When we first moved here in '56, then, of course, the South was still solidly Democratic, as in "Dixie-crats", very right-wing segregationists and VERY conservative. My folks, though pretty conservative, had always voted Republican even then, so were a bit against the grain here. Gwinnett then was largely rural and overwhelmingly White. …
When we first moved here in '56, then, of course, the South was still solidly Democratic, as in "Dixie-crats", very right-wing segregationists and VERY conservative. My folks, though pretty conservative, had always voted Republican even then, so were a bit against the grain here. Gwinnett then was largely rural and overwhelmingly White. Up further north there were counties that had been 100% White for decades as they had run all the Blacks out through fearmongering and intimidation. Three of them (Forsyth (just to our west), White (no joke), and Habersham) stayed that way until just over 40 years ago. As a kid, I remember seeing with my own eyes the billboard in the county seat of Forsyth county that said, "N****r, don't let the sun set on you." I may have even asked why that was, but my folks probably would have said something like, "Just because..." Now, with Atlanta's northern sprawl, Forsyth county has exploded in growth and has even far surpassed us in population, of which a sizeable proportion is Black. The KKK tried to make a stand in the early '80s, but you can see what became of that. Yes, Atlanta's growth (urban area now at 6.92 million) IS having an effect on these pockets of the Old South. We can only hope that change will continue on apace as the old die off and the new persist.
Bruce, I'm glad that you related those tales, because it is sometimes difficult to realize how much things have changed here over the years. I worked for a very large downtown law firm for almost 40 years, and Black employees told me that they were still leery of driving through Forsyth County, as their parents had warned them that night riders really did lynch any Black person who dared to drive there - especially at night.
Even in the '80's, when my sons were in high school, I was stunned to see a huge sign posted in a vacant lot across the street from their Gwinnett County school that there was a KKK rally scheduled there on the weekend. I asked my sons if the school had called an assembly or made any announcements about the impending rally, and they had not. I called WSBTV and spoke to one of their reporters, who was aghast! That night, there was a long, indignant feature, the sign was taken down, and the authorities publicly assured residents that the rally would not be permitted. That the school had taken no action, and that WSB hadn't heard anything prior to my call was shocking to me. I called the school and told the principal how upset I was at his inaction, and we had a long talk with the boys, explained the history of racial terrorism, and they promised to tell us if they were approached by anyone associated with such activity. Now, if the same thing happened in Florida today, DeSantis would probably retaliate against me for being woke. In contrast, Georgia, despite its flaws, is continuing to progress.
When we first moved here in '56, then, of course, the South was still solidly Democratic, as in "Dixie-crats", very right-wing segregationists and VERY conservative. My folks, though pretty conservative, had always voted Republican even then, so were a bit against the grain here. Gwinnett then was largely rural and overwhelmingly White. Up further north there were counties that had been 100% White for decades as they had run all the Blacks out through fearmongering and intimidation. Three of them (Forsyth (just to our west), White (no joke), and Habersham) stayed that way until just over 40 years ago. As a kid, I remember seeing with my own eyes the billboard in the county seat of Forsyth county that said, "N****r, don't let the sun set on you." I may have even asked why that was, but my folks probably would have said something like, "Just because..." Now, with Atlanta's northern sprawl, Forsyth county has exploded in growth and has even far surpassed us in population, of which a sizeable proportion is Black. The KKK tried to make a stand in the early '80s, but you can see what became of that. Yes, Atlanta's growth (urban area now at 6.92 million) IS having an effect on these pockets of the Old South. We can only hope that change will continue on apace as the old die off and the new persist.
Bruce, I'm glad that you related those tales, because it is sometimes difficult to realize how much things have changed here over the years. I worked for a very large downtown law firm for almost 40 years, and Black employees told me that they were still leery of driving through Forsyth County, as their parents had warned them that night riders really did lynch any Black person who dared to drive there - especially at night.
Even in the '80's, when my sons were in high school, I was stunned to see a huge sign posted in a vacant lot across the street from their Gwinnett County school that there was a KKK rally scheduled there on the weekend. I asked my sons if the school had called an assembly or made any announcements about the impending rally, and they had not. I called WSBTV and spoke to one of their reporters, who was aghast! That night, there was a long, indignant feature, the sign was taken down, and the authorities publicly assured residents that the rally would not be permitted. That the school had taken no action, and that WSB hadn't heard anything prior to my call was shocking to me. I called the school and told the principal how upset I was at his inaction, and we had a long talk with the boys, explained the history of racial terrorism, and they promised to tell us if they were approached by anyone associated with such activity. Now, if the same thing happened in Florida today, DeSantis would probably retaliate against me for being woke. In contrast, Georgia, despite its flaws, is continuing to progress.