Job Discrimination? Racial Mingling? (Baltimore, Randallstown: low income, transplants, crime)

[fireflower]

Hey All,

Just a question: have you guys noticed job discrimination in Baltimore/Greater Baltimore area?

I know the economy is rough right now, for EVERYONE. And I'm not trying to "play the race card," but some dodgy situations have come up:

1. I've been unemployed for 9 months

2. I've a stellar cv, have worked at ivy leagues, have taught, done research, and written winning million $ grant proposals

3. I've put out over 100 cover letters (all finely tuned and very well written)

I've gotten responses, interviews (around 5), and let me give this as an example, which has been kind of typical:

I turn in my application.
I get a very excited response.
I am granted a phone interview (score!)
I do well on the phone
I'm granted an in-person interview:

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."

Hum....I'm professional, talented, and I have various achievements under my belt. I have stellar references, and amazing CV, and can do the work efficiently.

I know there are lots of qualified applicants out there, and if it weren't for the letter I would have chalked it up to some over-qualified PhD stealing my job, and that may have happened...but what's the deal with the "office culture" comment.

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 think this state is kind of weird. I'm Black. I'm from the midwest. I grew up working poor, and I'm now (after much hard work) not so poor...even though I'm not working.

I don't plan on staying in MD for more than 3 years, and I would move ASAP if possible.

I just wanted to know if anyone has any insight on any of the situations I mentioned:

Job discrimination; racial mingling; racial isolation; etc

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

[Hamish Forbes]

Hi, fireflower. Since nobody responded, I thought that I would put my two-cents worth in. Your post didn't mention your age. That could be a factor. Also, if you are applying for university jobs and don't have a PhD, you are at a tremendous disadvantage, no matter how good your cv is otherwise. In any case, good luck, and best wishes!

[JHUgrad]

Originally Posted by Hamish Forbes

Hi, fireflower. Since nobody responded, I thought that I would put my two-cents worth in. Your post didn't mention your age. That could be a factor. Also, if you are applying for university jobs and don't have a PhD, you are at a tremendous disadvantage, no matter how good your cv is otherwise. In any case, good luck, and best wishes!

This is correct. Even without knowing exactly what it is you do, if the majority of jobs are going to PhDs and you don't have one, it's extremely unlikely you'll be successful.

More on topic, I think you're right about the segregated nature of Baltimore in general; I was only in town for 4 days looking for housing and it was easy to see. However, seriously I doubt that it's carrying over into the job market the way you think it is. You're under-qualified in a new area in a bad economy, and I think that's all there is to it.

[oneworld25]

I thought I'd offer a few random comments.

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.

With regards to the Baltimore area this is true. But once you get into the DC suburbs, you'll find more Asians and Hispanics. And even in Baltimore, I've noticed more hispanics lately.

In downtown Baltimore I see lots of POOR Black people...where are the mid/upper class people of color?

I've heard this a few times on this forum and I've never really quite understood it. There are quite a few Black middle and upper class areas. Ashburton, Randallstown, Owings Mills, and Ten Hills to name a few.

I think this state is kind of weird. I'm Black. I'm from the midwest. I grew up working poor, and I'm now (after much hard work) not so poor...even though I'm not working.

I think part of the reason you think things are weird is because in much of the midwest and New England there aren't that many black people. I imagine similar racial situations exist in places like Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Cleveland.

[Woodlands]

I would also add that there are still quite a few "service facilities" and "agencies" that cater to low income residents that are located in downtown.. Not to mention hospitals, bus transfer stops and connection with the subways which may be the only way that some folks can get around. That being said YES there are a great deal of low income/poor residents and many are black but the city is also a majority black city at 65% .. Also, what part of downtown were you in? More "professional blacks" may work for the State (State Center); Legg Mason; Constellation; Hospitals; the City/Court Adminstration; MTA Headquarters and other places scattered throughout the CBD and around the Harbor to name a few places. Howard Street or sections East and West Baltimore Street,or around Lexington Market are also around downtown and may give you a glimps of life in Baltimore City.. but not a complete one.

[The_Fairfaxian]

To the OP, the job market is generally rough at this moment, but in all honesty, race relations in Maryland are rather mediocre at best! I currently go to the state university (transferred from a less racially diverse university in Pennsylvania), and believe me when I say that I saw a lot more segregation and racism at the Maryland college than the original university I attended. I attribute this to factors such as the intense racial segregation within the Baltimore area, the correlation between class and race (whites are rich/well off, blacks are poor/lower class), the historical racist mentality and actions of many (but not all) whites that is passed on even onto young people today, the (justified but overly-lingering) bitterness of inner-city poor blacks that manifest itself in crime and retaliative acts, and the covert racist mentality of many transplants from the Northeastern states who have relocated to MD in masses.

As for alternatives, for an easy transition, I would strongly argue for relocating (or at least looking for work) in the DC area. The job market in general is more stable thanks to the federal government, and there are a lot more blacks in professional positions and plentiful of blacks in recruiting/hiring power. I'd say try your luck and apply for some positions in DC itself, Montgomery & Prince Georges Counties MD (the two counties that are more DC-influenced than B-More influenced), and Northern Virgina. As for race relations in the DC area, it's definitely a huge improvement over B-More, but you still have some issues that causes DC to still have somewhat shaky race relations (class/race correlation, Northeastern transplants) particularly near and within the city itself. One thing I do find ironic is that race relations are much better in the DC suburbs (outer-beltway Northern VA, parts of Montgomery Co.) than in the city itself, even bordering that of race relations in the Western US in some cases.

[oneworld25]

The Fairfaxian brings up some interesting points. Sometimes I think racial tension is more prevalent in areas that are more diverse as there is more "opportunity" for there to be tension. Which may be why the Fairfaxian says there was more racism at the more diverse university.

[fireflower]

Hello Hamish, thanks for your response. All of the jobs I apply for only require a Bachelor's and do not ask for a Masters or PhD. I have lots of experience and I am usually overqualified for each position I apply for. But thanks for the input and your reply.

[fireflower]

THanks everyone for your replies. I (guess) I'll thank some of you for your comments on my job search. Although I was called "unqualified" ...without you even looking at my CV or knowing what kind of jobs I'm applying for...

And a special thanks to those who responded to the race relations question. I'll respond to some items presented:

1- The university jobs I'm applying for are not teaching positions, although I have taught at the university level.

2- I'm in my mid 20s, I was a highly sought after employee before moving to this ... before relocating here with my fiance

3-Segregation and racial tension carry into all facets of life; to think otherwise is as naive as saying you're "color-blind"; I worked in institutional equity, and more specifically educational equity at an Ivy League institution, doing research, so I didn't come on the forum for justification for the impression I received at interviews. I know what I felt. ...I came for your impressions, to see if any one else has experienced this, to see if you guys mingle with people of different races on an everyday basis, if you have friends who are diverse, etc.

Coming from New England and the Midwest, it seems that people there were somewhat more willing to talk about race and how to GET PAST our differences, to learn from each other. Here, people want to push it under a rug and pretend that it doesn't matter that we're different, which doesn't allow for discussion and healing.

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.

There's nothing wrong with talking about race. As a person of color, as a human, I wish more people would. I love all my friends, of all races, and I think it's good to honestly reflect. And I know it can be hard if you've always lived in the same place, around the same people, or if you don't know how to consider someone else's point of view, but it can be done. Case in point: I'm a Black woman, a liberal democrat, and honestly one of my closest friends is a homeschooled White guy from South Carolina, a strict Christian Republican who loved Bush...(no comment). But we're honest friends because we have open and respectful dialogue, we know we're different, but we respect eachother, learn from one another, and are good friends.

Whatever you said...to everyone on here, thanks for responding.

6-there are lots of Black people in New England and the Midwest...I dont' know if you've been visited OneWorld...I've taught in NE where it was much less diverse, mainly whites, but there are lots of highly diverse areas in the Midwest and NE. Farmland in Ohio is more diverse than Baltimore! In terms of people living together on equal footing and getting along as neighbors! Joining eachother for beers after work, no matter WHAT their race, cracking jokes, having dinners together...you know, I just can't imagine that here...if you guys know of a place like that, let me know. I like friendly neighbors, who don't look at me like I might try to rob them...even when I'm wearing a suit, heels, and a briefcase! Just kidding, it's usually when I'm coming from the gym

[LA_86]

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