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• Friday, July 4, 2008 06:44 PM

  New South vs Old South

  I grew up in the 60s and have lived all of my life in northwest Louisiana. Believe it or not major progress has occurred in the South over the last 48 years that I was old enough to have witnessed and remember. Unfortunately there are still too many white citizens my age and older who still live by the old ways.

  I am encouraged by the young adults I know who grew up in the 80s and beyond who have African-American friends. There are even a few white folks my age and older I know who have African-American friends. Some of the formerly all-white local churches are beginning to have a significant number of black members. Here in Shreveport we elected our first African-American mayor in 2006.

  Improvement will continue as the older generation dies off. Jesse Helms won his elections by close margins. It's sad how a few thousand narrow-minded voters can impede progress.

  And to all you white folks that live outside the south: get off your high-horse! There have been ample racial incidents and atrocities committed by whitey against African-Americans and other ethnicities in every other region of the country over the course of our nation's history. How many times was the Oriental population on the west coast abused? I could go on!

  Have a Happy 4th of July everyone!

  —alchemy-flying Read alchemy-flying's other letters
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