Christianity in the South

I guess I'll be talking about religion like Ankur did before me since religion is a huge thing in the South. I have always known that in the South, religion is a huge part of the Southern identity but I never realized that it was this huge until I came to Atlanta. From the communities to streets, one can see churches nearly in every block(slight exaggeration). As everyone knows, the South is also known as the Bible Belt.

Since I am Christian, the biggest similarity I can make with the South is the religion. My parents were Christians so I grew up in a family where Christianity was not foreign but more as a part of the family and the identity of the family. Therefore, when I came to Atlanta, I didn't feel like I was in a foreign country or town because of the hospitality and love that I received from the churches I visited and other Christians that I met here in Georgia Tech. Because there was similarity of my identity and the South, it actually helped me to grow up in many ways: emotionally and religiously.

How Hindu is Similar to Southern

Since I am Hindu, there are not many obvious similarities between my culture and Southern culture; however, there are some striking comparisons that can be made between the two. For example in the South, religion is a huge part of the Southern identity.

The South is mostly Protestant Christians, majorly considering that it is the primary location of the Bible Belt (below). In this area, church attendance across the denominations are extremely high since religion is a major feature of Southern identity. For many Hindus, religion is also a major part of our lives because that is where we derive most of our values, traditions, etc. Religion is a major part of my life as well: I pray everyday and go to my temple every Sunday. This is similar to many Christians in the South that go to church on Sundays.


Another similarity between my background and Southern identity is that both have some sort of hospitality. As we blogged about this topic before, we all know what Southern hospitality is. In the same way as a Hindu, I also believe in some sort of hospitality or respect. Hindus believe that whenever some sort of guests visit, we must treat him with hospitality and serve them with respect to their every needs. Basically we must treat them as if they were a part of our family. Just with these two examples, you can see the similarities between the two seemingly different cultures.

Festivities

In this class, we have discussed Southern culture in various different aspects. This has made me analyze how Colombian culture is similar to American culture. The first observation I made was the fact that in both countries regionalism exists. In America, the rivalry between the North and the South is very popular. This is very similar to Colombia because the culture from the coastal (caribbean) part competes with the culture from the interior part, which includes Colombia's capital (Bogota). The truth is that there is not a best region, they are just different. Colombia's caribbean region is very similar to the American South. Both have a warm weather and are known for their hospitality and the warmth of their people. The food also plays a big role in differentiating them from each others competition. Another similarity is that the South is known in America for being less industrialized than the North and the Coastal part in Colombia is also known for its rural aspect. In Colombia, the coastal part is known for its vacation sites and for its relaxed environment, which is similar to what we have learned about how America views the South. This is also shown by the fact that both regions have popular carnivals. In Colombia, Barranquilla celebrates " El Carnaval de Barranquilla" and in a similar way New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras. Both carnivals revolve around famous parades which are organized by krewes, which in Colombia are called "comparsas". Both have kings and queens who are selected based in their social status. When looking at some pictures of Mardi Gras, I also realized that costumes are very similar and both contain colorful masks. Both of these carnivals shape how each region is viewed by their own country. Here are some pictures of the Carnivals celebrated in each country where their similarities are obvious.

With this being Easter weekend, I was in church a lot. My faith plays a big role in my life and is part of my identity. Another big part of my identity is being a Southerner. In our studies of Southern identity we touched on the subject of religion as a part of the Southern identity. Even though religion is a big part of my life, it is not something that connects me with the South. I am Eastern Orthodox Christian, which is not your typical Southern religion. I went to a lamb roast after the Easter service and while I was there I couldn't help but see how similar an Orthodox identity was to a Southern identity at that specific time. I went with a friend and her whole extended family and their neighbors and friends were there. It was so similar to a Southern barbecue. Everyone was eating and drinking and having a great time. The men were all sitting around the lamb spit working the meat so that it would be just right while the women were inside setting up the buffet. We stuffed ourselves and then lounged around in the yard and drank some more. Pretty soon the papou (grandfather) brought out a bag of cigars and all the guys sat around talking while smoking cigars.

We all come from different backgrounds so this week I would like y'all to discuss how some aspect of your identity is similar or different from a Southern identity.

Merlefest

A big part of the South is it's music. It is very distinct and is full of emotion. We see in Bastard Out of Carolina that it also arouses our emotions. I love music and more specifically Southern music. 95% of my iTunes library is Southern music. So one type of Southern event that I love is the music festivals and jams. It just so happens that I will be going to one of the biggest Southern music festivals, Merlefest. For those who don't, Merlefest was started by Doc Watson (an amazing guitarist) in memory of his sone Merle Watson who died in a farming accident. It is held in Wilkesboro, NC and raises funds for the local college. There are going to be quite a few big name musicians there including Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley, The Avett Brothers, and Steve Martin.

Many times at music festivals there is great Southern food and at Southern cookouts usually there are a couple of people jamming. This is because the two things that Southerners in general enjoy the most are their food and their music. There are so many small bluegrass jams and cookouts in the Southern country with amazing music. I have included a clip of a great band, Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels, at the Oak Grove Folk Music Festival in Virginia.

Southern Cookouts

Hey, it has only been a couple of days since Spring Break ended, but I know that we all had fun because we either did many activities or participated in many events. So for the next topic, we will talk about the different significant activities or events that the South participates in.

Whenever I think of a Southern event, I think of the basic outdoor cookouts. In these cookouts, the people get together, eats some barbecue, drink, listen to music, and basically have a good time. Usually, these types of events are held in summer afternoons so that everyone can enjoy the bright sunny weather. I think that barbecues are really important to the South because they unite the entire Southern community. They are not just social events, but events that remind the community of its culture. The food at these events pretty much contain some sort of grilled or barbecued meat, usually pork, because these foods remind the South of its history. Also it is a custom in these cookouts to listen to some type of country music since this is the music most closely related to Southern identity. So cookouts mean more to the South than just an ordinary event but an event that reminds the community of its identity.

In this music video, there is a perfect example of a Southern barbecue:

An Experience with Southern Hospitality

Every time I go back to Nashville, I always go get fried chicken fingers from McDougal's. Not only do they have the best chicken fingers you will ever eat, but they also are extremely nice and hospitable. When I was in high school I would go with my friends a couple of time and it soon became our favorite spot. When we ordered our food, the cashier was really nice and chatted with us a little bit. After just a couple times the employees knew us by name making us feel like regulars. Pretty soon Ricky, our usual cashier, was giving us our drinks for free. Up until that time I hadn't experienced southern hospitality like that so I would always end up leaving what I would spend on the drink as an additional tip. Also, they had free ice cream with each order.

What I thought was great about their southern hospitality, was how short of a time it was before they started giving us a discount and just how nice they were when I went there for the first time. They are right by Vanderbilt University and are a college hang out spot, which in my experience don't tend to have that much southern hospitality, but this place and their employees were really nice from the beginning. Whenever I go back to Nashville I will always eat at and support McDougal's Chicken.

Southern Unfriendliness

For this week, I would like to talk about my experience of Southern inhospitality. I know that the topic is about Southern hospitality but I wanted to share my experience of inhospitality. Yesterday, I went to Waffle House with 6 other friends around 1 a.m. First of all, they did not greet us with a huge smile or a "Welcome." They sent us a sign saying "Just site wherever you want." We found out that the largest table could only hold 4~6 people maximum, so we sat at the largest table and grabbed two chairs so that we can all sit, eat and talk together. However, as we were sitting, the lady who was working there came to us with a serious face saying that there were too many people in one table. We explained that we wanted to sit together. She stared at us for few seconds and left us mumbling something.

After we sat down, she only brought 4 sets of forks and knives, even though there were 7 of us. She never brought the other 3 until we asked her for them. When she was taking our orders, she didn't even look at us and just wrote down the order. Although she was asking questions, her eyes were focused on the order sheet. She also didn't serve us water when we first arrived. She brought cups of water after the food was served. She didn't talk in a friendly voice but rather in a ignorant manner. Her manners and attitude offended some of my friends, including me. So, although Angelica said that Waffle House was friendly and presented the Southern hospitality, I did not feel the same way.

Moving In

Since I have been living in the South for my entire life, I never really notice any kind of Southern hospitality. However, when I first moved into my new house, I really experienced Southern hospitality. The minute my family drove into the neighborhood with our stuff, everyone around was staring at us because we were new, which I thought was kind of weird. After we entered our house, we began unpacking some of our stuff so we could settle in as soon as possible. When we began bringing in our larger furniture, many neighbors even asked to help bring them inside. Later, our next-door neighbor rang our doorbell and began talking to my parents. The neighbors were telling us useful information about the neighborhood, the city in general, and where we could find general places such as the post office, nearest hospital, etc. As they were leaving, they invited us to their house for dinner the next day. After we finished moving in and settling at our new house, we felt like we were already part of the neighborhood.

Here is a cartoon of neighbors moving in:

Southern Hospitality in Different Ways

For me southern hospitality has been around me for 10 years since I have moved to Virginia. I have experienced it everywhere. Hospitality from people and places I know to people and places that I do not know. There were several instances where I have experienced this hospitality, but the most memorable remembrance was with my old track coach. Now I'm guessing your might be saying thats your coach he's supposed to be nice, but he helped through one of the hardest moments I have experienced in my life and that was the death of my grandfather, which takes a real hosp.

The traumatic event event happened around my sophomore and junior year of high school. Though we knew each other for 2-3 years we weren't extremely close. But when the fateful week that my grandfather passed. It was difficult for me, because my brothers and sisters were at college, my dad was working, and my mom with the rest of the family at the hospital. I was in a bad state and not many were open to help with me. Then after my track meet, my track coach gave me a ride home. He noticed I was acting different and was open to discussing with me about my grandpa's death. He showed hospitality or southern hospitality he talked me through my struggle and told me that my grandfather had passed certain traits of himself to me that I will live without through my life, in a sense living through me. Now my coach really didn't have to open his mind to discuss this with me about my struggles, but he showed hospitality that comforted me tremendously.

Now there were other people and places where I have received hospitality. Though as the my home town becomes more commercialized. But there have been several places where I have felt that southern hospitality. There are places by me that greet with the southern hospitality and feeling of being at home. One of these places was a hole in the wall BBQ place by Toccoa, Ga where the people were really nice and the food was even better. You had to know it local because of the classic outdoor appeal and some of the people just got back from hunting and were eating there. There are several places by my hometown that have that homey friendly feel like Wayside Fried Chicken and our local Dairy Queen, or 'DQ', and the Brownsville Market where everybody knows what the high school's football score was and the lastest news in town. But these places are also very open to the widest array of strangers and always willing to lend a helping hand.

Those many of these places or people did not have specific examples, except the one with my coach, they were all happy/comforting moments that touched me somehow. They all showed me what southern hospitality is and what it is about.

Southern Hospitality

As I have mentioned several times throughout the blog, I am not originally from the United States and I lived 5 years in Florida, so the stereotypical South is kind of new for me. However, two weeks ago I experienced a characteristic of the stereotypical South that we have mentioned several times in class and is most appreciated by non-Southerners-- Southern Hospitality. The past weekend, my roommate's parents, who are Colombian as well, came up to Georgia because she was running a Half- Marathon in Rome, Georgia in Berry College. So we went up there and stayed from Friday to Saturday. While my roommate ran 13.1 miles, her family and I decided to grab breakfast in the first dinner we saw, in this case it was Waffle House. As soon as my roommate's mother and I entered through the door, the cooks and people who worked there welcomed us with big smiles and pleasant greetings. They made conversation with us and referred to us with words like 'honey' and 'sweetie'. My roommate's mother was really surprised and did not understand why they were being so overly nice. In that moment I remembered all the discussions we have had in ENG 1102 about this topic. I could finally say-- 'Oh, so this is what they are referring to when they say Southern Hospitality.'

This impacted me very much and I would like to hear more experiences like this, so for this week's topic I would like you to narrate a memorable experience/moment that you have had where you felt that you were a victim of Southern Hospitality.

Texas

When I first think about the South, I automatically think of Texas. I have never been to Texas nor have any friends from Texas. However, somehow in someway, Texas has always been the representative of the South to me. So although I do not have specific evidence to support why Texas best represents the South, I would like to share some of my thoughts.

South is first distinguished by their typical southern accent. Throughout my life, the southern accent that I have always heard was the Texan accent. Well, to tell you the truth, I thought there was only one southern accent. I didn't know it differed from region to region. However, in my opinion, the most used southern accent in movies or TV shows were Texan accent. Therefore, I think Texas represents the South.

Another reason why Texas represents the South is because of the food. I was well aware that Southern states are famous for fried chicken. Although I still have not tried a typical southern fried chicken yet since I came here to Georgia, I heard that the Texas fried chicken is the best. I may be right or wrong, but that's what I heard. Therefore, I believe that Texas represents the South in food.

Moreover, I have a strong image of a cowboy when I think of the South. Furthermore, I think about Texas when I listen to word 'cowboy.' It makes me imagine a red plane with cactus standing still on its own, and cowboys riding a horse with their jeans on. Well, I do know it's a common image of a cowboy riding a horse in a hot glazing red plane; however, that's the image that I had and heard from other people before coming to the South.

-Hye Jin Ahn-

Which South is the True South

As I was watching TV recently, I saw a lot of new shows and many of them were so to say about battles between opinons and restaurants over which stuff was better. So for this weeks topic, it is the battle royale of which state is the most southern or most important and why. Nobody can be wrong, just use supporting facts or what u think characterizes the south and give your best opinion.

Although being biased in several ways I feel that Virginia is basically one of the most southern places, though geographically it is one of the most northern southern state. There are several facts that contribute it to being one of the most important states of south. First they produced some of the best and biggest generals in the Civil War. Two of the most famous ones were Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee. Also still today there are rural places in Virginia where there is confederate pride present. Also many farms including tobacco a southern staple is still grown in Virginia. Other staple products like Virginia Ham, peanuts, soy, and hay. Even with farming being the number one industry in Virginia it is still tied to its roots with 87% of farms owned by an individuals or families. Though it is still northern compared to other states its still prides itself in its southern history. Another fact is that most of all the fights in the Civil War took place in Virginia. It is also home to many of the famous leaders in United States history: Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, Zachary Taylor, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Woodrow Wilson.

Richard Wright

I don't know how many of you guys heard about Richard Wright, but he was an American author in the mid-20th century who wrote many novels and short stories. Wright's literature provided a real image of the racial relations of the South at the time. Because he experienced these racial relations firsthand, he was able to use those experiences in his works.

One of his most famous works is Native Son, which is about a young African American who has to run away from the cops because he accidentally kills a white girl. Throughout the novel, the protagonist commits many crimes such as murder, robbery, and rape and is confronted with racism, violence, and debasement. The main theme of the novel is that racial inequality and social injustices affect a person so deep that it is nearly impossible to determine where the expectations of society end and free will begins. Wright's Native Son is a good illustration of the image of the South at the time because it provides the emotional and social issues that African Americans faced in the South.

Another important piece of literature that Wright provides a good image of the South is Black Boy, which is Wright's semi-autobiography which talks about his race relations in the South and his affiliation with the Communist Party after he moved to Chicago. When Wright was a young teenager, his mother became ill, so he took it upon himself to get a job. However, his white employers often treated him really awful due to his race. Because he felt harassed, Wright would quit that job and go to another one, only to find the same type of employers. This book showed how African Americans in the South were treated in terms of their labor. In a way, African Americans still were harassed like slaves even though it was the mid-20th century.

To Kill A Mockingbird

For this week's topic, I would like you guys to find a book that represents and portrays the image of the South.

The only book that I can think portrays the image of the South is "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I have read this book when I was in 9th grade in high school, and it was a huge shock to me. I was amazed and surprised in how the whites treated the blacks in the old days. Sometimes, I even felt disgusted. Below are famous speeches by Atticus during the trial.

The speeches by Atticus portrays the South in those days. Blacks were not treated right. Although Tom Robinson was accused of rape, there was no single medical evidence that he had done it. However, Bob Ewell still accuses Tom for the rape. The witnesses of the State thinks that Tom lies when he says he did not do it. Atticus calls that a "evil assumption, that all negroes lie; all negroes are basically immoral beings." Through these speeches, it is clear that the South did not treat the blacks properly and there were no equal rights. The South is portrayed as the whites being superior and has all the power.

-Hye Jin Ahn-

Johhny Cash

Whenever I think of music that exemplifies the south or gives a taste of it, I cannot help but think of Johnny Cash and his own unique type of country music. From the beginning of life I occasionally heard Johhny Cash because ge was one of if not the favorite of my Grandpa's. Johhny was one of the pioneers in Country music giving his own twist with his unique characteristics.

His characteristics ser him apart from many artists of his time, including his well known deep raspy at times voice. That was not the only thing that set him apart. His songs unlike most of the country singers was about misery or religious misery, instead of most country singers of the time proclaiming to be saved by God and other subjects. Though he did at time sing about happy things he still was most well known for his dark deep songs. His life story is also shown in the movie Walk the Line. He grew up in the terrible conditions of the Depression that affected his family and had to work picking cotton in his family. Not only that but he had to deal with the death of his brother who was in a table saw accident. With his voice and determination he became one of the premiere idols in country music.

He opened a new book and sub-genre in Country music. His life story of drinking and struggles is sad but inspiring that he made it through and created such incredible music that was made even into a movie.

Georgia on my mind

When I think about the song of the South, I can only think about 'Georgia on my mind' by Ray Charles. I was in choir when I was in high school and we sang this song. I really loved the rhythm and the lyrics. Who would have known that I would come to Georgia, the place where it seems like peaceful yet graceful, according to the lyrics.

The lyrics represent the South through depicting Georgia's beauty. First of all, the song contains one of the southern states, Georgia. Georgia is a state that has a important history and was really involved in the Civil War. The song's lyrics mentions the finding of no peace, because Georgia has gone through so many wars that keeps Georgia on Ray's mind. The lyrics also mentions the love for Georgia, "Other arms reach out to me Other eyes smile tenderly."

Moreover, Ray Charles is a blind African-American man. Although he may be blind, he still views the south in the same perspective as other people. The song was recorded around the Civil Rights Movement, but the fact that it gained so much recognition in Georgia state illustrates that the song was important and somehow relevant to the state of Georgia. Furthermore, Charles essentially brought another genre of music: soul music, into the R&B world of the South.

-Hye Jin Ahn-

"Chicken Fried"

Since my project group focuses on the topic of Southern music, I have already talked to you about this song, "Chicken Fried", and how it identifies the South. This song, by the Zac Brown Band, has a very interesting background. Before writing the lyrics to this song, Zac Brown wanted to make a music video that shows that the Southern lifestyle can be celebrated. In order to do that, he wanted to make an image of the South that would help the viewers of the video be able to visualize what the South truly is. Brown made this image by making a list of things that are southern or characterize the South, mostly consisting of the basic stereotypes that most of the world looks at the South as.

In the music video, there are many stereotypical details of the South that are related to the Old South, such as the food, music, and clothing themes. However, there is one interesting theme that you wouldn't expect to be a characteristic of the South. Zac Brown included many patriotic images and lyrics to show that the South was patriotic and not the Confederacy supporter that one would stereotype. Basically, a couple months after Brown began writing the song, the 9/11 attacks occurred. In order to show that the South in fact supported America, Brown added an entire third verse dedicated to those who died for our country.

When you watch the video, be sure to notice the details in the music, the images, and the lyrics that provide a mostly stereotypical identity of the South.

Chicken Fried @ Yahoo! Video

Coming from Florida, I have not been acquainted with Southern music. Since coming to Georgia Tech, I always pass by the Fraternity houses making it inevitable to hear country music. This was my first encounter with this type of music, so I will analyze the song-- What Hurts The Most from Rascal Flatts. It is a beautiful , at the same time a very sad song, that describes the pain of a young girl who's boyfriend just died. I have attached the video from youtube in the post. The video clearly demonstrates that this is a typical southern song. The first thing that has to be mentioned is the setting of the video. She is with her boyfriend in a typical southern field, where a truck owned by her boyfriend is parked. Obviously, the truck is a perfect representation of the South. I also have to mention the clothing of everybody in the video. Notice that both her dad and her boyfriend are wearing plaid shirts-- which are symbols of the South as well. I will like to experience more of this music, so I am open to any suggestions.

SEE VIDEO

Southern Music

Music is not only a source of entertainment that people have enjoyed for thousands of years, but it is also a way to show our identity and part of culture. Southern culture is rich with many different types of music: blues, bluegrass, country, rap, and more. The topic for this week is to pick either a genre of music or a specific song and talk about it and how it is part of Southern culture or depicts Southern identity.

I will talk about shape note singing (also known as sacred harp singing because the book they sing from is titled The Sacred Harp). It is called shape note singing because the music is written using 4 different shapes to depict different notes making it easier to read. Everyone sits in a square facing inward to the singing leader. People keep time with their arm as can be seen in the videos. Shape note singing was sung both in the northeast and the South in the first half of the 19th century but it fizzled out in the north and flourished in the South. It was sung in many churches, and with how religious the South is, it makes sense it became more popular in the South. Shape note singing is not a refined music, the singing is rough and unique. In recent years shape note singing has gained popularity and there are singings that occur quite often. The singings nowadays are not a church service but the lyrics of the songs they sing are religious. The singings have a very hospitable and homely feel to them. Everyone is welcome to join in the singing and get up and lead a song (the singing leader changes with every song). The singings usually are an all day event where they sing for several hours and then break for food and then sing some more. There is a singing at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church that meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wed. of every month. It is marked on the Y'all Come Back Now map. The first video is a trailer for a movie about shape note singing and it talks a little bit about the music and history and the second video is from the movie Cold Mountain in which shape note singing appears and is heard a couple of times.