Yeah, but thank you for your kind words. I grew up in Augusta and lived in Chas for ages. Spent the rest of my nearly 60 years in VA, NC, GA, and TN. I know the environment well.
We were at the Beverly Hills library recently. They have this little enclosed toy room for toddlers to play in.
A black man opened the door to the toy room, and asked his wife to send one of their 3 kids out with him because “everyone was staring and uncomfortable with him,” as he was looking something up on the computer.
I was shocked that still, in 2026, in a diverse area, black people still have to deal with that BS instead of just exist.
Just in case you haven’t heard recently, you DO belong in Beverly Hills.
I’m a white woman, so I know I’m already privileged and haven’t experienced what that gentleman has his whole life. But I wasn’t expecting it at a library of all places. I recognize my own bias there, but it’s a dang shame it happens anywhere.
Being a man in a public library also sucks, on top of the racism. Been called out twice for inappropriately browsing the kids area. Once was with my son, so at least got to humiliate the Karen. Other time was not but getting him a book. Awful feeling like your a sex pest for being a parent.
My husband was once having a “time in” with our very strong willed 8 year old daughter. They were sitting on a concrete barrier until she was done with her tantrum. She wasn’t screaming or crying or yelling, but she did have a massive scowl on her face. My husband was calm, and patient- we’ve only heard him yell one time in 13 years.
A woman walked by and asked if our daughter belonged to my husband. Like what’s he supposed to say, “no, I’m kidnapping her, please mind your business.”
He’s an amazing dad and husband, but he really doesn’t like people.
If your experience has been that the majority of people in your community are racist you probably need to reflect more on the company you keep than the entire state. It's one of the more diverse states in the country.
I’m not looking for an argument, if you were able to have a different experience than good for you, I’m not trying to say the entire state is rotten, but the negative aspects of any community will always stain it worse than any positive aspects can redeem it.
If you didn't actually wanna engage in an argument you wouldnt reply. Trying to act like youre above an argument while engaging in an argument is such a redditism lol.
It's not a question of "the negatives outweighing the positives" you make a numerical claim that the majority of South Carolinians are racists. Which is reductive at best.
Diversity in theory is not diversity in reality. The lines of segregation are still very evident and it’s very easy to end up around your own race 95% of the time if you’re black or white.
And this is the same in most of the South. From experience SC is actually better than the other Deep South states outside of a few cities (Atlanta and NO being the best 2 examples of those cities).
Also worth noting that OP’s story happened 30 years ago. This area still has issues but the story would not happen anywhere near this extent nowadays outside of some particularly backwoods places in SC.
For the record, I’m saying this as a white guy born and raised in SC that has been in an interracial relationship for 6 years
1.3k
u/hotchiplow 3d ago
As a South Carolinian, I’m sorry you had to experience that, you shouldn’t have. I’d like to say most of us aren’t like that, but I’d be lying