Paradise being mentioned here and the next book in the trilogy is Paradise. I hope there is a connection!

Went back to sleep but woke up to keep reading 💚

My great grandmother left the south to escape abuse. And being someone who is 2nd Gen not born in the South on my mothers side and 1st Gen not born in the south on my biological fathers side, there is a difference between those not born in the south and people who are.

Because I have Louisiana roots on my biological side, the divide is even more different culturally since the state was colonized by the French, and the nuances of black culture in comparison to those who aren’t mixed nor passé-blanc. But anyway. Having family in the south vs people who are raised in the East/West/North have different styles of manners, mannerisms, and etc. How they see blackness is a bit different as well as what they adapted.

I think even hood southern people vs ones who left the south post Jim Crow also are different. Why there’s many arguments that go beyond diaspora, but state lines draw lines within how other black people in America relate to each other. Something I’ve struggled with growing up. I love the west, but I was raised by a Southern Belle who was tough, but taught me manners that made me sweet.

I notice many who have family who are far removed from the South have adapted different attitudes that I don’t have. And I mostly get along with people who never left the south, nor abandoned the values of it. I get along best with the people from the Deep South, which has a special type of charm. But sometimes, I felt was an infection. That sticky sweetness attracted people who took, and never knew the value of giving back. This is because of city life.

These nuances that Toni Morrison is highlighting about how many who left the South adapted a different attitude going up North is different indeed. Things are quicker to access. In the South, where things moved slow, connections were vital. There wasn’t much else to do. Up North, you have so much to do and so much going on, connections get lost, your closest to a connection is the subway to get to your next destination. There’s buildings, things to do, etc. Always something to look forward to. People are flippant because of it. This same applies to small towns. When I lived in a small town, connections were important. There wasn’t much else to do.

Damn, even back then black women still had issues with hair shampooing at someone’s house ksksks. Just issues with being shampooed overall. Now the girlies don’t even shampoo bc they aren’t licensed and the lack of good black hair shops significantly declined to even get a good wash. You gotta do it yourself before even coming in.