THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Saturday, July 24, 1976
Dixie whistles the 'New South' tune
totiiiov ti's i'-'i 7
"WITHOUT TIltS broad-bas-
ed interaction there is essen-
tially a stifling of growth," he
explained. There is another
problem, though, that contri-
butes to polarization even more,
governmental action that helps
to maintain segregated housing
patterns. This, he said, was
what prornpted him to run for
public office lie felt there was
a chance for reversal in these
areas . . and being an op-
timist, I'm going to have to say
yes'' there is a chance for
blacks to occupy a larger role
in Southern society.
But Jackson, Miss has had re-
son, Mississippi has had re-
markable success witls its bus-
ing plan, so much success in
fact that it had to stop busing
some children from suburban
areas because the housing pat-
terns have become integrated.
Superintendent of Jackson
schools Dr. Robert Fortenberry
said that he was very surprised
at this development and it gave
him a real hope for the city.
"There has been a signifi-
cant movement of both black
and White people to the subur-
ban areas," he explained
-When the racial barriers fell
there was enough humanity
there that caused us Ito reach
across . . . Numbers alone dic-
late that Mississippi is a multi-
cultural, bi-racial state and the
fuIture of Mississippi is tied tip
in how well all these things fit
together," he added.
While the offspring of the
"New South" continue their up-
hill battle against racism, they
are also leaving other vestigial
social attitudes by the wayside.
Indeed, young people every-
where are shedding the old tra-
ditions faster than the adults
would have them do it.
- NE WEALTHY southern
belle, a student at "Ole
Miss" whuse family settled
in her home town at least five
generations ago, said many of
her friends were on the pill,
had pre-marital sex, and ex-
periimented often with drugs.
This young woman, an art his-
tory major who wants to teach,
confided that she had even gone
out with a man who was "al-
most an atheist." She was
afraid that somehow a copy of
this article would find its way
into the small town where she
lived. This fear was also mani-
fested by other students, who
would not allow their conversa-
tions to be taped.
A person had to go about
these things very quietly, ex-
plained the 'Belle', because
there could be a danger of soil-
ing the family name.
"The people here are uptight.
People are conservative in their
thinking. It's very secretive
(but) our parents trust us,"
she added.
But she said attitudes among
her young friends were chang-
ing. "(Most of my friends)
don't want to get married until
they're out of college for a few
years (but) I don't want them
(men) to treat me as an equal.
I love to be treated special . . .
I sometimes believe in going
Dutch though," she related,
choosing her words carefully.
"It's quite a thing to change
the South in ten years. It
going to be a slow, hard pro-
cess, I think we're doing real
well right now."
rt"HE SEEMING paradox in
the belle's attitudes toward
certain social traditions is one
that exists in the very charac-
ter of the South. Racism and
tolerance, sexism and feminism,
poverty and wealth live to-
gether in a kind of restless har-
mony that threatens at every
moment to break out and de-
stroy the fragile web that has
been woven between the ex-
tremes over the last fifteen
years.
'The belle', the Gholson's and
Brewer are each part of a mo-
saic that illustrates the differ-
ing rates of change occurring
in the South.
All Kinds
of People
Make News
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understanding of minority points of view
and such representation on our staff helps
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readers.
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