A Couple of Things To Remember This [Long] Weekend

[ironchapman]

First of all, tomorrow, as we all know, is Martin Luther King. Jr. Day. There's no telling how different the USA would be without the work of him and people like him back in the 1960's. We should all remember that.

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Also, this weekend is also the centennial of Atlanta's famous Race Riot back in 1906. I suppose we should be thankful our city hasn't suffered any incidents like that since then. We have been very fortunate to integrate as well as we did when compared to other Southern Cities.

City's bloody stain seen with new eyes (AJC)

[Andrea]

Also, this weekend is also the centennial of Atlanta's famous Race Riot back in 1906. I suppose we should be thankful our city hasn't suffered any incidents like that since then. We have been very fortunate to integrate as well as we did when compared to other Southern Cities.

Well, I was downtown today for Prof. Kuhn's presentation. I'm not at all sure you can say Atlanta hasn't suffered many other tragic racial incidents, or that it has integrated well, even in comparison to other southern cities.

[ironchapman]

Well, I was downtown today for Prof. Kuhn's presentation. I'm not at all sure you can say Atlanta hasn't suffered many other tragic racial incidents, or that it has integrated well, even in comparison to other southern cities.

I figured it was a lot better than Birmingham or Montgomery (as examples). I guess I was thinking of the era when integration was really the "big issue" of the day (the 1950's and 60's). There's no questioning that we've had our problems, I will say that.

As for the incidents, I didn't think that Atlanta had suffered any incidents on the same level as that riot. We've certainly had incidents, but I haven't heard of one's that are quite like the 1906 riots (people getting lynched, chaos in the streets, etc,)

[Andrea]

I figured it was a lot better than Birmingham or Montgomery (as examples).

I don't know about that at all, IC. I would acknowledge that Atlanta done a better job than many other southern cities in terms of PR.

[ironchapman]

I don't know about that at all, IC. I would acknowledge that Atlanta done a better job than many other southern cities in terms of PR.

Probably so, Andrea. I think our city officials helped, too. They seemed to be a little more open to integration than those at other affected places in the USA.

I might as well go ahead and say this while I'm at it, too:

I myself try to avoid discussing subjects like politics, religion, and race on forums (and in everday conversation with friends) like the plague. It's not that I don't want to or can't debate them necessarily, it's just that, if you say something the wrong way, it opens up a whole new heck you wish you never had opened up.

I created this topic in hopes of showing a little respect and reverance to Martin Luther King Jr. and as a way of remembering the Race Riots and how far I hope we have come since the times of both it and Martin Luther King.

[Andrea]

I myself try to avoid discussing subjects like politics, religion, and race on forums (and in everday conversation with friends) like the plague. It's not that I don't want to or can't debate them necessarily, it's just that, if you say something the wrong way, it opens up a whole new heck you wish you never had opened up.

I created this topic in hopes of showing a little respect and reverance to Martin Luther King Jr. and as a way of remembering the Race Riots and how far I hope we have come since the times of both it and Martin Luther King.

I understand that, IC, and appreciate it. I was only referring to your comments about being thankful for integrating well and not having further incidents of racial violence. I think that's debatable from the standpoint of actual history, and I guess it was on my mind because I happened to be in a place today where I heard a number of people say they didn't think we really had come that far.

[Newnan_Eric]

I wanted to comment on something and this thread seams as appropriate as any to do so. We went in town yesterday as a family (sorry no photos this time), and went shopping at IKEA. After spending quite a bit of time there (gosh that place is big), I started to realize something. Just as I had noticed when we were skating at COP last month, the clientele really is a diverse mix: Black, White, Latino, Asian, Muslim, and Hindi. People were mixing together and seemed to be having a good time, much like the skating experience.

Now before this gets dragged into a thread about race and discrimination my point is this: This city has not had really good places to mix until recently. If you think about retail, most of the malls and shopping centers are in places that are relatively self segregated, i.e. Suburbs = mostly white, Intown = mostly Black, or other sections that were ethnic neighborhoods. Additionally, the public spaces seemed to have events that would attract specific demographics: i.e. Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park = white suburbanites, Pide Festival = gay/lesbians, Vibe music festival = Blacks.

Finally, it seems that Atlanta is finally maturing into a city that can live, work, shop, and play with each other. I think it is fantastic!

Andrea, I heard something on the radio this morning that echoed your comment about some feeling that not as much progress has been made as we'd like to make out. (Specifically, whites feel that more progress has been made than blacks, according to some study.) While that may be the case, I feel that recent developments give us reason to hope. I also feel that the Beltline will help stitch the city together that much more. (Yes, there will be the gentrification debate, but I think the benefits will outweigh the costs.)

Just my two cents.

[Newnan]

I was also at Ikea yesterday and noticed the same thing. It made me so happy!

[Andrea]

Oh, I think there has been a lot of positive change over the last several decades, Eric. People do mix and mingle in the schools, parks, shopping malls, sports arenas, and in most spheres of public life.

But we've still got a long way to go. Patterns of segregation go back to the beginnings of Atlanta, and they were actively pursued as recently as the regimes of Mayors Hartsfield and Allen. On the economic and cultural level they continue to profoundly shape the city.

I am also hopeful about future possibilities. I don't mean to harp on errors of times past, but I do not think we can understand how race and economics affect us today with a keen appreciation of how they have affected us thus far, and how they position us today. "The city too busy to hate" and similar boosterist battle cries may help in recruiting new businesses but they don't change lived reality. As the saying goes, the ultimate privilege is to remain unaware of privilege and I want to avoid that if possible.

[teshadoh]

I have noticed Atlantic Station has the best mix of races / income groups in Atlanta.