I just wrote a serious essay as a comment on Asia's blog ( I had to post in two parts because I was over the 5,000 character limit) so I'm gonna make this one short and sweet.
This weekend we went to visit Greenwood and Money, MS. One of the most eye-opening things about our trip to Greenwood was the stark contrast between the "black-side" of the tracks and the "white-side" of the tracks. I've never seen such a blatant contrast in living conditions in such close proximity; and with such a clear delineation--the train tracks. Driving through the Black part of Greenwood we saw small one-floor houses, many in poor conditions and various dilapidated buildings and parks. Some of the houses were boarded up, although you could tell people still lived there. And the parks consisted of a couple of swings and a rusty basketball hoop. Most people had overgrown yards with more weeds than grass and there didn't seem to be much "playing" outside, but rather people simply gathered on porches or sidewalks talking.
The minute we drove over the tracks to the White side it was like entering an alternate universe. Multi-level houses with expansive front (and most likely back) yards greeted us on either side of the road. The lawns were perfectly manicured, adorned with various flowers and vegetation and in some houses a hammock or swing hung from a million-dollar tree. The houses were in PERFECT condition, not a missing shingle and I almost felt like I had stepped into a modern Pleasantville. Unlike on the black-side of the tracks, there weren't that many people outside in this part of Greenwood. Perhaps, because they were escaping the 100 degree weather in favor of the central air conditioning in their homes.
This was Greenwood in 2009. With the same blatant segregation its had for the last century. Growing up in Boston, I've seen segregated communities, but I've never seen a place which was entirely black or white and where there was no middle ground for living conditions. A theme of my blogs has been the presence of tradition throughout MS, and our trip to Greenwood was yet another example of how tradition lingers and manifests within the state.
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Wow, I saw a video by one of the interns last year documenting the stark difference between both sections of the community. I really wish I were there to see it. Reading your description, it sounds almost like my trip to Philadelphia/Philly. My mom, brother, and I decided to make the distinction between the two. Driving through the city, we saw run down houses boarded up and covered in graffiti but obviously inhabited. The houses were so close in proximity that you probably could talk to your neighbor through the window without speaking above a whisper. We also saw residents sitting outside on their front porches and yards enjoying a barbecue (they didn't have backyards). This was Philly. Drive about 6 blocks down, we saw beautiful two and three story houses perched on hills where you had to walk up stairs to get to the front door. This was Philadelphia. I don't know. I just think it's interesting how the same city can have such dichotomous living environments.
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