed together after the football game. Education goes a long way too.

In your story, they should end the practice of segregating the school dances. But having been through the south a fair bit, I can see how this is still happening.

I have a story too. While visiting a town in central Florida, I took my sister to a "redneck" bar that I had visited frequently before, just a plywood shack really - it was her first time there. I warned her that she'd hear alot of racial slurs and such, she didn't believe racism on that level still existed, so I took her there for educational purposes. Anyway, a group of about six Mexicans walked in and based on the way these "cowboys" had been speaking, you would have expected a hostile reaction. We were quite surprised when some of the more outspoken white guys welcomed the Mexicans, offered to buy them drinks and asked them to shoot pool. Everyone got along and the good times continued.

The only explanation I have is that some people may talk racist, but when it comes down to it, they really aren't. Or maybe they were on their best behaviour because a couple of Canadian tourists were in the bar? I don't know. This was an out-of-the-way backwater place where tourists are probably quite rare. I'd like to think that racism is on the decline, even in the southern states.

There is some racial segregation where I live, but there's an explanation for that. Having a high immigrant population, new Canadians tend to congregate with their own kind (I hate that expression), so they feel more comfortable and lessen the shock of leaving their homeland. This decreases as new "Canadian" generations are born and move out into the rest of society....or not. I don't think this is the same situation as in places like Jena.

[ghostdarTeal'c]

this reminds me of an ad to a movie i saw on Hallmark channel; For One Night. They had two proms; one for whites and one for blacks, and they say it's tradition.

havent watched it tho. the timing hasnt been right.

[CanDEE]

i think there's another thread like this in OPEN Debate...