Job Discrimination? Racial Mingling? (Baltimore, Dundalk: how much, home, unemployed)
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I am a business owner and Baltimore real estate owner. I have been here for a good number of years.
If it tells you anything at all about the racial circumstance in Baltimore, when you mentioned you thought you were being discriminated against, and you had not yet revealed that you are black, I had just assumed you were white.
Honestly, it works both ways.
I am tired of the generally hostile atmosphere in Baltimore, though (whether it's West Baltimore, Highlandtown, Pigtown, or Hamden), and have bought a house in Sarasota.
There will be a lot to miss about Baltimore (Thai Landing, Fell's Point, crabs...), but there will be a lot to be well-rid of too.
I am a business owner and Baltimore real estate owner. I have been here for a good number of years.
If it tells you anything at all about the racial circumstance in Baltimore, when you mentioned you thought you were being discriminated against, and you had not yet revealed that you are black, I had just assumed you were white.
Honestly, it works both ways.
I am tired of the generally hostile atmosphere in Baltimore, though (whether it's West Baltimore, Highlandtown, Pigtown, or Hamden), and have bought a house in Sarasota.
There will be a lot to miss about Baltimore (Thai Landing, Fell's Point, crabs...), but there will be a lot to be well-rid of too.
Do you honestly believe it will be better in Sarasota? I remember a few years back that Sarasota had racial riots over a number of issues. I just don't think the grass is greener anywhere else.
Do you honestly believe it will be better in Sarasota? I remember a few years back that Sarasota had racial riots over a number of issues. I just don't think the grass is greener anywhere else.
I lived in Tampa and St. Pete for years prior to moving back to Baltimore for business, and I can tell you that I never once felt the percolating hostility there that I feel in Baltimore.
I have lived all over this country, west coast to east, north to south, and Baltimore is easily the least racially integrated city I have lived in (with Milwaukee being right up there, too).
I lived in Tampa and St. Pete for years prior to moving back to Baltimore for business, and I can tell you that I never once felt the percolating hostility there that I feel in Baltimore.
I have lived all over this country, west coast to east, north to south, and Baltimore is easily the least racially integrated city I have lived in (with Milwaukee being right up there, too).
That was just what I wanted to read, Rushmore! I was born and raised in B-more and honestly it just doesn't agree with me. Me and my husband will be looking at places in Tampa and St Pete's later this year. We just feel it will be a better fit for us. Thank you!
Just a question: have you guys noticed job discrimination in Baltimore/Greater Baltimore area?
But when I meet my interviewers, the friendly people I talked to on the phone no longer exist. I'm given a slightly off-hand interview, with LAME questions. They don't try to ask about my qualifications....and some places didn't even ask for references. ONE place even sent me home with a writing assignment, but failed to contact me for references. Why waste my time?
After not hearing from this particular job, I emailed them, inquiring on my application status. I was then sent a letter saying I was not selected because I didn't adhere to their "office culture."
Having moved here from New England, and originally being from the Midwest, I find race relations here in Maryland to be very awkward to say the least.
First off, it's not a very diverse state...it seems divided between "black" and "white"...I hardly ever see Asian, Hispanic, Native Americans, or other ethnicities...And if I do, it's just a sprinkling in an otherwise white community. Also, people of different races don't seem to mingle here. You know...as friends...dinner parties, neighborly chats...etc.
It's very odd.
In downtown Baltimore I see lots of POOR Black people...where are the mid/upper class people of color? And within this sea of poor Black people there are tiny enclaves of rich white areas. (Unless you're at the inner harbor) It's just...really odd.
Looking in as an outsider, seems that ...people of different races...barely tolerate each other here. it's like, their forced to live in close quarters, but the white people are scared of the Black people and just want to ignore them. And I don't know how the Black people feel...probably ignored and downtrodden. This is the first time I've ever been around so many poor people, of one race, in my life. I mean...doggedly poor. I'm from an area where...of course there are poor people, poor black people, poor white people, but things feel different in Baltimore.
I just wanted to know if anyone has any insight on any of the situations I mentioned:
I can just say, that I feel like I'd never stay here to raise a family or have children; esp being in an interracial relationship. It seems so tense here, between the races and classes. I don't want to talk history, and how things are always tense; I don't need a general history lesson: I went to college, I've done academic research on American racial history, etc. I'd just like your impressions, thoughts, feelings.
Thnx
...
4- I freely admitted that I am a somewhat recent transplant and I have not explored all of Baltimore's suburbs, so no, I do not know about the enclaves of middle class people of color.
5- I feel like very few people were willing to cut to the heart of what I said. Almost everyone hedged around it....Do you feel like race relations are kind of screwy in Baltimore: yes? no?
Have you lived in Baltimore all your life, and could this be influencing your outlook? No one who responded stated if they lived in Baltimore City, County, and how long they have lived there. I'm in Baltimore County, in a suburb. If you've been in this type of environment all your life, I think it would be hard for you to subjectively examine race relations, unless you're willing to take an honest look and with an open mind, talk to people around you, people who are different from you: culturally and ethnically.
Well I don't know much about the race discrimination in the job market, but I do admit that saying you don't fit the "office culture" seems a bit odd especially since they only had one quick interview to decide that. That's usually something they might say after you'd been working there for awhile. However, I wouldn't be too concerned about them not asking for references; I think some companies might not put too much stock in them since they figure whoever you put as a reference is going to say something good about you. (I know this was written in July so hopefully you have a job by now).
But in regards to race relations in general, I must say I've had the opposite experience. Like you were when you first wrote this, I'm a somewhat recent transplant (although from NJ) living in Baltimore County. I live in Pikesville, which seems to be a pretty even split between blacks and Orthodox Jews (I'm neither); a very stark contrast, yet I was actually surprised at how well they get along. But just in my relatively small apartment complex there are whites, blacks, Indians, and Asians, among others. Baltimore is definitely more diverse than where I came from (although that was somewhat diverse itself), and the people get along just as well. Maybe everyone doesn't look right through everyone else's skin color, but I don't feel the "tension" like you do. In fact one of my first nights here I went to a restaurant where I was the only white person in it, and although it felt odd to be the minority for probably the first time in my life, I can't say there was really any tension.
Re: poor black people, I'm sorry to stay, statistically there are probably more poor black people than any other race. But it's not just Baltimore, it's like that in a lot of other places, such as cities that I've spent time in like Philadelphia, Camden (if you want racial tension, go to Camden), and the small city in Central PA where I went to college. However, I've definitely seen my fair share of poor white people around here as well. I also agree with one of the previous posters in that the upper/middle class black people have moved to the suburbs. One such area that's the next town over from me is Owings Mills.
That was just what I wanted to read, Rushmore! I was born and raised in B-more and honestly it just doesn't agree with me. Me and my husband will be looking at places in Tampa and St Pete's later this year. We just feel it will be a better fit for us. Thank you!
Don't thank me--I might be wrong.
But on the off-chance that I am not, you can PM me and I'll gladly give you a lot of advice on the transplanting to SW Florida, which is easily my favorite part of this country to live.
Check out the Sarasota and Tampa forums when you get a chance (top of the page, us forums>florida).
The folks on both boards will give you some straight dope on the areas.
And as I said earlier, we will be Sarasotans on March 1, and we are pretty excited.
Fireflower,
I hope you are still reading your replies to your post, I just saw it today. I was born and raised in Baltimore City. Except for living off and on in North Carolina , South Carolina, and New York. I have done a lot of traveling, and I was involved in politics and labor in Baltimore. You are write the racial situation is weird. There is much discrimination. There are neighborhoods that would burn crosses if a person of color moved in just 10 years ago. While the population of Baltimore City is predominantly black, there is still much discrimination in empoyment. While I think it is very important to have an education, I have known many caucasian people with supervisory, and management jobs who could not read, or read functionally. The University of Maryland has only started treating black students equally very recemtly. There are many black people with great skills, knowledge and abilities. They are not chosen for that reason. In Baltimore and some other places I can name, they don't want smart, capable black people. They only want black people who will do what they are told without thinking, or expecting any acknowledgement. They want blacks who disdain other blacks. By the way, there is no such thing as playing the race card, If the race card os om the deck, and you are dealt it, then you must play it. I know people in this day and age, black people, who are working very hard, overtime without pay, doing white supervisors job, while white supervisors do absolutely nothing, and black managers have absolutely no authority. Maryland is a Southern State, with a Southern mentality. It seems that most of the educated blacks are brainwashed, the working class blue collar, para professional, and clerical workers, are just trying to live on the small salaries they make, the the poor laborer, housekeeper, type worker, are your working poor. Then you have your non-working poor, who have given up, are angry, and do not know there History. You also have your people who make lots of money illegally. Chilren in School are not allowed to say that a teacher is prejudiced. Nobody is allowed to play the race card. educated and wnd working blacks are taught to hate poor blacks, to look down on high school grads, or people who only have an AA. All anyone is valueing is money, and position, Even black churches care more about money, power, position,and material things, rather than spiritual things. I could say so much more, but I have decided to write a book, I am 67 years old, I have worked 40 years in Baltimore, 6 years in New York. and 3 years in North Carolina, which is worse than Baltimore. I will be visiting Wyoming for 6 months, and I can't wait to see what it is like. I loved New York for working, I just did not like apartment living. Also as you stated in your post, you can talk freely about race in New York, but there are places where they will tell you "we have no racial problems" and that is it, discussion closed. The final truth is that we live in a democracy where black people are only 12% of the population. Unless we agree with them we have no vote. no job, no status.
Fireflower,
I hope you are still reading your replies to your post, I just saw it today. I was born and raised in Baltimore City. Except for living off and on in North Carolina , South Carolina, and New York. I have done a lot of traveling, and I was involved in politics and labor in Baltimore. You are write the racial situation is weird. There is much discrimination. There are neighborhoods that would burn crosses if a person of color moved in just 10 years ago. While the population of Baltimore City is predominantly black, there is still much discrimination in empoyment. While I think it is very important to have an education, I have known many caucasian people with supervisory, and management jobs who could not read, or read functionally. The University of Maryland has only started treating black students equally very recemtly. There are many black people with great skills, knowledge and abilities. They are not chosen for that reason. In Baltimore and some other places I can name, they don't want smart, capable black people. They only want black people who will do what they are told without thinking, or expecting any acknowledgement. They want blacks who disdain other blacks. By the way, there is no such thing as playing the race card, If the race card os om the deck, and you are dealt it, then you must play it. I know people in this day and age, black people, who are working very hard, overtime without pay, doing white supervisors job, while white supervisors do absolutely nothing, and black managers have absolutely no authority. Maryland is a Southern State, with a Southern mentality. It seems that most of the educated blacks are brainwashed, the working class blue collar, para professional, and clerical workers, are just trying to live on the small salaries they make, the the poor laborer, housekeeper, type worker, are your working poor. Then you have your non-working poor, who have given up, are angry, and do not know there History. You also have your people who make lots of money illegally. Chilren in School are not allowed to say that a teacher is prejudiced. Nobody is allowed to play the race card. educated and wnd working blacks are taught to hate poor blacks, to look down on high school grads, or people who only have an AA. All anyone is valueing is money, and position, Even black churches care more about money, power, position,and material things, rather than spiritual things. I could say so much more, but I have decided to write a book, I am 67 years old, I have worked 40 years in Baltimore, 6 years in New York. and 3 years in North Carolina, which is worse than Baltimore. I will be visiting Wyoming for 6 months, and I can't wait to see what it is like. I loved New York for working, I just did not like apartment living. Also as you stated in your post, you can talk freely about race in New York, but there are places where they will tell you "we have no racial problems" and that is it, discussion closed. The final truth is that we live in a democracy where black people are only 12% of the population. Unless we agree with them we have no vote. no job, no status.
I'm sure I am ignorant for not knowing exactly why you are entitled to make such gross generalizations. I can assure you, none of what you describe happens in any office I operate.
But the fact that you do it with such irony makes it all the more off-putting. I didn't even put in bold anything that might have merely been a typo (although I suspect I have been more generous than I needed to be).
If you intend to lecture people on the merits of education and an ability to read and write, you ought to try to exhibit these abilities yourself.
I'm sure you feel your sweeping and divisive diatribe is somehow useful, but I think it serves no purpose other than to further alienate people from one another. At the very least, it has alienated you from me.
I'm sure I am ignorant for not knowing exactly why you are entitled to make such gross generalizations. I can assure you, none of what you describe happens in any office I operate.
But the fact that you do it with such irony makes it all the more off-putting. I didn't even put in bold anything that might have merely been a typo (although I suspect I have been more generous than I needed to be).
If you intend to lecture people on the merits of education and an ability to read and write, you ought to try to exhibit these abilities yourself.
I'm sure you feel your sweeping and divisive diatribe is somehow useful, but I think it serves no purpose other than to further alienate people from one another. At the very least, it has alienated you from me.
Best of luck writing your book.
I am entitled to make such remarks because I am entitled to express my thoughts, feelings and experiences, as everyone has done on this forum. By the way, these are not just my experiences, there are lots of people in Baltimore who would agree with me, and who have experienced what I have experienced, but they are afraid to speak about it because it is not comfortable for them, and it is not politically correct. They suffer in silence until they retire, then they talk on late night radio shows, and to each other. dedicated to such topics. You have no right to tell me I should not talk about what I know to be true because it is devisive.
People are already alienated, what I have written will only alienate those who do not want to hear the truth. The fact that I had typos had nothing to do with my ability to read or write, I do not mind correction where it is due. I do not mind your alienation, that is your choice. I am very glad that the things that I mentioned does not happen in the offices you run, I applaud you for that.
Ignorance is not bliss. People need to talk, and talk honestly. If people don't wish to talk about a problem that is obviously there, it is because some are afraid and brainwashed, and some don't really want change.
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