Forsyth County, GA gets back in touch with its roots

[Adam Griffin]

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Just for reference to the title:

27 years ago today: Hosea Williams marches on Forsyth County
Oprah's Apprehensions About Taping in Forsyth County, 1988

[Heimdal]

So Jim Crow is back now?

[Cory]

Not a big deal, move on.

[Kevin]

Not a big deal, move on.

Just a bunch of stupid white kids as usual.

Seriously doubt they had any racist intentions behind it.

[The Free North]

So Jim Crow is back now?

Its a quote from a drake song. Drake is hugely popular amongst white and black students.


Pretty absurd to compare a sign like this to a time when blacks were frequently hung from trees.

[DrScholl]

Can't expect much intelligence in an 80% Romney county.

[Brittain33]

Yeah, there's some extraordinary irony going on here.

[Del Tachi]

Seriously doubt they had any racist intentions behind it.

[Deus Naturae]

Can't expect much intelligence in an 80% Romney county.

So, anyone who uses the word "nigga" is unintelligent? Somehow I feel like this word is used by more Obama voters than Romney voters...

[Badger]

So Jim Crow is back now?

Its a quote from a drake song. Drake is hugely popular amongst white and black students.


Pretty absurd to compare a sign like this to a time when blacks were frequently hung from trees.

[old timey villain]

As much as I hate Forsyth county, this story is more of a reflection on the stupidity of teenagers than the county's politics or checkered past.

[Cubby]

Any other county in America, this would be a non-story, just teenagers being teenagers.

But not in Forsyth (or Dawson) County, Georgia. That's news-worthy. Was there anywhere else in the country where an entire race of people was banned for decades?

I wonder if the teachers at that high school ever bothered to tell their students what happened there in 1912.

[old timey villain]

Any other county in America, this would be a non-story, just teenagers being teenagers.

But not in Forsyth (or Dawson) County, Georgia. That's news-worthy. Was there anywhere else in the country where an entire race of people was banned for decades?

I wonder if the teachers at that high school ever bothered to tell their students what happened there in 1912.

Probably not since nobody living in Forsyth county is actually from Forsyth County.

1990 Pop: 44,083
2000 Pop: 98,407
2010 Pop: 175,511
2013 Pop: 195,405

It's still super conservative but it's a totally different place than it was even 20 years ago.

[Sol]

Any other county in America, this would be a non-story, just teenagers being teenagers.

But not in Forsyth (or Dawson) County, Georgia. That's news-worthy. Was there anywhere else in the country where an entire race of people was banned for decades?

I wonder if the teachers at that high school ever bothered to tell their students what happened there in 1912.

Lots of places, actually. CT, for instance, is historically filled with them, though most aren't sundown towns anymore. Darien was particularly notorious. There was a whole movie made on it once, actually.

It's estimated that up to 60% of Illinois municipalities excluded African-Americans at one point or another, and many suburbs, particularly in the northeast and midwest, excluded various minorities. Cicero, Levittown, the Grosse Pointes, etc. The South was historically less segregated residentially, actually.

Today, most places that are sundown towns are rural, and their sundown status is disputable since most don't typically have new residents in general. But a lot of towns in the Ozarks and in the rural Midwest probably still exclude African-Americans or are still hostile. Most suburbs have 'desegregated', but still exclude many minorities by being extremely expensive and thru redlining and such- places like Darien and the Park Cities stand out, though both have tiny minority populations.

[Donerail]

http://youtu.be/jhenogvNrno?t=55s

[Cubby]

Lots of places, actually. CT, for instance, is historically filled with them, though most aren't sundown towns anymore. Darien was particularly notorious. There was a whole movie made on it once, actually.

It's estimated that up to 60% of Illinois municipalities excluded African-Americans at one point or another, and many suburbs, particularly in the northeast and midwest, excluded various minorities. Cicero, Levittown, the Grosse Pointes, etc. The South was historically less segregated residentially, actually.

Today, most places that are sundown towns are rural, and their sundown status is disputable since most don't typically have new residents in general. But a lot of towns in the Ozarks and in the rural Midwest probably still exclude African-Americans or are still hostile. Most suburbs have 'desegregated', but still exclude many minorities by being extremely expensive and thru redlining and such- places like Darien and the Park Cities stand out, though both have tiny minority populations.

Darien was a sundown town, that at least I learned in school, so I have no excuse for leaving it off my original post. Greenwich is better known as a bastion of wealth and privilege but Darien is actually wealthier and more exclusionary.

Levittown was only segregated for about 10 years (1947-1958?). Forsyth had it from 1912 until the 1980's.

There's a big difference between de facto segregation due to homes being expensive (Darien), and Night Riders forcing people from their homes at gunpoint (Forsyth).

[7,052,770]

Even though they probably didn't mean anything by it, it's pretty inexcusable that they didn't know any better by the time they were 18.

[Sol]

Lots of places, actually. CT, for instance, is historically filled with them, though most aren't sundown towns anymore. Darien was particularly notorious. There was a whole movie made on it once, actually.

It's estimated that up to 60% of Illinois municipalities excluded African-Americans at one point or another, and many suburbs, particularly in the northeast and midwest, excluded various minorities. Cicero, Levittown, the Grosse Pointes, etc. The South was historically less segregated residentially, actually.

Today, most places that are sundown towns are rural, and their sundown status is disputable since most don't typically have new residents in general. But a lot of towns in the Ozarks and in the rural Midwest probably still exclude African-Americans or are still hostile. Most suburbs have 'desegregated', but still exclude many minorities by being extremely expensive and thru redlining and such- places like Darien and the Park Cities stand out, though both have tiny minority populations.

Darien was a sundown town, that at least I learned in school, so I have no excuse for leaving it off my original post. Greenwich is better known as a bastion of wealth and privilege but Darien is actually wealthier and more exclusionary.

Levittown was only segregated for about 10 years (1947-1958?). Forsyth had it from 1912 until the 1980's.

There's a big difference between de facto segregation due to homes being expensive (Darien), and Night Riders forcing people from their homes at gunpoint (Forsyth).

Yeah, but Darien really did keep out minorities. It may have not been through overt violence, but it certainly wasn't just segregated via income in the early-to-mid 20th century. Even very wealthy Jewish folks and Italians were not able to live in Darien.

[angus]

Even though they probably didn't mean anything by it, it's pretty inexcusable that they didn't know any better by the time they were 18.

You should probably run for school board anywhere in Pennsylvania.  You'd fit right in.

"Dear Parents, we recognize that student socialization and avoidance of litigation are the two most important aspects of our mission.  Of course, we recognize that even though we spend nine times as much as Koreans do per student, our composite fourth- and eighth-grade composite reading and math scores are lower than theirs, and in fact among the lowest in the developed world.  This is because we spend that money on discipline and upon bureaucracy, rather than on reading and math.  After all, who needs to be able to read Korean?  Our students need to learn, above all, the value of respect.  I am sure that you will agree.  This is why our school board has scheduled a series of hearings that will occupy us for the remainder of the term.  Also, enclosed is a form with instructions on how to discuss these issues regarding cultural insensitivity with your school-age children.  Be sure to follow the instructions exactly.  Rest assured that the school district will cooperate with the district attorney's office in prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law the individuals involved in this very unfortunate incident.  Thank you."