Black Family Moving To Bangor (Charlotte: neighborhood, public schools, living in)

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

If anybody looks at you with surprise or curiosity it's because you are a stranger, nothing more; nothing less. They are just sizing you up. Most people find us to be polite, honest and not nosey.

According to the Census Department, Maine is the whitest state. That said, we may the the most color blind state. Check the article in the link below. John Jenkins has been judged by his character and ability. He has done very well on both counts.

Jenkins, John (1952- ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed

I'd rep you for this NMLM if I could (gotta spread it around).

This is very true as far as many of the people I know up here (and I've been here my entire life).

[tcrackly]

That's right! Mr. jenkins is well loved in this state and rightly so. He seems to be a truly progressive mayor that's not afraid to try something innovative to make his community better.

[maineguy8888]

Please just forget everything you've heard and just come with an open mind and heart......you will find it a great experience, I am 95% sure.
I grew up in a very "homogenous" town (I hate that word lol...........let's just call it what it was : WHITE). In northern Maine. But you know, in a reverse kind of way, the few black families in town were much loved. They were valued as being DIFFERENT, and in a weird way that was really cool to all the locals. We certainly didn't know enough to be racist.............none of that influence made it this far up in the hinterlands. It must have frozen on the way lol.
One of my top friends was a local black kid. He was part of "the gang" and none of us could have cared that he was black. We used to tease him mercilessly about it, in fact........when he wasn't raking US over the coals for being white! Lol.........All the kinds of things that teenage boys do.
My brother was best friends with two guys from a different black family in town. (Odd coincedence, I guess!)
In MY town, anyway, people cared 100 times more about whether you were a jerk or were an allright person, than they did about skin color.
Don't believe the hype: Mainers are NOT racist, by and large! If you get a chilly welcome, it is almost certainly due to our legendary quirks and not liking bossy outsiders from away...............NOT because you are black! (I'm sure you will fit in just fine, though)

[blackgirlinmaine]

Hi there! I just signed up as I noticed this site had been linked to my blog. I moved to Maine 7 years from Chicago and by and large I like it here. As you can see by my user name, I am a Black chick in Maine.

I admit the first two years were rough but it was more that I was used to a city with over 3 million folks compared to a state with only 1.5 million. My friends back home are amazed when I say this but I encountered far more racism in Chicago than I have in Maine. Yeah, you get the occasional idiots but I find most folks here are live and let live type.

I live in Southern Maine but I have spent time further north in Bangor and Lincoln and my experiences again are very similiar to what I encounter where I live in Southern Maine.

People may give you the eye at first but it will mostly be because you are an outside, once you are known folks will be cool.

I admit things like haircare can be an issue, but I went natural before I moved here and had locks up until a few years ago. In Southern Maine there are a couple of Black hair salons and of course Boston is a good day trip. I used to get my locks done in Boston the first year.

I have to say its a great place to raise kids, kids can really be kids and that is one reason I decided to stay beyond my initial time frame and plant some roots here.

I think you will like it!

[RANGER.101ST]

come on up we dont care if your black and the ones who do can go pound sand.(i tell it like i see it)
maineahs take great pride in looking people in the eyes while talking to them so if your not use to that dont take offence.sure your going to run into some people who will offend you and all you want to do is punch em in the head.but for every moor-on there's 100 great people.

[mensaguy]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

I second NMLM. You will catch more crap being from Charlotte. Most of that will be about your accent. : )

This is a fact that I can personally verify!

[kmburks]

I too just moved here from Atlanta about a week ago and things have been good. I also relocated with my job. I am black but based on what others have told me northeners are more open minded than southeners, which I thought to be funny since there are more colors of the rainbow in the south. The people here have been very welcoming, friendly and even when my family came to visit they felt comfortable with me having made a decision to move north. I had never experienced snow before but i do think that like you I have made a good change. Hope you enjoy your time here!

[tcrackly]

Be sure you get your cold weather gear...I hear they're predicting an especially cold winter!

[woxyroxme]

Originally Posted by reloop

not so much the fact that he was black that concerned people here, it was that he was "from away."

Tru dat. People in Maine are not racist, you won't be seeing confederate flags everywhere you turn like you do in Charlotte.

[chaosX5]

Originally Posted by woxyroxme

Tru dat. People in Maine are not racist, you won't be seeing confederate flags everywhere you turn like you do in Charlotte.

Charlotte's not really a southern city anymore, I don't see any rebel flags these days (and that's OK)




Good luck in Bangor to the Charlotte Family I really liked Bangor and compared to Charlotte it seemed to have a lot more character (IMO)....and some really nice people too