leenia.... no, I have not been to Alabama. I HAVE been to Mississippi for two weeks....in 1964, on a voting rights march.
I'm assuming the nice, gentle people you dealt with in Alabama didn't view you as an "outside agitator" who was there to threaten their fundamental beliefs about racial equality. I was at that time living in Kansas, and rural folks there did not conduct lynchings... but it was best to be careful about your politics.

My extensive reading about progress & politics since 1964 has shown me that Mississippi has made more progress than Alabama. The town that I visited back then now has a black mayor. In 1964, I was threatened by the sheriff and police. Alabama is still electing people like Tommy Tubberville.

   In almost any place in the country, rural folk are 'generally' hard-working, friendly people who will help you and share with you... unless you are there to poke at their core prejudices.

Progress is slow... but much slower in many areas of the South. Georgia has made obvious progress... but 2 weeks in Alabama would test my ability to stay out of conflict.