African American Community throughout Arizona

[phoenixblack]

it's so sad to see all of these intelligent black people complain and whine about the lack of black culture here in Phoenix but do nothing to help improve things here.

i've lived here all of my life and i'm happy to say that i'm making a difference. i'm active in several black organizations, i've hosted networking functions and i'm active with my church. I also write a blog - url removed to help African Americans learn about restaurants, entertainment venues, organizations, churches, outdoor activities and diverse neighborhoods in the Phoenix area.

Before you move to atlanta, chicago, DC or charlotte, I encourage you to ask yourselves what YOU did to make life better for yourself and other African Americans!

If you move here and don't try to help galvanize the community, you're just part of the problem.

[Zippy7fo]

Originally Posted by phoenixblack

it's so sad to see all of these intelligent black people complain and whine about the lack of black culture here in Phoenix but do nothing to help improve things here.

i've lived here all of my life and i'm happy to say that i'm making a difference. i'm active in several black organizations, i've hosted networking functions and i'm active with my church. I also write a blog - url removed - to help African Americans learn about restaurants, entertainment venues, organizations, churches, outdoor activities and diverse neighborhoods in the Phoenix area.

Before you move to atlanta, chicago, DC or charlotte, I encourage you to ask yourselves what YOU did to make life better for yourself and other African Americans!

If you move here and don't try to help galvanize the community, you're just part of the problem.

Thank you for saying that!!!! Just gets real tiresome reading all the post bashing black men for being open minded and dating and making friends outside their "race*. Its a shame that all these highly intelligent, educated, professional, successful people would resort to the same sickness and ignorant mentality that had blacks maligned for the previous 500 years. People are catching flack for not making eye contact??? Thats the reason you don't like the sw???? Maybe the guy had dust in his eyes or maybe he was intimidated because he found you that beautiful or maybe he found you that unattractive. I dunno, but I do know that you make a place great by your attitude and actions.

[phoenixblack]

Originally Posted by Zippy7fo

Thank you for saying that!!!! Just gets real tiresome reading all the post bashing black men for being open minded and dating and making friends outside their "race*. Its a shame that all these highly intelligent, educated, professional, successful people would resort to the same sickness and ignorant mentality that had blacks maligned for the previous 500 years. People are catching flack for not making eye contact??? Thats the reason you don't like the sw???? Maybe the guy had dust in his eyes or maybe he was intimidated because he found you that beautiful or maybe he found you that unattractive. I dunno, but I do know that you make a place great by your attitude and actions.

thanks Zippy! The bottom line is that Phoenix is a great place to live! Black people have a great opportunity to thrive here and turn this place into a mecca for black culture. Patience and hard work is the key!

Trust me ... I understand that dating is hard if you're a single black woman in this town. Yes, there's a lot of interracial dating here. Yes, there are black men who don't make an effort to speak to black women in public. Think about this ... most of the black men who are "ignoring" you are NOT natives of Phoenix!

If the "dating scene" is the main reason why you want to leave Phoenix, I'll help you pack!

I beg black people to see the bigger picture! Phoenix is a huge land of opportunity!

url removed

• Open more black businesses!
• Establish black organizations!
• Create black culture (arts, concerts, festivals)!

You have wonderful opportunities to invest in the Valley and make it better!

If you build it ... they will come!

[Vegasnat]

What I don't understand is why everyone is apologizing for having dated outside their race.

I am a black women, used to live in the AZ, poor Phoenix did not have a lot of options and the black men were not acting right, so I went outside of my race... and I make no apologies for it. I am also one of those black women that NEVER gives a second look to a black man and a white woman. A.) it is not my business, I clean my own house, ya know? B.) Maybe he ran into a shortage like I did.

Bottom Line, when I was in AZ, the black men didn't act right, knew that they were in the minority being successful, good looking and smart and tried to run game. So I ran it back....with white guys. Nothing against the brothas...I just never went back. I do not limit myself and I have never been happier...and ENGAGED!!!

Peace

[PugLuv1]

Well i'm speaking for myself, which 1. i don't have attidude like they say most black women have. 2nd. i don't think every black man i ran into had dust in his eyes, and it didn't seem like it was a "DustStorm" that day. 3rd. I'm not unattractive, but "each to his own". 4th. Why is it that we're always the sick ones when we speak are minds?? My main thing that gets me is that when black men dates a white woman is speak bad about the black woman, and have you notice i never heard the white woman speak bad about the white man??? If you do go out of your race please don't speak bad about your race, don't forget you "Mom" is black and i'm sure she wasn't a golddigger or has a attidude. Plus I've seen golddigger's in every race.

Originally Posted by Zippy7fo

Thank you for saying that!!!! Just gets real tiresome reading all the post bashing black men for being open minded and dating and making friends outside their "race*. Its a shame that all these highly intelligent, educated, professional, successful people would resort to the same sickness and ignorant mentality that had blacks maligned for the previous 500 years. People are catching flack for not making eye contact??? Thats the reason you don't like the sw???? Maybe the guy had dust in his eyes or maybe he was intimidated because he found you that beautiful or maybe he found you that unattractive. I dunno, but I do know that you make a place great by your attitude and actions.

[Zippy7fo]

Originally Posted by PugLuv1

Well i'm speaking for myself, which 1. i don't have attidude like they say most black women have. 2nd. i don't think every black man i ran into had dust in his eyes, and it didn't seem like it was a "DustStorm" that day. 3rd. I'm not unattractive, but "each to his own". 4th. Why is it that we're always the sick ones when we speak are minds?? My main thing that gets me is that when black men dates a white woman is speak bad about the black woman, and have you notice i never heard the white woman speak bad about the white man??? If you do go out of your race please don't speak bad about your race, don't forget you "Mom" is black and i'm sure she wasn't a golddigger or has a attidude. Plus I've seen golddigger's in every race.

Very true of what you say but I sitill think that a smart, intelligent, professional, beautiful sista like your self should not take on the negative-toxic mentality of what racist folks in the past did to us. Let their stupid behavior stay with them. Our community stands for inclusiveness and every minority group that exist in America today benefits from our fight for the right to be respected and included. I've heard white girls trash some white guys for their personalities and physical attributes, matter of fact I would say their the harshest critic. It just doesn't get discussed out in the open.

But I don't think the issue has to do with race more than personality types. I think BW have been raised to carry a alpha mentality about how they manage their existence and while thats great for corporate America its terrible for the home because most bm also have alpha mentality. You look at any organism on earth that mates, procreates, and raises a family one partner is alpha and one partner is beta. Its the hyper-aggressive attitudes that turn these men off because thats the role they were raised to have and if they can't have it their gonna move to relationships were it will exist. Its not weakness or intimidation its just the way things work in nature.....My pops told me a long time ago that even steel can get too hard and become brittle.

[PugLuv1]

Your so right, well hopefully things will change one day.

Originally Posted by Zippy7fo

Very true of what you say but I sitill think that a smart, intelligent, professional, beautiful sista like your self should not take on the negative-toxic mentality of what racist folks in the past did to us. Let their stupid behavior stay with them. Our community stands for inclusiveness and every minority group that exist in America today benefits from our fight for the right to be respected and included. I've heard white girls trash some white guys for their personalities and physical attributes, matter of fact I would say their the harshest critic. It just doesn't get discussed out in the open.

But I don't think the issue has to do with race more than personality types. I think BW have been raised to carry a alpha mentality about how they manage their existence and while thats great for corporate America its terrible for the home because most bm also have alpha mentality. You look at any organism on earth that mates, procreates, and raises a family one partner is alpha and one partner is beta. Its the hyper-aggressive attitudes that turn these men off because thats the role they were raised to have and if they can't have it their gonna move to relationships were it will exist. Its not weakness or intimidation its just the way things work in nature.....My pops told me a long time ago that even steel can get too hard and become brittle.

[markablue]

The topic is Arizona culture, not racial issues in general. Keep the discussion to the local problems, please. You are welcome to create another thread for more general debate here.

[blackjulie]

Originally Posted by brittZ

I do have one question though and I mean no offense. I simply want to understand. You said, "are there good social activities and shopping for African American families? We teach our children about equality, so we're not looking for any segregation..." What exactly are good social activities and shopping for African American families? How are those activities and shopping different from good social activities and shopping for white people, or mexicans, or Asians? How does looking for activities that isolate you as an African American family teach equality? Again, I am not looking to insult, argue, degrade etc. . . just trying to understand.

britt diffrent ethnic groups have diffrent markets and shopping requirements. the mexicans have food city, the asians have their markets and the blacks have beauty supply stores that cater to our unique needs. clothing, skin treatments, hair salons, so dont be some quick to think ppl are secluding ourselves. GROUPS REQUIRE CULTURAL SUPPLIES FOR THEIR BACKGROUND. NO OFFENSE!

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by blackjulie

britt diffrent ethnic groups have diffrent markets and shopping requirements. the mexicans have food city, the asians have their markets and the blacks have beauty supply stores that cater to our unique needs. clothing, skin treatments, hair salons, so dont be some quick to think ppl are secluding ourselves. GROUPS REQUIRE CULTURAL SUPPLIES FOR THEIR BACKGROUND. NO OFFENSE!

A little testy are we? I was thinking the same thing as Britt. However, she was just asking a simple question for understanding. To me, it does sound like segregation, especially in the same sentence as equality.