Boston Racial Stigma- is it "cool" to hate on Boston? (Lynn: private schools, train)

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by AshbyQuin

Lol, that's wild. I really think these types of articles use Boston for clicks. I doubt the author(s) actually believe this, although I wouldn't be surprised if they do.


I went to college for 2 years in Lock Haven and drove past tons of confederate and 'don't tread on me' flags. You would've thought it was Mississippi. I haven't seen any place in the Boston Metro as racist as parts of rural PA lol.

I also went to school in a rural area, but upstate New York. Saw tons of trumpy flags, parades and lots of weird stuff up there. But Boston, is more systematic. Also given that it has historically been a white city and the downtown neighborhoods that tourists and college kids will frequent, are all like 75%+ white. Boston gives the impression that it is a super white and segregated city with no time for them black folk. Is it true? No more than anywhere else.

But the Haitians and Cape Verdeans who live south of Boston are like “this is the best place i have ever lived. People are so nice! Never leaving…” shows a very different contrast. I do know there is a debate in Massachusetts whether Caribbean and foreign born blacks “count” or not.

But in my own experience, the few people from college who would agonize the point of “City A where I go to college is so racist”, never amounted to really much of anything. The whole approach is kinda wrong. I had this one girl who in college, tried to get all black students to eat first during our lunches at training for a student role because to work at a college white people need to learn the injustices. Super drastic example there, but its a great one on a “i get your mindset, but terrible approach”. FTR- she is unemployed and still big mad in rural upstate NY. If you want to fight institutional racism, dont do that.

I guess since Boston has like 250,000 college kids around it, its kinda expected. College kids are still very young, it may be their first time in a city as big or as white as Boston. It’s probably a very different experience, some kids may think its “racist”. But once they get in the real world and start working… they’ll lesrn real fast lmao.

[BostonBornMassMade]

College kids like that really know what they're talking about… plain and simple. This writer is very very young clearly. Hasn't gone much of anywhere in Boston other than BU. Which is an elite university as she would find the same issues at UCLA Northwestern American University etc. She's comparing the % of black students at BU to the % of black people in the American populous- I mean, we're getting very rudimentary.

But she was raised a certain way- and told Boston was racist before she ever got there-as she admitted to. So as a young person first time in her own she is on high alert. She never actually mentions much in racism other than there's not many black kids at her school there were no black statewide reps at that time, and her uncle said its racist. No talk of microagressions, academic department resources/professor. No mention of BU hiring Ibram X Kendi to run its Anti-Racism Research Center. No mention of the mayoral race that had no White candidates to speak of, city demography. No mention of really anything objective or substantive.

And some of the things like no black statewide elected officials aren't true anymore. But also the entire state is not Boston- obviously as there are Citywide black elected officials in Boston. And have been for quite sometime. Of course- there is little to no chance she knows about local politics, history etc. If the city itself were so racist then why are 30% of city employees black - with blacks at every level of the pay scale. And why does it do most of what it does?

I, being my demo, meet these kids every once in a while they're never really been on the other side of the river and by the time they find out about it they've already made plans to move to another city. Again- a lot of this comes down to her social circle being primarily black people from out of state, her warning coming in. There is a tremendous amount of social presssure out on young black people to move to NYC DC ATL LA to become successful and in general you are discouraged from staying in Boston by family or friends because they worry about your careers trajectory and social connections. So I think people in part begin preparing themselves to move before they arrive.

I mean..she mentions not one Bostonian of color past or present, not one majority-minority neighborhood or institution, and not much else either. This gives you insight in to where she's been.

[AshbyQuin]

More of it

It's annoying how the media continues to vilify only Boston as if the entire country was a utopia for minorities pre-civil rights era.

I'm sure there are tons of much much worse examples of black college athletes being harassed and assaulted in Texas, Mississippi, Georgia Tennessee, etc; during the 50s that are not being publicized. But for whatever reason, Boston is the scapegoat.

https://youtube.com/shorts/6LL9i9qHw...EndtpnKdoHSaef

[mas23]

Boston was A LOT more multicultural than I thought it'd be.

It was almost Like a scaled back version of Brooklyn to me(which they might not like to hear, but that's just my perspective)

But you can feel and see the disenfranchisement of the minority populace. Thats probably has something to do with why its black community never got much representation in the media whether through politics or entertainment.

Then again, to be fair, the disenfranchisement of blacks can apply to anywhere in this country.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by mas23

Boston was A LOT more multicultural than I thought it'd be.

It was almost Like a scaled back version of Brooklyn to me(which they might not like to hear, but that's just my perspective)

But you can feel and see the disenfranchisement of the minority populace. Thats probably has something to do with why its black community never got much representation in the media whether through politics or entertainment.

Then again, to be fair, the disenfranchisement of blacks can apply to anywhere in this country.

The disenfranchisement of everyone in Boston comes from the national scale. People assume Boston’s a white city and they run with that.

Ive lived in 6 states now, 9 cities, most diverse and integrated place I have lived in was just south of Boston MA.

Ive quite literally heard stories on here (upthread) and in real life where people from places like New York or Chicago even, will get so mad at Black people from Boston that they will get beat up. There are multiple accounts of other black guys beating the crap out of Black Bostonians when they find out where they are from. Im not sure why New Yorkers/etc care so much why a Black dude is from Boston, or what that gives them to lose but its quite ridiculous.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

The disenfranchisement of everyone in Boston comes from the national scale. People assume Boston’s a white city and they run with that.

Ive lived in 6 states now, 9 cities, most diverse and integrated place I have lived in was just south of Boston MA.

Ive quite literally heard stories on here (upthread) and in real life where people from places like New York or Chicago even, will get so mad at Black people from Boston that they will get beat up. There are multiple accounts of other black guys beating the crap out of Black Bostonians when they find out where they are from. Im not sure why New Yorkers/etc care so much why a Black dude is from Boston, or what that gives them to lose but its quite ridiculous.

Yeah I've never heard of that

Beating up a dude just bc they're from Boston is wild. I don't know about all that.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by mas23

Yeah I've never heard of that

Beating up a dude just bc they're from Boston is wild. I don't know about all that.

I haven't heard this either. Never!

[AshbyQuin]

Originally Posted by mas23

Yeah I've never heard of that

Beating up a dude just bc they're from Boston is wild. I don't know about all that.

Yeah, seems hella counterproductive that New Yorkers would assault ppl they already view as victims of extreme racism and oppression in their own city.

"Hey there, black man from Boston. I understand that you're already facing enough crap back home, so let me assault you"

[BigCity76]

Originally Posted by AshbyQuin

Yeah, seems hella counterproductive that New Yorkers would assault ppl they already view as victims of extreme racism and oppression in their own city.

"Hey there, black man from Boston. I understand that you're already facing enough crap back home, so let me assault you"

Yeah, makes absolutely zero sense and doesn't even sound real. Something smells rotten about this fish tale

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by BigCity76

Yeah, makes absolutely zero sense and doesn't even sound real. Something smells rotten about this fish tale

Lol what's fishy about that? That's not that crazy at all.

People stand on their hatred of Boston and aren't like shy about it or willing to reconsider. For millions of Black men in particular it is “F BOSTON” and its something they are taught from older men in their lives. I've literally seen comments like “I was just telling my young in about that city”. You saw this with Anthony Davis’ father. They hate Boston and and “anything Boston” and “Bostonians” and are very very explicit about that. In not saying its like faith but it a strong belief and a core tent of understanding your place in America and racism. It's not somethingsome people want to hear being challenged. Because it's foundational in their sense of self and blackness.

So if your proudly flaunting that in someone's face- some people actually take serious umbrage with that perceived betrayal/defiance/ignorance.

but I guess if you re not from there you dont know how deep that runs or how often we encounter it. My girlfriend from Jersey absolutely HATES the reaction people give me- she doesn't know how I deal with it. She defends thebcitt robstrangers harder than I do mostly because she hasn't had to do it for a lifetime yet. Eventually she will get tired and find acceptance. Still- she is deeply bothered by it. She tried explaining to her mother how nice the city was and her mother basically scoffed and said “colonizers.” she then brought the topic up again in another visit with her mother and stepfather and asked me to talk about it, I didn't say much because I know her mother generation more or less. The Stepfather was very receptive but her mother was not based off what she saw in the movie departed.

I even asked the stepfather politely- prior to me talking what did you think it would be like we're you to visit Boston he said “well really I thought it was a place I would not be welcomed, where there wouldn't be much to do, and honestly, potentially? where I could be in danger” so prior to talking to me that was his perception.

No its very real. I can personally attest to it. This has happened to me here in Baltimore. I was saying I liked living in Boston and would move back he told me I was crazy and that Boston is “wild and ridiculous” I said it's a very nice city, and then we went back and forth. He told me “I had that cracker in me” so the jawing continued- mind you this is an uber passenger. He then threatened to “f-ck [me] up” if I came back around this area. (Penn-North).He was pretty irate that I said I was from there and would like to move back.

I also know from other people that this happens to them…. and we have video testimonial of it upthread. Me and Mass and Stupefye aren't all just making this up out of thin air…..it actually can happen. And has happened.

And AQ, simply put- black people do not care about what someone from Boston “goes through”that's irrelevant, theyre concern is what a visiting black athlete “goes through” by and large.