African American Community throughout Arizona (Phoenix: school, college, living)

[AZ_singlemother]

Originally Posted by PugLuv1

Your right Chicago is very diverse..i guess i just miss home that's all

I feel the same way coming from a diverse city myself. They say it's diverse in AZ but it's not, it's whites and mexicans. Plus they do not like each other. Not from that environment at all and cannot tolerate the lack of people of ethnic origins in higher level AZ positions. It's portraying a very negative image to our youth and creating a lack of tolerance.

[brittZ]

Originally Posted by brittZ

Gotcha. Here are a few links which may or may not help.

http://www.phxsoul.com/
http://www.soullist.com/
http://www.urbanaz.com/
http://www.blacktheatretroupe.org/
http://www.phoenixblackchamber.com/c...bObjects/gpbcc

Hope they help.

one more time

[PugLuv1]

Thanks this helps a little...i guess i'm going to have to make the drive since i live all the way in Chandler.

Originally Posted by brittZ

one more time

[phoenixblack]

Originally Posted by PugLuv1

Well i moved to Chandler AZ from Chicago IL...and boy oh boy do i feel like i made a big mistake. I like it here but i don't. I know in Chicago there are so many places to go and things to do. And don't talk about places to eat...like Soul Food or Jamaica Food. I'm going back next month just to eat. I can't even find a good hotdog around here. I've been here about 7 months and i haven't met any african americans yet...and as in for the african men i don't even see them around and the ones i do...i don't think i'm light enough for them if you know what i mean *Wink*, and i'm pretty light. I guess i don't have a chance here in AZ with a African American Man. I'm thinking about mvoing to Houston or Georgia.

sad commentary ... 7 months and ready to bounce?

Seven months is hardly enough time to get to know Phoenix.

I will admit that the African American community is small and fractured, but things are getting better here. Phoenix plays host to numerous black conferences, concerts and black cultural events. We just had the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and Black Film Showcase in downtown Phoenix! We have many black churches and black organizations!

Let me ask, have you joined any African American organizations? Have you attended any of the black cultural/community events (plays at the Black Theatre Troupe, conferences, Black Film Showcase, Black Expo, etc.)? Have you attended a black church here? Have you read the Arizona Informant (black newspaper)? Do you subscribe to Soullist.com? What about AZNoir.com?

If you haven't done any of the above, the only mistake you've made is that you haven't given Phoenix a REAL chance!

As for the brothas who date white girls, you'd be surprised how many of them come from the Midwest and the East Coast! You won't find too many natives in Phoenix ... except for myself.

[PugLuv1]

Okay let ne sum it up for you...I just found out about all the things that you just listed today...actually i just found this website yesterday So no i haven't been to any african american anything because i don't know any african americans. My job doesn't have any african american there but me. Being adult it's a little hard meeting people unless you meet them at work or something. I met one lady the other day in the grocery store and i asked her where does she get her what salon does she go to...so she game me her number...so that was a start So now she did tell me about her church which is 32nd and McDowell, but she will be out of town on business for 2 weeks. So we shall see. I know it's only been 7 months but i figure by the 6 month i would know if i like it here or not. I guess i feel being single and being a black female you don't have much of a chance (I hope i'm not offending anyone by saying this). I had a friend who lived here about 10yrs ago around the glendale area and i believe she stayed for like 2yrs and left because of the same reason being black and single. So she moved to Georgia and has been there every since, and now she's married.

Originally Posted by phoenixblack

sad commentary ... 7 months and ready to bounce?

Seven months is hardly enough time to get to know Phoenix.

I will admit that the African American community is small and fractured, but things are getting better here. Phoenix plays host to numerous black conferences, concerts and black cultural events. We just had the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and Black Film Showcase in downtown Phoenix! We have many black churches and black organizations!

Let me ask, have you joined any African American organizations? Have you attended any of the black cultural/community events (plays at the Black Theatre Troupe, conferences, Black Film Showcase, Black Expo, etc.)? Have you attended a black church here? Have you read the Arizona Informant (black newspaper)? Do you subscribe to Soullist.com? What about AZNoir.com?

If you haven't done any of the above, the only mistake you've made is that you haven't given Phoenix a REAL chance!

As for the brothas who date white girls, you'd be surprised how many of them come from the Midwest and the East Coast! You won't find too many natives in Phoenix ... except for myself.

[phoenixblack]

No doubt, Phoenix is a hard adjustment for anyone who comes from a city with a large black population. I give you props for reaching out to people on this forum. It's a good start!

I definitely encourage you to read my blog -url removed- to get more information about things for black people to do here. My blog is still a work progress but I have a lot of good info on here so far! You can even make comments on my blog!

Moderator cut: advertising

Most popular clubs on the weekends (click on the links for more info) ...

Club Central on Friday nights (happy hour) in central Phoenix

Next in Scottsdale on Tuesdays and Friday nights

Big Fat Greek Restaurant in Chandler on Saturday nights. I haven't been there yet but it's supposed to be off tha chain - hip-hop, r&b

Draft House Sports Cafe (broken link) in Chandler on Saturdays aint bad either

Black churches (there are many more but these are the most well-known) ...

Tanner Chapel AME, Pilgrim's Rest Baptist, First Institutional Baptist Church

Black organizations (there are many more but these are the most well-known) ...

Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals, NAACP, Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce

Hope this helps for now! You gotta get out there and hopefully you'll find that Phoenix is a great place to live!

Originally Posted by PugLuv1

Okay let ne sum it up for you...I just found out about all the things that you just listed today...actually i just found this website yesterday So no i haven't been to any african american anything because i don't know any african americans. My job doesn't have any african american there but me. Being adult it's a little hard meeting people unless you meet them at work or something. I met one lady the other day in the grocery store and i asked her where does she get her what salon does she go to...so she game me her number...so that was a start So now she did tell me about her church which is 32nd and McDowell, but she will be out of town on business for 2 weeks. So we shall see. I know it's only been 7 months but i figure by the 6 month i would know if i like it here or not. I guess i feel being single and being a black female you don't have much of a chance (I hope i'm not offending anyone by saying this). I had a friend who lived here about 10yrs ago around the glendale area and i believe she stayed for like 2yrs and left because of the same reason being black and single. So she moved to Georgia and has been there every since, and now she's married.

[PugLuv1]

Thank You So much, i just sent your friend a email. Also i love My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, but i never knew Saturday nights we're jumping....i'll have to try it. I will try

[missusparsons]

Originally Posted by phoenixblack

Big Fat Greek Restaurant in Chandler on Saturday nights. I haven't been there yet but it's supposed to be off tha chain - hip-hop, r&b

Its sooooo funny you should mention this. My sister just visited from back home (San Diego), and told me she was going to this restaraunt with some friends she had here in AZ. I had never heard of it before (and immediately poo-poo'd it), but she decided to give it a try anyway. Wouldn't you know -- she had the best time, and introduced me to a "black" club in my own town (For shame!)

That's the thing that is so funny about Phoenix. Since all the (middle class) black people are spread out, you have to do a little research to find the cultural hang-outs. But trust me, they ARE there. In some ways, I like the treasure hunt Plus, being a West Coast native -- I am used to very integrated communities. Good Luck!

[PugLuv1]

Well back home i didn't live around to many of us either but i guess since it's back home i knew where to go to hang out or see them...or here them on the radio. I guess i will get use to it sooner or later. I know when i'm in the grocery store i see some nice looking guys...but 2 steps behind them or in front of them there is a ________ woman. I can count on my one hand how many black couples i've seen in the past 7 months...not many.

Originally Posted by missusparsons

Its sooooo funny you should mention this. My sister just visited from back home (San Diego), and told me she was going to this restaraunt with some friends she had here in AZ. I had never heard of it before (and immediately poo-poo'd it), but she decided to give it a try anyway. Wouldn't you know -- she had the best time, and introduced me to a "black" club in my own town (For shame!)

That's the thing that is so funny about Phoenix. Since all the (middle class) black people are spread out, you have to do a little research to find the cultural hang-outs. But trust me, they ARE there. In some ways, I like the treasure hunt Plus, being a West Coast native -- I am used to very integrated communities. Good Luck!

[kungfufighting]

I was one of a lucky few in AZ to grow up in a majority AA community. It is kind of rare in Phoenix, but it is possible to find other African Americans there. South Phoenix used to have a relatively large AA community but since gentrification stepped in it has dispersed throughout the city. The community used to have a degree of political power with city council (I think there still is 1 although I live in ATL now). I also think there is an AA state senator from SP still. The community has been dispersed not by whites but largely by Latinos. Phx is about 35% Latino. But don't be discouraged in South and Central Phx there still is a vibrant AA community with churches and hair dressers and restaurants and such. I think people who like to dismiss PHX as having no AAs live in the burbs or in N. Phoenix. Also someone mentioned a church on 32nd and McDowell. I used to go to Word of Faith it is a mostly AA church, but it is on around 26th and McDowell, not sure if were talking about the same place. Great church though.