Right, but why is it surprising to you that people don't know? I mean don't get me wrong I was a bit surprised too when you mentioned it, but then thinking about it, it made me realize why it might be this way. Like some education/history classes overlook this stuff sometimes or a town that was known as this hopefully sees it as a black eye and tries to move on (hopefully...). I guess I mean, unless it's in the current news cycle (and then spread around people only know what they're exposed to due to info overload - and unless they go out of their way to learn more about a place's history/personally witnessed) - or they're taking specific history classes that expose some of these atrocious acts to learn then it pretty much isn't mentioned in normal conversation (at least I wouldn't think it would be). Here's another recent example of the term even being mentioned in a recent article - https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/black-lives-matter-vidor/ This article came out just a few months ago and it even mentions Vidor's bullshit history, and yet I'm sure it was missed due to bigger outlets missing it, hell on a side note - Jasper wasn't even that long ago with the bullshit that happened in 1998 - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Byrd_Jr. And in fact what's even worse "Brewer and King were the first white men to be sentenced to death for killing a black person in the history of modern Texas" - that right there alone is insane - that act was so heinous it's something I'll never forget when someone mentions Jasper, TX (it's not mentioned often fortunately) - but those racist assholes deserve to burn. Sorry not trying to derail things, but just some thoughts, and def not trying to make some d&d trash thread.
Yes I know about the term. My father told me about it and introduced me to a man in a small town in Texas. The old man had the bluest eyes and whitest hair. He owned a ranch and had been mayor of a little town up towards Dallas. The man was very kind to me. Later daddy was driving and asked me what I thought of the old man. I said he was kind with clear eyes. My daddy said nothing and so I asked him why he wanted to know my opinion of the old man. My daddy pulled the truck over and said “Don’t you ever judge a man until you see how he treats others. That old man killed a black man years ago for working in their town. No one wants to prove it and I can’t prove it but he did it. Now don’t be so trusting.” .... later that trip he told me about sundown towns, gator bait, green books, ****** post cards and a number of terrible things in this country that mostly white folks did and never made the news or history books. FWIW Missouri and Illinois have small towns there is no way in hell I would stop in if I were black or a woman. There are small farm towns out there that tolerate white men passing by but anything after that is dicey. Some of the local police in this Midwest towns (add Ohio to that list) are down right creepy.
I don't. Should I look it up? Is it something that once you learn it, you'll lose a bit of your innocence? Edit: Ok looked it up. As far as the city planning practices, yes. Didn't know it by that name.
I didn't know about the term until I started talking with other students about venturing outside of Beaumont while attending Lamar.
I had never heard the term until about a year-and-a-half ago. I read this a while back - very well worth the read.
If you were black you didn't want to be caught on I-10 around Rose City or Vidor after dark but that was quite a few years ago.
Assuming you are talking about the phrase that I have heard associated with Vidor, TX? Think that was an urban legend but assuming this is what you are talking about. (Hope not but have not read the thread yet)
