Quote Originally Posted by ziggyselbin View Post
I am acquainted with an elderly black lady here is A2. She tells me that many of the black merchants learned business skills from jewish merchants in the valley.
My grandfather said the exact same thing. I wonder what happened to deteriorate Black-Jewish relations since that time. I'm thinking it was the post-Civil Rights Black Arts Movement, right?

I think it is important to recognize that there were black Doctors, Lawyers. Pharmacists, tailors....the list goes on_ all in paradise valley.

Fortunately many of the people that experienced the area are still around ask them what it was like.
Pretty much. Before "integration" African Americans were restricted to certain areas in many Northern cities, and all over the South. All classes had to live together, but the African American upper middle class always wanted acceptance from the larger White society. Many of that class are still seeking that acceptance, which is why I'm glad I have working class roots. I figure that I can treat people well as individuals and have great friends, but I'm never blindsided by racism because I know there's nothing that Black people can do to assimilate.

Black neighborhoods have always been seen as relatively dangerous, from the slave quarters to today. They are only treasured when historical, a phenomenon that's safely in the past, and neither able to move next door to you nor marry your child. 50 years from now, hip-hop culture and postmodern ghettos will be studied and glorified, while the culture, folkways and lives of the Black people who live then will be denigrated. I'd be willing to put money on it.