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unity Race in My Community Natasha Biddie ETH 125 July 11, 2010 Dr. Virginia Merlini Abstract In Thorsby, Al racial diversity depends largely upon the area. Thorsby was founded by Scandinavians in 1865 and to this day there is still have a Swedish festival every October. The town has 1,674 Caucasians, 110 African Americans, 2 American Indians/Alaska Natives, 4 Asians, 1 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, 25 other races, 4 mixed race, and 43 Hispanics. Most of the people in this town are friendly when spoken to, but lead their own lives and tend to stay to them selves. The more exposure a person has to other races the less likely they are to become prejudice. Local Media is especially enthusiastic about the potential benefits of the local towns becoming “wet” including ours. Leaders in my community seem to be friendly and laid back. I could not say that all of Thorsby is as welcoming as the small part of it that I live in. Although, with work I believe it could be. Race in My Community Introduction In this essay I will be talking about the small town of Thorsby, Al. It will address racial diversity, local media, a local business, and community habits. I will present to you any problems that our town has with racial discrimination along with my personal opinions to such. Racial Diversity In this section I will be talking about the racial diversity in Thorsby, Al. Racial diversity in my community depends largely upon where you live. Burrs (2008) says: In order to understand diversity, it is important to understand how individuals are different. According to diversity experts Gardenswartz and Rowe’s Diversity Wheel, there are four layers and over 24 dimensions that can be seen as possible biases towards another individual. Some of those 24 dimensions include: marital status, geographical location, education, income, personal appearance, age and generational differences (para. 5). Although my town was originally founded by Scandinavians in 1865, our towns race has ethnicities has greatly changed since. According to Bussey (2009), " Today, the town has very few Scandinavians living among the 2,000 or so residents, but the architecture of the old homes and church are reminders of the days when all the shops and businesses were operated by Swedes, Norwegians, Finns and Danes.” (para. 2). On AmericanTowns.com (2010) it shows that our town has 1,674 Caucasians, 110 African Americans, 2 American Indians/Alaska Natives, 4 Asians, 1 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, 25 other races, 4 mixed race, and 43 Hispanics. My Neighborhood/Community In this section I will be talking about my interaction with people in my neighborhood/community. Members of my community, at least the street where I live and spend most of my time, most look like me in color with the exception of a few African Americans and Hispanics; most of us are of the same general economic level and mainly are homebodies just as I am. Most of the people are friendly when you talk to them but lead their own lives and stay to themselves. You will occasionally run into a few unfriendly people, but they are far and few between. I have not had any problems with members of my community. Wherever I go be it the grocer, park, or talking to people walking down my street I have found most of them to be kind and courteous. Recently while taking my children to the park I have met several individuals. Most of the individuals I met were Caucasians. They all seem to be relatively friendly and in search of friendship. The simple truth is that I like my community. I like the people on my street, the people I see when I shop or do laundry. I like the people at the park that I go to frequently, but I have noticed that predominantly only Caucasians frequent this park as well. It makes me wonder if other races are afraid to come to the park because they think they will not “fit in”. If it is that needs to change. I believe that everyone deserves a place to go and relax and let their children play if that is the case. The more exposure a person has to other races the less likely they are to become prejudice. If there was one inequity in my town that I could change it would be to make it known that our park is open for everyone to come to. I would try to help people get past their differences and be able to come together in one place to relax. I would encourage them to bring their children as well to try and stop discrimination and prejudice where it starts. All people in my eyes are equal and deserve to be treated as such regardless of their race or ethnicity. Although, right now while individuals are out of work all over the country but most especially in Thorsby race has taken a backburner. Several years ago it may have been one of the most important issues in the community but right now most people either don’t notice or just don’t care. They are all worried about survival. With no local factories or major corporations and such a large percentage of people out of work, I see several men a week pass by my home asking if there is any yard work for them to do. Local Media Being a small town we do not have our own local media. Although, we do have a Chilton County Reporter which is based out of Clanton this is approximately 3 miles from our town. The Chilton County Reporter has a mixture of races and covers anything they consider news. They cover a variety of individuals from different races but rarely report anything about our town. They are especially enthusiastic about the potential benefits of the local towns becoming “wet” including ours. They believe that by selling alcohol in the local towns it will bring in money to our schools and give us the ability to fix up our towns as well. Local Businesses In this section I will be talking about a few of our local businesses. Our small town of Thorsby has a police department, fire station and a water/sewage station. There are plenty of churches nearby along with a gas station, liquor store, high school and a small mom and pop grocery store. Chilton contractors incorporated. In this section I will be talking about Chilton Contractors Inc. and my interview with one of their employees. Less than three miles away is a Chilton Contractors Incorporated. Mr. T. Fenley when asked about his job site was very cooperative. Mr. T. Fenley (personal communication, July 10, 2010) said that the employees at his work site are primarily Caucasians with only one Hispanic. No discrimination is tolerated at this site. While normal petty bickering between employees is normal, management is very politically correct, the company insists upon it. All literature given to employees by Chilton Contractors Inc. have a mixture of races represented, but is primarily written in English and available in other languages when needed/required. Mr. T. Fenley also stated that all of the employees are treated as family and if unfortunately someone were to become deceased in the company and/or an employee’s family member that they all go to the funeral. Other. In this section I will be talking about racial discrimination during the hiring process. These are all facts but don’t tell the whole picture. Individuals have feelings too. Any time someone goes for a job interview and doesn’t get the job they feel discriminated against. They may feel it is their color, or that they are overweight. They may have had their house broken into by someone who feels entitled to steal because they cannot find work and no longer feel safe. All of these things can be blamed on race but usually are just things that happen. A “white” man without a job is just as likely to steal as a “black” one. An employer is just as likely to not hire you because he or she does not like the way you smile as they are to not like your color. Local Leaders/Authority In this section I will be talking about the local leaders/authority in Thorsby, Al. Also less than two miles away in the opposite direction is our town hall. Our councilmen and our mayor are all Caucasians. The city council is predominately male with the exception of one female councilwoman. Leaders in my community seem to be friendly and laid back. The police tend to only pull someone over when they are speeding, driving irresponsibly and/or do not appear to have their seat belt on. They usually patrol around town and mind their own business and are very friendly when spoken to. Usually the only time our major is seen is in his office or at local events such as our Swedish Fest. I have yet to meet our major. Personal Thoughts In this section I will be discussing some of my personal thoughts regarding racial discrimination. I have a difficult time relating to this kind of discussion not because I look white but because I was taught to judge people as individuals. I don’t see that everyone hates Mexicans or African Americans but that John Doe dislikes Mexicans because his sister married one and he abused her. I try to take every person for the person they are whether it be good or bad. I do not personally feel like I’m treated better or worse than anyone else. I certainly do my best and was also taught not treat others in a way I would not wish to be treated. I do not seek others out but I am always willing to create new friendships. Conclusion In conclusion I believe that effect of race in any community depends upon the type of soul and the personal beliefs that the community members have. If a community or neighborhood has individuals who have been raised to believe that they are a part of a community and not just inhabitants they are less likely to see race as a barrier between themselves. I could not say that all of Thorsby is as welcoming as the small part of it that I live in; although, with work I believe it could be. References AmericanTowns.com. (2010). Thorsby, Alabama Census and Community Profile. Retrieved from http://www.americantowns.com/al/thorsby-information#data Bussey, T. (2009). Town of Thorsby Alabama. Retrieved from http://townofthorsby.com/'q=category/facts-figures/history Dr. Burrs, L. (2005). Diversity – More Than Just A Notion. flintdiversity.com. Retrieved from http://www.flintdiversity.com/library.asp'pagemode=1&aid=2568&ra_id=361