bi-racial family looking to relocate (Birmingham, Montgomery: rent, work, school)

[lisamm]

Originally Posted by momof5

someone told me that we would be accepted in Birmingham. My husband is black/Haitian and I am caucasian. Would Birmingham be an accepting city?

Would there be areas of Birmingham to stay away from?
How interracial are the schools?
How is the job situation?

thanks so much.

I personally don't think you should move to Birmingham. My family is Biracial. My new husband is white, my two oldest kids are italian and hispanic and my youngest is hispanic and black. I also had to find a place where they would all be accepted, my oldest kids look white and my youngest looks black. I moved to Huntsville, Al and we all felt accepted. The kids made friends with blacks and whites. I would recoment Hunstille, Al instead of Birmingham. I know what your going through. I was afraid my oldest kids wouldn't be accept in a black area and my youngest wouldn't be accepted in a white area but huntsville seems to be a place where everyone is accepted. Well good luck to you and your family.

[momof5]

I have not checked up on my original post in a while and was so surprised to find so many more posts.

I so appreciate your honest replies. I only posted on Birmingham because someone from another web board felt it was a progressive and liberal city in terms of race.

Maybe single race but it seems from this thread that my sons would not feel comfortable there.

As for why have children... my children are quite happy to be alive. My son is the president of his high school of 3000 predominately white students and he was elected by these students to run their school. I guess bi-racial kids will show the rest of us a new way in the next century since they don't see the world as one color but as multiple colors. My son has done wonders to his school to pull all the kids together and make sure that they all have a voice.

My kids have the great advantage of being able to see people for who they are, not of their race but of their integrety and honesty. My son at 16 has started his own business to raise money for orphans overseas and is an amazing big foster brother to our three white foster children one of whom has cerebral palsy and limits. He has been his legs carrying him where he couldn't walk and he doesn't care what color he is.

Thanks again for all who took the time to reply. It is why I posted... to find out honestly how my kids would feel living in a certain area.

[fishmonger]

I don't really have any experience with Huntsville (although I was born there), but you probably wouldn't have any problems in Birmingham... I think it depends on what area of the metro you choose to live in. Further out, in the semi-rural areas, there might be some problems, but for the most part Birmingham's turned its back on the overt, public racism of days past. What sucks about Birmingham is that some of the most "liberal" and accepting areas of the metro, like the southern areas of the inner city, aren't zoned for good public school systems, however there are a number of suburbs with good school systems, diverse populations and affordable housing (Hoover and slightly pricier Homewood come to mind) where I'm sure neither you or your kids would have problems to any greater extent than they would have in any other suburban area in the U.S. Unfortunately the region's still "de facto" segregated to a large extent, with the inner-city schools around 95-98% black and the most exclusive systems around 95-98% white, but the area's big enough for you to find what you're looking for if you come here. I wouldn't expect any out-of-the-ordinary problems in the Birmingham area, to be honest, unless maybe you move way out to the surrounding boonies (the same could be said of the Huntsville area, though.) That's my thoughts on Birmingham, at least... Huntsville would probably be a good option as well but it's a little more homogeneous (homogenous? I forgot how it's spelled...oh well.) Well educated population though, in Huntsville that is.

[Suliniber]

Originally Posted by jonw

Take this into consideration before moving to Alabama: The ban on interracial marriage was overturned only a few years ago and by only a very small margin. Considering that most minorities voted to get rid of the ban and therefore it passed (barely), you should have an inkling as to what white people think about miscegenation here in Alabama.

I am already here having a lot of fun. I really don't care what people's attitudes are. It would be their problem, not mine, unless they touch me with somtething deadly. People wake up! The World is passing us bye! I wonder, is it lack of education or lack of exposure to the World?

[robivi3]

I was in Scottsboro back in 1994. I remember being in McDonalds after a football game. The kids were mixing and the crowd seemed friendly. I think the area is somewhat better educated.

My wife is Colombian, my stepmother for 31 years is Colombian. My three sons are mixed. We own a place in Tennessee in Crossville. The worst racism we face is here in Sunrise, Florida. It is almost all from Hispanics in our case. I have found that some people resent anyone marrying out of race. As part of the white minority and working in a division of County Governement that employees 3000 people I can tell you that we are 8.8% of the workforce, that it is difficult to get on (I have been there 25 years) and that the discrimination and alienantion in our case has been bad.

The whole thing stinks whether it is white to black, black to Hispanic, hispanic to anglo or what have you. To hell with uneducated bastards who worry about who you are or have the bloody time to worry about who you marry. Damn them, they don't sleep with them. The law protects people regardless of birth. My kids have had the 'halfbreed" thing from whites, we went through our share of "cracker days" at Westpine Middle School and HELL YES, they do have it and please no stupid, inane comments about "tell your school board" because parents here have complained to the Broward School Board, us included but as it is a black on white deal little is done, DAMNED little. With all of the seperation the Government has introduced by virtue of classifying us like insects it has created largely alienanted Cities where we may live together but we keep to ourselves. We are diverse in SoFla but few mix. And I am not referring to myself, my family is Hatian (brother-in-law), Colombian, Tennessean, German (wifes cousin) and Venezuelan. So please no stupid you are this or that sound offs from people who wish to hide the truth. I am thankful that you meet educated people who can handle the differences. I love mixed marriages. I believe it is a natural thing to be attracted to different types odf people. because mixing strengthens the whole human race.

Move to a community where the level of education is higher, Huntsville is good and has some high tech industry. To hell with what folks think. That world is thankfully going to vanish one day. There are fools in every race, just my sound off.

[NCTarheel07]

I have been reading several racial topic throughout this forum today, and Id like to say to anyone comming down from up north that is bi racal or is in a bi racial couple: The south is 80% African American, and in some parts over 90%, except in extreme rural areas. You will fit in fine. 1865 and 1950 are long over. racisim is a issue for every race and every area of the world, though, but the south is been accepted as the scapegoat for racisim by narrow minded people.

[bamaboomer]

Originally Posted by momof5

someone told me that we would be accepted in Birmingham. My husband is black/Haitian and I am caucasian. Would Birmingham be an accepting city?

Would there be areas of Birmingham to stay away from?
How interracial are the schools?
How is the job situation?

thanks so much.

Yes, Birmingham would be a fine fit for you. good luck!

[bamaboomer]

Birmingham is very gay friendly. please remember that most of alabama is rural and that many alabama cities do not allow booze.

so when talking about alabama it is better to specify what city you are familiar with. birmingham is not like, most of alabama. It is a decent place to consider for bi racial or alternative lifestyles

[robivi3]

No offense but the South is not 80-90% African American in any way shape or form. Please do not attempt to defend such a made up statistic or make a personal attack just because I put in a correction, I am just correcting the blanket statement. The South is overwhelmingly white. The impression is that Atlanta, Memphis and New Orleans are predominantly black, that is true. But that does NOT classify all other places as "extremely rural". Giving blanket statements not supported by any fact gives a person a wrong impression.

To assume that racism is over in the South even in the Cities is utterly wrong, it now cuts many more ways. Whites are flocking to rural areas and making new businesses that will cause those areas to grow. One of the reasons is because of the rampant racism, mostly anti-white that exists in the major Cities, especially if you work in the Government. It has been made clear to us that we are NOT welcome at certain events and in certain Organizations where diversity is a strict code word for "whites not welcome". No one has to like it, call me what you will but I have lived this for the last 26 years, am an expert at it and will be "retiring to the country" to be away from dealing with the stress of it. The fact is that racism and alienation, worldwide, the South included is alive and very sadly, doing extremely well. Mayor Najin himself is among its adherents. No, not referring to his rant during Katrina, Kate Hale did one here during Andrew, understandable especially given the normal humidity of NO and adding the strange humisity that a hurricane brings. I've lived through many of them and still am getting permits to complete repairs from the last one. I am talking about his post Katrina comments that had they been said by any white politician would have caused him to be skewered alive.

US Census Bureau

Alabama 71.1 % White, 26% African American
Texas 71.0% white, 11.00% African American
Tenn. 80.2% White, 16.4% African American
Georgia 65.1% White, 28.7% African American
Miss. 61.4% White, 36.3% African American
Louisianna 64.8% White, 32.9% African American
Florida White 78%, 14.% African American
So Carolina 67.2% White, 29.5% African American
No Carolina 72.1% White, 21.6% African American

And back to the subject at hand. I would consider the South as safe as any place for biracial couples. My wife is Colombian and very dark skinned and we have a place in rural Tennessee and folks have been wonderful. Mixing is a necessity, the gene pool needs constant stirring.

[robivi3]

...just make sure you stir it up, not down. My sister-in-law is married to a fine, Christian Hatian man, my cousin in TN to an Egyptian. The importance today is the level of education a person has or to which they are aspiring, a world view that is not overly ethnic and just being a decent person. By "overly ethnic" I am referring to whites who never leave the trailer park in Davie mentally, blacks who can never leave Carol City or Liberty City and their world view is so narrow that nothing beyond white/black issues exist and Cubans who own the SUV, Boat and RV never leave Hialeah, AND THEY DO EXIST!

Racism did not begin with whites. In Colombia it is routinely parcticed against blacks and Indians by other ethnicities. Oh yes, any Colombian will tell you that it doesn't exist there. But then talk to the black Colombian and you get a different story. Many Monosucio (transl. "Dirty Monkey") tribe are still treated like dirt and even killed with impunity in Colombia. Talk to the Armenian and he'll tell you about the Turk, with hatred on both sides. To speak of racism in a one dimensional White Southerner only way makes you think that any white person beaten and assaulted in the South because of his race also deserved it. Enjoy Alabama if you go any place you will have stares and folks who don't like it but smile at you. They need to grow up, not you. The law is now on your side, no one black, white or hispanic can openly cause you grief for marrying whom you like. I think you will find Alabama in areas like Huntsville accomodating and friendly. You, like me want an area where the people are better educated and have an understanding that a whole world exists outside of their little pothole, choose an area like that and you will do fine.