After spending a semester in English reading, studying, writing, and presenting on the Southern Identity, I can now conclude my thoughts on whether it exists or not. In my first blog posting, I did on the blues and BB King, as a representation of southern identity. After the semester, I feel the same about that being a piece and representing the South.
Overall, there will forever be a southern identity because of the past, and no one will ever be able to change that. The South has developed it's own sense of itself to the world and to themselves, and whether it's BBQ, blues, the way we talk, or the way we have acted in the past, it has created itself. Southern identity is real, and whether it's shrinking, changing, or going away it truly does not matter, because it will always be remembered, and stereotyped amongst the South. The world is becoming more and more diverse and I believe someday the world will become more universal and one.
Karen introduced the idea of southern stereotypes in her blog post introduction one week. I responded to this topic by introducing the “y’all” southern stereotype. The stereotype is that people of the South speak in that slow drawl and say y’all all the time. I actually found a video that had a group doing a project demonstrating the variety of dialects that can be found in the South. This group showed the enriched cultural diversity that leant the various dialects to be formed in the South. I would like to follow up that post with this video.
This video has a man venting about how angry he got about a girl who said something rather ignorant in a college class. His teacher asked the class to explain why there was a lack of different languages in the major cities of the South. The girl quickly explained that it was due to the nature of the people in the cities, these people being inhospitable to outsiders and such. The teacher responds that the girl is wrong and it is due to the economic states of these cities. The man is rather upset that the continued negative stereotypes of the South exist when they are clearly outdated. He is quick to point out that racism or being inhospitable to outsiders is more relevant in Seattle where he is living now. In conclusion, southern stereotypes do still exist and are the common Southern identity according to people outside the South, but these stereotypes are out of date and no longer relevant.
In terms of Southern identity, I think it exists. The Southern identity has firm roots in its history but is ever changing like the people inside of the South. I found a history of the South as fits a timeline, but I think the actual history of the South is better found in the oral stories passed through generations.
In my third blog post, I mentioned that southern identity is shrinking but will not be forgotten or gone in the future. I said this because I felt that media, entertainment, and food will always remind people about what it means to be southern even though the southern identity is being expressed less and less now. I based my opinions on my own experience. Since I grew up in the North, I did not really know much about the southern identity. Even when I finally moved to the South, I still did not have a clear notion of what it means to be southern. Thus, I felt that southern identity is shrinking. The majority of my knowledge of southern identity, however, actually came from common southern stereotypes.
For my fourth blog post, I introduced a topic about southern stereotypes. I wrote about common southern and northern stereotypes and asked my blog group if they thought there is still a difference between northerners and southerners now. I feel that when people describe the southern identity, they are describing an identity that contrasts with the rest of the regions of America, mainly the North. I believe that the southern identity still exists. If there is no longer a difference between northerners and southerners, then the stereotypes are no longer valid and the southern identity does not exist anymore. Stereotypes, although sometimes extremely exaggerated, do represent some truth. Southern stereotypes are more like exaggerated generalizations of the southern identity.
In conclusion, I would like to add to my third blog post. Southern identity will not be forgotten or disappear because of media, entertainment, and food-- more specifically-- the portrayal of southern stereotypes in media, entertainment, and food. Stereotypes may not completely represent southerners, but they provide a starting guide for people who do not know much about the South to learn more about the South. As long as the southern identity exists, southern stereotypes will always exist.
In this video below, a southerner, who has lived and traveled all over the south, talks about southern stereotypes. He goes in depth about politics, laws, sports, education, etc. He thinks that some of them are very true.
Since I have always loved music, I have to say that one of the most important Southern figures are Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Elvis is one of the most famous musicians of all time, and redefined music for all to come. His style of music was something new. People hadn't heard anything quite so loud, alive, and different, especially in such a common setting. Elvis became a household name, playing on radios all about the country, as well as live shows. He also had different phases of music, transitioning between blues, gospel, and rock and roll. The King brought new musical ideas to the minds of musicians everywhere.
Johnny Cash is another famous Southern musician. He is the most famous country musician, at least from my perspective. Although I don't know much about his music, I know that he himself had a very interesting life and musical career. He is about the only country musician that I feel everyone across America has ever heard of. I can think of many people who have become rather interested in country music directly as a result of enjoying Johnny Cash's music. Although not exactly a country fan, I can say that having heard a few songs here and there, I don't mind listening to his music. It comes off as being country, but also as having blues and rock and roll, mixed into one, as with Elvis.
In order to fully conclude our blog I’d like to introduce an open ended topic. In retrospect to our almost completed blog, how do you feel about Southern Identity as an entity within itself? Do you think that it is the culmination of a mimicked past forever lost or is it but a dynamic regional identity constantly evolving and changing within itself.I know that we have spoke of food, people, cities, music, stereotypes, and literature all with respect to Southern Culture or different cultures with comparable/dissimilar traits. So for this topic, more clearly defined – I’d like to choose one thing that you have written about before and retrospectively analyze it from a Southerners perspective as clear and accurately as possible. Do not think of yourself as the analyzer but instead empathize and figure exactly why something it is the way it is. Merely follow up a topic that you thought wasn’t complete.
In my first blog posting I wrote about Southern Undergraduate Fraternities. I would like to further enlighten my audience on the specifics of what Southern Brotherhood means.Southern Identity is class. That is why the South possesses such a unique culture – having recently returned to my hometown I can more clearly see why Fraternities existed. They existed, in the past, to create ties between men in order to create a network in which will aide them in the future. In doing so, the class of families with which these individuals come from will remain or begin their climb to the top echelons of their communities.As I have aged, I have seen these lines of demarcation more clearly with every return home. Though more subtle than before, these class differences are as old as the South itself and I believe that this is why the South is such a different place from the rest of the United States and is why it is both celebrated and looked down upon.
The Civil War had such a pivotal impact on The United States especially the South. Not only was the South’s culture integrated with slavery but their economy was almost entirely reliant on as means of agricultural production. With this said, the divide between the North and the South has been commonly misunderstood for ages.The Civil War was not a war between slavery versus non-slavery but a war of change, a change from state control and federal control. The emancipation proclamation was a ploy to keep European nations, whose economies heavily depended on the south’s textile production, from aiding the southern confederacy.
“when Lincoln presented the Emancipation Proclamation many Union regiments refused to fight as the President had compromised their reason to fight. Lincoln, at the point of a gun in many cases, forced the soldiers back into the fray and the turmoil subsided rather quickly. By the way, the Emancipation Proclamation was merely a political move to keep European powers from joining the South in their struggle. England, for example, was in a deep economic depression because so much of their economy was based on the textile trade which was decimated when Lincoln’s blockade keep the world’s largest supplier of cotton from shipping. In addition, not a single slave was freed by the Proclamation. If one reads it closely, it frees only those slaves still in Southern-held territory – a sovereign nation where he had no authority. He couldn’t free the slaves in the North or Northern-held territory as he has no right as President to usurp existing laws.”
Northern aggression also provoked Virginia, who initially did not want to leave the Union but instead negotiate, only to succeed after federal troops marched through their territory without the states approval. At this time, there was no constitutional rule which made this viable.
In the beginning, the term ‘The United States’ was plural but Lincoln’s vision was singular as it is today.The South was forever changed after thismonumental movement in historybut it also be forever influenced by the this past.
I'm not quite 100% sure on when my blog topic date is, but I'm going to introduce a topic and feel free to follow it if you want to.
The person I choose who had a huge effect on the South is Abraham Lincoln. Born in Kentucky, he was considered Southern and grew up farming, hunting, fishing, and doing chores. He would be the United States 16th president and have a great impact on the South, and the world.
"It started in 1832 when he ran for a seat at the Illinois House of Representatives. Lincoln was later elected for that seat and started his plea to end slavery. He soon grew more popular and more began to hear his opinions."
With him being sworn in to presidency on March 4, 1861, a civil war would start against the South one month later. After the South was defeated and the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, slavery was abolished in the United States. This would change the South entirely, especially the ways its economy worked.
"Abraham Lincoln made an enormous, and important difference in the world, he abolished slavery. This was important because, if he would not have abolished slavery there is a chance slavery would still exist. That means no freedom and that’s what America is all about."
He not only created an identity for American as a free nation, but he changed an unlawful scheme which effected many people's lives greatly. He may have been hated by many, which would cause a premature death, but he made a difference in the South by abolishing slavery.
Monday, March 29, 2010
My Hometown, LaGrange
“The Greatest Little City”
I have lived in LaGrange for the last 16 years of my life until coming to Georgia Tech. From obvious personal experience I believe LaGrange offers an exemplary example of the perfect southern town.Although referred to as, “The City of LaGrange” I believe that it is more town-like when compared to cities like Columbus and Newnan Georgia which I differentiate by a feeling of small town attitude and architecture (even if it is a little ‘Disneyland’ like). Southern culture there is epitomized by a practice good manners, morechurches than all the other structures combined, pickup trucks with elaborate suspension kits and giant swamping tires (ironically no real swamps exist anywhere in the vicinity) and just some plain southern people.
The layout of the city also lends well to ‘southerness’ it so accurately represents.The epicenter consists of a statue of LaFayette, the founder of the city, surrounded by small private businesses you’d find in most small towns.Down the road one would find a small Liberal Arts College, LaGrange College, and further past this you would enter the nice part of town where old plantation homes stand against a small road.After these homes one reaches the suburbs which are but small subdivisions scattered through vast tracts of country land.In between and past these you would find immense farms which stretch on till the next county.
Having lived in LaGrange for a large portion of my life allows me insight into what southern identity, to myself, is representative concerning cities/towns.Thus I believe that LaGrange is the epitome of a Mayberry-like southern town.
My family and I went to a seafood restaurant for lunch today in Virginia Highlands, and it had me thinking about how it fits with southern identity. Driving through the area, it has a distinct feel of being classy and old. Around this area however, are several homeless and poorer parts of Atlanta. This article is the "History of Virginia-Highland" describes the history of this area, and how it began as a farm after the War of 1812. It was greatly effected during the Civil War like much of Atlanta, and later rebuilt into the neighborhood with most construction of the houses occurring form 1910-1930.
From the article above,
"Today Virginia-Highland is one of Atlanta’s most desirable neighborhoods. The neighborhood’s historic structures, which include the Samuel M. Inman School, the 1904 Adair Mansion, Fire Station #19, as well as historic homes, give the community a distinct sense of place. Virginia-Highland’s rich urban fabric and
walkability create a pleasant environment that all can appreciate. "
This explains the old, yet pleasant environment that I felt when traveling through the area. However all of the success in the area still has it's downsides.
"Today the neighborhood is plagued by parking and traffic problems. Furthermore, the business composition of the neighborhood is greatly changing and becoming more tourist and less resident-oriented. Each weekend thousands of cars descend on the neighborhood streets and wreak havoc. Many area residents cannot leave their homes because of blocked driveways and many patrons cannot find parking. "
In conclusion, I think that the this area creates a sense of southern identity, with such a rich southern history now sitting in an urban area, it creates a sensational place. The housing is all 1900's southern, and with many cites to see such as Fire Station #19 which was built in 1924. With several people coming from other areas so visit Virginia Highlands, all of the people might not reflect the south, however the look of the area and the historic significance allow an accurate representation of the visual part of the South.
Stone Mountain, Georgia is a southern city that I believe represents southern identity. The city is urbanized, yet still holds history. As James has mentioned, the South is being increasingly industrialized. Stone Mountain is no exception. Perhaps one of the most striking examples of industrialization in Stone Mountain is the area surrounding the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Right across from Wal-Mart is a cemetery. Stone Mountain used to be a smaller, less urban town and the cemetery reminds us of this. The cemetery seems out of place amidst the busy roads and shopping center, but the area surrounding the old cemetery had changed and been urbanized.
Despite the urbanization of the city, however, the city still holds lots of history. The city is actually named after “the largest exposed granite dome in North America” called Stone Mountain. The mountain contains carvings of the heroes of the Confederate army, President Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Stonewall Jackson. If you climb the mountain and view the area from the top, you can see Atlanta, the North Georgia Mountains, the Blue ridge mountains, and even an old plantation. If you visit the Stone Mountain village surrounding the mountain, you can visit over 50 specialty shops. You can even take a class called Southern 101 that teaches you how to be southern and talk southern. Stone Mountain is a confederate memorial and a place where a family can have fun. The city Stone Mountain has the changing, more industrialized identity of the South along with the older, historical identity of the South.
This youtube video below describes in more details about Stone Mountain and other tourist attractions such as the Coca Cola Factory.
Over time the South has made great strides in transforming itself from a rural farm land to an urban industrialized region. This move to becoming industrialized has led to cities of the South becoming more important to the southern identity. For the blog response to this post I would like you to pick a city of the South that you believe is most important in establishing the southern identity.
The city I see as the most important to the establishment of the southern identity is Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is important to the south in several different aspects. It boasts being the “world’s busiest passenger airport” according to a website depicting most cities of the South. This helps promote Atlanta being the cultural center of the South. The gigantic aquarium, world of coke, CNN center, and the sport stadiums are just a few of the places that make Atlanta a popular tourist attraction. Music is another component that makes Atlanta a cultural center of the South. Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris thought Atlanta was important enough to compose a song about, as shown in this video.
Not only is Atlanta a cultural center, it also is a center for business. The Coca-Cola business is considerably one of the strongest businesses in the city, but Atlanta contains within itself a healthy balance of major companies and small time businesses. As we all know Atlanta is a center where a well respected education can be found. The Georgia Institute of Technology, GeorgiaState, and several other colleges in the Atlanta region are preparing the brightest students from around the world to become world leaders in a many different areas of study.
In the 1920s, the KKK used the Star and Stripes flag during their marches, not the Confederate flag.
I agree with Nick that the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement drastically changed the South and the southern beliefs of many people in the South. However, I think it is also interesting to consider some interesting facts examined by southern blogger JD Murrah in his blog post titled “A Southern Primer: Truths, Untruths and Stereotypes” that counteracts some common stereotypes about the South’s stand on civil rights.
The principal port for slave ships was actually in New York City. The second and third were Portland, Maine and Boston. The first anti-slavery groups were also formed in the South. Furthermore, there were more free blacks living in the South at the beginning of the Civil War compared to the North. Surprisingly, “the first black chaplain for an American military unit was for the Confederate Army” (Murrah). It is also interesting to note that the KKK that marched in Washington in 1925, 1928, and 1990 carried the Stars and Stripes flag, not the Confederate flag, and the first state in America to elect a black governor was the southern state Virginia. Lawrence Douglas Wilder was elected to the Virginia senate in 1989 and served from 1990 to 1994.
Although the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement countered the beliefs of many southerners, slavery was not part of the “Southern Identity” for all southerners. I think that these events did impact the South greatly but did not completely change what it means to be a southerner. Southern hospitality, religion, music, and food still play a large part in southern identity.
The civil war was the first defining point in American history where people questioned the calling of other human beings property. It was made a point that all human beings no matter skin color should be free. Yet after the civil war the rights of blacks were still below the standard. It wasn’t until the civil rights movement that the question of what rights blacks truly had in the United States was addressed. Such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and others brought the attention of this nation on how blacks were being treated in this country where people are supposed to be free and equal.
Those leaders however are gone, but it is hard to say that their work is finished. So who is leading the civil rights movement in today’s world? One article written by Scott Simon would suggest that the world of Rap/Hip Hop is where the civil rights movement of today can be found. He mentions that this style of music is the first that didn’t have to be changed to fit into a white enterprise. This is in fact the first style that stayed original to its form created by blacks. It is in the fact that the style did not have to integrate but keep its true to its roots is the reason that it is the current form of the civil rights movement. This video actually shows a rap (although it is rather old) that is literally speaking on civil rights. It is in the video that the idea of civil rights being promoted by rap/hip hop can be seen.
Hello everyone, sorry it took me so long to post a new topic.
Since my project had several historical ties, I would like the topic to be about Southern history. I think the two most important events in changing Southern identity were the Civil War and the civil rights movement of the mid 1900s. The first quite literally changed the South. It took away a lot of the working men from both sides involved, but in the South these men were often the key members of their families. They provided for and protected them. When they died, all of a sudden the South had a radically different population, and had to adjust accordingly.
The civil rights movement is also an obvious one. The previous injustice was corrected, but in a way that shattered what Southern identity meant for many people. The government quite literally told them that they had to change a belief that had existed for quite some time. Not just change, but to stop believing it entirely. It isn't hard to see the literal ways in which it changed Southern identity, but it did other things as well. There were certain situations where the National Guard was deployed. I can imagine that to the tradition-oriented Southerners, this must have seemed like the Civil War all over again, with the "Northern aggressors" once again affirming what they wanted upon the peaceful South.
So what do you think? Either about these events, or others.
Have you ever compared driving in the South to driving in the North?
I always remembered my mother telling me how crazy Northerners drive and they are always in a rush to get to their destination, while us Southerners tend to me more friendly drivers and in less of a rush. This article is an article on Southern stereotypes and talks about many peoples personal experiences with the Southern stereotypes, and this woman said -
"One stereotype that kept resonating from friends was how slow it is in the South. I have to say since we moved here, things are a little bit slower, but I have found people take the time to speak, make eye contact and share a smile, which on a checkout line may make things slower but I genuinely appreciate it."
Personally I agree with what she says, that people in the South tend to be slower, but don't get me wrong, this does not mean that people in the South are dumber. I appreciate the more friendly laid back personality that Southerners can have, and the stereotype we get for it. I would much rather be known as friendly, than to be known as some of the stereotypes that Southerners can give Northerners. Another quote from the article refers to the driving habits of Southerners.
"Probably the biggest stereotype we heard before we moved here was that the South was typically slow.' However, anyone who's been out on interstates 77, 85 and/or 485 before or after rush hour knows that it's anything but slow! They don't call this place the home of NASCAR for nothing!"
This here is proof that there is a stereotype of the South being slow, and that this person, who came from Long Island N.Y., came to the South with a different driving style than what we represent, as his is probably a bit more hectic. While some may think that this stereotype of Southerners being friendly, or slow, is bad, I appreciate it for what it's worth.
There are quite a few stereotypes associated with the South. The article in the newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, speaks out about southern stereotypes. This article starts out mentioning getting a Budweiser, Bible, and confederate flag when entering South Carolina. The author, Carl Menzel, first covers the stereotype of the South being extremely religious. He mentions that the religious aspect of the South has actually changed how politicians present their platforms. Republicans for example includes God in their literature. The next stereotype covered is respect. How the idea of the southern gentlemen is actually a treasure in this world where “the man who stops to open the door only falls further behind in the line of admittance.” One of the other stereotypes mentioned is the lifestyle of the southern man. The south has a laid back attitude compared to the northern fast-pace race for each dollar.
While the article actually includes the word “y’all” it does not really cover the accent associated with the South. I believe that the southern accent is the best known stereotype associated with the South. I found a youtube video that covers just how diverse the subject is. There are many different accents spread around the South. These accents all have very unique and diverse histories.
For our blog’s next topic, I would like to focus on stereotypes, particularly southern stereotypes. Southern stereotypes are often portrayed in movies, television, commercials, etc. Southerners are constantly compared to northerners. Northerners are shown to be progressive, intelligent, face-paced, but arrogant and rude while southerners are shown to be hospitable, patriotic, friendly, but slow and unintelligent. In this video (also embedded below), Craig Considine directed a discussion about northern and southern stereotypes and typical views that Americans have of their countrymen. Starting at 1:15, a few people list some common stereotypes. One southerner described northerners as rude, rich, fast-paced, arrogant, and jerks. One northerner described southerners as civilized, but backwards, not intelligent, and poor. Another northerner says he thinks of rednecks when he thinks about the South. Below the first video is a slideshow of redneck images. Most of these images show comical contraptions or people doing very unintelligent things. People associate these images, however, with rednecks and the south.
What are some common stereotypes you associate with the South? Have you seen anything lately that portrayed the common stereotypes of the South? Do you think southern stereotypes still provide an accurate representation of the post-modern south? Is there still a difference between northerners and southerners now? Is the division less or more defined?
I also found an interesting blog post about stereotypes from southern blogger J D Murrah. In his blog post titled, “A Southern Primer: Truths, Untruths and Stereotypes,” Murrah writes about where some stereotypes come from and describes their origin or completely refutes them based on history, southern traits, and outlooks.
When I think about a small southern town, I think about a bunch of close-knit houses and buildings. I think about a place where all the shops and markets are within a short walking distance from one’s home. I picture a small school, courthouse, and church around the corner. I picture neighbors gathering around for a nice chat. In a small southern town, I imagine everybody to know everybody else along with family histories and stories. When I think about a small southern town, I think about a sense of community and closeness with neighbors.
My image of a small southern town mostly comes from literature. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama is a small town in which everybody is close and knows each other well. For example, when Miss Maudie’s house burns down, the people of the town gather and help save her possessions. There is also a part in the book when Scout explains to her teacher why a poor boy in the class would not accept the teacher’s money. The boy came from a family that would not take anything that they could not afford to pay back. Bastard out of Carolina also describes a small southern town. In Greenville, South Carolina, the people of the town are familiar with each other. The Boatwrights men have a famous reputation for being hostile, and everybody in the town knows about the Boatwright legacy. In a small southern town, the stories of each family are familiar to the people in the town.
I used to live in Hong Kong and New York. Neither place holds that good-natured feel of a small town. Both places were very populated and one would barely know his or her neighbor no matter how long he or she lived in an area. I now live in Lilburn, a suburb of Atlanta. I wouldn’t call Lilburn a small southern town either. However, there is a part of Lilburn called Old Town which still contains buildings from the 1930’s. There are also many antique and craft shop, and the homes in the area are old-fashioned. Old town still contains this small town feel of Lilburn that used to exist before it started growing and populating.
Antique and craft shops at Old Town, Lilburn
Descriptions from literature and the contrast of Old Town with the busy places where I used to live establish my image of a small southern town.
The idea of a small southern community is an image which is commonly shared between most southern people. It is an image influenced and ingrained via southern literature, media, and music. Specifically, it is most epitomized, in my opinion, by the small fictional town of Mayberry in the Andy Griffinth Show.Also, towns like Gentilly, which is meticulously described in gross detail in The Moviegoer also help perpetuate the idea of a small southern town.I myself came from small town in southern Georgia.LaGrange, Ga has an approximate population 26,000 which is fairly large for a typical southern town but in reality its layout is highly influenced by the conceptualized idea of what a southern community is thought to be. The town itself purposely promotes small business and actively limits the amount of commercialized chains from coming. This is all done to proactively retain the identity of a small southern town.
My question to you is what is your idea of a small southern town? What exactly makes it up – an image? A sense of community? And for those that don’t have much experience with life in a small town, it will be interesting to see what type of insight you offer.Also, enlighten us on the derivation of your knowledge of small town life so that we can see how and where from this image is portrayed.
For starters, I would like to argue against the chart that Daniel posted. It does give some basic information regarding racial hate crimes, but the real trend there is behind population. The highly populated states like New York, California and Michigan all have more people. California and New York in particular have very large cities and many more people. California has nearly ten times the population of Alabama, and Michigan is pretty well populated as well. It has about the same number of people as Georgia. I do agree with you that calling the entire South racist is a ridiculous claim.
As someone who isn't from the South, I feel I can offer a different perspective on racism. People I know and I would often mention the subject, but it was always in some sort of jest. I didn't come to Tech expecting everyone to have racist beliefs. In fact, I expected rather the opposite. I am not one to judge before I truly get to know someone, so I held myself to not believing anything about the subject, save for the common stereotypes. Stereotypes are most often incorrect, and I know this quite well.
That said, I do agree that as a general population, we believe racism is gone. I know this is false. There are two incidents in particular which I remember, one vaguely and the other rather vividly. The first was the murder of Amadou Diallo. Diallo was an immigrant from Guinea who came to New York City in 1996, and was there for three years after. He wanted to become a student, and was working on the streets to try and make that happen. He was stopped for looking like a wanted criminal. He obviously wasn't this person. There were four officers who stopped him as he was entering his house. The officers thought he was ignoring their orders to stop, and when he reached into his jacket, they shot at him an incredible forty one times. It was determined that he was reaching for his wallet, and the officers were later acquitted for murder charges. I don't remember much of the incident, as I was still young, but I do remember that it sparked large debates about racial profiling and such. There was much debate on the issue, and I can look back on it and decide for myself that the entire issue was based around race. The second incident I mentioned was the trial and conviction of Eric Frimpong. There is a good article on it here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4300383 (I know it's ESPN, but the facts are all good, even if it is clearly written with bias.) To put a long story short, Frimpong was charged with sexual assault on a weak case with little evidence, and more evidence suggesting that he did not do anything wrong than the other way around, yet was still sent to jail for six years. I remember this incident much better, and that the primary reason for his being sent to jail was the belief that he was a violent criminal, based on another "incident", which was literally just a statement. Again, racial profiling was present, but this time it was much less publicized. I believe this is because we are forgetting that racism does still exist in today's world. We have each provided certain incidents for or against the claim made below, but the bottom line is that these are often isolated incidents, and we have to look at the bigger picture.
In my previous blog I found an article on the Jena 6. While this article does show that racism is still prevalent in the South, it is NOT being ignored. If anything the video I included demonstrated just how serious the racism problem is being taken. The small town of Jena was filled with tens of thousands of angry protestors. These protestors were being headed by well known civil rights activists Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. This clearly demonstrates the fact that people are not turning a blind eye to this problem in this little southern town. People are taking the time to intervene when racism becomes a problem. The protestors do not show this apathy or belief that racism has dissolved as mentioned in the blog by Yates.
Now that was just a small demonstration of how people are taking racism seriously in this one place for that one case, but not only are people taking the racism problem seriously on the community level but also nationally and globally. I found one website that lists over 2000 organizations that deal with discrimination around the globe. The America’s BlackHolocaustMuseum not only helps remind people that the problem not only once existed but still persists. Other groups such as the Anti-Hate Organization, The Black World Today, the National Association of Black and White Men Together and many other programs are attempting to make real strides in destroying the problem of racism. Not only are mostly black-membered associations taking the racism problem seriously but white-membered groups are as well. The Caucasians United for Reparations and Emancipation feel they are taking up the work of the old time abolitionists. These programs also see that racism is not just a southern problem but work towards attacking the problem on a national and global scale. People have not forgotten about the problem that is racism but are actively fighting to end it.
This video demonstrates that even when racism is prevalent the majority of people will not intervene. This not only eludes to the idea that people will turn a blind eye towards outward racism but people, even northerners, may not intend on even upholding the moral ground and intervening themselves.With this said, segregation and physical racism may not necessarily be as predominant as it has been in the past, but that the societal trend has moved away from progressively fighting racism. I believe this is true for two reasons, one because we have become complacent andfeel as though racism has been almost entirely dissolved (not true in the least) and just apathy towards the subject either because we were so inundated with it before or because we have moved onto other problems to worry about (war, economy, etc.)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
As used in my presentation, I will use this graph to indicate that the most hate crimes which are due to race occur in places other than the South. California, New York, and Michigan all have the most occurrences of hate crime in their state. While states like Georgia, and Alabama, have very little hate crime due to race.
This is where I say that the Southern Identity can be misrepresented because of past events such as Slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of racism. 50 years after racism is over, people still have the argument that the South is racist. While some people in the South might be racist, I think it is inaccurate to say that the WHOLE South is racist.
In this English class we have been toying with the identity of the South. In “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” we were given a rather harsh picture created by racism in southern places. Now this article was written in 1937, so surely things have changed since then, right? For this blog post I want you to come up with a sentence. This sentence needs to have the word racism and south somewhere in it. You can come up with any relationship you like. Some questions you might think about are: is there racism in the South, who is being racist, is the racism hidden or blunt? After you have come up with this sentence, you need to support it with something whether it be an article, a news video, etc.
The old racism (whites racist towards blacks) that is stereotypically associated with the South is alive and well. While society might be tired of the same old story or while society would like to believe that things have gotten better, society is wrong. While society might need to focus on the possibility that racism has evolved to be more then just white on black, it is important to not forget the racism that has stereotypically been associated with the South. The video on this post is a special from ESPN Outside the Lines on the “Jena 6”. The Jena 6 is six black students that were charged with attempted second-degree murder of a white student. Clearly to support my sentence you need a bit of background to the story.
According to the article by Adrian DePugh and the video, a few days before the attack there was an incident revolving around a tree that was normally an all white hang out. When a few black students spent some time under the tree, the next day there were nooses hung on the tree. Then the white student that was attacked either did or did not instigate the fight, depending on who you ask. The Jena 6 then attacked the white student. The response to this racism was clearly out of line, but the fact is that the racism is still there. Whether the white student instigated the fight, the nooses were still hung on the tree. This racism that is stereotypical of the South is not only alive and well, but is an intricate part of the Southern identity.
I agree with the article that southern identity is shrinking. I feel that in a time when people are constantly migrating and traveling and when technology makes revolutionary changes to the way we live, the southern identity is being expressed less and less. Although I have lived in the south for about six years, I was still not sure what being “southern” really meant until I took this English course. I have a friend who has lived in the south all her life, but I would not have known that she is a southerner if she did not tell me. She does not have a southern accent and does not show any particular signs that indicate that she is a southerner. Now and in the future, I believe one would have to put forth more effort to find a “true southerner.”
Although southern identity is shrinking, I do not believe that the southern identity will ever be forgotten or will ever completely disappear in the future. We are constantly reminded about what it means to be southern through media, entertainment, and food. For my visual analysis project, I found an article written by Beth Latshaw called “Food for Thought.” In the article, Beth Latshaw examines how southern food is associated with the culture, history, and traditions of southerners and how food is part of cultural identity. Latshaw quotes southern writer John Egerton in her article: “In a time of declining regional identity, when southern accents and lifestyles become increasingly rare, southern food is one of few authentic southern artifacts that survives.” There is so much tradition and culture linked to southern food. Food plays a role in defining one’s heritage, tradition, and identity.
Because I am not really southern, I do not eat a lot of southern food and am not familiar with any southern restaurants. However, one of my group project members used a commercial for Corky’s BBQ restaurant as his artifact for his visual analysis project, and I thought the restaurant provided a very accurate representation of the southern identity (the commercial is embedded below). The restaurant serves mainly barbeque dishes, and barbeque is extremely popular in the south. The commercial also placed great emphasis on family and friends, and southerners are known to be friendly and very family-orientated. The waiters and waitresses all seem very warm and welcoming, representing the southern hospitality that the south is well-known for.
In conclusion, I believe that southern identity is indeed shrinking due to changing times but I do not believe that the identity will not be forgotten or disappear.
**Source: LATSHAW, BETH A. "Food for Thought." Southern Cultures 15.4 (2009): 106-128. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. (This article can only be previewed when you sign in your GT account).
What I want to do for the blog topic has to do with whether the Southern Identity is changing entirely, shrinking, or growing. We all have a understanding of this Southern Identity I speak of, and as time passes by now, and in the future, what do you think it will do?
This article speaks of how they believe it is shrinking. What are your thoughts?
I feel as if Binx's search is a search of not only finding who he is, but where is he from. The region of which Binx lives in doesn't even have an identity, as it is caught up in a mix of cultures. The problem with Binx is that his personality is not defined. How can one define who they are and where they are from if their personality doesn't know how do to that?
Binx really needs this search to teach him who he is, and I think that if Binx traveled the world, or even to several different cities, he would possibly be able to find himself. Through seeing the way other cities/lifestyles are, he would finally be able to define himself into an identity, a full person.
Where is Binx from? If you told me everything about the man, besides the place he lived, there would be no way I could guess. I feel as if Binx lives in the place because they are similar in the fact that neither truly have an identity.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Although Binx often visits New Orleans he chooses not to live there even though his very willing Aunt tells him that she would provide the sufficient accommodations. His refusal to live with his high class family is very telling of Binx’s personality and life goals. It is obvious throughout the reading that Binx is a very different individual when compared to the ordinary Gentilly resident.He often finds himself lost in thought or preoccupied with the idea of a search for something more personally meaningful. This alluding personal trait influences his actions throughout the novel. With this said, I believe that this search, represented in Binx’s mind, is nothing more than a quest in which he is to become or do something different ratherthan what is expected of him.His family, on both sides, always seems to be pushing him or influencing him to do something like research or medical school.I think that his search is a type of rebellion to break the chains that bind him to the idea of ‘ordinarism.’ This idea is paradoxical because the high class life that is offered to him through his parents ideals is actually rare and exclusive.But it is because they almost expect him to excel is why he chooses to fade into his own mannerism and choice of lifestyle – including his decision to reside in Gentilly, Louisiana.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Last week we talked a bit about what we thought Binx was searching for. Personally, I felt he didn't even know, that he was just looking for something to do; an excuse to mull around and do very little. Before coming to that conclusion, I was considering that he had perhaps already found what he was looking for, but didn't want to admit it. At first glance, he would seem pretty happy. There was one passage in particular which led me to believe this. Binx thought the following when Uncle Jules proposed going to Chicago:
"It is a small thing to him but not to me. It is nothing to him to close his eyes in New Orleans and wake up in San Francisco and think the same thoughts on Telegraph Hill that he though on Carondelet Street. Me, it is my fortune and misfortune to know how the spirit-prescence of a strange place can enrich a man or rob a man but never leave him alone, how, if a man travels lightly to a hundred strange cities and cares nothing for the risk he takes, he may find himself No one and Nowhere." (Page 99)
When I read this, I was set on the fact that Binx was happy, and that his search was some figment of his imagination. I later recalled an earlier passage where he spoke about the woman behind the ticket window at the movie theater. He mentioned her son, who hated the desert, then stated he would love to live there. The desert is nearly a complete opposite of New Orleans, yet for some reason he would like it. So I suggest the following topic for this week: Why is Binx in New Orleans? He claims that it isn't a non-place, but here he states his desire to live in a place completely different. I feel that Binx has an obligation to his family members, and part of his search is finding something outside of his family, which he has not yet been able to do.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Binx's search is strange. He continually mentions it, without ever actually deciding what he is looking for. This is why I think that his search is actually a search for something which he can then search for. It sounds confusing, but is simple really. Binx is a man who has done various things over his life. He was in a fraternity in college, joined the military after it, and now runs around chasing his secretaries. He doesn't seem to know anything about what he wants out of life. Work is about all he knows, and he still uses this as a tool for going after women.
He creates an illusion of a "search", probably to be able to tell himself that he is doing something with his life. A likely cause of this is his experiences in the Korean War. They have left him a stranger to his own life. The war shattered things he had previously believed, and he doesn't know what he wants anymore. Before, it had been about having a good time, then eventually going to work. His wartime experiences have created a new set of beliefs inside him, that he is still unsure of.Binx wants to find a meaning in his life, to find his identity. He just doesn't know how. I believe he is trying to find these things through the search, but he does not yet know what to search for.
The search that Binx indicates an interest for shows his insecurity within his own identity. This search has no true definition behind it, shown through here:
"What is the nature of the search? you ask. Really it is very simple; at least for a fellow like me. So simple that it is easily overlooked. The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life."
New Orleans is not even 100% sure if it's identity during this time as it is beginning to see two different worlds only so far apart. Binx is alone in this place, and all he has is his work, women, and his family. Early in the novel, Binx stated he knew how to be a soldier, and at this point in time the only identification he had with being a soldier was through movies. Movies allow Binx to relate to the world, especially the world outside of New Orleans.
Growing up strictly in the South, I definitely feel the a southern identity within myself, strictly based on the fact of WHERE I grew up. I find it surprising how Binx's identity is unfound, and that he has this search which means so much to him. The fact of the matter is that even though he did grow up in the South, the region he grew up in did not help him establish an identity. Binx's search interests me, and I look forward to seeing how his search progresses through the novel as he handles relations with women, work, and family.
“My wallet is full of identity cards, library cards, credit cards”(6). “It is a pleasure to carry out the duties of a citizen and to receive in return a receipt or a neat styrene card with one’s name on it certifying, so to speak, one’s right to exist”(7). These quotes embody a simple truth about Binx, he desires to be known to have existed. He desires to have an identity. In fact Binx needs a unique identity because he fears becoming yet another person, becoming invisible. “The truth is I dislike cars. Whenever I drive a car, I have the feeling I have become invisible”(11).
Why does Binx need this search? An identity shouldn’t need a rather long search should it? In Binx’s case to set a unique identity for himself from the family is in fact quite a challenge. Binx thus far has gone to college and was a solider in a war. Certainly this already would create uniqueness for Binx, right? Well even after these accomplishments Binx’s aunt would like him to consider entering medical school. With this suggestion Binx can only be reminded of previous family, “When my father returned from medical school and his surgical residency in Bonston to practice with my grandfather…”(48). While the aunt cannot see the struggle Binx is having with his identity she clearly wants Binx to prove that he is great by following into the footsteps of his father and grandfather. This creates an identity for Binx, but not a unique one as is what he desires.
While his aunt wants him to fit into a certain identity, Binx will be sharing this identity with his father and grandfather. He will be a somebody as Emily Dickenson puts it, but he won’t be the nobody he desires to be. Yet he has already fallen into near invisibility. He is a broker working for his uncle for a firm. “Once I thought of going into law or medicine or even pure science. I even dreamed of doing something great. But there is much to be said for giving up such grand ambitions and living the most ordinary life imaginable…”(9). His life is the most ordinary life imaginable, which gives an identity, but not one that is unique. So he must search for this unique identity, which will set him apart from all others.
Many things define who we are. These include our beliefs, our goals, our profession, and our home. These components that define us ultimately structure our identity. In the novel The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy, Binx Bolling is on a search. He wakes up one morning and feels that his “peaceful existence in Gentilly has been complicated” and “for the first time in years, there occurred to [him] the possibility of a search” (10). When he got dressed that very morning and began gathering his belongings, he felt as if he were looking at the items for the first time—that the items could have “belonged to someone else” (11). Binx declares that he is on a search, but he is very vague in classifying the object of his search. Since Binx Bolling seems to question the components that define who we are, I feel that he is on a search for his own identity.
Binx is uncertain about his beliefs, goals, profession, and home. He does not consider himself a believer in God or consider himself an atheist. He refers to the statistics of one poll that reported that “98% of Americans believe in God and the remaining 2% are atheists and agnostics—which leaves not a single percentage point for a seeker” (14). Binx considers himself a seeker. He doesn’t want a fixed answer, because when an answer is fixed, there is nothing to look for. Binx is also uncertain about his goals and profession. He was once interested in research and worked in a lab but quickly lost interest. His Aunt Emily now wants him to go to medical school, but he seems hesitant. He is not sure what he wants out of life. Lastly, Binx is also uncertain about his home. His sudden quest to search makes him eager to leave Gentilly.
Although Binx does not identify what he is searching for, his uncertainties and questions suggest that he is searching to find out who he is. Perhaps, he is searching for his beliefs, goals, profession, and home. Perhaps, he is searching for his identity.
What do you think Binx is searching for?
His uncertainties and his quest to search remind me of a song from an artist named Taylor Swift called “A Place in the World.” I feel that the chorus of the song is extremely fitting to his situation:
“I don’t know what I want, So don’t ask me, cause I’m still trying to figure it out. Don't know what's down this road, I’m just walking, Trying to see through the rain coming down. Even though I’m not the only one, that feels the way I do.
I’m alone, on my own, and that's all I know. I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, Oh, but life goes on…
Got the radio on, my old blue jeans, And I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve. Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine. Can you tell me what more do I need? And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh yeah, but that's okay.”
I have lived in Massachusetts for my entire life; so it's fair to say that I don't have a very good idea of what defines Southern identity. When I sat down to think of something, I came up with only the most obvious and stereotypical of things. Even what I finally came up with is one of these. I first thought of food, and the new things I have had here, such as gumbo, grits, collard greens, or jambalaya. Even with my limited perspective, I felt these things didn't really fit. So I chose this simple picture above. Besides being one of the greatest moments of all time, as Adam Vinatieri kicks the winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI, it also happens to be one of the greatest sports of all time: football. I share the view with the majority of Southerners that football is a great sport.
I don't know what it is, but I have noticed that football is especially popular down here, as opposed to back home. The major difference is college football. Up North, one might have a tiny smile when you hear good news about your local college team. Here, however, it is often the case that people enjoy college football more than professional. The rivalry games are much more fierce than in professional. In fact, every game seems to be more intense. I had often heard that football was much more popular here, especially college, but had thought that it was just another silly stereotype. That thought quickly disappeared when I kept entering into conversations based solely on college football, and hearing about players that I had previously never heard of. In many ways, it makes more sense. When you attend a certain college, you spend a good portion of time there. You feel connected, and loyal to that place. It's hard to feel that same sense of loyalty to a professional team that could just up and move to another city or have a major overhaul of the roster at any point in time. In my brief time here, the Southern fascination with football has seemed one of the major parts of Southern identity.
Despite very much enjoying football, I don't think I shall ever enjoy it on the level that people do here. I enjoy it very much, but I prefer the "real" football, which is a different matter.
Spiritual music originated from enslaved Africans in the United States beginning in the early 17th century. This music primarily stood for an expression of religious faith, during an experience these slaves all shared together. An experience like this causes those to come together, and this music was their sense of togetherness. Christian hymns were the base of their spiritual songs, and with slavery occurring in the southern states strictly, it would eventually evolve to another form of music.
Blues music evolved directly from spiritual music, and the artifact I chose is from the popular artist B.B. King. Blues eventually came popular everywhere, but was definitely a representation of the south. When I hear B.B. King perform, I see the correlation from the spiritual music which came from slavery. His performance brings a sort of comfort, possibly the same comfort slaves felt when they sang their spiritual songs. Blues music has this specific feel to it. Watching him throughout the performance, you see his passion for his music, and expresses his christian faith.
Slavery was an awful thing, and the South is known for it, but it brought forth this passionate form of music. In H.L. Mencken's "The Sahara of the Bozart", he says specifically that the no white southern composer created a good piece of music during this time period, and that it came specifically from the African Americans. This shows that the South is known for this music, and is why I chose this as a representation of the Deep South. Blues music has now had an impact on the world, and is a perfect representation of that "awful" South.
When you are asked to think about a region, what do you think about? Does the local cuisine come to mind, do the curious accents bring up memories, maybe the history of the place fills your thoughts, or maybe your mind drifts to one of the Hollywood hits that all too well describes this region. The South, while not so well defined geographically, has all to well been stereotyped in Hollywood. The once show and recent film, the Dukes of Hazzard was an attempt by Hollywood to comically portray the South. The show depicted two “good ole boys,” as Ted Blake calls them, Luke and Bo Duke and their many adventures in HazzardCounty, a rural town somewhere outside Atlanta.
The Dukes of Hazzard show an interesting representation of the South. The two boys are always available to drink some whiskey or even make some money selling it. The boys are all for having a good time, and they can always rely on family and their wits to get them out of trouble. The show provides a view of the South where family takes care of each other no matter what, boys live to have fun, and girls are not only beautiful but better boys then the boys. I think this representation is entirely too generalized. Southern family dynamics are not at all similar to this representation with the exception that is few and far between.
A very interesting dynamic that persists through the show is the struggle between the Dukes and Boss Hog. Boss Hog is the greedy white man always trying to make a buck by generally trying to urbanize the small town. In the show the Dukes always foil the plots of Boss Hog. This in fact demonstrates the will of small rural towns to resist the changes that would lead to urbanization.
This photograph was taken during a fraternity event at Tulane University. In this photo the brothers are laughing, cheering, and enjoying themselves on the front porch of their fraternity house. Though one would assume through a superficial perspective that these guys are just “a bunch of dudes who party together,” in all actuality the bonds of camaraderie and brotherhood between these men run much deeper.
This represents a certain aspect of southern identity, one usually lost or mistranslated to individuals either outside or skeptical to the idea of southern brotherhood. In fact, this photograph transcends the boundaries of solely Greek Life because it represents something as old as the South itself, the idea of the ‘good ole boys’ -- in other terms, a group of young southern men who may get into mischief but are actually honorable men with generally good intentions. Although this term may be over generalized it is something that runs deep in Southern culture. In Walker Percey’s novel The Moviegoer, he describes this phenomenon when he narrates the story of how his friend bought a river boat that he and a few other men spent time on hunting, fishing, and drinking. Another example that epitomizes the idea of southern brotherhood and ‘good ole boyism’ is the 1980’s show The Dukes of Hazzard. In this series Bo and Luke, “two regular southern boys” sporting a 1969 Dodge Charger named The General Lee, evade corrupt government officials and regularly find themselves in some sort of trouble and mischief even when trying to play by the rules.
When people refer to the good ole boys there is usually a connotation of both bad and good associated with it. It brings up images of mischief and buffoonery but also of young white men just living their lives and having that ‘good ole’ time that only a southern society can both tolerate and understand as just being a part of a young man’s life.
The artifact that I choose as a representation of the South is an image of a man hosting a barbeque. The image is from an article written by Regina Charboneau called “7 Lessons in Southern Hospitality,” which was published in the Food section of the magazine "The Atlantic." The article describes ways one could make cooking and entertaining guests more enjoyable.
I did not choose this image, however, solely because of the barbeque shown (although barbeques are really popular and particularly good in the South). I chose this image because it offers a representation of southern identity. In the image, a man is cooking and smiling at his guests. In the background of the picture, there are people chatting and having a good time. The social gathering and kind expressions of the people in the image portray hospitality, friendliness, and warmth to others that all play a critical role in defining the southern identity.
Growing up in the north myself, specifically Brooklyn, New York, I had my fair share of rude and shocking experiences and encounters. No real action was ever taken to stop fights and bullying in public schools. Loud car honks and shouting are common sounds to hear during a stroll through the neighborhood. One would also not blink twice at the spectacle of a woman shouting nonstop at a man who accidently stepped on her foot. When I finally moved to the South, I noticed a significant change not only in the weather and the scenery but also in people. People are generally kinder and more respectable in the South. Car rides are quiet. When I went to school, I was surprised to see a sign taped on the wall in the hallway that read “No Bullying.”
When I think of people in the South, I think about people who have respect for others, good hospitality, and strong ties to the community. I think the image of the barbeque is an accurate representation of southern identity. The portrayal of the smiling host whose guests are happy displays friendliness and hospitality that is often found in the South.
